The Third Miss St Quentin

“I must be quick,” she said, “my sisters will think I have forgotten what I was sent for,” and with a smile and nod to Captain Omar she flew off.

“What a lovely girl she has become,” said he enthusiastically.

Sir Philip gave a sort of grunt.

“You think so?” he said. “Well, yes – she is very much admired.”

“She will marry soon, I should think,” said Captain Omar.

Sir Philip said nothing.

“She has no fortune,” he remarked dryly after a minute or two’s silence.

Captain Omar gave a slightly bitter laugh.

“Upon my word I think that fact is not likely to be an obstacle. If – if Madelene had had no fortune you don’t suppose things would have been as they are for me? I wouldn’t have allowed it in that case.”

Sir Philip hesitated.

“It’s not so much her being rich, as her having this place – and all the responsibilities it brings, and the complication of her father and his peculiar position, and – and latterly the addition of Ella and the care of her future.”

“But Ella will marry – that’s to say she’s sure to have opportunities of doing so, if Madelene doesn’t shut her up,” said Captain Omar impatiently. “Now that I have seen Ella, I understand all these new difficulties less and less. Yet, surely,” and he turned to Philip with a sort of anguish in his eyes, “don’t think me a brute, Cheynes, for saying it – you have known the whole story all through – it can’t be that she has left off caring for me, and that she puts it on these pretexts, and – ”

“No, no,” Sir Philip interrupted, “don’t get anything of that kind into your head, Omar. I’m perfectly certain that Madelene is as true as steel, and – if things were to disentangle themselves a little, if she was quite happy and satisfied about Ella’s future and saw her way to marrying you without any fear of conflicting duties, I’m sure it would be all right. Don’t lose heart just yet, my good fellow.”

“There’s not much time left for keeping up my heart in,” the other replied. “My leave’s over next month, Cheynes.”

But Sir Philip had no time to say more, for just then some other wedding guests made their appearance in the drawing-room.

It was not till late that afternoon that Sir Philip had an opportunity of putting into practice his doughty resolve of “having it out” with little Ella. All had “gone off,” as the saying is, to perfection; the bride and bridegroom had driven away, most of the “assistants” had thoughtfully taken their departure and Madelene, poor Madelene, had ventured to shut herself up for an hour or two like the bride’s sister in the old song. She had some reason for tears, though scarcely as much as she made herself believe, but Ella in her new-born sympathy with her eldest sister, was almost inclined to exaggerate Madelene’s troubles, and ready to fly out like a little turkey-cock at any one who should venture to think lightly of them.

With the object of securing some quiet for Miss St Quentin, Ella had cleverly decoyed away the few younger guests who were remaining till the next day, out to the tennis-court, where, with Mrs Burton as chaperon, some sets were quickly arranged. But Ella herself hated tennis, she was glad to find she was not required to play, and seeing everybody apparently happily engaged, she strolled off a little way among the shrubberies by herself. A rustic bench in a shady corner tempted her; she sat down, gazing before her vaguely. She felt tired and strange, and the remembrance of the contretemps in the unlucky fernery that morning did not tend to soothe or calm her feelings.

“I wonder what they are going to settle about me,” she said to herself. “I – I should like to stay here if I could be any good to Madelene, but it doesn’t look as if that could be. And for some things I would like to go away and never come back again. I should like never to see Philip Cheynes again.”

A wish not to be fulfilled, for at that moment a quick step along the path made her look up, Philip stood before her. Ella’s eyes fell, and she grew red as she congratulated herself that her last words had not been spoken aloud. But she quickly looked up again, with a sort of cold inquiry in her face.

Philip smiled slightly as he caught her expression.

“Yes,” he said, “I knew you would be vexed at my following you. I kept out of the tennis on purpose. I must speak to you, Ella. I want to know what is the matter. Why did you behave so – uncivilly to me this morning – and before Omar, too?”

“I had overheard a little of what you were saying,” said Ella haughtily. “It was much the same sort of thing as – as that other time.”

Sir Philip muttered something between his teeth which Ella could not catch. Then suddenly to her surprise his tone changed; he turned to her with a smile.

“Are you glad Ermine is married?” he said. “Don’t you like West?”

Ella hesitated.

“I like what I have seen of him,” she replied. “He is not good-looking though; he is small and rather insignificant.”

“Not like Omar?”

“No,” she agreed, “not nearly as handsome as Captain Omar.” Then with a sudden impulse, “Sir Philip,” she said, “won’t you explain to me —why won’t Madelene marry Captain Omar? Why am I made a – a burden and a difficulty of? I would do anything; I have been so unhappy. I know I have misjudged Madelene in some ways, but I don’t now. I do want to – to be good and nice, and – and – ”

But the rest of her confidences were lost; her voice broke, and Philip knew that she was crying.

“Ella,” he exclaimed, “Ella, darling, I can’t bear to see you like that. Have we all been very cruel to you, somehow? I feel as if we had. I feel as if I had, and yet – and yet – I would do anything – I would give my life to make you happy.”

Ella’s sobs ceased. She glanced up at Philip with a curious mingling of expressions on her face.

“Sir Philip,” she said quietly, “I am not a child. You shouldn’t speak to me quite – quite like that, though I know you mean it kindly.”

“Kindly!” he repeated hotly. “Ella – you know it isn’t that. I dare say I’m a fool – you will probably only laugh at me, but I have waited and I don’t think it has done any good. Granny said you were too young, and that it wasn’t fair upon you till you had seen more of the world, but things have gone wrong quite enough. I won’t risk it any more. Ella – do you, no, could you ever get to care for me?”

Ella’s eyes filled with soft tears again.

“Sir Philip, do you really mean it? Is it not only that you are sorry for me? I – you are very kind – but I couldn’t bear for you only to be sorry for me!”

“My darling – what a way to put it! Sorry for you – my princess! No indeed! I shall be sorry for myself, if – but it’s not going to be that. Ella, you will try to care for me, won’t you?”

“I don’t need to try,” she answered gently. “It wouldn’t be worthy of you if any trying were needed. Oh, Philip – if you are sure you mean it – I have been so unhappy. I was so ashamed of – of caring for you – ”

“Ashamed,” Philip interrupted.

“Yes – for I thought you cared for – I thought at least you were going to marry – Ermine. That was how I misjudged Madelene. That was the great reason why I went away.”

Philip’s face cleared; a good many mists were dispersed by these words of Ella’s.

“But when you knew that wasn’t true – up to this morning even, why were you so strange and cold to me?” he asked.

“Because there was something you said about my being an obstacle or a difficulty – and of course I had no reason to think you cared for me, even if you did not for Ermine. Philip,” with a sudden thought, “if this is to be – you and me, I mean – will it make it easier for Madelene to marry Captain Omar?”

Philip nodded.

“She will think so, I have no doubt. Though really and truly there was nothing to prevent it. But your father since his losses has got morbid about your future, and Madelene has got morbid too in another way; self-sacrifice seemed the readiest means of cutting the knot, and so she has persuaded herself that it was her duty. But now – ”

He had drawn Ella’s pretty head close till it all but rested on his shoulder, suddenly she drew herself away and faced him with anxious eyes and tremulous mouth.

“Morbid about my future! How do you mean?” she exclaimed.

“What a fool I am,” Philip replied. “I forgot you didn’t understand. It was only, darling, that the money that should have been for you– Madelene and Ermine having very large fortunes from their mother – was lost several years ago. And there might have been difficulties, once your sisters were married and all that, in the way of their making any certain provision for you, so – ”

“So Madelene would have sacrificed herself for me?” Ella interrupted.

“In a sense, yes, I suppose I must say so. But also for the sake of your father’s peace of mind, and the fear of not being free to do her duty as a wife. She has mounted it all up most ingeniously. But now – Maddie will be so glad, Ella.”

Ella’s face was turned away however. Sir Philip grew uneasy.