Jeanne of the Marshes

by E. Phillips Oppenheim

  CHAPTER VI

  Forrest crossed the room and waited his opportunity until the Princesswas alone.

  "Let me take you somewhere," he said. "I want to talk to you."

  She laid her fingers upon his arm, and they walked slowly away from thecrowded part of the ballroom.

  "So you are up again," she remarked looking at him curiously. "Doesthat mean--?"

  "It means nothing, worse luck," he answered, "except that I havetwenty-four hours' leave. I am off back again at eight o'clockto-morrow morning. Tell me about this De Brensault affair. How is itgoing on?"

  "Well enough on his side," she answered. "The amusing part of it isthat the more Jeanne snubs him, the keener he gets. He sends roses andchocolates every day, and positively haunts the house. I never was sotired of any one."

  "Make him your son-in-law quickly," he said grimly. "You'll see littleenough of him then."

  "I'm not sure," the Princess said reflectively, "whether it is quitewise to hurry Jeanne so much."

  "Wise or not," Forrest said, "it must be done. Even supposing the otheraffair comes out all right, London is getting impossible for me. Idon't know who's at the bottom of it, but people have stopped sendingme invitations, and even at my pothouse of a club the men seem to haveas little to say to me as possible. Some one's at work spreadingreports of some sort or another. I am not over sensitive, but thething's becoming an impossibility."

  "Do you suppose," she asked quietly, "that it is the Engleton affair?"

  He nodded.

  "People are saying all sorts of things," he answered. "I'd go abroadto-morrow and leave De la Borne to look out for himself, but I haven'teven the money to pay my railway fare."

  The Princess shrugged her shoulders expressively.

  "Oh, I'm not begging!" he continued. "I know you're pretty well in thesame box."

  "That," the Princess remarked, "scarcely expresses it. I am a greatdeal worse off than you, because I have a houseful of unpaid servants,and a mob of tradespeople, who are just beginning to clamour. I seethat you are looking at my necklace," she continued. "I can assure youthat I have not a single real stone left. Everything I possess thatisn't in pawn is of paste."

  "Then don't you see, Ena," he said, "that this thing really must behurried forward? De Brensault is ready enough, isn't he?"

  "Quite," she answered.

  "And he understands the position?"

  "I think so," the Princess answered. "I have given him to understand itpretty clearly."

  "Then have a clear business talk with him," Forrest said, "and thenhave it out with Jeanne. You could all go abroad together, and theycould be married at the Embassy, say at Paris."

  "Jeanne is the only difficulty," the Princess said. "It would suit mebetter, for upon my word I don't know where I could get credit for hertrousseau."

  "It isn't any use waiting," Forrest said. "I have watched themtogether, and I am sure of it. De Brensault isn't one of those fellowswho improve upon acquaintance. Look, there they are. Nothing verylover-like about that, is there?"

  De Brensault and Jeanne were crossing the room together. Only the verytips of her fingers rested upon his coat-sleeve, and there was a markedaloofness about her walk and the carriage of her head. He was sayingsomething to her to which she seemed to be paying the scantiest ofattention. Her head was thrown back, and in her eyes was a greatweariness. Suddenly, just as they reached the entrance, they saw herwhole expression change. A wave of colour flooded her cheeks. Her eyeswere suddenly filled with life. They saw her lips part. Her hands wereoutstretched to greet the man who, crossing the room, had stopped ather summons. Both the Princess and Forrest frowned when they saw who itwas. It was Andrew de la Borne.

  "That infernal fisherman!" Forrest muttered. "I saw in the paper thathe had returned this afternoon from The Hague."

  The Princess made an involuntary movement forward, but Forrest checkedher.

  "You can do no good," he said. "Wait and see what happens."

  What did happen was very simple, and for the Count de Brensault alittle humiliating. Jeanne passed her arm through the newcomer's andwith the curtest of nods to her late companion, disappeared through anopen doorway. The Belgian stood looking after them, twirling hismoustache with shaking fingers. His face was paler even than usual, andhe was shaking with anger.

  "Leave him alone for a few minutes," Forrest said to the Princess. "Youwill do no good at all by speaking to him just now. Ena, it isabsolutely necessary that you make Jeanne understand the state ofaffairs."

  "I think," the Princess said thoughtfully, "that it will be best totake her away from London. Lately I have noticed a development inJeanne which I do not altogether understand. She has begun to think forherself most unpleasantly. She plays at being a child with DeBrensault, but that is simply because it is the easiest way to repulsehim."

  Meanwhile Jeanne, whose face was transfigured, and whose whole mannerwas changed, was sitting with her companion in the quietest corner theycould find.

  "It is delightful to see you again," she said frankly. "I do not thinkthat any one ever felt so lonely as I do."

  He smiled.

  "I can assure you that I find it delightful to be back again," he said,"although I have enjoyed my work very much. By the by, who introducedyou to the man whom you were with when I found you?"

  "My stepmother," she answered. "He is the man, by the by, whom I amtold I am to marry."

  Andrew looked as he felt for a moment, shocked.

  "I am sorry to hear that," he said quietly.

  "You need not be afraid," she answered. "I am not of age, and I wasbrought up in a country where one's guardians have a good deal ofauthority, but nothing in the world would ever induce me to marry acreature like that."

  His face cleared somewhat.

  "I am very surprised," he said, "that your stepmother should havethought of it. He is an unfit companion for any self-respecting woman."

  "I do not understand," Jeanne said quietly, "why they are so anxiousthat I should marry quickly, but I know that my stepmother thinks ofnothing else in connection with me. Look! They are coming through theconservatories. Let us go out by the other door."

  They came face to face with a tall, grave-looking man, who wore anorder around his neck. Andrew stopped suddenly.

  "I should like," he said to Jeanne, "to introduce you to my friend. Youhave met him before down at the Red Hall, and on the island, but thatscarcely counts. Westerham, this is Miss Le Mesurier. You remember thatyou saw her at Salthouse."

  The Duke shook hands with the girl, looking at her attentively. Hismanner was kind, but his eyes seemed to be questioning her all the time.

  "I am very glad to know you, Miss Le Mesurier," he said. "My friendAndrew here has spoken of you to me."

  They remained talking together for some minutes, until, in fact,Forrest and the Princess, who were in pursuit of them, appeared. ThePrincess looked curiously at the Duke, and Forrest frowned heavily whenhe recognized him. There was a moment's almost embarrassed silence.Then Andrew did what seemed to him to be the reasonable thing.

  "Princess," he said, "will you allow me to present my friend the Dukeof Westerham. The Duke was staying with me a few weeks ago, as youknow, and at that time he had a particular reason for not wishing hiswhereabouts to be known."

  The Duke bowed over the Princess' hand, which was offered him at once,and without hesitation, but his greeting to Forrest was markedly cold.Forrest had evidently lost his nerve. He seemed tongue-tied, and he wasvery pale. It was the Princess alone who saved the situation frombecoming an exceedingly embarrassing one.

  "I have heard of you very often, Duke," she said. "Your brother, LordRonald, took us down to Norfolk, you know. By the by, have you heardfrom him yet?"

  "Not yet, madam," the Duke said, "but I can assure you that it is onlya matter of time before I shall discover his whereabouts. I wonderwhether your ward will do me the honour of giving me this dance?" headded, turning to her. "I am afraid I am not a very
skilful performer,but perhaps she will have a little consideration for one who is willingto do his best."

  He led Jeanne away from them, and Andrew, after a moment's stereotypedconversation, also departed. The Princess and Forrest were alone.

  "This is getting worse and worse," Forrest muttered. "He is suspicious.I am sure that he is. They say that young Engleton was his favouritebrother, and that he is determined--"

  "Hush!" the Princess said. "There are too many people about to talk ofthese things. I wonder why the Duke took Jeanne off."

  "An excuse for getting away from us," Forrest said. "Did you see theway he looked at me? Ena, I cannot hang on like this any longer. I musthave a few thousand pounds and get away."

  The Princess nodded.

  "We will go and talk to De Brensault," she said. "I should think hewould be just in the frame of mind to consent to anything."

  The Duke, who was well acquainted with the house in which they were,led Jeanne into a small retiring room and found her an easy chair.

  "My dear young lady," he said, "I hope you will not be disappointed,but I have not danced for ten years. I brought you here because Iwanted to say something to you."

  Jeanne looked up at him a little surprised.

  "Something to me?" she repeated.

  He bowed.

  "Andrew de la Borne is one of my oldest and best friends," he said,"and what I am going to say to you is a little for his sake, although Iam sure that if I knew you better I should say it also for your own.You must not be annoyed or offended, because I am old enough to be yourfather, and what I say I say altogether for your own good. They tell methat you are a young lady with a great fortune, and you know thatnowadays half the evil that is done in the world is done for the sakeof money. Frankly, without wishing to say a word against yourstepmother, I consider that for a young girl you are placed in a verydifficult and dangerous position. The man Forrest--mind you must not beoffended if he should be a friend of yours--but I am bound to tell youthat I believe him to be an unscrupulous adventurer, and I am afraidthat your stepmother is very much under his influence. You have noother relatives or friends in this country, and I hear that a man namedDe Brensault is a suitor for your hand."

  "I shall never marry him," Jeanne said firmly. "I think that he isdetestable."

  "I am glad to hear you say so," the Duke continued, "because he is nota man whom I would allow any young lady for whom I had any shade ofrespect or affection, to become acquainted with. Now the fact that yourstepmother deliberately encourages him makes me fear that you may findyourself at any moment in a very difficult position. I do not wish tosay anything against your friends or your stepmother. I hope you willbelieve that. But nowadays people who are poor themselves, but who knowthe value and the use of money, are tempted to do things for the sakeof it which are utterly unworthy and wrong. I want you to understandthat if any time you should need a friend it will give me very greathappiness indeed to be of any service to you I can. I am a bachelor, itis true, but I am old enough to be your father, and I can bring youinto touch at once with friends more suitable for you and your station.Will you come to me, or send for me, if you find yourself in any sortof trouble?"

  She said very little, but she looked at him for a moment with herwonderful eyes, very soft with unshed tears.

  "You are very, very kind," she said. "I have been very unhappy, and Ihave felt very lonely. It will make everything seem quite different toknow there is some one to whom I may come for advice if--if--"

  "I know, dear," the Duke interrupted, rising and holding out his arm."I know quite well what you mean. All I can say is, don't be afraid tocome or to send, and don't let any one bully you into throwing awayyour life upon a scoundrel like De Brensault. I am going to give youback to Andrew now. He is a good fellow--one of the best. I only wish--"

  The Duke broke off short. After all, he remembered, he had no right tocomplete his sentence. Andrew, he felt, was no more of a marrying manthan he himself, and he was the last person in the world to ever thinkof marrying a great heiress. They found him waiting about outside.

  "I must relinquish my charge," the Duke said smiling. "You will notforget, Miss Le Mesurier?"

  "I am never likely to," she answered gratefully.