2
David Munroe arrived two days later. The Doña welcomed him very warmly, and then, having got him some illustrated papers, left him alone in the drawing-room, and hurried back to the sewing-room, where she was busy with Parker over the trousseau.
Teresa, coming in to look for a book about a quarter of an hour later, was surprised to find him already arrived, as she had not heard the car. In a flash she took in the badly cut semi-clerical black suit hanging on his strong well-knit body, and noticed how hollow-eyed and pale he had become.
She greeted him kindly, coolly; slightly embarrassed by the intentness of his gaze.
“We are so glad you were able to come. It’s so horrible to be ill in an institution. But you ought to get well soon now, the weather’s so heavenly, and you’ll soon be able to lie out in the garden,” she said, and began to look for her book.
He watched her in silence for a few seconds, and then said, “Miss Lane, when I was here last, I gave you to understand that I was the heir to Munroe of Auchenballoch.... I’ll admit it was said as a sort of a joke when I was angry, but it was a lie for all that. I come of quite plain people.”
Clearly, he was “making his soul” against ordination. She tried to feel irritated, and say in a cold and slightly surprised voice, “Really? I’m afraid I don’t remember ... er ...” but what she actually said was: “It doesn’t matter a bit; it was obviously, as you say, just a joke ... at least ... er ... well, at any rate, I haven’t the slightest idea what our great-grandfather was—quite likely a fishmonger; at any rate, I’m sure he was far from aristocratic.”
David gave a sort of grunt and began restlessly to pace up and down; this fidgeted Teresa: “Do sit down, Mr. Munroe,” she said, “you must be so tired. I can’t think where my sister is—she’ll come down soon, I expect,” and added to herself, “I really don’t see why I should have to entertain Concha’s discarded suitors.”
He sank slowly into an arm-chair. “Miss Lane,” he said, “is it true that your sister is leaving the Catholic fold?”