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Page 26
"Who is there?"
A low voice answered: "Une lettre pour mademoiselle." And the
epistle was slipped into the little box for letters on the door.
She went back to her wide window and looked out on the darkness
after she had read it. She saw there would be trouble ahead, she
knew Eustace Medlicott's obstinate spirit very well, and also the
rigid convention of Aunt Caroline--but to what lengths they would
go she formulated no guess.
It all seemed so secure and happy and calm now with such a man to
lean upon as Sasha Roumovski. Nothing need ruffle or frighten her
ever any more. And then she read the love sentences again and
thrilled and quivered there in the warm, soft night. Sasha
Roumovski's influence over her had grown so strong that not a
questioning speculation as to the step she meant to take any
longer entered her head. She felt she knew at last what love's
meaning truly was, and nothing else mattered in the world--which,
indeed, was the truth!
Meanwhile, the Reverend Eustace Medlicott, burning with fury, had
stalked to his room, and there tried to think of what he had
better do. He feared it was too late to communicate with Canon and
Mrs. Ebley--they would have retired to bed, and Stella, also. Here
his thoughts were brought up with violent suddenness. Was she
quite safe? Heavens above! and he turned quite cold--foreigners
might be capable of any outrage--but presently he dismissed this
fear. People always locked their doors in hotels, and Stella,
though she had apparently shown herself sadly unworthy of his
regard, was a thoroughly well brought-up young woman, and would
not be likely to bandy words in the night with any young man. But
on the morrow he would insist upon their all leaving the hotel and
Rome itself--no more chances of her communicating with this
hateful Russian count should be risked.
As the Ebley party had only arrived three days ago in the city, it
was clearly impossible that the affair could have gone far, and as
he had heard of their sightseeing and knew Mrs. Ebley would be
extremely unlikely to allow Stella out of her sight in any case,
he could not imagine how his fiancee and the Russian could have
found a chance to speak--and even a foreigner could not persuade a
woman into this course of action in half an hour's talk at the
Embassy! The whole thing must be the ravings of a madman, nothing
more, and Stella herself would be the first to explain that point
on the morrow.
But even this comforting thought could not quite calm him--there
remained disquieting recollections of certain forcible arguments
he had been obliged to listen to against his will which had hit
some part of his inner consciousness usually impregnably protected
by his self-conceit. And it was an hour or two before he was able
to drink his barley water and retire to rest, which he felt he
badly needed after his long journey and uncomfortably exciting
evening.
CHAPTER VI
The sun was blazing gloriously next day, the whole air was full of
freshness and spring and youth. An ideal one for lovers, and not
at all the atmosphere for anger and strife. But these facts did
not enter into the consideration of three of the people, at least,
connected with our little comedy.
Eustace Medlicott woke more full of wrath than he had been the
night before, and, the moment he was dressed, proceeded to make
havoc with the peace of the Reverend Canon and Mrs. Ebley. He sent
up an urgent summons that they would see him immediately. Having
no sitting-room, he suggested the reading-room, which would be
empty at this hour.
The Aunt Caroline had experienced some misgivings herself at the
Embassy about her niece's absence with the foreign count, who had
risen to this distinctive appellation in her mind from "that
dreadful man," but she had felt it more prudent not to comment
upon her apprehensions to her niece. Eustace evidently had
discovered further cause of resentment and feminine curiosity
assisted her to dress with greater rapidity than usual.
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