Brett laughed.
“Are you threatening me with an ‘account rendered’ of all my evil deeds—to he paid for in a sort of lump sum?”
“Even that might be preferable to having your punishment spread out all over your life,” said Cara, with a faint note of weariness in her voice which passed unnoticed by all except Coventry, who threw her a quick, searching glance.
“Like thinly spread butter?” suggested Brett blithely.
“Cara didn’t say anything about it being thinly spread,” retorted Ann, laughing. “I should think yours might be rather thick.”
Amid the general laughter and chaff which followed the original topic of conversation was lost sight of, and presently some one suggested a game of auction. Miss Caroline’s blue bead eyes gleamed at the very sound of the word. She loved a game of bridge, but for parochial reasons adhered firmly to stakes of not more than a penny a hundred. Tempest had vainly argued with her that she might equally as well play for a more usual amount, such as sixpence or a shilling, and this without outraging the susceptibilities of the parish—that if she played for money at all the principle involved was precisely the same, but she either could not or would not comprehend. Bridge at a penny a hundred was apparently an innocent occupation—at anything higher, an awful example.
“Then we’ll play for a penny a hundred,” declared Lady Susan good-humouredly, when Miss Caroline had explained her scruples. “Who’ll play? You will, Mr. Tempest? And you, Robin? That’ll make one table. What about you others?”
“I don’t play bridge,” said Brett mendaciously, adding sotto voce to Lady Susan: “A least, I can’t afford to play for a penny a hundred, beloved aunt.” Then aloud: “Besides, Ann wants to see all over the boat, so I’m going to trot her round.”
Ann laughed in spite of herself, never having expressed any such desire as was thus coolly attributed to her. But she submitted good-naturedly enough to being carried off by Brett on a tour of inspection, whilst Lady Susan and the rector, accompanied by Robin and Miss Caroline, went below to play bridge, leaving Mrs. Hilyard and Coventry alone together on deck.
A silence fell between them. Throughout the whole time which had elapsed since they had both come to live at Silverquay they had never before been actually alone. By tacit consent they had mutually avoided such a happening, and now, without any possibility of escape, it seemed to Cara that they were suddenly enfolded in a solitude which shut out the rest of the world entirely.