Husband and wife were left to stare at one another in perplexity.
“Well!” said George, not without satisfaction, “you see now what comes of plaguing a man out of his mind!”
“I didn’t! George, it is unjust of you to say so! Pray, how could I force him to offer for Melissa if he did not wish to? I am persuaded his flight has nothing whatever to do with that affair.”
“No man will bear being teased to do something he don’t want to do,” said George.
“Then all I have to say is that Richard is a bigger coward than I would have believed possible! I am sure, if only he had told me frankly that he did not wish to marry Melissa I should not have said another word about it.”
“Ha!” ejaculated George, achieving a sardonic laugh.
He escaped reproof by Porson’s coming back into the room, bearing certain articles which he laid carefully upon the table. In great astonishment, Lord and Lady Trevor gazed at a Paisley shawl, a crumpled cravat, and some short strands of guinea-gold hair, curling appropriately enough into a shape resembling a question-mark.
“What in the world—?” exclaimed Louisa.
“These articles, my lady, were discovered by the under-footman upon his entering the library this morning,” said Porson. “The shawl, which neither Biddle nor myself can remember to have seen before, was lying on the floor; the cravat had been thrown into the grate; and the—er—lock of hair—was found under the shawl.”
“Well, upon my word!” said George, putting up his glass the better to inspect the articles. He pointed his glass at the cravat. “That tells its own tale! Poor Ricky must have come in last night in a bad state. I dare say his head was aching: mine would have been, if I had drunk half the brandy he tossed off yesterday. I see it all. There he was, pledged to call on Saar this morning—no way out of it—head on fire! He tugged at his cravat, felt as though he must choke, and ruined the thing—and no matter how far gone he was, Ricky would never wear a crumpled necktie! There he was, sitting in a chair, very likely, and running his hands through his hair, in the way a man does—”