He interrupted her without apology. “These sentiments may do honor to your reason but not to your heart, Eugenia! You are a female; perhaps you do not understand that a confidence reposed in you must — must — be held sacred! I said that I wished she had told me, but it was untrue! I could not wish anyone to betray a confidence! Good God, would I do so myself?”
These rapidly uttered words brought a flush to her cheek; she said sharply, “I collect that Miss Stanton-Lacy — I presume she is also a female — does understand this?”
“Yes,” he replied, “she does. Perhaps that is one of the results of her upbringing! It is an excellent one! Perhaps she knew what must be the result of her action; perhaps she only went to Hubert’s rescue from motives of generosity. I don’t know that; I have not inquired of her! The outcome has been happy — far happier than would have been the case had she divulged all to me! Hubert is too much of a man to shelter behind his cousin; he confessed the whole to me!”
She smiled. “I am afraid your partiality makes you a trifle blind, Charles! Once you had discovered that Miss Stanton-Lacy had sold her jewelry you were bound to discover the rest! Had I not been in a position to apprise you of this circumstance, I wonder if Hubert would have confessed?”
He said sternly, “Such a speech does you no credit! I do not know why you should be so unjust to Hubert, or why you should so continually wish me to think ill of him! I did think ill of him, and I have been proved wrong! Mine has been the fault; I treated him as though he were still a child and I his mentor. I should have done better to have taken him into my counsels. None of this would have happened had he and I been better friends. He said to me, had we been better acquainted — ! You may judge of my feelings upon hearing that from my brother!” He gave a short laugh. “A leveler indeed! Jackson himself could not have floored me more completely!”
“I fear,” said Miss Wraxton, at her sweetest, “that if you mean to use boxing cant I can never hope to understand you, Charles. No doubt your cousin, with her superior knowledge, would appreciate such language!”
“I should not be at all surprised!” he retorted, nettled.
Not all her training could prevent her saying, “You seem to cherish an extraordinary regard for Miss Stanton-Lacy!”
“I?” he ejaculated, thunderstruck. “For Sophy? Good God! I thought my sentiments toward her were sufficiently well known! I wish to heaven we were rid of her, but I suppose I need not be so prejudiced as to be blind to her good qualities!”
She was mollified. “No, indeed, and I hope I am not either! What a pity it is that she will not entertain Lord Bromford’s suit! He is an excellent man, with a good understanding and such sobriety of judgment as must, I fancy, exercise a beneficial effect upon any female.” She saw that he was looking at her with a good deal of amusement, and added, “I had thought that you were inclined to encourage his suit?”