A Woman's Burden: A Novel

"What's he got – the Strand Magazine?" said Miriam, catching sight of the well-known cover. "Oh, that's Gerald's – he's never happy without his Strand."

"It is an awfully jolly magazine, Miss Crane – I wish mother would get it."

"Ah, here is Gerald," exclaimed Hilda, as at that moment he entered the room. "Speak of angels and you hear their wings."

"That's dangerously suggestive of another phrase more often applied in the same circumstances – and rather more apt in this case too, I fancy!"

With heightened colour he came forward and took her outstretched hand. He was quite unable to conceal his emotion at this unexpected meeting.

"I didn't hear you come in, Gerald," said his wife in surprise.

At the sound of her voice some of his self-possession returned to him.

"No, I stole a march on you – unawares – got awfully sick of the office, so I chucked it for to-day."

Miriam looked at him uneasily. This sort of thing was continually happening. She was thankful at least he was himself in other ways.

"Well, Mrs. Dundas, I must certainly congratulate you – I don't know when I've seen you look so well."

"Why don't you call her Hilda?" put in the convivial Dicky. "I hate Mrs. Dundas."

"Do you? Well, you see, there are certain difficulties in the way, Dicky. In the first place we are all very much 'grown-up' now; indeed, I don't know that strictly speaking we oughtn't to call you 'Mr. Darrow.' Besides, if I were to call Mrs. Dundas by her Christian name, she might reprimand me severely."

"What nonsense you talk, Gerald," put in that young lady; "there, you see, I take the wind out of your sails at once – I am sure Mrs. Arkel doesn't mind. Do you?" she turned to Miriam with the sweetest of smiles.

"I – indeed no. Surely you are old enough friends for that. Well, we're relations too, now, in a sort of way, aren't we, Hilda?"

"I suppose we are – cousins by marriage."

"I'm a cousin by marriage too," announced Dicky; with his mouth full of cake; "we're all cousins."

"In that case, Dicky, let me give you cousinly advice – not to speak with your mouth full!"

"No, Miss Crane – I won't."

"Hullo, young man," cried Gerald; "and who's Miss Crane I'd like to know?"

"This is, of course – your Mrs. Arkel, but my Miss Crane. She ought to have waited till I was grown up, and I'd have married her," said Dicky with all the solemnity in the world.

"You precocious young rascal," laughed Arkel, ruffling the boy's hair. "Are you staying for any time in town, Hilda?"

"No, only for a few days. But, Gerald, this is an unexpected pleasure to see you. I thought you had joined the noble army of toilers in the city, and weren't visible except by night?"

"Nor am I, as a rule. Needs must you know when a certain gentleman's on the box. But, as I was telling my wife, to-day I felt I couldn't stand the place, so I toddled home. It's a case of reward for a lapse from virtue for once in a way."

"Well, hard work's good for you, I've no doubt. At all events, you had plenty of play once," said Hilda, putting on her gloves and rising to go.

"Yes, this is the swing of the pendulum, I suppose. But, by Jove, if ever it swings back again, I'll take jolly good care it sticks there until I shuffle off, anyhow."

And Miriam sighed, knowing only too well how true that was.

"Well, come along, Dicky, we must be off; the Major'll be waiting, and he hates that. I've managed a good many things with the Major, but I've never managed to imbue him with a sense of patience."

The boy rose rather reluctantly. He would so much rather have stayed with Miriam. He had not had her to himself at all. Gerald put on his hat and coat.

"You must let me come some of the way with you," he said.

"Oh, no, Gerald, you mustn't leave Miriam – I'm sure she – "

"Oh, please don't think about me. It's so dull for Gerald. I'm only too glad for him to enjoy himself when he can."

There was a rather embarrassing silence for a few minutes. Then Hilda imprinted upon Miriam's cheek the kiss of Judas, and they left.

"Jove, she's about right," said Arkel, when they were out of earshot. "I should think it is dull. I never realised before, Hilda, how much London was the rich man's paradise and the poor man's Sheol."

"Oh, come, Gerald, it's not so bad as all that, surely. You're out of sorts to-day."

He did not reply, but hailed a four-wheeler that was passing.

"Oh, Gerald, why did you do that? I do dislike these dirty growlers," she said.

"You won't get a decent hansom in this God-forsaken part of the world. Better take this now."

"Very well, I suppose we must."

"And may I sit beside the driver?" said Dicky. "I should like to awfully."

"Oh, I don't know, dear. I am afraid of your catching cold."

"No fear of that," replied Gerald. "It's quite warm, and he's well wrapped up. Jump in, Hilda."

He helped her in, and confided Dicky to the care of the cabby. The boy's proposition suited him in every way. Indeed, it had been an essential part of his plan. As for Hilda, she had a very shrewd idea of what she might expect. It is only fair to her to say that she hesitated – but the eloquent appeal from those blue eyes of Gerald's had been too much for her. She was surprised at herself now, for her heart was beating as she had never known it beat before.

"I wish you could get a hansom," she said; "we shall be hours getting home in this."

"And would that be so very terrible?" he asked. "It would not have been once, Hilda."

"Oh, Gerald, don't talk about that. You know that is all over and done with now."

"It is not over, Hilda – it never has been over, we need never have parted but for you. For these two years I have been longing for a chance of seeing you alone. I have got it now, and I'm not going to lose it."

"What is it you want? You forget Miriam – "

"Oh, hang Miriam! I wish I could forget her. But she's not the sort of person one can forget, worse luck. Hilda, it was cruel of you to drive me to her – "

"Cruel of me? I drove you to Miriam? Really, Gerald, if that's the kind of thing you're going to say, I am sorry I allowed you to come at all. You know perfectly well things were not in my hands. I had to do as I was told. And you – well, you and Miriam were always what you call 'good friends.'"

"You managed to console yourself pretty quickly any way."