A Civil Contract

that, Adam?”

“No, Julia, it was not that,” he replied firmly. “I wasn’t even thinking of you — in fact, I entirely forgot Lydia’s party!”

“Forgot?” she repeated, drawing her hand away, and almost shrinking from him. “How could you do so? It’s not possible!”

“I found it very possible. I was engaged on an affair of so much more importance that it drove everything else out of my head. Shocking, wasn’t it? But I think you will understand, when I tell you that I had Fontley in my mind. You have always loved it, so you must be glad to know that I’ve managed to turn my small principal into quite a respectable fortune — large enough, at all events, to enable me to bring Fontley back to what it once was — oh, better than ever it was, I hope!”

“Oh, no, no, don’t spoil it!” she cried.

“Spoil it?” he said, thunderstruck.

“You said once that I should find everything the same, but it’s not the same! Don’t make it smart, and new! Don’t let Jenny do so!”

He regarded her with a queer little smile. “I see. When you talk of Fontley, you think of the ruins, and the portrait of my stupid Cavalier ancestor, don’t you? But that’s not what I think of. The Priory is only a part of Fontley, you know, and not the most important part, either.”

“What then?” she demanded, bewildered.

“My acres, of course.”

“Oh, how much you have changed!” she exclaimed bitterly. “You had nobler ambitions once!”

“Well, it was certainly my ambition to command the Regiment one day,” he admitted, “but I don’t think I was ever as romantic as you believed me to be. Perhaps we never had time to learn to know each other very well, Julia.”

She did not answer. Footsteps were approaching, and a moment later the door opened, and Jenny came in, a letter in her hand. She said cheerfully: “I don’t mean to interrupt you, but one of Lambert’s servants has this instant ridden over, and you’ll want to know the news, Adam. Charlotte was safely delivered at eight o’clock this morning, and it’s a boy! Isn’t that capital? Hell be able to play with Giles! Lambert says — ” She stopped, meeting Adam’s eyes, which were brimful of laughter, gave a gasp, and said unsteadily: “Now, Adam, for goodness’ sake — !” She saw that Julia was looking blankly from her to Adam, and said apologetically: “I beg pardon! It’s just a silly joke — not worth repeating! Charlotte is feeling perfectly stout, and the baby is to be christened Charles Lambert Stephen Bardolph!”

“What?” Adam exclaimed. “Jenny, you made that up!”

She chuckled, handing him the letter. “See if I did!”

“Good God!” he uttered, scanning the missive. “And why not Adam as well? Pretty shabby of them to leave me out, don’t you think? I shan’t send a christening-gift. Did you ever hear such a collection of names, Julia?”

“I suppose they will call him Charles,” she replied. “Pray tell Charlotte how happy I am to hear that she has a son, and how sorry I was not to have seen her! I must run away now, and put on my hat, or Rockhill will give me a scold.”

She smiled brightly upon them both, and went swiftly out of the room. At the head of the staircase she met Rockhill, just about to come down. He smiled at her, saying softly: “What, my lovely one?”

Her face puckered, she clung to him suddenly, saying in a choked, passionate voice: “Take me away, Rock! I wish we hadn’t come! It’s dull and detestable! Please take me away!”

“With the greatest pleasure on earth, my Sylph! I was coming in search of you to suggest that very thing. What a bore that we pledged ourselves to go on to stay with the Rossetts! I shan’t have you to myself for as long as five minutes: you will be swept from me, and wholly surrounded by tiresome admirers.”

She gave a tiny laugh. “Oh, no! How can you, Rock?”

He turned up her face, and kissed her. “Beautiful baggage!” he remarked. “Go and put your hat on, my love!”

He sauntered on down the stairs, and was talking to his host and hostess when Julia presently joined him. She was looking quite ravishing, and had recovered her spirits sufficiently to be able to kiss Jenny, thanking her for an enjoyable visit, before turning to offer her hand to Adam, rallying him, with rather glittering drollery, on his haycocks, and adjuring him not to bury poor Jenny alive in the fens.

He answered in kind, escorting her out to where the chaise stood waiting. Standing just within the hall, Rockhill retained Jenny’s hand for a minute, saying softly: “A delightful visit, ma’am! I am so much in your debt! Pray believe that you may command my services at any time!”

“I’m afraid it was dreadfully dull and flat,” she replied.

“Dear Lady Lynton, I assure you it couldn’t have been better! Do you know, I fancy we have nothing more to worry us? Goodbye — and a thousand thanks!”

He kissed her hand, and was gone before she was put to the necessity of replying. She went out into the porch to see the chaise drive off, and as soon as it had passed out of sight Adam turned, and came to join her, saying: “Thank God we have the house to ourselves again!”

Her eyes twinkled. “Well, you didn’t see so very much of the visitors!”

“Very true. Poor Jenny, was it quite abominable? I think it must have been.”

“Oh, well! It might have been worse,” she said philosophically. “Brough took your place, and Lord and Lady Adversane are so kind and easy, you know, that they made it seem as if your not being at home was quite commonplace. Which I’ll take good care it don’t become!”

He laughed. “No, no, I swear I will never do so again! Come into the library! I want to tell you how I made my fortune!”

“Adam, did you say it was twenty thousand?”

“More or less, I think, if Consols recover to the extent Drummond believes they must. I staked everything I had, and still don’t know how I found the courage to do it. What a crazy gamble!”

“I don’t see that it was that,” she objected. “You always knew we should beat Bonaparte!”

 He said wryly: “I wasn’t so pot-sure when I’d committed myself. Wimmering wanted me to sell as much as your father did.”

She listened in silence to the account of his three days in London, and at the end said slowly: “You will be able to do all the things you want to, then.”

“Well, hardly that! Not immediately. But I can do enough to set Fontley on its feet, and once that’s accomplished I don’t fear for the future.” He smiled at her. “Who knows? By the time Giles comes of age we may be as rich as Mr Coke! By the bye, your father is going to settle the mortgages on Giles.”

“You don’t mean to redeem them?” she said, surprised.

“No. He doesn’t wish it, and — Oh, I don’t know how it comes about, but I found, when I might have done it, that I didn’t want to!”

“I’m glad. He wouldn’t have liked it.”

“No, I know he wouldn’t. I mean to try instead if I can’t persuade him to invest some of his wealth in my cut — only, if I can bring him round my finger we’ll make it a canal. You know, Jenny, that’s what’s needed in this district, not only for drainage, but for transport. I’m pretty sure it would pay handsome dividends. Do you think he might be interested?”

“Well, there’s no saying, but I should think he might. He likes engineering and water-works. But — when you wouldn’t let him help you to the farm you want — !”

“This is different. That would have been a gift, and I have accepted too many from him; this will be a business partnership,” He looked at her, his brows a little raised, a question in his eyes. “You don’t like it, Jenny?”

“Oh, yes! Of course I do!” she said, colouring.

“But you don’t. Why are you looking so grave? What troubles you?”

“I’m not troubled. I’m glad, if you are!”

“I am!”

“If it’s not too late!” she blurted out.

He was puzzled for a moment; then he said: “No. It’s not too late.”

She smiled waveringly. “It’s like you to say that. But if this had happened last year ...”