Prince Charlie Part 42

"You can't see it? And you think yourself cute! Can't you read between the lines?"

"What?"

"I told Amy of Prince Charlie's love for you; that started the ball.

What does she set herself to do? Poison your mind against him. Why? Note the lie about Percy's turning white when----Good Lord, you can see through it now, can't you? You don't want spectacles for that? Your own common sense will tell you--though you certainly don't seem to have a large supply on hand."

"I--she wanted me--wanted her brother to----"

"That's it! You've got the hammer on the nail head at last! That accounts for her questioning me as to how you were left under the will; whether the money was settled on you or not."

"What a perfect pair of beasts!"

"Hear, hear!"

"And you invited them here! How could you? They are not fit people to have in the house!"

"I like that! Upon my word! See how gone you were on Percy at din----"

"d.i.c.k! If you ever dare to say----"

"Well, I must see about packing up----"

"Packing up! Don't let me think you quite a complete idiot, d.i.c.k!"

"The train goes at three-thir----"

"d.i.c.k!" She stamped her foot in anger. "Why do you want to make it worse for me than it need be by your stupidity. You perfect horror, you!"

"Stupidity runs in the family, I suppose. You have been mighty wise, haven't you? Um--you don't want me to go, then?"

"And leave me in this hopeless muddle alone? It wouldn't be commonly human--to say nothing of brotherly!"

"Oh, well." He affected a resigned air to hide his smiles. "I suppose I'll have to stop if you put it like that. I'll just walk up to Prince Charlie's place and tell him I shan't be able to go up with him."

"To--go--up--with--him?"

Dismay caused her to voice the question in instalments. d.i.c.k stooped, pretended to tie up his shoe-lace, some act was necessary to hide from her the amused look in his eyes.

"Yes. I'd like to say good-bye to the dear old chap. He'll probably go abroad and stop there. Maybe I shall never see him again."

"Abroad! Never--see----"

Then she stopped dead in the middle of what she was saying; stood as one dumbfounded. d.i.c.k's eyes in his averted head were twinkling and his mouth twitching. She certainly had some ground for the opinion she expressed of him.

He was a brute of a brother.

CHAPTER x.x.xIII

A TANGLED TRINITY

An observer might have imagined d.i.c.k possessed of a just grievance against his tailor; it took him such a while to get into his coat. He was doing so to the accompaniment of "Rule, Britannia," pursed-up lips fas.h.i.+oning it. The difficulty with his coat was one of his own creation; he was thoroughly enjoying the situation and prolonging it as long as possible. The whistling served as a sort of slow music to his little drama.

There was not even a whisper of Masters' leaving England. Indeed, it was pretty certain that had he been going abroad, d.i.c.k would have been on hand as his travelling companion. He was, as he termed it, rubbing it in. Brothers are awful brutes at times.

"d.i.c.k! Dear d.i.c.k!"

She had come to him affectionately; had put her arms round his neck.

"Hold on there! Don't go s...o...b..ring on my front again; it is all limp and wet now. I don't want to get inflammation of the lungs through wearing a damp s.h.i.+rt! You are too liberal with your grief, Sis; keep some of it for your handkerchief."

"I'm not crying. d.i.c.k--d.i.c.k--dear, dear old d.i.c.k." She was whispering in his ear in an artful way that she had never known him able to resist.

"You know you would not like to make me miserable--your own loving sister----"

He was grinning from ear to ear. The humour of the situation appealed to him as he interrupted:

"None of your blarney; none of your soft sawder! What's the meaning of this sudden overflowing, spring-up-in-a-moment affection? I was an idiot, fool, stupid, a few minutes ago."

"Dear d.i.c.k!"

"Yes, that's all very well. But what is it? This sudden discovery of my value means you want something."

She put her mouth close to his ear and whispered again. A very low whisper; he only just caught it:

"Don't let him go, d.i.c.k."

"Let who go?"

She knew that to be an evasion; that he was wilfully misunderstanding her. Just shook him and whispered earnestly:

"Please!"

d.i.c.k was magnanimous; he could afford to be. His deep-laid scheme had proved successful.

"Well, I'll see what I can do. But what are you going to do about the Chantrelles?"

A change came over her face; every sc.r.a.p of softness seemed to fade out of it. In a voice full of determination she said:

"The Chantrelles will leave here before the day is over!"

"Rule, Britannia" once more thrilled the air as the whistler caught his sister in his arms.

"You're a brick, old girl." He kissed her. "Things will pan out all right after all. Now, shall I stay and bear a hand, or would you rather handle the precious couple all by yourself?"

There was a steely glitter in her eye--it boded ill for the absent ones--as she answered vindictively: