The Golden Silence

								

marriage-bells."
Many servants and small tradespeople in London had taken shares, Stephen
had heard, as a speculative investment, in the scheme originated to
provide capital for the "other side," which was to return a hundred per
cent. in case of success. Probably the expressionless youth was
inwardly reviling the Northmorland family because he had lost his money
and would be obliged to carry silver trays all the rest of his life,
instead of starting a green grocery business. Stephen hoped that his own
face was as expressionless, as he waited to receive the unwelcome
message that Miss Lorenzi was at home.
It came very quickly, and in a worse form than Stephen had expected.
Miss Lorenzi was in the Palm Court, and would Mr. Knight please come to
her there?
Of course he had to obey; but it was harder than ever to remain
expressionless.
There were a good many people in the Palm Court, and they all looked at
Stephen Knight as he threaded his intricate way among chairs and little
tables and palms, toward a corner where a young woman in black crape sat
on a pink sofa. Her hat was very large, and a palm with enormous
fan-leaves drooped above it like a sympathetic weeping willow on a
mourning brooch. But under the hat was a splendidly beautiful dark face.
"Looks as if he were on his way to be shot," a man who knew all about
the great case said to a woman who had lunched with him.
"Looks more as if he were on his way to shoot," she laughed, as one does
laugh at other people's troubles, which are apt to be ridiculous. "He's
simply glaring."
"Poor beggar!" Her companion found pleasure in pitying Lord
Northmorland's brother, whom he had never succeeded in getting to know.
"Which is he, fool or hero?"
"Both. A fool to have proposed to the girl. A hero to stick to her, now
he has proposed. He must be awfully sick about the interview. I do think
it's excuse enough to throw her over."
"I don't know. It's the sort of business a man can't very well chuck,
once he's let himself in for it. Every one blames him now for having
anything to do with Miss Lorenzi. They'd blame him a lot more for
throwing her over."
"Women wouldn't."
"No. Because he happens to be young and good-looking. But all his
popularity won't make the women who like him receive his wife. She isn't
a woman's woman."
"I should think not, indeed! We're too clever to be taken in by that
sort, all eyes and melodrama. They say Lord Northmorland warned his
brother against her, and prophesied she'd get hold of him, if he didn't
let her alone. The Duchess of Amidon told Lady Peggy Lynch--whom I know
a little--that immediately after Lorenzi committed suicide, this Margot
girl wrote to Stephen Knight and implored him to help her. I can quite
believe she would. Fancy the daughter of the unsuccessful claimant to
his brother's title writing begging letters to a young man like Stephen
Knight! It appeals to one's sense of humour."