Страница 25 из 71
“Awfully like Jean, isn’t she?” said young Tasburgh: “She was a corker, from all accounts; they say she staged her own funeral, and got out of the country when Elizabeth set about the Catholics in the fifteen-sixties. D’you know what was the fate of anyone who celebrated Mass just then? Ripping up was a mere incident in it. The Christian religion! What oh! That lady had a hand in most pies, I fancy. I bet she speeded when she could.”
“Any news from the front?”
“Jean went into the study with an old ‘Times,’ a towel, and a pair of scissors. The rest is silence.”
“Isn’t there anywhere from which we can see them when they come out?”
“We could sit on the stairs. They wouldn’t notice us, there, unless they happen to go up.”
They went out and sat in a dark corner of the stairway, whence through the ba
“Remember, dear, you’re not to go out without a hat today.”
An inarticulate answer was shut off by the closing of the door. Di
“It’s all right. He’s a bit grumpy—doesn’t know who’ll cut his hair and that; thinks a special licence a waste of money; but he’s going to give me the hundred a year. I left him filling his pipe.” She stood still, looking into the sheet of newspaper. “There was an awful lot to come away. We’ll have lunch in a minute, Di
The Rector’s ma
After lunch the Rector took her apart.
“My deah Di
“We both feel it’s a little bit like ‘The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea!’”
“‘In a beautiful pea-green boat.’ Yes, indeed, but not ‘with plenty of money’ I feah. Still,” he added, dreamily, “Jean is a good girl; very—ah—capable. I am glad our families are to be—er—reunited. I shall miss her, but one must not be—ah—selfish.”
“‘What we lose on the swings we gain on the roundabouts,’” murmured Di
The Rector’s blue eyes twinkled.
“Ah!” he said, “yes, indeed; the rough with the smooth. Jean refuses to let me give her away. Here is her birth certificate in case of—ah—questions. She is of age.”
He produced a long yellowed slip. “Deah me!” he added, sincerely: “Deah me!”
Di
CHAPTER 14
Dropping Alan Tasburgh at his Club, the two girls headed the car for Chelsea. Di
“Mrs. Ferse in?”
“No, Miss; Captain Ferse.”
“Captain Ferse?”
The maid, looking to right and left, spoke in a low and hurried voice.
“Yes, Miss; we’re dreadfully put about, we don’t know what to do. Captain Ferse came in sudden at lunch time, and we never knew nothing of it, beforehand. The Mistress was out. There’s been a telegram for her, but Captain Ferse took it; and someone’s been on the ‘phone for her twice but wouldn’t give a message.” Di
“How—how does he seem?”
“Well, Miss, I couldn’t say. He never said nothing but ‘Where’s your mistress?’ He LOOKS all right, but not having heard anything, we’re afraid; the children are in and we don’t know where the Mistress is.”
“Wait a minute,” and Di
“What’s the matter?” asked Jean, getting out.
The two girls stood consulting on the pavement, while from the doorway the maid watched them.
“I ought to get hold of Uncle Adrian,” said Di
“You do that, and I’ll go in and wait for you. That maid looks scared.”
“I believe he used to be violent, Jean; he may have escaped, you know.”
“Take the car. I shall be all right.” Di
“I’ll take a taxi; then you’ll have the car if you want to get away.”
“Right! Tell the maid who I am, and then buzz off. It’s four o’clock.”
Di
“Don’t look up! He’s in there!” she said to Jean: “But for his eyes he looks quite normal—well-dressed and that. Let’s both go, Jean, or both stay.”
“No; I shall be quite all right; you go,” and she went into the house.
Di
“Do you know where Diana is?” she finished.
“She was dining to-night with Fleur and Michael. I was going too, but till then I don’t know. Let’s get on back to Oakley Street. This is a thunderbolt.”
They got into the cab.
“Couldn’t you telephone to that Mental Home, Uncle?”
“Without seeing Diana, I daren’t. You say he looked normal?”
“Yes. Only his eyes—but they always were like that, I remember.”
Adrian put his hands up to his head. “It’s too horrible! My poor girl!”
Di
“Horrible too,” said Adrian, “to be feeling like this because that poor devil has come back. Ah, me! This is a bad business, Di
“What is the law about it, Uncle?”
“God knows! He never was certified. Diana wouldn’t have that. They took him as a private patient.”
“But surely he couldn’t come away just when he liked, without any notice being given?”
“Who knows what’s happened? He may be as crazy as ever and have got away in a flash of sanity. But whatever we do,” and Di
“Uncle,” said Di
Adrian groaned. “That we must save her from somehow.”
At the end of Oakley Street they dismissed the cab and walked to the door…
On going in Jean had said to the maid: “I’m Miss Tasburgh. Miss Di