Set in Silver
being quite white, and the rest of their faces tanned brown. He took us
everywhere, showing us interesting things, and presently said that, not
only must we dine with him that evening, but must stay to a dance that
was to be given on board afterward.
"Oh, many thanks, but we're only motoring through, and go on this
afternoon," began Sir Lionel. Then he stopped short, and looked at me.
"Would you like to dance?" he asked.
"She hasn't anything to wear, if she would," Mrs. Norton answered for
me. "You were so strict about luggage, we've only two evening dresses
apiece, plain things for hotel dinners, nothing at all suitable to a
dance."
"Didn't you buy her anything good enough for dances that day in Bond
Street?" snapped the Dragon.
"_You_ bought her several things almost too good for dances, at her
age," retaliated the Dragon's sister, but only in a gentle coo. "They're
left at the Ritz, awaiting instructions to go on to Graylees, with most
of our things, and will probably be all beggars' creases before she has
a chance to wear them."
"She shall have a chance to wear any or all of them to-night, if she
wants to dance," said Sir Lionel.
"Of course she wants to dance," chimed in Captain Starlin. "Did you ever
see a young lady who didn't want to dance, especially on a man-o'-war?"
"_Do_ you want to?" repeated the Dragon.
Between them I was quite dashed, and murmured something non-committal
about its being very nice, if it had been convenient, but----
"There is no 'but,'" said Ellaline's guardian. "That settles it. We stop
the night in Southsea, where there's no doubt a good hotel; and I will
send someone immediately to the Ritz for your boxes, Emily--and yours."
He never calls me by name if he can help it.
Emily was inclined to object that it would be foolish to send, and we
didn't want all our things anyway, till her brother gave her a look--not
cross, but--well, just one of his looks that make you do things, or stop
doing them, whichever he pleases; and she didn't say any more.
I can't help rather liking his masterful ways, though they're
old-fashioned now that we're all supposed to think we need votes more
than frocks; but this time it really would have been ungrateful of me to
disapprove, as the whole fuss was being made for me. And I was dying to
go to the dance!
We went quickly back to the motor, spun into Southsea, and before the
female contingent knew exactly what was happening to it, rooms were
engaged for the night, and a "responsible person" despatched by the
first train to town, with a letter demanding certain articles of our
luggage.
I was quite excited about the evening, but outwardly was "more than
usual calm," as we wandered here and there, after luncheon, seeing
Southsea--which must, by the way, be a most convenient place for girls,
as they can choose between Navy and Army, or play with both if they are
pretty enough. Just as we were going to have a run out to Hayling Island
in the car, whom should we meet in the street, close to our hotel, but
Mrs. Senter and Dick Burden.
She was looking very fetching and young, almost like a girl, certainly
as unlike an aunt as possible. And, mother, I _know_ it wasn't an
accident. I don't mean about her being an aunt, of course, but being in
Southsea and meeting us.
The day she called, in London, when Sir Lionel was in Warwickshire, I
heard her asking Mrs. Norton questions about our route; and when dear
Emily mentioned Winchester, she said, "Oh, won't you be passing through
Southsea?"
Mrs. Norton answered in her vague little way that she was sure she
didn't know. Then Mrs. Senter went on to say that she and Dick were
invited to stay at a house near Southsea, and she thought they would
probably accept. Perhaps, if they did, we might meet. But, as I wrote
you, I thought it more likely we wouldn't, unless Sir Lionel should seem
keen when he heard; and he _didn't_. He apparently took no interest
whatever when his sister repeated the conversation to him next day.
Well, I'm sure Mrs. Senter made up her mind to accept her friend's
invitation (even if she didn't ask for one) the minute she found out
that we were likely soon to pass Southsea. She must have known we would
be sure to stop for a look round Portsmouth and the neighbourhood, and
thought the chance worth taking. If she hadn't, she would have stopped
in London till the end of the season, no doubt, for she's the kind of
person who lives for Society, and only cares for the country when it's
the fashion to be in it.
I wouldn't be a bit surprised if she'd been patrolling the streets of
Portsmouth and Southsea for a day or two, in the hope of running across
us sooner or later. Or, as Dick Burden fancies himself in the part of a
detective, perhaps he hit upon some surer way of getting at us.
Those two, aunt and nephew, play into each other's hands beautifully.
Mamma, it seems, is visiting in Scotland at the moment, so they hunt in
couples. How long "Aunt Gwen" has been a widow the saints may know; I
don't--but anyway she has begun to "take notice," as people say about
bright little babies. She has looked up Sir Lionel in Debrett, and
marked him with a red cross for her own, I believe. Such impudence! A
woman like that, to dare think of trying to grab a man of his position
and record! She ought to know how unsuitable she would be for him.
As for Dick, of course he wants to flirt with me; but wait--wait till
you hear the latest developments.
Sir Lionel seemed neither pleased nor displeased at the meeting, but he
could not have suspected it was more than an accident, for he remarked
that it was odd we should run up against each other like this!
Mrs. Senter said yes, indeed, it was, she was never more surprised in
her life, though really it would have been odd, when one came to think
of it, if we hadn't met, since she and Dick were stopping with friends
on Hayling Island, and were constantly in Southsea.
"Do let me write a note to my friend Captain Starlin, and get you all
invitations to the _Thunderer_ dance to-night," she tacked on to the
tail of her explanation.
"He's an old friend of mine, too," said Sir Lionel, "and we've not only
invitations already, but have accepted them, and sent for my sister's
and Miss Lethbridge's clothes."
Her face fell a little for an instant when she heard we'd sent for
clothes, as probably Emily and I would have suited her better in our
worst things; but she brightened up and said how pleased she was,
because she and Dick were both going, and now they would really look
forward to the dance; Dick had been bored with the idea before.
Well, the boxes came in good time, and the Bond Street darlings weren't
crushed in the least, because I had put them to bed so nicely with
sheets and pillows of tissue paper. I decided to wear a pink chiffon,
with tiny button roses laid like a dainty frame all round the low neck
and where the sleeves ought to have been but weren't. The chiffon's
embroidered with roses to match. Can you imagine me in such a dream? I
can't. But it suits me, rather. I wore pink shoes and stockings and
gloves, all of the same shade, and poor Emily in gray silk, with her
hair done in an aggressively virtuous way, looked like a cross between
an Anglican nun and a tourist economizing luggage. Yet she wouldn't have
been shocked if her brother'd had a harem in Bengal, because it was
"good form." But of course, as she says, one is obliged to excuse things
in men.
It was very amusing having dinner in the Captain's room, which was large
and quite charming, with curtains and frilly silk cushions, and heaps of
framed, signed photographs, and books, almost as if a woman had arranged
it. But he told us one felt the motion there, more than anywhere else,
in a storm; which must be some consolation to the "middies" who have to
work for years before they can ever hope for such luxurious quarters.
Mrs. Senter and Dick weren't at dinner, which was one comfort. Besides
ourselves, there were only the Captain's married sister, who had come
from town for the dance, and her husband. The husband's an earl--Lord
Knaresbrook; rather old; but Lady Knaresbrook is young, frightfully
pretty, and knows it. She flirted fascinatingly at dinner with Sir
Lionel; not as Mrs. Senter flirts, flickering her eyelashes, saying
smart things as if to amuse him alone, and hang everyone else!--but just
looking at him, with gorgeous, starry eyes; asking a question now and
then, and listening with all her soul. I'm not sure it isn't an equally
effective way, especially when done in a diamond tiara by a countess
under twenty-five. I should quite have enjoyed watching it if Sir Lionel
had been a stranger, but knowing him somehow made me feel 'pon honour
not to look, and rather restless. I do believe that, compared with some
of these men, who've been at the other end of the world for years doing
important political things, Samson with his hair all cropped off was
_adamant_ to Lovely Woman!
Naturally, I had to have something to look at, and I couldn't look at
Lord Knaresbrook because the shape of his nose worried me; and anyhow he
wanted to talk to Emily about people they both knew. Such exciting bits
as this floated to my ears: "Ah, yes, _he_ was the great-grandson of
Lord This. She married the Duke of That's second cousin." So I looked a
good deal at Captain Starlin, and he looked at me and not at very much
else, which was quite easy, the most important lady being his own
sister, who took the place of hostess; so Mrs. Norton was on his right
and I on his left. As he was our host, and evidently wanted to flirt a
little, I thought it my duty to gratify his wish, and played up to him.
That was quite right, wasn't it? I'm sure you'll say yes, as you are a
Parisienne, and have brought me up to do unto others as I would be done
by. But several times I happened to catch Sir Lionel's eyes, and they
had a gloomy glint in them; not angry, but as if he'd discovered a screw
loose in me. I felt as uncomfortable as you do with a smudge on your
nose, which you see in shop-window mirrors when you've forgotten your
handkerchief; but it was too late to change my behaviour suddenly, so I
went on as I had begun.
We mere females didn't leave the men at the table, perhaps because there
wasn't any place where it would have been proper for us to wander
unmanned. We sat for hours, and Lady Knaresbrook smoked, and wanted us
to smoke, though of course she must have known that no woman with her
hair done like Emily's _would_. Emily looked shocked, but just pressed
in her lips, and didn't disapprove out aloud, as she might if Lady
Knaresbrook had been plain "Mrs." But afterward she told me she was now
ready to believe "all they say" about Diana Knaresbrook. Just because
she smoked! Mrs. Norton could find immorality in a hard-boiled egg if
she looked for it.
At last we went above, or whatever you call it on a ship, and everything
had been made beautiful with flags and bunting; but _nothing_ was as
beautiful as those sailor men themselves, especially the middies. I felt
like their mother (I hope that's not unmaidenly?) and should have loved
to smooth their hair and pat them on the cheek--of which, by the way,
they had plenty!
A good many were introduced to me; and Dick brought his aunt very early,
because, he said, he didn't want to find all my dances gone. You can
believe I hadn't saved any for _him_! But as a matter of fact, I had
kept back two, thinking Sir Lionel might ask me; for after his many
kindnesses I shouldn't have liked to seem not to want to dance with him,
you see. When he didn't ask at first, I supposed it might be because he
wasn't a dancing man (horrid expression!--sounds like a trained bear);