Thomas Davison

“ She blushed a little more.
“I really haven’t much time for visiting now,” she said. “Let me introduce you to my sister Lilian, Mr. Buckland. She’s at school at Richmond, but I’ve brought her out for a day’s holiday.”
“You are living in town now?” he asked.
“Yes, I am staying with some friends. My mother is living down at Brighton, and I divide my time between them,” said Miss Davison.
Gerard hesitated. He wanted more than ever to know all about her, to be able to meet her at her home, to renew the acquaintance which had delighted and impressed him so much. ”

“ Mrs. Aldington is such a dear, and so is her husband; and [13] so, for that matter, are Arthur and Rose. Yes, whenever we come up, and wherever we settle, they will know our address at once.”
When Miss Davison rose to go, Gerard Buckland was not long in following her. He came up with her before she reached the corner of the street, and begged to be allowed to see her to the station. ”

“ The old lady shook her head slowly.
“One might say so, if one knew the world less well than I do,” she said shortly. “But a handsome wife can do a lot one way or the other with a man.”
“What makes you think Miss Davison’s influence would be other than good?” asked Gerard.
The old lady put her head on one side and looked at him keenly.
“Perhaps it’s a kind of instinct, as one may say,” said she. “Or perhaps it’s something I’ve noticed and wondered at. She’s by way of being a bit of a flirt, isn’t she now, Mr. Buckland? She’s been nice to you, and nice to Denver, of course. ”

“ You may think, too, if you please, that this rich man is not exactly the sort of man I should have chosen if I had been quite free to choose, but that, not being quite free, I was justified in encouraging, and in accepting him.”
“But are you sure he is rich, and that he is not merely dependent upon the pleasure or caprice of a father who may, or may not, approve of him and intend to leave him well off?” argued poor Gerard earnestly. “Miss Davison, believe me, I wouldn’t be selfish and mean enough to say a word against this young Van Santen if I could think him worthy of you. ”

“ A moment later, as he was close to the gates, [215] he felt a touch on his arm, and looking round, found Arthur Aldington beside him.
“One moment, Buckland, Miss Davison sent me to say she would like to speak to you before you go away. If you’ll wait near the seat by the trees over there, she’ll find an opportunity of escaping, and I’ll bring her there myself.”
Gerard hesitated.
“She won’t be able to get rid of that Van Santen,” said he sullenly, as he glanced behind him.
“Trust a woman—especially a woman like Rachel—for getting rid of anyone she wants to get rid of,” said Arthur. ”

“ Davison. “To tell you the truth, although I’m so handsomely lodged here, through the cleverness and hard work of my eldest daughter—which I daresay you know all about, Mr. Buckland, I’m rather lonely down here. You see, although Brighton is near London, it is not quite the same thing for one’s friends to take a hansom or an omnibus to come and see one, as to take the train.”
“Of course not. I wonder you didn’t settle in London, since you are so much alone,” said Gerard. ”

“ Miss Davison would not let him finish.
“You know nothing certainly,” she broke in quickly. “You suspect, but that’s not enough. Do pray remember what you owe to all of us, and whatever you may think or fancy, keep your suspicions to yourself until you can talk things over quietly with another man.”
“But I’m certain—” began he again.
“Well, tell what you think to—to—let me see—Mr. Buckland and Mr. Aldington. They saw everything. Let them judge.” ”

“ He thought that the motherly body had perhaps been slowly waking to the knowledge that her sons’ card-playing was excessive, and that she might also have heard nasty things said about Denver’s unfailing luck. She seemed rather disappointed that she could not learn more from him.
“Now as to this Miss Davison,” she went on, in a grumbling tone, “of course she’s very good-looking and all that, and dresses in style, and carries herself like a queen; but I should like to meet her mother, and the girl doesn’t seem to want to let us meet. Do you know all about the old lady? And her family?” ”

“ Mr Davison rang for his shaving-water, and the waiter who brought it was so indiscreet as to notice the gentleman's condition--the condition, that is, of what has been called his optic.
"Mais, monsieur est blessé!"
Mr Davison's knowledge of French was not peculiar for its extent, but it was sufficient to render him aware that the man exaggerated the actual fact.
"Get out!" he shouted.
The man got out, having learned, it is to be hoped, a lesson in tact. When Mr Davison began to shave he found that his hand was shaky. His temper was ruffled, his head ached most dreadfully. ”

“ He stopped, she laughed, and Rose Aldington, who was sitting near, joined in her mirth, which was of rather a shame-faced kind.
“Showing off again, Rachel?” she said.
Miss Davison laughed, gave the pencil-case back to Gerard, and said, with a demure look—
“There! that’s my best accomplishment. I flatter myself I can pick pockets with any amateur living. ”

“ Miss Davison sighed.
“I believe I should,” she said; “but my mother won’t hear of it. Prejudice again! And I daresay that the talent which seems extraordinary when it is untrained, would turn out quite commonplace if I were to be pitted, at any calling such as millinery, against those who have for years been brought up to it.”
“I don’t think so,” said Gerard. “Indeed, I’m sure you do yourself an injustice. Your lightness of hand and quickness of eye are quite remarkable. ”

“ Arthur smiled.
“Oh, that was all rot,” said he simply. “Mrs. Davison is the most fluffy, gentle old lady in the world. It was Rachel who was ashamed of their simple way of living, always Rachel. She twists her mother and sister round her little finger, and she could have had the entire population of London to call if she’d chosen.”
Gerard looked hurt.
“She’s an odd girl,” went on Arthur. “The other day I met her for the first time for months at the Stores. I went there to get some things for mother, and I ran against Rachel. ”

“ I wonder Miss Davison cares to stay with people who play cards all day on Sunday!”
[191] “Well, it surprised me to see her playing, too,” admitted Gerard.
“Yes. I shan’t say anything about that at home. Mother would be awfully disgusted. And I can’t say I quite like it myself; and I know I don’t like losing so much as I did.”
“Why did you go on playing, then?”
“Oh, you know one can’t help oneself. These people are rich, and they don’t consider that other pockets are not all as deep as their own.” ”

“ He saw at once that Miss Davison recognized the description, although she raised her eyebrows and said—
“Indeed! I suppose he was an old friend of my father’s, and that it was only a whim to hide his name. It’s absurd of Miss Graham to make so much fuss about the matter. If it had been anyone without any knowledge of us, who wanted to scrape acquaintance with Lilian, you may be sure he would have given some name, even if it had not been his own. People who have anything to be ashamed of don’t do eccentric things.”
The reasoning was admirable, and Gerard bowed his head in assent. ”

“ Miss Davison tried to laugh, but that resource she had used too often that afternoon and her voice sounded hard and her mirth artificial.
[275] “How absurd!” she cried. “Can anything be more preposterous than to accuse a person on such flimsy grounds? for of course you only suppose that you saw Denver, and Sir William only supposes it also.”
He saw, however, in her eyes, as she uttered the words, that she felt by no means so certain as she pretended to be of the childlike innocence of the young poker-player. ”

“ But the fact is, one of my sons has gone [231] and fallen in love with the girl, and I’m not quite sure I approve of it. I’m particular about my sons. I want them to marry girls who will have a good influence over them, and I’m not quite sure about this young woman.”
Gerard was aghast. He could see that the mother’s shrewdness had fathomed the fact that there was some mystery about Miss Davison, and, with the daring of an American, she had at once searched in the ranks of her acquaintances for someone who would be likely to tell her all she wanted to know about her proposed daughter-in-law. ”

“ I don’t seem to, though.”
“You’re not venturesome enough,” said Miss Davison encouragingly. “You should play with a little more daring. Don’t be timid.”
“Why don’t you take a hand yourself, to give him courage?” suggested Denver.
“Not at poker. I don’t understand it,” said she.
“Well, at anything you like. What do you know? Baccarat? Nap? I don’t care what it is as long as it’s cards,” said Denver.
Miss Davison consented to sit down and make one at nap, and, to Gerard’s uneasiness, she won as much as the Van Santens did. ”

“ I should have thought it was much pleasanter to spend the evening in this beautiful air than in those hot rooms! And you, Miss Davison! I’m surprised at you. I was looking to you to win Denver from his gaming ways! He thinks so much of you, and admires you so much! And now you’re encouraging him in it!”
The old lady had talked herself out of breath, while Rachel only laughed and put her winnings in her purse.
“I’ll cure him,” she said, “by winning all his money and leaving him without any! Won’t that do, Mrs. Van Santen?” ”

“ I don’t mean that there is any harm in what we do, but the atmosphere is not good, not wholesome. Take my advice: say good-bye to me now, and go back to town, and don’t come here again. As I’ve told you, my way and yours lie far apart; there is no advantage in pretending not to know it. Now, will you be good, and wish me good-bye, and find you have an appointment in town that takes you back early?”
[277] The lights had been turned up, and Gerard knew that old Mrs. Van Santen, from her corner of the room near the tea-table, was watching him and Miss Davison. ”

“ Mr. Jones was so shy that Mrs. Van Santen took compassion on him, and introduced him to one or two of the ladies, and in particular to Rachel Davison, to whom she whispered—
“Your poor compatriot is so frightened that you’d be doing him a kindness if you’d say something to him. Tell him it’s some time since we Americans were cannibals; but for that matter, if we were still, I think he’d be quite safe.”
And the good creature led the shy young man up to Miss Rachel, and said—
“Mr. Cecil Jones—Miss Davison.” ”

“ The other is a public singer—married—”
“Married?” echoed Gerard.
“Yes—husband in America, or was. She may now be the wife of the man who calls himself Harry Van Santen. He’s a precious scoundrel, the worse of the two, if anything.”
Gerard was appalled. The thought that Miss Davison had been living under the same roof with these dangerous criminals was terrible, and he stammered out something of his thoughts.
The colonel glanced at him quickly, and nodded.
“Only a woman of the finest pluck and the most indomitable spirit could have done it. The strain must have been tremendous,” he said. ”

“ Miss Davison came up to them laughing lightly.
“Oh, no, Mr. Denver,” she said, “you mustn’t make Mr. Buckland play cards on Sunday. It’s against his principles, I know. He’s told me so.”
Denver Van Santen thrust his hands into his pockets, and turned to Gerard with a jolly look of incredulous amazement.
“Oh, come now, I can’t quite believe that,” he said. “You don’t mean that in this old country there are still left people, sensible people, who care a fig what day it is on which they have a good time?” ”

“ Miss Davison was not the woman to have foolish friends; and that Cecil Jones was the friend he had seen her with on more than one occasion previous to his visits to the Priory he was quite sure.
Gerard decided, therefore, that Jones, in his character of decoy to the rest of the pigeons whom the Van Santens plucked, had been allotted this rôle of careless and wealthy spendthrift in order to prove that, in spite of the scene of the preceding Sunday, the confidence of the visitors in the integrity of the Americans was as great as ever. ”

“ From the adjoining room, where Denver and some other men were playing cards, came a reminder, in Denver’s voice, of the other man of whom he had been jealous, but whose chances Gerard now rejected, as he could not believe that Miss Davison could have given her heart to a card-sharper, who was also something worse.
“I want to know whether this Jones is engaged to you?”
A faint smile passed over her face, one of those flitting, quickly fading ripples of gentle merriment which were characteristic of her.
“Why,” she said, “how many more people are you [274] going to marry me to, Mr. Buckland? ”

“ Davison should deliver those messages and explanations with which, fully freighted, he was about to set sail from the Brill.
"If my reasons seem to your wisdoms," said he, "other than such as might well move a true and a faithful careful man to her Majesty to do as I have done, I do desire, for my mistaking offence, to bear the burden of it; to be disavowed with all displeasure and disgrace; a matter of as great reproach and grief as ever can happen to any man." ”

“ Only a man who had something to conceal would have affected not to know Miss Davison, when, as a matter of fact, he must be on terms of old acquaintance with her. And only a very clever man could have succeeded so well in feigning absolute stupidity over the cards as he had done.
Last and most important thing of all, Gerard was convinced that, carefully as he had concealed himself while watching Jones, that astute person must have seen him and must have laid his plans well in order to throw his pursuer off the track. ”