‘Do you mean to go at once?’ she questioned. ‘Why, it was only yesterday that you promised Lady Bowmant to stay until Mr Portland left. Has he altered his plans also, or do you intend to leave without him?’
‘What difference can that make to you?’ he said fretfully. ‘I have always thought that you rather disliked Jack than otherwise.’
‘My likes or dislikes have nothing to do with the matter, Ilfracombe, or we should not be here at all,’ she answered. ‘All I want to know is, why we are going so suddenly, and what I am to say to our hostess.’
‘Say, why, anything. Surely you are clever enough to invent an excuse without my assistance? Pretend to have received a letter from my mother, who desires us to join her without delay, or get a relation to die for the express purpose. Nothing can be easier to a clever girl like you.’
‘Oh, I can tell as many lies as you wish, Ilfracombe; and as for going I shall only be too delighted to get away. Only it is not treating me fairly to keep me so completely in the dark. Something must have happened to make you so anxious to be off. Now, do tell me,’ she continued, as she seated herself upon his knee, ‘you know I’m as safe as a church. Have you a row on with Portland or any of the others? Or are Lady Bowmant’s attentions becoming altogether too warm? I gave her free leave to make love to you, so you mustn’t judge her too hardly.’
‘No, my dear, don’t be ridiculous; it’s nothing of that sort. But—well, to make a clean breast of it, Nora, the play is awfully hot here; enough to break the Bank of England, and I think it’s gone on quite long enough. Why, I should be almost afraid to tell you how much money I have lost since coming here. We have an ample fortune; but, as you have often told me, no fortune will bear such a continual strain on it for long. And it’s impossible to refuse playing with one’s host. So I have decided that the sooner we are out of it the better.’
‘You are right,’ said his wife, thoughtfully. ‘I was afraid of this all along. It sounds dreadfully vulgar, I know, but Usk Hall is in reality no better than a private hell. But what will your fidus Achates, Mr Portland, say to our going so suddenly?’
‘Let him say what he likes,’ replied the earl quickly. ‘I can’t be always answerable to him for my actions. We’ll go straight from here to Wiesbaden and join my mother. No one can reasonably find fault with that.’
‘No one has a right to find fault with anything you may do,’ said Nora, though her curiosity was aroused by hearing her husband speak so curtly of the opinion of his closest friend; ‘and I’m with you, Ilfracombe, for one. When do you think we can start? The day after to-morrow? That will be Thursday.’
‘Couldn’t we manage it to-morrow morning?’ asked the earl anxiously. ‘You received some letters by this afternoon’s post. Say you didn’t open them till bedtime, and then found one from my mother, begging us to join her at once as she is ill. Make Denham pack your trunks to-night, and send word of your intentions to Lady Bowmant the first thing in the morning. Can’t you manage it?’