Comedies of Courtship

by Anthony Hope

  CHAPTER II

  SYMPATHY IN SORROW

  "Give me," observed Sir Roger Deane, "Cannes, a fine day, a good set tolook at, a beehive chair, a good cigar, a cocktail on one side and anice girl on the other, and there I am! I don't want anything else."

  General Bellairs pulled his white mustache and examined Sir Roger'sfigure and surroundings with a smile.

  "Then only Lady Deane is wanting to your complete happiness," said he.

  "Maud is certainly a nice girl, but when she deserts me----"

  "Where is she?"

  "I don't know."

  "I do," interposed a young man, who wore an eye--glass and was incharge of a large jug. "She's gone to Monte."

  "I might have known," said Sir Roger. "Being missed here always meansyou've gone to Monte--like not being at church means you've gone toBrighton."

  "Surely she doesn't play?" asked the General.

  "Not she! She's going to put it in a book. She writes books you know.She put me in the last--made me a dashed fool, too, by Jove!"

  "That was unkind," said the General, "from your wife."

  "Oh, Lord love you, she didn't mean it. I was the hero. That's how Icame to be such an ass. The dear girl meant everything that was kind.Who's taken her to Monte?"

  "Charlie Ellerton," said the young man with the eye-glass.

  "There! I told you she was a kind girl. She's trying to pull oldCharlie up a peg or two. He's had the deuce of a facer, you know."

  "I thought he seemed less cheerful than usual."

  "Oh, rather. He met a girl somewhere or other--I always forgetplaces--Miss--Miss--hang it, I can't remember names--and got awfullysmitten, and everything went pleasantly and she took to him likeanything--, and at last old Charlie spoke up like a man, and----" SirRoger paused dramatically.

  "Well?" asked the General.

  "She was engaged to another fellow. Rough, wasn't it? She told oldCharlie she liked him infernally, but promises were promises, don't youknow, and she'd thank him to take his hook. And he had to take it, byGad! Rough, don't you know? So Maud's been cheering him up. The devil!"

  "What's the matter now?" inquired the General.

  "Why, I've just remembered that I promised to say nothing about it. Isay, don't you repeat it, General, nor you either, Laing."

  The General laughed.

  "Well," said Sir Roger, "he oughtn't to have been such a fool as totell me. He knows I never remember to keep things dark. It's not myfault."

  A girl came out of the hotel and strolled up to where the group was.She was dark, slight, and rather below middle height; her complexion atthis moment was a trifle sallow and her eyes listless, but it seemedrather as though she had dressed her face into a tragic cast, the setof the features being naturally mirthful. She acknowledged the men'ssalutations and sat down with a sigh.

  "Not on to-day?" asked Sir Roger, waving his cigar toward thelawn-tennis courts.

  "No," said Miss Bellairs.

  "Are you seedy, Dolly?" inquired the General.

  "No," said Miss Bellairs.

  Mr. Laing fixed his eye-glass and surveyed the young lady.

  "Are you taking any?" said he, indicating the jug.

  "I don't see any fun in vulgarity," observed Miss Bellairs.

  The General smiled. Sir Roger's lips assumed the shape for a whistle.

  "That's a nasty one for me," said Laing.

  "Ah, here you are, Roger," exclaimed a fresh clear voice from behindthe chairs. "I've been looking for you everywhere. We've seeneverything--Mr. Ellerton was most kind--and I do so want to tell you myimpressions."

  The new-comer was Lady Deane, a tall young woman, plainly dressed in aserviceable cloth walking-gown. By her side stood Charlie Ellerton in aflannel suit of pronounced striping; he wore a little yellow mustache,had blue eyes and curly hair, and his face was tanned a wholesomeruddy-brown. He looked very melancholy.

  "Letters from Hell," murmured Sir Roger.

  "But I was so distressed," continued his wife. "Mr. Ellerton wouldgamble, and he lost ever so much money."

  "A fellow must amuse himself," remarked Charlie gloomily, and withapparent unconsciousness he took a glass from Laing and drained it.

  "Gambling and drink--what does that mean?" asked Sir Roger.

  "Shut up, Deane," said Charlie.

  Miss Bellairs rose suddenly and walked away. Her movement expressedimpatience with her surroundings. After a moment Charlie Ellertonslowly sauntered after her. She sat down on a garden-seat some way off.Charlie placed himself at the opposite end. A long pause ensued.

  "I'm afraid I'm precious poor company," said Charlie.

  "I didn't want you to be company at all," answered Miss Bellairs, andshe sloped her parasol until it obstructed his view of her face.

  "I'm awfully sorry, but I can't stand the sort of rot Deane and Laingare talking."

  "Can't you? Neither can I."

  "They never seem to be serious about anything, you know," and Charliesighed deeply, and for three minutes there was silence.

  "Do you know Scotland at all?" asked Charlie at last.

  "Only a little."

  "There last year?"

  "No, I was in Switzerland."

  "Oh."

  "Do you know Interlaken?"

  "No."

  "Oh."

  "May I have a cigarette?"

  "Of course, if you like."

  Charlie lit his cigarette and smoked silently for a minute or two.

  "I call this a beastly place," said he.

  "Yes, horrid," she answered, and the force of sympathy made her movethe parasol and turn her face towards her companion. "But I thought,"she continued, "you came here every spring?"

  "Oh, I don't mind the place so much. It's the people."

  "Yes, isn't it? I know what you mean."

  "You can't make a joke of everything, can you?"

  "Indeed no," sighed Dora.

  Charlie looked at his cigarette, and, his eyes carefully fixed on it,said in a timid tone:

  "What's the point, for instance, of talking as if love was all bosh?"

  Dora's parasol swept down again swiftly, but Charlie was still lookingat the cigarette and he did not notice its descent, nor could he seethat Miss Bellairs's cheek was no longer sallow.

  "It's such cheap rot," he continued, "and when a fellow's--I say, MissBellairs, I'm not boring you?"

  The parasol wavered and finally moved.

  "No," said Miss Bellairs.

  "I don't know whether you--no, I mustn't say that; but I know what itis to be in love, Miss Bellairs; but what's the good of talking aboutit? Everybody laughs."

  Miss Bellairs put down her parasol.

  "I shouldn't laugh," she said softly. "It's horrid to laugh at peoplewhen they're in trouble," and her eyes were very sympathetic.

  "You are kind. I don't mind talking about it to you. You know I'm notthe sort of fellow who falls in love with every girl he meets; so ofcourse it's worse when I do."

  "Was it just lately?" murmured Dora.

  "Last summer."

  "Ah! And--and didn't she----?"

  "Oh, I don't know. Yes, hang it, I believe she did. She was perfectlystraight, Miss Bellairs. I don't say a word against her. She-I thinkshe didn't know her own feelings until--until I spoke, you know--andthen----"

  "Do go on, if--if it doesn't----"

  "Why, then, the poor girl cried and said it couldn't be becauseshe--she was engaged to another fellow; and she sent me away."

  Miss Bellairs was listening attentively.

  "And," continued Charlie, "she wrote and said it must be good-byand--and----"

  "And you think she----?"

  "She told me so," whispered Charlie. "She said she couldn't partwithout telling me. Oh, I say, Miss Bellairs, isn't it all damnable? Ibeg your pardon."

  Dora was tracing little figures on the gravel with her parasol.

  "Now what would you do?" cried Charlie. "She loves me, I know she does,and she's going to mar
ry this other fellow because she promised himfirst. I don't suppose she knew what love was then."

  "Oh, I'm sure she didn't," exclaimed Dora earnestly.

  "You can't blame her, you know. And it's absurd to--to--to--notto--well, to marry a fellow you don't care for when you care foranother fellow, you know!"

  "Yes."

  "Of course you can hardly imagine yourself in that position, butsuppose a man liked you and-and was placed like that, you know, whatshould you feel you ought to do?"

  "Oh, I don't know," exclaimed Dora, clasping her hands. "Oh, do tell mewhat you think! I'd give the world to know!"

  Charlie's surprised glance warned her of her betrayal. "You mustn't askme." she exclaimed hastily.

  "I won't ask a word. I--I'm awfully sorry, Miss Bellairs."

  "Nobody knows," she murmured.

  "Nobody shall through me."

  "You're not very--? I'm very ashamed."

  "Why? And because of me! After what I've told you!"

  Charlie rose suddenly.

  "I'm not going to stand it," he announced.

  Dora looked up eagerly.

  "What? You're going to----?"

  "I'm going to have a shot at it. Am I to stand by and see her----? I'mhanged if I do. Could that be right?"

  "I should like to know what one's _duty_ is?"

  "This talk with you has made me quite clear. We've reasoned it out, yousee. They're not to be married for two or three months. A lot can bedone in that time."

  "Ah, you're a man!"

  "I shall write first. If that doesn't do, I shall go to her."

  Dora shook her head mournfully.

  "Now, look here, Miss Bellairs you don't mind me advising you?"

  "I ought not to have let you see, but as it is--"

  "You do as I do, you stick to it. Confound it, you know, when one'slife's happiness is at stake--"

  "Oh, yes, yes!"

  "One mustn't be squeamish, must one?"

  And Dora Bellairs, in a very low whisper, answered, "No."

  "I shall write to-night."

  "Oh! To-night?"

  "Yes. Now promise me you will too."

  "It's harder for me than you."

  "Not if he really----."

  "Oh, indeed, he really does, Mr. Ellerton."

  "Then you'll write?"

  "Perhaps."

  "No. Promise!"

  "Well--it must be right. Yes, I will."

  "I feel the better for our talk, Miss Bellairs, don't you?"

  "I do a little."

  "We shall be friends now, you know; even if I bring it off I shan't becontent unless you do too. Won't you give me your good wishes?"

  "Indeed I will."

  "Shake hands on it."

  They shook hands and began to stroll back to the tennis-courts.

  "They look a little better," observed Sir Roger Deane, who had beenlistening to an eloquent description of the gaming-tables.

  Dora and Charlie walked on towards the hotel.

  "Hi!" shouted Sir Roger. "Tea's coming out here."

  "I've got a letter to write," said Charlie.

  "Well, Miss Bellairs, you must come. Who's to pour it out?"

  "I must catch the post, Sir Roger," answered Dora.

  They went into the house together. In the hall they parted.

  "You'll let me know what happens, Mr. Ellerton, won't you? I'm sointerested."

  "And you?"

  "Oh--well, perhaps," and the sallow of her cheeks had turned to a finedusky red as she ran upstairs.

  Thus it happened that a second letter for John Ashforth and a secondletter for Mary Travers left Cannes that night.

  And if it seems a curious coincidence that Dora and Charlie should meetat Cannes, it can only be answered that they were each of them just aslikely to be at Cannes as anywhere else. Besides, who knows that thesethings are all coincidence?