“No, no, Elinor, you must not do anything so rash! I beg—I implore you, to do nothing, until Ralph has had an opportunity of denying the charges brought against him by this girl. They may be utterly untrue! She may be simply persecuting him. Depend upon it, you have only to ask him for an explanation of those letters, and everything will be satisfactorily cleared up.”
“You have more belief in him than I have, Margaret. Miss Brandt has great confidence in her cause. She told me that she had not only taken him from me, but she meant to keep him, and expressed her intention of going down to Aldershot and confronting Ralph with the letters she had written him!”
At this intelligence, Margaret grew alarmed for her friend’s peace of mind.
“No! no! that must never be,” she exclaimed, “that girl must not be permitted to make a scandal in the Camp, and get your name perhaps mixed up with it! It must be prevented.”
“I fancy you will find that a difficult task,” said Elinor; “she seems the most determined young woman I have ever come across. She became so vehement at last, that she frightened me, and I was only too glad to get out of the house.”
“Elinor,” said Mrs. Pullen suddenly, “will you leave this matter in my hands to settle in my own way?”
“What do you intend to do? See Miss Brandt yourself? I advise you not! She will only insult you, as she did me.”
“No! I shall not see her myself, I promise you that, but I will send a proper ambassador to interview Miss Brandt and the Baroness. This sort of thing must not be allowed to go on, and unless Ralph comes forward to second the girl’s assertions (which I am sure he will never do), she and her friend Madame Gobelli must be made to understand that if they don’t behave themselves, the law will be called into requisition to enforce obedience. I should not be at all surprised if the Baroness were not at the bottom of all this.”
“At anyrate, it has ruined my life!” said Elinor, mournfully.
“Nonsense! my dear girl, no such thing! It is only an unpleasant episode which will soon be forgotten. But let it make you a little more careful for the future, Elinor. Ralph is a very conceited man. He has been spoilt by the women all his life, ‘pour l’amour de ses beaux yeux.’ He has been used to flattery and attention, and when he doesn’t get it he misses it, and goes where it is to be found. It is rather a contemptible weakness, but he shares it in common with most of his sex, and you have promised, remember, to take him for better or worse!”