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Page 21
And then, unable to express what she felt, what she thought, any better
than he had done, she turned abruptly away and sat down again.
There was silence for a few moments, and then she heard the door close.
Looking round, she saw that he had left the room.
CHAPTER VI.
THE LITTLE STONE PASSAGE.
Queenie kept Dudley's half-confessed secret to herself for the whole of
that day. She was hoping against hope that he would change his mind
again and speak to Doreen himself. Since there must be a definite and
final breach, she thought it would be better for the principals
themselves to come to an understanding, without the intervention of
outsiders. She would have told him so, but she got no further
opportunity of speaking to him alone.
The day passed uncomfortably for everybody, although the only person who
gave vent to his feelings by open ill-temper was Mr. Wedmore, who was
waiting for the promised explanation which Dudley never attempted to
give. And before dinner-time that evening the young barrister returned
to town.
Mr. Wedmore, who had been out shooting with Doctor Haselden, was
furious, on returning home, to learn of Dudley's departure.
"He has left a note for you, papa, in the study," said Doreen, who was,
perhaps, a little paler than usual, but who gave no other outward sign
of her feelings.
Her father went into the study, after a glance at his daughter, and read
the letter. It was not a very long one. Following the lines of his
guarded confession to Queenie, Dudley expressed the sorrow he felt at
having to give up the hopes he had had of being something more than the
mere old friend he had been for so many years. He had thought it better,
at the last, to say this on paper instead of by word of mouth, and he
ended by expressing the deep gratitude he should always feel for the
kindness shown to him by Mr. Wedmore and all his family during the
happiest period of his life.
Mr. Wedmore read this letter with little astonishment. It was, in fact,
what he had been prepared to hear. He read it to his wife, who cried a
great deal, but acquiesced in her husband's desire that Dudley should
drop not only out of the ranks of their intimate friends, but even, as
much as possible, out of their conversation.
"Let us do our best," said he, "to make Doreen forget him."
Mr. Wedmore showed the letter also to Doctor Haselden, who, perhaps,
from pure love of contradiction, persisted in maintaining that the
letter confessed nothing, and that the cause of the young man's
withdrawal was, in all probability, quite different from what Mr.
Wedmore supposed. The two gentlemen had quite a wrangle over the matter,
at the end of which each was settled more firmly in his own opinion than
before.
When they went upstairs for the night, Doreen came to Queenie's room and
demanded to know what her younger sister and Dudley had been talking
about so earnestly in the breakfast-room that morning.
"What do you mean by talking earnestly?" said Queenie, in the calm, dry
manner which would have made any one but her sister think she was really
surprised.
"Max told me," said Doreen, "and I mean to stay here until I know."
It needed very little reflection to tell Queenie that it was better for
her sister to hear the truth at once. So she told her.
Doreen listened very quietly, and then got up and wished her sister good
night.
"Well," said Queenie, "you take it very quietly. What do you think about
it?"
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