“Are there? Well, I don’t know anything about them and I guess you don’t know much more. I was pretty when I married Barnstaple, and I was really in love with him, if you want to know it. He was such a real swell, and I was so ambitious, I admired him to death; and he was so indifferent he fascinated me. But he never even had the decency to pretend he hadn’t married me for my money. He’s never so much as crossed my threshold, if you want to know the truth.”
“People say he was in love with his first wife, and took her death very much to heart. Perhaps that was it.”
“That was just it. He’s got her picture hanging up in his bedroom; won’t even have it in his sitting-room for fear somebody else might look at it. I went to see him once out of pure charity, when he was ill in bed and he shouted at me to get out before I’d crossed the threshold. But I saw her.”
“I must say I respect him more for being perfectly honest, for not pretending to love you. After all, it was a square business transaction: he sold you a good position and a prospective title. You’ve both got a good deal out of it——”
“I hate him! I hate a good many people in England, but I hate him the most. I’m biding my time, but when I do strike there won’t be one ounce of starch left in him. I’d do it this minute if it wasn’t for Cecil. What right has he got to stick his nose into my affairs and humiliate the only man that ever really loved me——”
“If you mean Mr. Pix, it seems to me that Lord Barnstaple has restrained himself as only a gentleman can. He is a very fastidious man, and you surely cannot be so blind as not to see how an underbred——”
“Don’t you dare!” shrieked Lady Barnstaple. She sprang to her feet, overturning the tea-table and ruining her pink velvet carpet. “He’s as good as anybody, I tell you, and so am I. I’m sick and tired of airs—that cad’s that’s ruined me and your ridiculous Southern nonsense. I’m not blind! I can see you look down on me because I ain’t connected with your old broken aristocracy! What does it amount to, I’d like to know? There’s only one thing that amounts to anything on the face of this earth and that’s money. You can turn up your nose at Chicago but I can tell you Chicago’d turn up its nose at you if it had ever heard of you. You’re just a nonentity, with all your airs, and all your eyes too for that matter, and I’m known on two continents. I’m the Countess of Barnstaple, if I was—but it’s none of yours or anybody else’s business who I was. I’m somebody now and somebody I’m going to stay. If I’ve gone down three rungs I’ll climb up again—I will! I will! I will! And I can’t! I can’t! I can’t! I haven’t a penny left! Not a penny! Not a penny! I’m going to kill myself——”
Lee jumped up, caught her by the shoulders and literally shook the hysterics out of her. Then she sat her violently into a chair.
“Now!” she said. “You behave yourself or I’ll shake you again. I’ll stand none of your nonsense and I have several things to say to you yet. So keep quiet.”
Lady Barnstaple panted, but she looked cowed. She did not raise her eyes.