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Page 35
"I don't believe you quite get me," said Billy hastily. He felt
foolish and he felt resentful. And if these English women couldn't
understand the bright, volatile stuff that Arlee was made of, he
certainly was not going to talk about it. But Miss Falconer had one
more question for him.
"When you say big people in a small town do you mean her father
would be a sort of country squire?"
"More probably a captain of industry," Billy smiled.
"A captain--Oh, that is one of your phrases!"
"One of our phrases," he laughed, and then parried, "I thought you
were acquainted with Miss Beecher?"
"Quite slightly," said Miss Falconer in an aloof tone. "My brother
came over on the same ship with her--he came to join us here."
Billy experienced a flood of mental light. The brother--at the hotel
he had discovered that his name was Robert Falconer--was coming to
join his elder sister and her young charge. He had come on the same
steamer as Miss Beecher. Ergo, he was staying at the hotel where
Miss Beecher was and not with his sister. Billy comprehended the
anxiety of the lady with the Roman nose. He looked at Lady Claire
with a certain sympathy.
He caught her own eyes reconnoitering, and they each looked hastily
away.
Again Miss Falconer returned to her attack. "Then you really know
nothing positive of Miss Beecher's family?"
"Nothing in the world," said Billy cheerfully. "But why not ask Miss
Beecher?"
The lady made no reply. "Miss Beecher is a beautiful girl," said
Lady Claire hastily. "She's _so_ beautiful that I suppose we are all
rather curious about her--of course people _will_ ask about a girl
like that!"
"Of course," said Billy, and Lady Claire, perceiving that he
resented this catechism about his young countrywoman, and Miss
Falconer perceiving that nothing was to be gotten out of him, the
conversation was promptly turned into other channels, the vague,
general channels of comment upon Cairo.
* * * * *
The Evershams dined alone. Alternately, from their table to the
doorway went Billy's eager eyes, but no vision with shining curls
and laughing eyes appeared. Evidently she had stayed to dine with
whatever people she had gone to see. Robert Falconer was watching
that table, too.... Perhaps she would not return till late; perhaps
he would have only a tiny time with her that evening.... And he had
not been able to buy out that man's berth upon the steamer....
Consomm� and whitebait, _boeuf r�ti_ and _haricots vert_ and
_cr�me de c�rises_ succeeded one another in deepening gloom. The
whole dinner over, and she had not appeared!
He went out to the lounge and smoked with violence. Presently he saw
the Evershams in the doorway talking to Robert Falconer, and he
jumped up and hurried to join them. As he approached he heard the
word Alexandria spoken fretfully by Mrs. Eversham.
"Good evening, good evening," said Billy hurriedly to the ladies,
and being a young man of simple directness, undeterred by the
glacial tinge of the ladies' response--they had not forgotten his
defection of the evening before when they were entertaining him so
nicely--he put the question which had been tormenting him all
evening, "Where is Miss Beecher to-night?"
"Alexandria," said Mrs. Eversham again, and this time there was a
hint of malicious satisfaction in her voice.
"Alexandria?" Billy was incredulous. "Why I--I understood she was to
go up the Nile to-morrow morning."
"She was, but she has changed her mind. She had word from some
friends of hers while we were out this afternoon and she flew right
off to join them."
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