He refused to take the idea seriously at first, and when he did—oh, he was serious enough then!
“The maddest scheme that ever entered a sane head!” Hildegarde had no conception of what such a journey was like. The ships were the most uncomfortable in the world. Freight boats, with no accommodation for women. The food appalling. The company—oh, it didn’t even bear talking about!
But Cheviot did talk of it, to Bella, when he discovered her complicity, and so effectually he talked that she withdrew her support.
Hildegarde was speechless with indignation. What spell had he cast that Bella could “go back” on her word. Truly a thing to depend upon—Bella’s friendship.
“Oh, please try to understand. I was always frightened at the idea, even before Louis told me—”
“Why should you be frightened,” said Hildegarde sternly. “It isn’t as if I were a rescue party and my little journey were to the other side of the world. I shouldn’t sail from Norway, and I shouldn’t catch up with anybody in Franz Josef Land.”
“Hildegarde! You’ve never spoken to me like that before in your life.”
“No, I’ve never admitted before that you’d failed me.”
Bella, with flushed face, got up to leave the room. “You think I’m backing out only because of what Louis says. But I meant to tell you it would have been terrible to me to be responsible for your going, after what you said that night Louis came home.”
“What did I say?”