Marie Belloc Lowndes

“ At last she spoke—her silence had not lasted more than a fraction of a minute, and yet it had seemed a long time to Lord Ardvilly, as well as to the Duke.
"Well, Robin," she said, and tried to smile, "what is it?"
And then he blurted out, bravely and baldly, the words, "I want to, get married, mother. I love the most beautiful girl in the world. She's more than beautiful; she's awfully good and kind. Clever, too! Not a bit spoilt. I've been longing to have her here, so has Susie. ”

“ You've not heard of Miss Shellbridge, my dear, because, up to now, at any rate, none of our children have particularly cared for the set—I fancy they're called 'the bright young things'—to which the young lady belongs. You know her name because she's really famous for her beauty. Robin's right there—not a doubt of it! But whatever she is or is not, your boy's set his heart on her. We've got to face that. It's lucky that you like clever people. This girl must be really clever, or she wouldn't have attracted Robin. ”

“ You may have forgotten, but I remember that you wore the same frock, then, as you wore yesterday."
As the girl said nothing, only looked at her with wide-open desolate eyes, the Duchess went on, "Do you love my son now, Irene? Nay, I will not even say do you love Robin, as he loves you, but can you honestly say that you care for him enough to make him a good wife? I think you will agree that he'll never become the type of young man who is content, after awhile, to let his wife go her way, while he goes his. He's not a bit clever, but he's no fool. ”

“ It hurt her to see in both their faces that moving expression which betokens the happiness of young love. And that look of joy and of serenity also told the Duchess, who saw life as it is, and not as sentimentalists would like it to be, that Irene had opened her envelope, and found that it contained a cheque for five thousand pounds. ”

“ But it is, alas, no longer the fashion to love nobly, that is with tenderness and abnegation, as she herself—oh, happy woman!—knew herself to be loved, even now, after close on twenty-five years of married life. Has that type of love, the only type of love worth winning and giving, gone for the time being entirely out of the world? ”

“ And then there fell on her ears the sound of bitter sobbing—a girl or woman crying her heart out on the other side of the park wall.
The Duchess stayed her steps just under the high arch, and she was glad she had done so, for suddenly there rose on the still air words, uttered in a man's voice, words which sounded startlingly near to where she stood concealed.
"Why should we say good-bye now? Why don't you throw up everything? It isn't a bad sort of life out there—there are lots of jolly people! ”

“ Again the Duke spoke, and again he seemed curiously unlike himself. "Yes," he said quietly, and there was no twinkle in his eye, "your son, Laura, has won the heart of the lady who, in my father's young days, would have been called the reigning beauty of London." ”

“ I don't—I don't—I don't—and I never shall like her, Laura."
"She's infinitely nicer than we had any right to expect."
"I don't know, my dear what you did expect; but I'm quite sure of one thing——" And the Duke looked what he very rarely did look, thoroughly disturbed.
The Duchess gazed at him anxiously. "Of what are you sure?"
"—that the girl doesn't care for Robin as a young woman ought to care for the man she is going to marry. ”

“ Yet, though everyone brought into immediate contact with her, excepting the Duke, was becoming fond of her, and regarding her as the future Lady Ardvilly, Irene Shellbridge showed a curious shrinking from even a private announcement of her engagement. Stranger still, from the point of view of the Duchess, she resolutely declined to allow her own parents to hear the great news till her return to town.
Even so, all doubts were put at rest, at any rate within the castle, by the arrival from London on the Tuesday of a mysterious gentleman, who brought with him a modest-looking black box. ”

“ Irene Shellbridge was wearing a pale-grey woollen frock, and that added to the strangely immaterial look which she presented as she glided towards her hostess. But when the girl reached the circle of light cast by the lamp, the Duchess saw that she was very much made up, her cheeks rouged, her mouth a smudge of scarlet. But—she was beautiful.
Illustration: "'We had! But it didn't matter!'... With a break in his voice he exclaimed, 'Mother, it's all right—and I'm the happiest chap in the world!'"
"I was getting a little anxious about you, Robin. ”

“ And once Susie met her in the High Street, tearing along——"
"How very odd! I think the truth is she likes being alone."
"She may now, but mark my words, Laura, if they do marry, it won't be long before the old saying comes true——"
"What old saying?"
"In married life three's company, and two is none," quoted the Duke.
"All the world loves a lover," and very soon the Duchess had become aware that everyone in the castle, at any rate, realised that Lord Ardvilly was going to be married. ”

“ According to many of her worldly wise friends, it has.
At last she left the downland behind her, and was speeding along the solitary road edging the paling of Chillingworth Place. And then, when close to the lodge, there came a motor swinging through the open gate, and her heart gave a leap when she saw that it was her son. Lord Ardvilly, driving his sister home.
"Darlings?" she cried. "You've come just in time to give me a lift!"
The motor stopped; Lord Ardvilly jumped out; and the Duchess jumped in.
"Go home by the lower road, Robin. ”

“ She took hold of the girl's hand ... and it was like a dead hand.
"My dear," she murmured, "you're chilled to the bone."
And then, at last, Irene Shellbridge opened her painted lips. "You're very kind," she said, in a low, strangled tone. "But I'm not really cold—my hands are always like that."
The young man was eager that his mother should see the beautiful girl he loved. Exultantly he turned on more lights, and the Duchess's visitor stood fully revealed.
Yes, he had not exaggerated! Even in her unbecoming, close boy-like motoring-hat, her face, if spoilt by powder and paint ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1947, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 76 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”