“He told me in confidence that he means to send him away quite soon, in a year perhaps—not to a boy’s school, of course, but a sort of place kept by religious ladies. But Evangeline was not to know that. He is afraid she might do something violent, come to you and her father or make some public scandal. He hates having his affairs discussed and preferred to wait until the time comes.”
“Men are really very tiresome and difficult sometimes, aren’t they,” said Susie with a sigh. “I do wish they would keep to their own affairs. Suppose I interfered with my husband’s soldiers and you put all Mr. Vachell’s diggings upside down on the shelves when he had arranged them. I can’t think how they can be so stupid. I am dreadfully worried about what you tell me, because, of course, it is all nonsense. If dear Evan suffers from his head that is no reason why he should vent it on a little boy. Perhaps a doctor might advise some tonic that would do him good.”
“There is no tonic for a bullying disposition,” said Mrs. Vachell.
“Oh, don’t you think so?” said Susie. “I am sure the blood has so much effect on those kind of ideas. If people are well, you know, they see things quite differently, though, of course, there are some things that they will never understand, unless they are poets or artists. That makes a great deal of difference, I think, being in touch with beautiful things. Those religious ideas of his are a great mistake, I think; all about Jehovah, and being so full of judgment and wrath and so on. It gives them quite a wrong idea of the Bible. But I think his mother must have been a masculine sort of woman from what he says. Quite a little joke sometimes upsets him. Teresa and I are going on to the Gainsboroughs. Can we drop you?”
All through the evening Susie was a little preoccupied. She was thinking out a plan of campaign by which she might save Evangeline from the harsh authority of her husband, as she had saved her from the prosy ethics of the schoolroom when she was a child. But, as in those days so now, she had no wish to reveal herself as a fighter. Once recognised as a partisan she would lay herself open to attack and perhaps be driven from her high ground of superiority to earthly passions. She represented in her own mind idealism, tender remoteness from all ugly thoughts, innocence of all desires save love for everybody. Could power be more strongly hedged about from attack?
She had a short time alone with Mrs. Gainsborough, as the Principal retired to work in his study and Emma took Teresa away to her room.
“I heard from a sister of mine at Drage to-day,” Mrs. Gainsborough began, “that they think they will probably be sent to Egypt quite soon. Will that affect Captain Hatton or will the special work he is doing keep him behind?”
“I don’t know at all,” said Susie. “I hadn’t heard there was any idea of their going, but I think my husband did say that Evan would probably have to move soon in any case. Those special jobs they get are only temporary.”
“Would Evangeline go with him?” asked Mrs. Gainsborough; “would it be all right for Ivor?” A possible solution to all difficulties at once presented itself to Susie. “I hardly think he could afford to take them both,” she said. “Without the extra pay he has been getting they will have to be very careful for a time, and I hear everything in Egypt is an awful price. He may be glad to leave Evangeline and the boy with us; I hope so.”
“Oh, poor girl!” exclaimed Mrs. Gainsborough, “she wouldn’t like that.”