III
The day had begun so peacefullyтБатАФand now it was spoilt. Tears came into NellтАЩs eyes. Why couldnтАЩt people let her alone? Jane and her horrid sneering. Jane was a beastтБатАФan uncanny beast. She knew where things hurt you most.
Why, even Joe had said that she, Nell, was quite right to marry George! Joe had understood perfectly. Nell felt aggrieved and hurt. Why should Jane be so horrid? And saying things like that about the deadтБатАФirreligious thingsтБатАФwhen everyone knew that the dead liked one to be brave and cheerful.
The impertinence of Jane to hurl a text at her head. A woman like Jane, who had lived with people and done all kinds of immoral things. Nell felt a glow of superior virtue. In spite of everything that was said nowadays, there were two different kinds of women. She belonged to one kind and Jane to the other. Jane was attractiveтБатАФthat kind of woman always was attractive. That was why in the past she had felt afraid of Jane. Jane had some queer power over menтБатАФshe was bad through and through.
Thinking these thoughts, Nell paced restlessly up and down. She felt disinclined to go back to the house. In any case, there was nothing particular to do this afternoon. There were some letters that must be written some time but she really couldnтАЩt settle to them at present.
She had forgotten about her husbandтАЩs American friend, and was quite surprised when George joined her with Mr.┬аBleibner in tow. The American was a tall thin man, very precise. He paid her grave compliments on the house. They were now, he explained, going to view the ruins of the Abbey. George suggested she should come with them.
тАЬYou go on,тАЭ said Nell. тАЬIтАЩll follow you presently. I must get a hat. The sun is so hot.тАЭ
тАЬShall I get it for you, dear?тАЭ
тАЬNo, thanks. You and Mr.┬аBleibner go on. YouтАЩll be ages pottering about there, I know.тАЭ
тАЬWhy, I should say that is very certain to be the case, Mrs.┬аChetwynd. I understand your husband has some idea of restoring the Abbey. That is very interesting.тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs one of our many projects, Mr.┬аBleibner.тАЭ
тАЬYou are fortunate to own this place. By the way, I hope youтАЩve no objection, I told my chauffeur (with your husbandтАЩs assent, naturally) that he might stroll round the grounds. He is a most intelligent young man of quite a superior class.тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs quite all right. And if heтАЩd like to see the house the butler can take him over it later.тАЭ
тАЬNow I call that very kind of you, Mrs.┬аChetwynd. What I feel is that we want beauty appreciated by all classes. The idea thatтАЩs going to weld together the League of NationsтБатАФтАЭ
Nell felt suddenly that she couldnтАЩt bear to hear Mr.┬аBleibnerтАЩs views on the League of Nations. They were sure to be ponderous and lengthy. She excused herself on the plea of the hot sun.
Some Americans could be very boring. What a mercy George was not like that! Dear GeorgeтБатАФreally, he was very nearly perfect. She experienced again that warm happy feeling that had surged over her earlier in the day.
What an idiot she was to have let herself be upset by Jane! Jane of all people! What did it matter what Jane said or thought? It didnтАЩt, of courseтБатАФbut there was something about JaneтБатАФshe had the power ofтБатАФwellтБатАФupsetting one.
But that was all over now. The old tide of reassurance and safety welled up again. Abbots Puissants, George, the tender memory of Vernon. Everything was all right.
She ran down the stairs happily, hat in hand. She paused a minute to adjust it in front of the mirror. She would go now and join them at the Abbey. She would make herself absolutely charming to Mr.┬аBleibner.
She went down the steps of the terrace and along the garden walk. It was later than she thought. The sun was not far from settingтБатАФa beautiful sunset with a crimson sky.
By the goldfish pond a young man in chauffeurтАЩs livery was standing with his back to her. He turned at her approach and civilly raised a finger to his cap.
She stood stock still and slowly an unconscious hand crept up to her heart as she stood there staring.