I shall regard this as your real
marriage. I shall have the servants in and make that plain."
A row like family prayers--and Dad standing up very straight, saying in
his dry way: "You will be so good in future as to remember--" "I shall
be obliged if you will," and so on; Betty's round face pouting at
being brought in with all the others; Markey's soft, inscrutable; Mrs.
Markey's demure and goggling; the maids' rabbit-faces; old Pettance's
carved grin the film lifting from his little burning eyes: "Ha! Mr. Bryn
Summer'ay; he bought her orse, and so she's gone to 'im!" And she said:
"Darling, I don't know! It's awfully sweet of you. We'll see later."
Winton patted her hand. "We must stand up to 'em, you know, Gyp. You
mustn't get your tail down."
Gyp laughed.
"No, Dad; never!"
That same night, across the strip of blackness between their beds, she
said:
"Bryan, promise me something!"
"It depends. I know you too well."
"No; it's quite reasonable, and possible. Promise!"
"All right; if it is."
"I want you to let me take the lease of the Red House--let it be mine,
the whole thing--let me pay for everything there."
"Reasonable! What's the point?"
"Only that I shall have a proper home of my own. I can't explain, but
your mother's coming to-day made me feel I must."
"My child, how could I possibly live on YOU there? It's absurd!"
"You can pay for everything else; London--travelling--clothes, if you
like.
Pages:
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383