Mrs. Vachell was alone when Susie was shown up. “My husband is out at one of those dreary men’s dinners where they play Bridge till all hours,” she explained. “I wanted to tell you, though you are sure to find a letter from Evangeline when you get back, that there seems to be an idea that his regiment is going to Egypt and he will probably have to go with them. In that case he is sure to make it the excuse for the separation I told you of.”
“But surely all such things must be decided between themselves,” said Susie. “Evangeline and he are sure to talk it over and decide what is best to be done.”
“Mrs. Fulton, have you seen your son-in-law lately?” Mrs. Vachell asked, looking at her searchingly. “Do you know how strongly he has got to feel on this point? I have been down there for a month with them and I realised that Evangeline has no idea what an obsession it has become with him. He seemed to want to pour it out to somebody and you know yourself how a man always chooses a woman to listen to him because of the very qualities he despises in her—shall we call it flexibility of judgment? He knows she is not likely to say, ‘My dear chap, that’s all rot. Have a whiskey and soda?’”
“That is so true,” said Susie with a sigh. “How well I know it!”
“You understand then how I come to know more of his intentions than you do. He wouldn’t feel that you were an impartial judge and also——” her mouth twitched slightly—“I am afraid he thinks you a little—frivolous. He mistakes your delicacy of thought for want of earnestness.”
“Yes, I daresay,” said Susie, slightly stung, “I am quite used to being thought absurd just because there is so much in spiritual things that one cannot explain in black and white. Those very dogmatic people always seem to me to miss the whole point of everything.”
“Well, now, the question is this. I know—I tell you this in all seriousness—I know what he means to do with the child at the last moment, and the last moment will come sooner than we expected if he is ordered to Egypt. So please do dispossess yourself of any fancy ideas of its all blowing over or all coming right. What can you do? You will probably offer to take Ivor and Evangeline too. He will refuse because he thinks you are even worse for the boy than she is.” Susie betrayed no sign of anger, but her eyes narrowed a little and there was no dimple in her cheek as she listened attentively. “What will you do then?” Mrs. Vachell went on. “There are some terrible women he knows of who keep a school away down in Cornwall. I don’t mean that they are intentionally cruel, but Ivor has your sensitive nature. He is a little boy whom you might as well whip with a cat-o’-nine-tails as send to women like that.”
Tears sprang to Susie’s eyes and her lips trembled. “I will do anything you suggest,” she promised. “I don’t care what it is. I think I could almost kill him. Thank heaven he trusts you!”
Mrs. Vachell laughed. “It is against all my principles and theories,” she said, “but they force us to do these things. Some day when we are in power we can be our true selves and enjoy the luxury of the straight path. At present we lie for the children and the women like Evangeline who suffer in their foolish reverence for the male. I don’t know what you advise, but I don’t see any better way out of it than that Evangeline should be supposed to be going overland to join him and just not turn up. The boy will be left with me on the understanding that I take him to Cornwall as soon as Evangeline has left or perhaps a month or two after.”
“It doesn’t sound at all the sort of thing Evan would do,” said Susie doubtfully. “He is always so very downright.”