The Woman with One Hand, and Mr. Ely's Engagement

  CHAPTER XIV

  THE LADY ENDEAVOURS TO EXPLAIN

  "Sounds like the last words of a funeral sermon," muttered Mr. Ely,directly the door was closed.

  "It does sound a little that way, doesn't it?"

  Then the two were still.

  Mr. Ely took up the position in front of the fireplace which had beenoccupied by Mr. Ash; Miss Truscott seated herself by a five-o'clocktea-table, and pensively regarded so much of her toes as she permittedto peep from under the hem of her dress. A considerable pause ensued.Possibly Mr. Ely was endeavouring to find words with which to clothehis thoughts.

  "This is like a Quaker's meeting," murmured the lady.

  Mr. Ely started. But he checked the retort which rose to his lips, andcontinued his reflections. At last he spoke. The words issued from hislips with excessive deliberation, as though he weighed each one to bequite sure it was of proper weight.

  "Miss Truscott, the exigencies of modern civilisation compel from mana chivalrous attitude towards the weaker sex."

  She looked up at the first sound of his voice--and he immediatelywished she would look down again.

  "But there are occasions on which chivalry should give place to evenhigher things."

  He certainly wished she would look down again. Her countenance wasperfectly grave, but he had a horrid suspicion that there was laughterin her eyes. She murmured something to herself.

  "What was that you said?" he asked, with a sudden departure from hisair of ceremonious state.

  "Nothing."

  She looked down--and smiled. Mr. Ely felt that he was growing warm. Hewas not a man easily put out of countenance as a rule, but this younglady had an effect upon him which was quite unprecedented. He changedhis method of attack, and from excessive deliberation passed toexcessive haste.

  "Miss Truscott, I am a plain business man."

  "You are."

  "The day before yesterday I asked you to be my wife."

  "You did."

  "You said you would."

  "And immediately afterwards I changed my mind." She said this with hersweetest smile.

  "Changed your mind! What do you mean? Do you know I spent twentypounds on an engagement-ring?" Mr. Ely produced a little leather casefrom his waistcoat pocket, and from the case a ring. "Do you see that?Do you know I paid twenty pounds for that? And it might have cost meforty-five."

  Taking the ring, Miss Truscott slipped it on her long, slender finger.

  "What a pretty ring! How well it fits me, too. I'll buy it from you ifyou'll let me have it cheap."

  Mr. Ely was for a moment speechless.

  "Cheap! Do you think I buy engagement-rings to sell them at a profit,then?"

  "I don't know. You say you are a business man."

  "Say I'm a business man! I should have to be a very funny business manif I did that kind of thing."

  Taking off the ring, Miss Truscott put it back into the case.

  "Never mind, Mr. Ely; as a business man you know that a goodinvestment is never thrown away. If you don't meet with a good offerfor it at once it is sure to come in by and by. If you go on askinggirls to marry you, possibly in time you will light on one who willnot change her mind."

  "Miss Truscott, I don't think you quite know what sort of man I am."

  "You say you are a business man."

  "But, excuse me, you don't seem to know what a business man is either.A business man is a man who sticks to his own bargains, and expectsother people to stick to theirs."

  "Is he, indeed. How very interesting!"

  "You promised to be my wife."

  "Always supposing that I did not change my mind."

  "Always supposing nothing of the kind. There was no sort ofsupposition even hinted at. It was as plain and unequivocal a promiseas was ever made by A to B."

  "Don't you see, Mr. Ely, that you're placing me in a delicateposition?"

  "In what sort of a position do you think you're placing me?"

  "Would you have me marry you--now?"

  "By George, I would!"

  Rising from her seat, Miss Truscott placed her two hands behind herback--in the manner in which the children do at school---and lookedhim boldly in the face.

  "When I love another man?--when my whole heart only beats forhim?--when, in a sense which you shall never understand, I am his, andhe is mine?"

  Mr. Ely fidgeted beneath the clear scrutiny of her wide-open eyes.

  "Look here, Miss Truscott, I've told you already that I am not a manof sentiment."

  "Do you call this a question of sentiment? Would you marry a woman whofrankly tells you that she loathes you, and that she yearns foranother man?"

  "Loathes me, by gad! Nice thing, by George! Look here, Miss Truscott,you promised to be my wife----"

  Mr. Ely was accentuating his words by striking together the palms ofhis hands, but Miss Truscott cut him short.

  "Really, Mr. Ely, you are like a child. You indulge in the vainestrepetitions. I promised fiddlesticks, for all I know! I don't intendto marry you, so there's an end of it."

  "Don't you? We shall see!"

  "We certainly shall see!"

  "Miss Truscott, if you decline to fulfil the promise which you made tome--according to your own confession--I go straight from here to mysolicitor and instruct him to immediately commence an action againstyou for breach of promise of marriage. You will find that even a womanis not allowed to play fast-and-loose exactly as she pleases."

  "You threaten me! You dare to threaten me! Now I see the business man,indeed! It is damages you want to mend your broken heart--the money,not the wife. How foolish I was not to understand all that before! Canwe not compromise the case, we principals? Why should all the plundergo into the lawyer's hands? Let me beg your acceptance of a ten-poundnote."

  Miss Truscott took out her purse.

  "Ten pounds!" Mr. Ely remembered the writ which he had in the pocketof his coat. "I'll get thirty thousand pounds at least!"

  "Thirty thousand pounds! What a sum am I not valued at! I am afraid,Mr. Ely, that I am not able to treat with you when you speak of suchnoble figures as that. You see, at present, my guardian has the chargeof my pecuniary affairs. But I beg you to believe that I am glad tolearn that you can find compensation even in the prospect of such asum as that. I had feared that your wounded affections wereincurable."

  "Compensation! Oh, yes, I'll find compensation fast enough! And youshall find it too! That letter of yours shall be produced in court.You shall have as first rate an advertisement as ever yet a woman had.I'll give Summers cause to be proud of his wife."

  "I am so pleased to hear you speak like that, because, of course, Ihope he always will be proud of me, you know. I hope you will not putit down to my insufferable conceit, but I don't think he's ashamed ofme, as yet. But it is quite a relief to my mind to think that we areagreed. For we are agreed, are we not?"

  "Agreed! On what?"

  "On the principle of compensation."

  "Oh, yes, there's no doubt that we agree on that--as you will seedirectly I get back to town."

  "That is most gratifying, isn't it? As we do agree now, won't you takemy hand?" Before he knew it she had her hand in his. She was lookingat him with laughter lighting all her face. "I knew that we shouldunderstand each other after all."

  And while they still stood there hand in hand, looking at eachother--but with such different expressions on their faces--the dooropened and Mr. Ash came in.