"Am I ****** another lucky guess if I suppose myself to be speaking to Captain Bennydeck?"
"I shall be glad to hear, sir, how you have arrived at the knowledge of my name."
"Shall we say, Captain, that I have arrived at it by instinct?"
His face, as he made that reply, alarmed Mrs. Presty. She cast a look at him, partly of entreaty, partly of warning. No effect was produced by the look. He continued, in a tone of ironical compliment: "You must pay the penalty of being a public character. Your marriage is announced in the newspapers."
"I seldom read the newspapers."
"Ah, indeed? Perhaps the report is not true? As you don't read the newspapers, allow me to repeat it. You are engaged to marry the 'beautiful widow, Mrs. Norman.' I think I quote those last words correctly?"
Mrs. Presty suddenly got up. With an inscrutable face that told no tales, she advanced to the door. Herbert's insane jealousy of the man who was about to become Catherine's husband had led him into a serious error; he had driven Catherine's mother to desperation. In that state of mind she recovered her lost audacity, as a matter of course. Opening the door, she turned round to the two men, with a magnificent impudence of manner which in her happiest moments she had never surpassed.
"I am sorry to interrupt this interesting conversation," she said; "but I have stupidly forgotten one of my domestic duties.
You will allow me to return, and listen with renewed pleasure, when my household business is off my mind. I shall hope to find you both more polite to each other than ever when I come back."
She was in such a frenzy of suppressed rage that she actually kissed her hand to them as she left the room!
Bennydeck looked after her, convinced that some sinister purpose was concealed under Mrs. Presty's false excuses, and wholly unable to imagine what that purpose might be. Herbert still persisted in trying to force a quarrel on the Captain.
"As I remarked just now," he proceeded, "newspaper reports are not always to be trusted. Do you seriously mean, my dear sir, to marry Mrs. Norman?"
"I look forward to that honor and that happiness. But I am at a loss to know how it interests you."
"In that case allow me to enlighten you. My name is Herbert Linley."
He had held his name in reserve, feeling certain of the effect which he would produce when he pronounced it. The result took him completely by surprise. Not the slightest appearance of agitation showed itself in Bennydeck's manner. On the contrary, he looked as if there was something that interested him in the discovery of the name.
"You are probably related to a friend of mine?" he said, quietly.
"Who is your friend?"
"Mr. Randal Linley."
Herbert was entirely unprepared for this discovery. Once more, the Captain had got the best of it.
"Are you and Randal Linley intimate friends?" he inquired, as soon as he had recovered himself.
"Most intimate."
"It's strange that he should never have mentioned me, on any occasion when you and he were together."
"It does indeed seem strange."
Herbert paused. His brother's keen sense of the disgrace that he had inflicted on the family recurred to his memory. He began to understand Randal's otherwise unaccountable silence.
"Are you nearly related to Mr. Randal Linley?" the Captain asked.
"I am his elder brother."
Ignorant on his part of the family disgrace, Bennydeck heard that reply with amazement. From his point of view, it was impossible to account for Randal's silence.
"Will you think me very inquisitive," Herbert resumed, "if I ask whether my brother approves of your marriage?"
There was a change in his tone, as he put that question which warned Bennydeck to be on his guard. "I have not yet consulted my friend's opinion," he answered, shortly.
Herbert threw off the mask. "In the meantime, you shall have my opinion," he said. "Your marriage is a crime--and I mean to prevent it."
The Captain left his chair, and sternly faced the man who had spoken those insolent words.
"Are you mad?" he asked.
Herbert was on the point of declaring himself to have been Catherine's husband, until the law dissolved their marriage--when a waiter came in and approached him with a message. "You are wanted immediately, sir."
"Who wants me?"
"A person outside, sir. It's a serious matter--there is not a moment to lose."
Herbert turned to the Captain. "I must have your promise to wait for me," he said, "or I don't leave the room."
"Make your mind easy. I shall not stir from this place till you have explained yourself," was the firm reply.
The servant led the way out. He crossed the passage, and opened the door of a waiting-room. Herbert passed in--and found himself face to face with his divorced wife.