I have been very ill' -- here the extent of her malady was shown by the strength of the underscoring with which the words were made significant -- "very ill indeed," she went on to say, "as you will understand if you have ever really loved me. I have kept my bed almost ever since I got your cruel letter." Bed and cruel were again strenuously underscored. "It has made papa very unhappy, and, though he has said nothing to myself, he has told mamma that if I am really in earnest he will do something for us." The letter was long, but this is all the reader need see of it. But it must be explained that the young lady had greatly exaggerated her mother's words, and that her mother had exaggerated those which Sir Thomas had spoken. "She is a stupid idiot," Sir Thomas had said to his wife. "If she is obedient, and does her duty, of course I shall do something for her some day." This had been stretched to that promise of concession which Gertrude communicated to her lover.
This was the assistance which Frank Houston received in making up his mind on Saturday night. If what the girl said was true, there was still open to him the manner of life which he had prepared for himself; and he did believe the announcement to be true.
Though Sir Thomas had been so persistent in his refusals, his experience in life had taught him to believe that a parent's sternness is never a match for a daughter's obstinacy. Had there been a touch of tenderness in his heart to the young lady herself he would not have abandoned her so easily. But he had found his consolation when giving up his hope of Sir Thomas's money. Now, should he again take to the girl, and find his consolation in accepting the money? Should he resolve upon doing so, this would materially affect any communication which he might make to Imogene on the following day.
While thus in doubt he went into the smoking-room and there he found any thinking to be out of the question. A great question was being debated as to club law. One man had made an assertion.
He had declared that another man had been seen playing cards in a third man's company. A fourth man had, thereupon, put his hat on his head, and had declared contumaciously that the "assertion was not true". Having so declared he had contumaciously stalked out of the room, and had banged the door after him -- very contumaciously indeed. The question was whether the contumacious gentleman had misbehaved himself in accordance with the rules of the club, and, if so, what should be done to him. Not true is as bad as "false", "False". applied to a gentleman in a club, must be matter either of an apology or expulsion. The objectionable word had, no doubt, been said in defence of an absent man, and need not, perhaps, have been taken up had the speaker not at once put on his hat and stalked out of the room, and banged the door. It was asserted that a lie may be given by the way in which a door is banged. And yet no club punishes the putting on of hats, or stalking off, or the banging of doors. It was a difficult question, and occupied Frank Houston till two o'clock in the morning, to the exclusion of Gertrude Tringle and Imogene Docimer.
On the Sunday morning he was not up early, nor did he go to church.
The contumacious gentleman was a friend of his, whom he knew that no arguments would induce to apologise. He believed also that gentleman No. 3 might have been seen playing cards with gentleman No. 2 -- so that there was no valid excuse for the banging of the door. He was much exercised by the points to be decided, so that when he got into a cab to be taken to Mrs Docimer's house he had hardly come to any other conclusion than that one which had arisen to him from a comparison between the two young ladies. Imogene was nearly perfect, and Gertrude was as nearly the reverse as a young lady could be with the proper number of eyes in her head and a nose between them. The style of her letter was abominable to him. "Very ill indeed -- as you will understand, if you ever really loved me!" There was a mawkish clap-trap about it which thoroughly disgusted him. Everything from Imogene was straightforward and downright whether it were love or whether it were anger. But then to be settled with an income of L#3,000a year would relieve him from such a load of care!
"And so Tringle pere does not see the advantage of such a son-in-law,"said Imogene, after the first greetings were over between them.
The greetings had been very simple -- just a touch of the hand, just a civil word -- civil, but not in the least tender, just an inclination of the head, and then two seats occupied with all the rug between them.
"Yes, indeed!" said Frank. "The man is a fool, because he will probably get somebody who will behave less well to his daughter, and make a worse use of his money.
"Just so. One can only be astonished at his folly. Is there no hope left?""A glimmer there is."
"Oh, indeed!"
"I got a letter last night from my lady-love, in which she tells me that she is very ill, and that her sickness is working upon her father's bowels.""Frank!"
"It is the proper language -- working upon her father's bowels of compassion. Fathers always have bowels of compassion at last.""You will return then, of course?"
"What do you say?"
"As for myself -- or as for you?"
"As a discreet and trusty counsellor. To me you have always been a trusty counsellor.""Then I should put a few things into a bag, go down to Merle Park, and declare that, in spite of all the edicts that ever came from a father's mouth, you cannot absent yourself while you know that your Gertrude is ill.""And so prepare a new cousin for you to press to your bosom.""If you can endure her for always, why should not I for an hour or two, now and again?""Why not, indeed? In fact, Imogene, this enduring, and not enduring -- even this living, and not living -- is, after all, but an affair of the imagination. Who can tell but that, as years roll on, she may be better looking even than you?""Certainly."
"And have as much to say for herself?"