Anthony Hope

“ Marcia paused. "Miss what or Mrs. what?" her manner asked.
"Miss Vincent? Oh yes, I know that. Well, why shouldn't he?" asked Noel Forrester. "Come, Mrs. Nettleton, let bygones be bygones. We must forgive and forget. The past is irrevocable; the future is our own. Let's say no more about it, and let the young people be happy!"
Marcia regarded him with a bewilderment that conquered auger. ”

“ In dogged obstinacy she began to walk up a long steep hill, dragging the bicycle with her. She seemed to get no nearer the top; the bicycle appeared to engage itself in a persistent effort to roll down to the bottom. She remembered with vain regret the days when she considered bicycling an unladylike pursuit. Prejudices are no doubt properly condemned, but they save many a disenchantment.
"Thank heaven," said Marcia, "there's a house! I don't suppose it's an inn, but if they're Christians they'll dry me and send something to pick up Fred." ”

“ Nettleton," she said.
"Your husband, ma'am?"
Marcia hesitated for a moment, then she smiled at herself in the glass as she answered,
"Yes, Mr. Nettleton. My name's Nettleton."
"So I understood, ma'am," answered Susan.
Prudence and misgivings have little chance beside a consciousness of looking one's best. Marcia entered the dining-room with a bright smile. Her host shared her good spirits; he was laughing to himself as she came in. The soup was on the table. A man-servant entered and drew back a chair, inviting Marcia to seat herself. The young man sat opposite and helped the soup. ”

“ The result was that Fred was thrown into a ditch, and the machine itself settled down on the road in pathetic and obvious helplessness. Marcia, having surveyed it for a moment, felt inclined to cry; she was so wet.
"You must take mine," she said with a shiver. "Ride on to the inn and send a carriage for me. It'll only take about—about two hours." She endeavoured by her tone to impart an unreal shortness to this space of time.
"You'd catch your death," said Fred in contemptuous affection. "You must ride on, and I'll follow with the beastly thing. The trap 'll meet me. ”

“ She would appeal to the woman herself; she would threaten exposure; she would, at the cost of any agony to herself, communicate with the man Forrester. The thing must be stopped; the woman must be terrified into relinquishing her prey. As Marcia came to this conclusion a secret fierce joy pervaded her soul. She would not only save Fred, she would revenge on that pair the laughter and insults of two years ago. Mrs. Nettleton made ready for battle, and in these preparations the evening wore away quickly. ”

“ Fred's smile grew broader. "Must find it rather slow, though, living all alone there," he added compassionately.
All alone! Marcia could not answer in words, but deep and awful scorn overspread her features. All alone indeed! All alone!
III. It is sad to reflect that in most cases follies are more irksome to look back on than grave offences, and we recollect with greater irritation the occasions on which we have seemed ridiculous than the acts which we admit to have been wrong. ”

“ Forrester," she began timidly, "I—I think I ought to say——"
"Hark!" said Forrester, raising his hand. "I hear wheels——"
"Oh, it's Fred! How glad I am!" cried Marcia. "Do let me run and open the door for him." She rose to her feet. Her host followed her example and stood with his back to the fire.
"You can open the door if you wish it," said he, flicking off the ash of his cigarette. "But I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."
"Disappointed?"
"I mean you won't find your husband. Oh, don't be distressed. The man will take a fresh horse and go in search of him at once. Ah, she's at the door." ”

“ Nettleton. Fred had been very fond of his brother, but took leave to think that the excellent man, who had striven to promote his wife's pleasure while he lived, would not grudge her a little recreation after his death. He did not agree with the idea that by dying we acquire, or indeed should be indulged in, a posthumous habit of reproachful selfishness. At this time he had expressed his opinion so forcibly as to extort from his mother, with whom Marcia and he had been staying in the country, the concession that there was nothing very shocking in two or three days' bicycle excursion ”

“ The pair set forth in high spirits, having arranged means whereby their luggage should meet them at their nightly stopping-places. Their only fear was lest the luggage should fail them; that they themselves should be defaulters had not come into their heads.
Such an occurrence had, however, suggested itself to Fate. On the evening of the second day, about eight o'clock, when rain was falling heavily, the roads turning to bogs, and they still, as they believed, ten or twelve miles from their destination, a complication of misfortunes overtook Fred's bicycle. ”

“ After all, we all of us practise little deceptions at times. By the way, you'll mention to Mr. Nettleton——?"
"I shall tell Fred everything. And you can tell him yourself if you like."
"Thank you. It may be convenient that I should." He paused and nodded reflectively. Then he made almost the same comment as had proceeded from Celeste.
"How very amused he'll be," he said.
"Amused! His heart will be broken. But that's better than his life being ruined."
"Much. It doesn't last half so long," observed Noel Forrester. ”

“ Its luxury, its prettiness, the reckless disregard of expense which the furniture and appointments of it displayed, served now only to disgust her; gilded vice seemed to find here its highest and most complete exemplification. The red tea-gown, once her delight, had become an instrument of torture. ”

“ Noel Forrester rose from the head of the table and bowed most politely. Celeste was not to be seen. Noel expressed a polite hope that Mrs. Nettleton (there was a shade of emphasis on the name) had slept well. The morning seemed somehow so different from the night before that she could do no more than murmur a conventional " Very, thank you." Yet she had meant to say something quite other than this.
"Really we're both most awfully obliged to you," said Fred to his host. "Not many fellows would have put themselves out as you did." ”

“ Nettleton be pleased to come downstairs?
"In a few moments," muttered Marcia, faced with the horrible necessity of meeting her brother-in-law and her host, both of whom must now know of her deception. But Celeste? She had a weapon in Celeste. If Noel Forrester assailed her she would strike back and strike home. She held her head high as she walked downstairs. In the hall the man-servant was busy polishing her bicycle. On the sight of her he desisted and hastened to open the dining-room door. She went in and glanced quickly round. Fred was eating kidneys with a hearty appetite. ”

“ She had to admit that no such feeling was displayed by her host. He had obtained her permission to light a cigarette and was smoking composedly.
"How funny it would look if anybody found me here," she said, forcing a smile. "But of course nobody will come now." Her assertion masked a question; did he expect another guest? ”

“ He could fancy her expression at every line and the culmination of scorn with which she would read the last few words. For there could be very little doubt that Marcia Nettleton was perusing the following paragraph: "A marriage has been arranged between Mr. Frederick Nettleton, second son of the late Lieutenant-Colonel R. Nettleton (Coldstream Guards) , and Miss Celestine Vincent, daughter of the late Mr. William Vincent, of Brighton, and granddaughter of Mr. Noel Forrester, of Mere Park, Shropshire." ”

“ Nettleton. The wretch's effrontery was too barefaced; she must be taught a lesson. "I won't spare her! She told me she was Mrs. Forrester. Well, I'll ask for Mrs. Forrester." Marcia laughed in bitter exultation as she pictured the dismay of her enemy.
At half-past ten the next morning Mrs. Nettleton alighted from a cab at the door of 39 Tangent Terrace and rang the bell with a determined air. A maid-servant (not Susan, but a young girl) opened the door. With an acid smile Marcia asked, "Is Mrs. Forrester at home?" ”

“ Nettleton early in the morning. He trusts, sir, that you've been put to no inconvenience."
"Inconvenience! On the contrary! That'll do, Susan. The ladies will ring when they want you." Susan withdrew. Noel turned to Marcia: "I'm afraid you must resign yourself to being sheltered by this roof until the morning," he said.
"I won't stay!" cried Marcia in fierce wrath at Fred's desertion of her. How like a lazy selfish boy to prefer the comfort of the inn to her safety and the plain dictates of propriety! Mr. ”