Even as she approached he wrenched himself free, and, leaping forward, all but knocked her down in his blind rush. Pamela’s body, however, was as well-balanced as her mind; she propped herself against the Inn porch and caught the outraged young husband vigorously by the arm. It was her words which really arrested him.
“You are looking for Lady Selina, Mr. Simpson, sir; for your wife? She is waiting for you in the parlour.”
He stared at her, his lips moving, his eyes starting, his whole begrimed, unshorn, exhausted countenance stamped with a wildness of despair.
“Yes, sir.” Pamela slipped her firm clasp down to his shaky, ice-cold hand; her voice was as soothing as her touch: “Yes, sir, her Ladyship and I we came here together. Her Ladyship was good enough to accept my services on the road. I’m travelling back to business from Weymouth, it fitted in nicely. And Mr. Jocelyn Bellairs, coming to meet me at Salisbury—he and I being an engaged couple, if you will forgive my being so personal—that fitted in very nicely too, for he escorted us. Your lady’s very young to be travelling alone, sir——”
Pamela knew that there is no better defence for the guilty than to reproach the innocent.
“There now, me boy,” cried Kilcroney, taking up the cue, “didn’t I tell you it was the wrong scent you were after, altogether? Hadn’t ye me word for it that Colonel Endacott and Jasper had fixed up that little meeting at Blandford ever since the night of my Lady Kilcroney’s rout at Weymouth? And sure, when my Lady Selina walked into the Crown Inn, wasn’t Miss Pounce behind her? Miss Pounce will swear to that. And I’ll lay you me oath that she’s speaking truth, since it’s the one coach-load of it we all were.”
But whether or no these assurances and plausibilities might have proved convincing to the inflamed brain of the injured husband, they were doomed to failure by the action of the Mad Brat herself.
This impetuous young woman suddenly hurled herself into their midst and upon her husband’s breast, tears, kisses, passionate confession pouring from her.
“Oh, Fred, Fred, darling! Oh, my own and only love—I tried to run away from you, and I couldn’t! Fred, my angel, it was all that cruel thing—that cruel thing you said. Oh, Fred, you do remember?” She shook him. “You know you said that you did not think any other man would be such a f-f-fool—Yes, you did—you said no other man would be such a f-fool as to run away with me!”