"No, I don't. Oh, I haven't a word to say against her character. I daresay she is a lady and perfectly correct in her behaviour: but she is not the companion for Ida. Besides, she comes and goes from 'Rangoon' at her will, and is not a regular companion, such as the girl should have. Miss Hest, so Constantine tells me, lives at Isleworth with a horrid old retired actor and his wife."
"Professor Garrick Gail. Yes; she told me that herself."
"So brazen," sniffed Mrs. Bedge, more prim than ever; "it's not right, I tell you, Mr. Vernon. Someone should interfere."
"No one can, Mrs. Bedge. Miss Dimsdale is her own mistress, being over age, and has her own money. She has a right to live as she pleases."
"Not in my opinion, Mr. Vernon; it's not respectable. Could you not see her and suggest that she should sell or let, 'Rangoon' and come here to live with me as her paid companion? Also, she could help to keep up this house."
Vernon almost laughed, so selfish was the proposition, and thought it very unlikely that Ida would surrender the charming residence of "Rangoon" and the intellectual society of Miss Hest, to shut herself up with a buckram old dame in a stuffy, second-rate dwelling. "I am not intimate enough with Miss Dimsdale to suggest such a thing."
"But you are searching for the assassin of her father," persisted Mrs. Bedge with the dogged obstinacy of age; "out of gratitude she should adopt your suggestion. Besides, you would be glad to see your old schoolfellow Constantine settled for life."
It was on Vernon's lips to say that he would be sorry to see any woman, let alone Ida Dimsdale, tied to a selfish creature like Mr. Maunders, but out of pity for the infatuated old lady he refrained. Besides, since she believed Constantine to be an angel, no one would ever be able to argue her out of that fancy. "Other people are searching for The Spider also," he said gently, "so Miss Dimsdale has no particular reason to show me any gratitude, especially as she has offered the reward of one thousand pounds."
"I know. Constantine is trying to earn it."
"The deuce he is?" sprang from Vernon's lips.