CHAPTER VII
"Well," said Andrew, "what is to be done?"
The problem was undoubtedly delicate. He had paid it the compliment of summoning his two sensible married sisters to aid him with their counsel; and even they, though not lacking in decision as a rule, regarded first the Colonel's letter and then their brother with disturbed and doubtful eyes. He gave them no hint of the dreadful and disreputable change in their father's very being; that was positively too shocking to confide even to a sister (besides, they wouldn't have believed him), but he considered that the essentials of the problem were now fairly grasped by them both, and he was pleased to find a sympathetic unanimity of horror.
"He can't be allowed to go on disgracing himself in London; that much is perfectly clear," said Mrs. Ramornie.
"Not to speak of ruining us all," added Andrew.
"Can you not go and fetch him home?" asked Mrs. Donaldson.
Andrew pursed his lips.
"In the first place, would he come? You know how infernally obstinate he can be. In the second place, do we want him making an exhibition of himself here?"
"He would not have quite the opportunities here."
"Not for spending money, I admit; but we don't want him taking the chair and making speeches at the W.S. dinner to-morrow night in his present condition."
"Will he not remember and come back for it, anyhow?" suggested Mrs. Ramornie.
He shook his head.
"He has never spoken about it for a long while. I'm practically positive he has forgotten."
"But do you not need him at the office?" asked Mrs. Donaldson.
"Need him!"
"I can only tell you," she replied, "that Hector says he gets through business in a most surprising way, for all his eccentricity."
"Very surprising," he retorted sarcastically.
"Oh," she said airily, "I know you fancy yourself, but Hector declares father is the man for his money nowadays."
Andrew's cheeks drooped gloomily. He had heard hints of this preposterous opinion once or twice lately, and they disgusted his sense of fitness. How could a man possibly be good at business if he rushed through it like a steam-engine? Supposing one of the telegraph posts at the side wanted a touch of tar, how could you notice it going at that pace! But what was the use in arguing with a woman?
"Well, I can only tell you this," he snapped: "there's Madge Dunbar waiting for him here with her mouth open."
The two sisters immediately relinquished all idea of bringing him home.
"But if we let him stay in London, he'll be bankrupt in a month!" cried Andrew desperately.
"What the deuce is to be done?"
They pondered for a few minutes in silence, and then Mrs. Ramornie exclaimed, with an inspired air—
"He must go abroad!"
"And how are you going to manage that?" inquired Andrew.
"You've got to go and take him."
"Me!" he cried. "But—but, dash it, Maggie, he'll never go with me."
"You will have to dissemble a little, of course; pretend you want a holiday too, and take him to—to, well, we must look up some inexpensive French watering-place."
Gertrude smiled her approval.
"That's the idea, Andrew! Go up in a white felt hat, and tell him you know of a naughty little place in France where you can get dancing. He'll jump at it!"
Their brother regarded them with ever-increasing gloom.
"That kind of thing is not in my line—" he began; but once more he was impressed with the disadvantages of a bi-sexual world. The two ladies seemed positively incapable of grasping his objections, either to wearing a Homburg hat or recommending a naughty French watering-place.
"I don't insist on its being white; grey will do," said Mrs. Donaldson.
"Of course, I should never dream of taking him to a really disreputable place," said Mrs. Ramornie; "you only want a Casino and a little promenading, and so on."
"It will be great fun, Andrew!"
"It is your duty, Andrew."
"Yes, yes; of course we know you are an Elder of the Kirk and all the rest of it; but on an occasion, don't you know, Andrew!"
"What alternative do you suggest, Andrew?"
Yet he was still hanging fire when Jean entered. It had been tacitly understood that her presence was not required at the council of war, and the marked silence which followed her entry might reasonably have warned her that matters were being discussed too complicated for young unmarried girls. Yet she closed the door behind her and came forward with a quietly resolute air.
"I've only just heard you were here," she said. "You are talking about father, I suppose."
"We are," replied Mrs. Ramornie briefly.
Jean sat down.
"What have you decided?" she asked.
"We have decided he should go abroad with Andrew for a little change."
"Why?"
"Do you need to ask why, Jean? Surely you don't want him to go on making a fool of himself in London?"
"I don't see why he shouldn't go to a dance occasionally if he wants to."
"Go to a dance!" exclaimed Mrs. Donaldson.
"My dear Jean! do you suppose this was an ordinary—"
"Hush, Gertrude," said their brother austerely.
"Anyhow," said Mrs. Ramornie, "it is quite settled that he must leave London at all costs, and that it is inadvisable he should return to Edinburgh at present."
"But Aunt Mary was only saying to-day that he has to preside at a dinner to-morrow night."
"Oh, he'll forget all about that," said Gertrude, "and, of course, we don't mean to remind him."
"Why not?"
"Because he is not to be trusted at present," said Andrew.
A quick flush irradiated Jean's clear face.
"He is to be trusted. He is to be trusted far more than ever before in his life!"
The three counselors exchanged glances.
"We know better than you do," said Mrs. Ramornie severely.
But Jean was not easily to be quelled.
"I think it will be a perfect shame if you allow father to forget his engagement," she protested.
Her eldest sister's face grew more like Andrew's than ever.
"He must not come home at present, and we trust that Andrew will do his duty and not permit him to stay in London."
"Andrew!" exclaimed Jean. "How can he prevent him?"
Their brother hung back no longer.
"I shall go up to London to-morrow morning," he announced.
"Splendid!" cried Gertrude.
He looked at her coldly.
"I do not propose to do anything ridiculous. If I can get him to go to some place in the south of England and stop for a month or two, that will be quite sufficient; and I do not propose, either, to wear any other clothes than what I've got at present."
Having thus asserted his independence of conduct and apparel, he turned again to Jean.
"That is what we have decided," he said.
She jumped up, her lip quivering a little. Then she controlled herself, and as she left the room only said quietly—
"Thank you for telling me."
The council was then able to conclude its deliberations without further interruption.