The Chessinghams remained at the Romaine place for the present, awaiting their speedy return to England.
Letty went into the house, nearly crying with rage. Farebrother, who was to leave the next day, met her and received the account, red-hot, of Sir Archy’s rude remarks, with shouts of laughter which very much offended Letty.
“I don’t see anything to laugh at,” she said, with pretty sullenness.
“I see everything to laugh at,” answered Farebrother, going off again. He did not further explain the joke to Letty, who never quite fully comprehended it.
Sir Archy, stalking along toward Shrewsbury, smarting under his disappointment—for he really admired Letty, and had fully meant to offer her the chance of becoming Lady Corbin—yet felt a sort of secret relief. Letty was the soul of bright purity, but as Sir Archy philosophically argued, no matter how right people’s characters may be, if their ideas are radically wrong, it sooner or later affects their characters.
“And that fatal want of prudence,” reasoned this English-minded gentleman, “this recklessness concerning her relations with men, is a most grave consideration. She appears totally unable to take a serious view of anything in the relations of young men and women. Life seems to be to her one long flirtation. And she may, of course, be expected to keep this up after she is married. On the whole, although a fascinating creature, I should call it a dangerous experiment to marry her.”
So thought Sir Archy concerning Letty, who was of a type that is apt to develop into the most cloying domesticity.
Then his thoughts wandered to Ethel Maywood. He was too sincere and too earnest a man to cast his heart immediately at Ethel’s feet—but something in his glance that very night made Ethel and the Chessinghams think that perhaps, in the end, Miss Maywood’s name might be Lady Corbin.
The first step toward this followed some days after. Sir Archy had continued to stay at Shrewsbury, much to Colonel Corbin’s chagrin. He had divined that there had been a falling out of some sort between Letty and Sir Archy—but he was quite unable to get at the particulars. Each professed a willingness to make up, and upon Sir Archy’s paying a formal visit at Corbin Hall, Letty came down to see him and they were stiffly polite. But their misunderstanding seemed, as it was, deep rooted. Letty felt a profound displeasure with a man who could, even by implication, accuse her of indelicacy—and Sir Archy had grave doubts upon the score of Letty’s knowledge of good form, to put it mildly.
It was on this subject that he grew confidential with Ethel, and made the longest speech of his life.