“Why—look how splendid it would be!” she murmured. “The very thing! Everybody would be delighted!”
He still remained silent.
“But you can’t keep on philandering for ever!” she said sharply. “She’ll never see thirty again! ... Why does she ask you to go and play at tennis? Can you tell me that? ... perhaps I’m saying too much, but this I will say—”
She stopped.
Darius and Maggie appeared at the garden door. Maggie offered her hand to aid her father, but he repulsed it. Calmly she left him, and came up the garden, out of the deep shadow into the sunshine. She had learnt the news of the engagement, and had fully expressed her feelings about it before Darius arrived at his destination and Mrs Hamps vacated the wicker-chair.
“I’ll get some chairs,” said Edwin gruffly. He could look nobody in the eyes. As he turned away he heard Mrs Hamps say—
“Great news, father! Alicia Orgreave is engaged!”
The old man made no reply. His mere physical present deprived the betrothal of all its charm. The news fell utterly flat and lay unregarded and insignificant.
Edwin did not get the chairs. He sent the servant out with them.