Miss Boncassen was sitting on the other side of the table, between Mr Monk and Phineas Finn, and throughout the dinner talked mock politics with the greatest liveliness. Silverbridge when he entered the room had gone round the table and shaken hands with everyone. But there had no other greeting between him and Isabel, nor had any sign passed from one to the other. No such greeting or sign had been possible. Nothing had been left undone which she had expected, or hoped. But, though she was lively, nevertheless she kept her eye upon her lover and Lady Mabel. Lady Mary had said that she thought her brother was in love with Lady Mabel. Could it be possible? In her own land she had heard absurd stories, stories which had seemed to her to be absurd,--of the treachery of Lords and Countesses, of the baseness of aristocrats, of the iniquities of high life in London. But her father had told her to go where she might, she would find people in the main to be very like each other. It had seemed that nothing could be more ingenuous than this young man had been in his declaration of his love. No simplest republican could have spoken more plainly. But now, at this moment, she could doubt but that her lover was very intimate with this other girl. Of course he was free. When she had refused to say a word to him of her own love or want of love, she had necessarily left him at liberty. When she had put him off for three months, of course he was to be his own master. But what must she think of him if it were so? And how could he have the courage to face her in her father's house if he intended to treat her in such a fashion? But of all this she showed nothing, nor was there a tone in her voice which betrayed her. She said her last word to Mr Monk with so sweet a smile that that old bachelor wished he were younger for her sake.
In the evening after dinner there was music. It was discovered that Miss Boncassen sung divinely, and both Lady Mabel and Lady Mary accompanied her. Mr Erle, and Mr Warburton, and Mr Monk, all of whom were unmarried, stood by enraptured. But Lord Silverbridge kept himself apart, and interested himself in a description which Mrs Boncassen gave him of their young men and their young ladies in the States. He had hardly spoken to Miss Boncassen,--till he offered her sherry or soda-water before she retired for the night.
She refused his courtesy with her usual smile, but showed no more emotion than though they two had now met for the first time in their lives.
He had quite made up his mind as to what he would do. When the opportunity should come his way he would simply remind her that the three months were passed. But he was shy of talking to her in the presence of Lady Mabel and his father. He was quite determined that the thing should be done at once, but he certainly wished that Lady Mabel had not been there. In what she had said to him at the dinner-table she had made him quite understand that she would be a trouble to him. He remembered her look when he had told her that she would marry. It was as though she had declared to him that it was he who ought to be her husband. It referred back to that proffer of love which he had once made to her. Of course all this was disagreeable. Of course it made things difficult for him.
But not the less was it a thing quite assured that he would press his suit to Miss Boncassen. When he was talking to Mrs Boncassen he was thinking of nothing else. When he was offering Isabel the glass of sherry he was telling himself that he would find his opportunity on the morrow,--though, now, at this moment, it was impossible that he should make a sign. She, as she went to bed, asked herself whether it was possible that there should be such treachery;--whether it were possible that he should pass it all by as though he had never said a word to her!
During the whole of the next day, which was Sunday, he was equally silent. Immediately after breakfast, on the Monday, shooting commenced, and he could not find a moment in which to speak. It seemed to him that she purposely kept out of his way. With Mabel he did find himself for a few moments alone, and was then interrupted by his sister and Isabel. 'I hope you have killed a lot of things,' said Miss Boncassen.
'Pretty well, among us all.'
'What an odd amusement it seems, going out to commit wholesale slaughter. However it is the proper thing no doubt.'
'Quite the proper thing,' said Lord Silverbridge, and that was all.
On the next morning he dressed himself for shooting,--and then sent out the party without him. He had heard, he said, of a young horse for sale in the neighbourhood, and had sent to desire that it might be brought to him. And now he found his occasion.
'Come and play a game of billiards,' he said to Isabel, as the three girls with the other ladies were together in the drawing-room. She got up very slowly from her seat, and very slowly crept away to the door. Then she looked round as though expecting the others to follow her. None of them did follow her. Mary felt that she ought to do so; but, knowing all that she knew, did not dare.
And what good could she have done by one such interruption? Lady Mabel would fain have gone too;--but neither did she quite dare.
Had there been no special reason why she should or should not have gone with them, the thing would have been easy enough. When two people go to play billiards, a third may surely accompany them.
But now, Lady Mabel found that she could not stir. Mrs Finn, Mrs Boncassen, and Miss Cassewary were all in the room, but none of them moved. Silverbridge led the way quickly across the hall, and Isabel Boncassen followed him very slowly. When she entered the room she found him standing with a cue in his hand. He at once shut the door, and walking up to her dropped the butt of the cue on the floor and spoke one word. 'Well!' he said.
'What does "Well" mean?'
'The three months are over.'
'Certainly the are "over".'
'And I have been a model of patience.'
'Perhaps your patience is more remarkable than your constancy. Is not Lady Mabel Grex in the ascendant just now?'
