“Mr. Travers is coming up the lane,” Mrs. Parks said, putting her head in at the door and adding that Sam Walker, who happened in, had offered to take Miss Burdick to the station with Black Beauty and had gone to harness and would be there in a minute.
In her excitement Irene had scarcely thought of Rex and the call she had felt so sure he would make and its probable result.
“O Rena!” she groaned, sitting down upon the hat-box in which she had put the few articles she might need. “This is very hard upon me—to miss the goal just as I thought I had reached it. Mr. Travers is coming, and I must tell him where I am going and why—and what will he think? I have not time to explain. You must do it for me after I am gone. There is Sam now, stopping at the gate.”
There was not a great deal of time if she would catch the train, and Irene was glad of it, as it would prevent Rex from asking questions she would rather have Rena answer for her. Putting on her sacque and hat she started to go down just as Rex came into the hall. He had not slept well. The eye seen in the mirror had troubled him in his dreams and was looking at him the moment he awoke making him wonder if it would follow him after he had talked with Irene. A cold bath had toned him up somewhat and Colin’s cheerfulness toned him more.
“Go right over and have it done with,” Colin had said. “Maybe she won’t have you. I wouldn’t if I was in her place, shilly-shallying as you have been. If she won’t, all right. You have done your duty. On the whole you’d better begin with the will. Ask her what she thinks of it and if she is willing to carry it out. Tell her you are if she is and make some kind of a love demonstration. Giles would know how to do it. I wish he was here. Act as you must have seen him act with the other one. Keep a stiff upper lip and take her hand. I know that is right and proper—the way I should do. Just the touch of it will make you feel kind of all over, or ought to. Such a hand as she has!”
There was a good deal more advice of the same nature, some of which Rex heard and some he didn’t. One fact, however, was clear to him. He was going to have it out with Irene, and about a quarter past ten he started for Mrs. Parks’ house, walking slowly and not at all as an ardent lover walks when going to woo his mistress. He did not feel very ardent, although he tried to work himself up to a proper state of mind and to remember what Colin had told him to say and do. But nothing came to him except that he must take her hand, which would make him feel kind of all over. He had held her hand and he didn’t feel all over, the way Colin meant. It was usually rather cold and he never cared to hold it long. It made him sweaty and nervous.
“And yet it is a handsome hand, well shaped and white and large—large as mine, I do believe,” he said, holding up both his rather small hands for a moment and remembering suddenly the little ones he had seen picking pine-needles from Tom’s coat. “Happy Tom and fool me!” he said aloud, quickening his steps until he reached the gate just as Sam came dashing up with Black Beauty who, not having been driven for a day or two, pawed the ground impatiently, anxious to be off.
“Good-morning, Mr. Travers,” Sam said. “If you are going in won’t you hurry Miss Burdick up. We haven’t much time to catch the train.”
“Hurry Miss Burdick,” Rex repeated. “What do you mean? Where is she going?”
“To New York, I s’pose. She’s had a telegraph,” Sam answered, while Rex went rapidly to the house where he met Irene and Rena coming down the stairs with Mrs. Parks bringing the hat-box.