The Essential Elinor Glyn Collection. Glyn Elinor
so he hastily turned the conversation, rather awkwardly, to other things. And a wonder grew in Mrs. Cricklander's mind.
That anyone should not be enchanted to receive her beautiful and sought-after self could not enter her brain, but there was evidently some bar between the acquaintance of herself and her nearest neighbors, and Arabella should be set to find out of what it consisted.
CHAPTER XV
"Do let us go around by the boundary," Miss Lutworth said when they got through the Wendover gates. "I long to see even the park of that exquisite old lady; it must look quite different to anybody else's, and I feel I want an adventure!"
So they struck in towards the haw-haw--the four walking almost abreast.
When they came to beyond the copse, after it touched the Professor's garden, they paused and took in the view. It was unspeakably beautiful from there, rolling away towards the splendid old house, which could only just be distinguished through the giant trees, not yet in leaf. And suddenly, hardly twenty yards from them across the gulf, coming from the gap in Mr. Carlyon's hedge, they saw a tall and very slender mouse-colored figure, as Halcyone emerged on her homeward way--she had run down to see Cheiron when her duties with Miss Roberta were over, and was now going back to lunch.
"Good morning!" called John Derringham, and the four advanced to the very edge of their side, and Halcyone turned and also bordered hers, while she bowed serenely.
"Isn't it a day of the gods!" he continued. "And may I from across this Stygian lake (there was a little water collected in the haw-haw here from the recent rains) introduce Miss Lutworth to you--and Miss Clinker and Lord Freynault? Miss Halcyone La Sarthe."
Everyone bowed, and Halcyone smiled her sweet, grave smile.
"We would love to jump over--or you come to us," Cora Lutworth said with her frank, friendly charm. "Isn't there any way?"
"I am afraid not," responded Halcyone. "You are across in another world--we live in the shades, this side."
"Remember something about a fellow named Orpheus getting over to fetch his girl"--"gail" Lord Freynault pronounced it--"since old John will use Eton cribs in describing the horrid chasm. Can't we sop old Cerberus and somehow manage to swim, if there is no ferryman about?"
"You would certainly be drowned," said Halcyone. "In this place the lake is quite ten inches deep!"
Cora Lutworth was taking in every bit of her with her clever, kindly eyes.
"What a sweet, distinguished violet-under-the-mossy-bank pet of a girl!" she was saying to herself. "No wonder Mr. Derringham goes to see his Professor! How mad Cis would be! I shan't tell her." And aloud she said:
"You cannot imagine how I am longing to get a nearer peep of your beautiful old house. Do we get a chance further on?"
"No," said Halcyone. "I am so sorry. You branch further off once you have passed the closed gate. It was very stupid--the La Sarthe quarreled with the Wendovers a hundred years ago, and it was all closed up then, and these wicked spikes put."
"It is too tantalizing. But won't you walk with us to where we have to part?" Miss Lutworth said, while John Derringham had a sudden longing to turn back and carefully remove certain bits of iron and brick he wot of, and ask this nymph of the woods to take him on to their tree, and tell him more stories about Jason and Medea in that exquisitely refined voice of hers, as she had done once before, long ago. But even though he might not have this joy, he got rather a fine pleasure out of the fact of sharing the secret of the crossing with her, and he had the satisfaction of meeting her soft eyes in one lightning comprehending glance.
They chatted on about the view and the beauties of the neighborhood, and they all laughed often at some sally of Cora's--no one could resist her joyous, bubbling good-fellowship. She had all the sparkle of her clever nation, and the truest, kindest heart. Halcyone had never spoken to another young girl in her life, and felt like a yearling horse--a desire to whinny to a fellow colt and race up and down with him beside the dividing fence of their paddocks. A new light of youth and sweetness came into her pale face.
"I do wish I might ask you to come round by the road," she said, "and see it near, but, as Mr. Derringham knows, my aunts are very old, and one is almost an invalid now, so we never have any visitors at all."
"Of course, we quite understand," said Cora, quickly, touched at once by this simple speech. "But we should so love you to come over to us."
"Alas!" said Halcyone, "it is indeed the Styx."
And here they arrived at the boarded-up gate, where further view was impossible, and from which onwards the lands ceased to join.
"Good-by!" they called to one another, even Arabella Clinker joining in the chorus, while Cora Lutworth ran back to say:
"Some day we'll meet--outside the Styx. Let us get Mr. Derringham to manage it!"
And Halcyone cried a glad "Oh, yes!"
"What a darling! What a perfect darling!" Miss Lutworth said enthusiastically, taking Arabella's arm as they struck rapidly inward and up a knoll. "Did you ever see anything look so like a lady in that impossible old dress? Tell us about her, Mr. Derringham. Does she live with those prehistoric ladies all alone in that haunted house? Could anything be so mysterious and romantic? Please tell us all you know."
"Yes, she does, I believe," John Derringham said. "My old master tells me she never sees or speaks to anyone from one year's end to another. I have only met her very rarely myself."
"Does it not seem too awful?" returned Cora, aghast, thinking of her own merry, enjoyable life, with every whim gratified. "To be so young and attractive and actually buried alive! Don't you think she is a dream, Arabella?"
"I was greatly impressed with her distinction and charm," Miss Clinker said. "I wish we could do something for her to make things brighter."
"Let us ask Cis--" and then Miss Lutworth paused, returning to her first thought--she knew her hostess well. No, it could not bring any pleasure into the life of this slender, lithe English lady with the wonderful Greek name, to be made acquainted with Cecilia Cricklander, who would tear her to pieces without compunction the moment she understood in what direction John Derringham's eyes would probably be cast. He saw Cora's hesitation and understood, and was grateful.
"I believe this girl is trumps. I don't think she will even mention our meeting," he said to himself.
Now for a few steps Miss Lutworth drew Arabella Clinker on ahead.
"Arabella, you dear," she whispered, "I don't want to say a word against Cis--who, of course, is all right--but I have a feeling we won't tell her we've met this dryad of a Halcyone La Sarthe. Have you got that instinct, too?"
"Quite strongly," said Arabella, who never wasted words. "I was going to mention to you the same idea myself."
"Then that is understood!" and she laughed her happy laugh. "I'll see that Freynie doesn't peach!"
Thus it was that four demure and healthful-looking beings joined the party on the terrace of Wendover, and described their pleasant walk, without one word spoken of their _rencontre_ with the youngest Miss La Sarthe. And once or twice Cora Lutworth's mischievous eyes met those of John Derringham, and they both laughed.
CHAPTER XVI
John Derringham made a point of slipping away on the Easter Tuesday afternoon; he determined to drink tea with the Misses La Sarthe. He went to his room with important letters to write, and then sneaked down again like a truant schoolboy, and when he got safely out of sight, struck obliquely across the park to the one vulnerable spot in the haw-haw, and after fumbling a good deal, from his side, managed to get the spikes out and to climb down, and repeat the operation upon the other side. There was no water here, it was on rather higher