Rotherby, his great jaw set, his hands clenched and eyes blazing, stood irresolute between her and Mr. Caryll.
Jenkins, in sheer terror, now sank limply to a chair, whilst Gaskell looked on - a perfect servant - as immovable outwardly and unconcerned as if he had been a piece of furniture. Then his lordship turned again to Caryll.
"You take a deal upon yourself, sir," said he menacingly.
"A deal of what?" wondered Mr. Caryll blandly.
The question nonplussed Rotherby. He swore ferociously. "By God!" he fumed, "I'll have you make good your insinuations.
You shall disabuse this lady's mind. You shall - damn you! -or I'll compel you!"
Mr. Caryll smiled very engagingly. The matter was speeding excellently - a comedy the like of which he did not remember to have played a part in since his student days at Oxford, ten years and more ago.
"I had thought," said he, "that the woman who summoned me to be a witness of this - this - ah wedding" - there was a whole volume of criticism in his utterance of the word - "was the landlady of the `Adam and Eve.' I begin to think that she was this lady's good angel; Fate, clothed, for once, matronly and benign." Then he dropped the easy, bantering manner with a suddenness that was startling. Gallic fire blazed up through British training. "Let us speak plainly, my Lord Rotherby.
This marriage is no marriage. It is a mockery and a villainy.
And that scoundrel - worthy servant of his master - is no parson; no, not so much as a hedge-parson is he. Madame," he proceeded, turning now to the frightened lady, "you have been grossly abused by these villains.""Sir!" blazed Rotherby at last, breaking in upon his denunciation, hand clapped to sword. "Do ye dare use such words to me?"Mr. Jenkins got to his feet, in a slow, foolish fashion. He put out a hand to stay his lordship. The lady, in the background, looked on with wide eyes, very breathless, one hand to her bosom as if to control its heave.
Mr. Caryll proceeded, undismayed, to make good his accusation.
He had dropped back into his slightly listless air of thinly veiled persiflage, and he appeared to address the lady, to explain the situation to her, rather than to justify the charge he had made.
"A blind man could have perceived, from the rustling of his prayer book when he fumbled at it, that the contents were strange to him. And observe the volume," he continued, picking it up and flaunting it aloft. "Fire-new; not a thumbmark anywhere; purchased expressly for this foul venture.
Is there aught else so clean and fresh about the scurvy thief?""You shall moderate your tones, sir - " began his lordship in a snarl.
"He sets you each on the wrong side of him," continued Mr. Caryll, all imperturbable, "lacking even the sense to read the directions which the book contains, and he has no thought for the circumstance that the time of day is uncanonical. Is more needed, madame?""So much was not needed," said she, "though I am your debtor, sir."Her voice was marvelously steady, ice-cold with scorn, a royal anger increasing the glory of her eyes.
Rotherby's hand fell away from his sword. He realized that bluster was not the most convenient weapon here. He addressed Mr. Caryll very haughtily. "You are from France, sir, and something may be excused you. But not quite all. You have used expressions that are not to be offered to a person of my quality. I fear you scarcely apprehend it.""As well, no doubt, as those who avoid you, sir," answered Mr. Caryll, with cool contempt, his dislike of the man and of the business in which he had found him engaged mounting above every other consideration.
His lordship frowned inquiry. "And who may those be?""Most decent folk, I should conceive, if this be an example of your ways.""By God, sir! You are a thought too pert. We'll mend that presently. I will first convince you of your error, and you, Hortensia.""It will be interesting," said Mr. Caryll, and meant it.
Rotherby turned from him, keeping a tight rein upon his anger;and so much restraint in so tempestuous a man was little short of wonderful. "Hortensia," he said, "this is fool's talk.
