Meantime, the autumn leaves had fallen silently over the broad terraces of Oldenhurst with little changes to the fortunes of the great house itself.The Christmas house-party included Lady Canterbridge, whose husband was still detained at Homburg in company with Dunshunner; and Bradley, whose wife and cousin lingered on the continent.He was slightly embarrassed when Lady Canterbridge turned to him one afternoon as they were returning from the lake and congratulated him abruptly upon Louise's engagement.
"Perhaps you don't care to be congratulated," she said, as he did not immediately respond, "and you had as little to do with it as with that other?It is a woman's function."
"What other?" echoed Bradley.
Lady Canterbridge slightly turned her handsome head towards him as she walked unbendingly at his side."Tell me how you manage to keep your absolute simplicity so fresh.Do you suppose it wasn't known at Oldenhurst that Frank had quite compromised himself with Miss Macy over there?"
"It certainly was not known 'over there,'" said Bradley, curtly.
"Don't be angry with me."
Such an appeal from the tall, indifferent woman at his side, so confidently superior to criticism, and uttered in a low tone, made him smile, albeit uneasily.
"I only meant to congratulate you," she continued carelessly.
"Dunshunner is not a bad sort of fellow, and will come into a good property some day.And then, society is so made up of caprice,just now, that it is well for your wife's cousin to make the most of her opportunities while they last.She is very popular now; but next season--"Seeing that Bradley remained silent, she did not finish the sentence, but said with her usual abruptness, "Do you know a Miss Araminta Eulalie Sharpe?"
Bradley started.Could any one recognize honest Minty in the hopeless vulgarity which this fine lady had managed to carelessly import into her name?His eye kindled.
"She is an old friend of mine, Lady Canterbridge."
"How fortunate!Then I can please you by giving you good news of her.She is the coming sensation.They say she is very rich, but quite one of the people, you know: in fact, she makes no scruples of telling you her father was a blacksmith, I think, and takes the dear old man with her everywhere.FitzHarry raves about her, and says her *****te is something too delicious.She is regularly in with some of the best people already.Lady Dungeness has taken her up, and Northforeland is only waiting for your cousin's engagement to be able to go over decently.Shall I ask her to Buckenthorpe?--come, now, as an apology for my rudeness to your cousin?"She was very womanly now in spite of her high collar, her straight back,and her tightly-fitting jacket, as she stood there smiling.
Suddenly, her smile faded; she drew her breath in quickly.
She had caught a glimpse of his usually thoughtful face and eyes,now illuminated with some pleasant memory.
"Thank you," he said smilingly, yet with a certain hesitation, as he thought of The Lookout and Araminta Eulalie Sharpe, and tried to reconcile them with the lady before him."I should like it very much."
"Then you have known Miss Sharpe a long time?" continued Lady Canterbridge as they walked on.
"While we were at The Lookout she was our nearest neighbor."
"And I suppose your wife will consider it quite proper for you to see her again at my house?" said Lady Canterbridge, with a return of conventional levity.
"Oh! quite," said Bradley.
They had reached the low Norman-arched side-entrance to the quadrangle.As Bradley swung open the bolt-studded oaken door to let her pass, she said carelessly,--
"Then you are not coming in now?"
"No; I shall walk a little longer."
"And I am quite forgiven?"
"I am thanking you very much," he said, smiling directly into her blue eyes.She lowered them, and vanished into the darkness of the passage.
The news of Minty's success was further corroborated by Sir Robert,who later that evening called Bradley into the study."Frank has been writing from Nice that he has renewed his acquaintance with some old Californian friends of yours--a Mr. and Miss Sharpe.Lady Canterbridge says that they are well known in London to some of our friends, but I would like to ask you something about them.Lady Mainwaring was on the point of inviting them here when I received a letter from Mr. Sharpe asking for a BUSINESS interview.Pray who is this Sharpe?"
"You say he writes for a BUSINESS interview?" asked Bradley.
"Yes."
Bradley hesitated for a moment and then said quietly, "Perhaps,then, I am justified in a breach of confidence to him, in order to answer your question.He is the man who has assumed all the liabilities of the Sierran Land and Timber Company to enable the Bank to resume payment.But he did it on the condition that you were never to know it.For the rest, he was a blacksmith who made a fortune, as Lady Canterbridge will tell you."
"How very odd--how kind, I mean.I should like to have been civil to him on Frank's account alone."
"I should see him on business and be civil to him afterwards."Sir Robert received the American's levity with his usual seriousness.
"No, they must come here for Christmas.His daughter is--?"
"Araminta Eulalie Sharpe," said Bradley, in defiant memory of Lady Canterbridge.
Sir Robert winced audibly."I shall rely on you, my dear boy, to help me make it pleasant for them," he said.