Elster's Folly by Mrs. Henry Wood (buy e reader .TXT) 📕

"Maude! Maude! Was That All You Heard?"

"_All!_ I Should Think It Was Enough."

"Yes,  But--" He Broke Off,  So Agitated As Scarcely To Know What He Was

Saying. Rallying Himself Somewhat,  He Laid His Hand Upon The White Cloak

Covering Her Shoulders.

"Do Not Judge Him Harshly,  Maude. Indeed He Is A True Friend To You And

To Me. And I Have Need Of One Just Now."

"A True Friend!--To Advise That! I Never Heard Of Anything So Monstrous.

You Must Be Out Of Your Mind."

"No,  I Am Not,  Maude. Should--Disgrace"--He Seemed To Hesitate For A

Word--"Fall Upon Me,  It Must Touch You As Connected With Me. I _Know_,

Maude,  That He Was Thinking Of Your Best And Truest Interests."

"But To Talk Of Separating Husband And Wife!"

"Yes--Well--I Suppose He Spoke Strongly In The Heat Of The Moment."

There Was A Pause. Lord Hartledon Had His Hand Still On His Wife's

Shoulder,  But His Eyes Were Bent On The Table Near Which They Stood. She

Was Waiting For Him To Speak.

"Won't You Tell Me What Has Happened?"

"I Can't Tell You,  Maude,  To-Night," He Answered,  Great Drops Coming Out

Again On His Brow At The Question,  And Knowing All The Time That He

Should Never Tell Her. "I--I Must Learn More First."

"You Spoke Of Disgrace," She Observed Gently,  Swaying Her Fan Before Her

By Its Silken Cord. "An Ugly Word."

"It Is. Heaven Help Me!"

"Val,  I Do Think You Are The Greatest Simpleton Under The Skies!" She

Exclaimed Out Of All Patience,  And Flinging His Hand Off. "It's Time You

Got Rid Of This Foolish Sensitiveness. I Know What Is The Matter Quite

Well; And It's Not So Very Much Of A Disgrace After All! Those Ashtons

Are Going To Make You Pay Publicly For Your Folly. Let Them Do It."

He Had Opened His Lips To Undeceive Her,  But Stopped In Time. As A

Drowning Man Catches At A Straw,  So Did He Catch At This Suggestion In

His Hopeless Despair; And He Suffered Her To Remain In It. Anything To

Stave Off The Real,  Dreadful Truth.

"Maude," He Rejoined,  "It Is For Your Sake. If I Am Sensitive As To

Any--Any Disgrace Being Brought Home To Me,  I Declare That I Think Of

You More Than Of Myself."

"Then Don't Think Of It. It Will Be Fun For Me,  Rather Than Anything

Else. I Did Not Imagine The Ashtons Would Have Done It,  Though. I Wonder

What Damages They'll Go In For. Oh,  Val,  I Should Like To See You In The

Witness-Box!"

He Did Not Answer.

"And It Was Not A Parson?" She Continued. "I'm Sure He Looked As Much

Like One As Old Ashton Himself. A Professional Man,  Then,  I Suppose,

Val?"

"Yes,  A Professional Man." But Even That Little Answer Was Given With

Some Hesitation,  As Though It Had Evasion In It.

Maude Broke Into A Laugh. "Your Friend,  Pleader Carr--Or Whatever He

Calls Himself--Must Be As Thin-Skinned As You Are,  Val,  To Fancy That A

Rubbishing Action Of That Sort,  Brought Against A Husband,  Can Reflect

Disgrace On The Wife! Separate,  Indeed! Has He Lived In A Wood All His

Life? Well,  I Am Going Upstairs."

"A Moment Yet,  Maude! You Will Take A Caution From Me,  Won't You? Don't

Speak Of This; Don't Allude To It,  Even To Me. It May Be Arranged Yet,

You Know."

"So It May," Acquiesced Maude. "Let Your Friend Carr See The Doctor,  And

Offer To Pay The Damages Down."

He Might Have Resented This Speech For Dr. Ashton's Sake,  In A Happier

Moment,  But Resentment Had Been Beaten Out Of Him Now. And Lady Hartledon

Decided That Her Husband Was A Simpleton,  For Instead Of Going To Sleep

Like A Reasonable Man,  He Tossed And Turned By Her Side Until Daybreak.

From That Hour Lord Hartledon Was A Changed Man. He Went About As One Who

Has Some Awful Fear Upon Him,  Starting At Shadows. That His Manner Was

Inexplicable,  Even Allowing That He Had Some Great Crime On His

Conscience,  A Looker-On Had Not Failed To Observe. He Was Very Tender

With His Wife; Far More So Than He Had Been At All; Anxious,  As It

Seemed,  To Indulge Her Every Fancy,  Gratify Her Every Whim. But When It

Came To Going Into Society With Her,  Then He Hesitated; He Would And He

Wouldn't,  Reminding Maude Of His Old Vacillation,  Which Indeed Had Seemed

To Have Been Laid Aside For Ever. It Was As Though He Appeared Not To

Know What To Do; What He Ought To Do; His Own Wish Or Inclination Having

No Part In It.

"Why _Won't_ You Go With Me?" She Said To Him Angrily One Day That He Had

Retracted His Assent At The Last Moment. "Is It That You Care So Much For

Anne Ashton,  That You Don't Care To Be Seen With Me?"

"Oh,  Maude! If You Knew How Little Anne Ashton Is In My Thoughts Now!

When By Chance I Do Think Of Her,  It Is To Be Thankful I Did Not Marry

Her," He Added,  In A Tone Of Self-Communing.

Maude Laughed A Light Laugh. "This Movement Of Theirs Is Putting You Out

Of Conceit Of Your Old Love,  Val."

"What Movement?" He Rejoined; And He Would Not Have Asked The Question

Had His Thoughts Not Gone Wool-Gathering.

"You Are Dreaming,  Val. The Action."

"Ah,  Yes,  To Be Sure."

"Have You Heard Yet What Damages They Claim?"

He Shook His Head. "You Promised Not To Speak Of This,  Maude; Even To

Me."

"Who Is To Help Speaking Of It,  When You Allow It To Take Your Ease Away?

I Never In My Life Saw Any One So Changed As You Are. I Wish The Thing

Were Over And Done With,  Though It Left You A Few Thousand Pounds The

Poorer. _Will_ You Accompany Me To This Dinner To-Day? I Am Sick Of

Appearing Alone And Making Excuses For You."

"I Wish I Knew What To Do For The Best--What My Course Ought To Be!"

Thought Hartledon Within His Conscience. "I Can't Bear To Be Seen With

Her In Public. When I Face People With Her On My Arm,  It Seems As If They

Must Know What Sort Of Man She,  In Her Unconsciousness,  Is Leaning Upon."

"I'll Go With You To-Day,  Maude,  As You Press It. I Was To Have Seen Mr.

Carr,  But Can Send Down To Him."

"Then Don't Be Five Minutes Dressing: It Is Time We Went."

She Heard Him Despatch A Footman To The Temple With A Message That He

Should Not Be At Mr. Carr's Chambers That Evening; And She Lay Back In

Her Chair,  Waiting For Him In Her Dinner-Dress Of Black And White. They

Were In Mourning Still For His Brother. Lord Hartledon Had Not Left It

Off,  And Maude Had Loved Him Too Well To Grumble At The Delay.

She Had Grown Tolerant In Regard To The Intimacy With Mr. Carr. That Her

Husband Should Escape As Soon And As Favourably As Possible Out Of The

Dilemma In Which He Was Plunged,  She Naturally Wished; That He Should

Require Legal Advice And Assistance To Accomplish It,  Was Only

Reasonable,  And Therefore She Tolerated The Visits Of Mr. Carr. She Had

Even Gone So Far One Evening As To Send Tea In To Them When He And Val

Were Closeted Together.

But Still Lady Hartledon Was Not Quite Prepared To Find Mr. Carr At

Their House When They Returned. She And Lord Hartledon Went Forth To

The Dinner; The Latter Behaving As Though His Wits Were In Some Far-Off

Hemisphere Rather Than In This One,  So Absent-Minded Was He. From The

Dinner They Proceeded To Another Place Or Two; And On Getting Home,

Towards One In The Morning,  There Was The Barrister.

"Mr. Carr Is Waiting To See You,  My Lord," Said Hedges,  Meeting Them In

The Passage. "He Is In The Dining-Room."

"Mr. Carr! Now!"

The Hall-Lamp Shone Full On His Face As He Spoke. He Had Been Momentarily

Forgetting Care; Was Speaking Gaily To His Wife As They Entered. She Saw

The Change That Came Over It; The Look Of Fear,  Of Apprehension,  That

Replaced Its Smile. He Went Into The Dining-Room,  And She Followed Him.

"Why,  Carr!" He Exclaimed. "Is It You?"

Mr. Carr,  Bowing To Lady Hartledon,  Made A Joke Of The Matter. "Having

Waited So Long,  I Thought I'd Wait It Out,  Hartledon. As Good Be Hung For

A Sheep As A Lamb,  You Know,  And I Have No Wife Sitting Up For Me At

Home."

"You Had My Message?"

"Yes,  And That Brought Me Here. I Wanted Just To Say A Word To You,  As

I Am Going Out Of Town To-Morrow."

"What Will You Take?"

"Nothing At All. Hedges Has Been Making Me Munificent Offers,  But I

Declined Them. I Never Take Anything After Dinner,  Except A Cup Of Tea Or

So,  As You May Remember,  Keeping A Clear Head For Work In The Morning."

There Was A Slight Pause. Lady Hartledon Saw Of Course That She Was _De

Trop_ In The Conference; That Mr. Carr Would Not Speak His "Word" Whilst

She Was Present. She Had Never Understood Why The Matter Should Be Kept

Apart From Her; And In Her Heart Resented It.

"You Won't Say To My Husband Before Me What You Have Come To Say,  Mr.

Carr."

It Was Strictly The Truth,  But The Abrupt Manner Of Bringing It Home To

Him Momentarily Took Away Mr. Carr's Power Of Repartee,  Although He Was

Apt Enough In General,  As Became A Special Pleader.

"You Have Had News From The Ashtons; That Is,  Of Their Cause,  And You

Have Come To Tell It. I Don't See Why You And Lord Hartledon Should So

Cautiously Keep Everything From Me."

There Was An Eager Look On Lord Hartledon's Face As He Stood Behind His

Wife. It Was Directed To Mr. Carr,  And Said As Plainly As Look Could Say,

"Don't Undeceive Her; Keep Up The Delusion." But Thomas Carr Was Not So

Apt At Keeping Up Delusions At The Expense Of Truth,  And He Only Smiled

In Reply.

"What Damages Are They Suing For?"

"Oh," Said Mr. Carr,  With A Laugh,  And Ready Enough Now: "Ten Thousand

Pounds Will Cover It."

"Ten Thousand Pounds!" She Echoed. "Of Course They Won't Get Half Of It.

In This Sort Of Action--Breach Of Promise--Parties Never Get So Much As

They Ask For,  Do They?"

"Not Often."

She Laughed A Little As She Quitted The Room. It Was Difficult To Remain

Longer,  And It Never Occurred To Her To Suspect That Any Graver Matter

Than This Action Was In Question.

"Now,  Carr?" Began Lord Hartledon,  Seating Himself Near The Table As He

Closed The Door After Her,  And Speaking In Low Tones.

"I Received This Letter By The Afternoon Mail," Said Mr. Carr,  Taking One

From The Safe Enclosure Of His Pocket-Book. "It Is Satisfactory,  So Far

As It Goes."

"I Call It Very Satisfactory," Returned Hartledon,  Glancing Through It.

"I Thought He'd Listen To Reason. What Is Done Cannot Be Undone,  And

Exposure Will Answer No End. I Wrote Him An Urgent Letter The Other Day,

Begging Him To Be Silent For Maude's Sake. Were I To Expiate The Past

With My Life,  It Could Not Undo It. If He Brought Me To The Bar Of My

Country To Plead Guilty Or Not Guilty,  The Past Would Remain The Same."

"And I Put The Matter To Him In My Letter Somewhat In The Same Light,

Though In A More Business-Like Point Of View," Returned Mr. Carr. "There

Was No Entreaty In Mine. I Left Compassion,  Whether For You Or Others,

Out Of The Argument; And Said To Him,  What Will You Gain By Exposure,  And

How Will You Reconcile It To Your Conscience To Inflict On Innocent

Persons The Torture Exposure Must Bring?"

"I Shall Breathe Freely Now," Said Hartledon,  With A Sigh Of Relief."

If That Man Gives His Word Not To Stir In The Matter,  Not To Take

Proceedings Against Me; In Short,  To Bury What He Knows In Secrecy And

Silence,  As He Has Hitherto Done; It Will Be All I Can Hope For."

Mr. Carr Lifted His Eyebrows.

"I