“My dear, don’t preach; your words will not influence me in the least. I told Richard, before mamma, that I should go, and I mean to carry out my word. You are a free agent, Bessie; I cannot oblige you to go with me, but as the Athertons are all engaged, I could not get one of them in your place.”
“But if I say I cannot go, what will you do then?” asked Bessie anxiously.
“In that case I should go alone,” returned Edna coldly; “but I should think you were unkind to desert me.”
“I should have to bear that,” replied Bessie rather sadly; “it is not what you would think of me, but what I ought to do. Oh, Edna, you are placing me in a very difficult position. I do not know how to act, and the whole thing distresses me so. Do give it up for my sake, and just to please me; do Edna, dear.”
“I cannot give it up,” was Edna’s answer; “but I will not argue any more about it. Make up your mind quickly, Bessie, for there is no time to lose.” And so saying, she left the room, and a moment afterward Bessie heard her ringing for her maid.
Bessie had never felt more distressed; she was so tired and so perplexed how to act, that she could almost have cried from worry. “If I go with her, will not Mrs. Sefton and Mr. Richard have a right to be offended with me?” she thought. “They will not know that I have tried to turn Edna from her purpose; they do not know me well enough to be sure of my motives. Edna told him that I wanted to see polo played; they may believe that I was willing to go. I cannot bear to put myself in this position; and yet, will it be right to let her go alone? Will they not blame me for that, too? Oh, how I wish I could speak to Mr. Sefton; but he is away. What shall I do? I must decide. It seems such a little thing to pray about, and yet little things bring big consequences. No, I can’t moralize; I am too worried. Why can I not see the right thing to do at once?”
Bessie sat and reflected a moment, and then a sudden impulse came to her, and she opened her blotting-case, and wrote a few hurried lines.
“Dear Mrs. Sefton,” she wrote, “I am so troubled, I hardly know what to do. Edna has just told me that she intends to drive over to Staplehurst after luncheon to see polo played, and has asked me to accompany her. I cannot induce her to give it up. Please do not think that I have not tried. I know how much you and Mr. Sefton were against it; but I do not think you would wish me to stay behind. She ought not to go alone. I feel you will be less anxious if I go with her.” Bessie dashed off these few lines, and then dressed herself hurriedly; but before she had half finished the gong sounded.
As she ran downstairs she met Dixon, the butler, coming out of the dining-room, and putting the note in his hand, begged that he would give it to his mistress directly she returned.
“Certainly, ma’am,” replied Dixon civilly; and it struck Bessie that he looked at her in an approving manner. He was an old servant, too, and most likely was accustomed to his young mistress’ vagaries. “We expect my mistress home at six, and I will take care she gets the note,” he continued, as he opened the door for her.