My Lady's Money

Isabel, 'how come you to be in such company as that?' Instructed by Isabel, she produced the necessary materials for writing and sealing—and, that done, she shrank away to the door. 'Please to excuse me, miss,' she said with a last horrified look at her venerable visitor; 'I really can't stand the sight of such a blot of dirt as that in my nice clean parlor.' With those words she disappeared, and was seen no more.

Perfectly indifferent to his reception, Old Sharon wrote, inclosed what he had written in an envelope; and sealed it (in the absence of anything better fitted for his purpose) with the mouthpiece of his pipe.

'Now, miss,' he said, 'you give me your word of honor,'—he stopped and looked round at Moody with a grin —'and you give me yours, that you won't either of you break the seal on this envelope till the expiration of one week from the present day. There are the conditions, Miss Isabel, on which I'll give you your information. If you stop to dispute with me, the candle's alight, and I'll burn it!'

It was useless to contend with him. Isabel and Moody gave him the promise that he required. He handed the sealed envelope to Isabel with a low bow. 'When the week's out,' he said, 'you will own I'm a cleverer fellow than you think me now. Wish you good evening, Miss. Come along, Puggy! Farewell to the horrid clean country, and back again to the nice London stink!'

He nodded to Moody—he leered at Isabel—he chuckled to himself—he left the farmhouse.

CHAPTER XV.

ISABEL looked down at the letter in her hand—considered it in silence—and turned to Moody. 'I feel tempted to open it already,' she said.

'After giving your promise?' Moody gently remonstrated.

Isabel met that objection with a woman's logic.

'Does a promise matter?' she asked, 'when one gives it to a dirty, disreputable, presuming old wretch like Mr. Sharon? It's a wonder to me that you trust such a creature. I wouldn't!'

'I doubted him just as you do,' Moody answered, 'when I first saw him in company with Mr. Troy. But there was something in the advice he gave us at that first consultation which altered my opinion of him for the better. I dislike his appearance and his manners as much as you do—I may even say I felt ashamed of bringing such a person to see you. And yet I can't think that I have acted unwisely in employing Mr. Sharon.'

Isabel listened absently. She had something more to say, and she was considering how she should say it. 'May I ask you a bold question?' she began.

'Any question you like.'

'Have you—' she hesitated and looked embarrassed. 'Have you paid Mr. Sharon much money?' she resumed, suddenly rallying her courage. Instead of answering, Moody suggested that it was time to think of returning to Miss Pink's villa. 'Your aunt may be getting anxious about you.' he said.

Isabel led the way out of the farmhouse in silence. She reverted to Mr. Sharon and the money, however, as they returned by the path across the fields.

'I am sure you will not be offended with me,' she said gently, 'if I own that I am uneasy about the expense. I am allowing you to use your purse as if it was mine—and I have hardly any savings of my own.'

Moody entreated her not to speak of it. 'How can I put my money to a better use than in serving your interests?' he asked. 'My one object in life is to relieve you of your present anxieties. I shall be the happiest man living if you only owe a moment's happiness to my exertions!'

Isabel took his hand, and looked at him with grateful tears in her eyes.

'How good you are to me, Mr. Moody!' she said. 'I wish I could tell you how deeply I feel your kindness.'

'You can do it easily,' he answered, with a smile. 'Call me 'Robert'—don't call me 'Mr. Moody.''

She took his arm with a sudden familiarity that charmed him. 'If you had been my brother I should have called you 'Robert,'' she said; 'and no brother could have been more devoted to me than you are.'

He looked eagerly at her bright face turned up to his. 'May I never hope to be something nearer and dearer to you than a brother?' he asked timidly.

She hung her head and said nothing. Moody's memory recalled Sharon's coarse reference to her 'sweetheart.' She had blushed when he put the question? What had she done when Moody put his question? Her face answered for her—she had turned pale; she was looking more serious than usual. Ignorant as he was of the ways of women, his instinct told him that this was a bad sign. Surely her rising color would have confessed it, if time and gratitude together were teaching her to love him? He sighed as the inevitable conclusion forced itself on his mind.

'I hope I have not offended you?' he said sadly.

'Oh, no.'

'I wish I had not spoken. Pray don't think that I am serving you with any selfish motive.'

'I don't think that, Robert. I never could think it of you.'

He was not quite satisfied yet. 'Even if you were to marry some other man,' he went on earnestly, 'it would make no difference in what I am trying to do for you. No matter what I might suffer, I should still go on—for your sake.'

'Why do you talk so?' she burst out passionately. 'No other man has such a claim as you to my gratitude and regard. How can you let such thoughts come to you? I have done nothing in secret. I have no friends who are not known to you. Be satisfied with that, Robert—and let us drop the subject.'

'Never to take it up again?' he asked, with the infatuated pertinacity of a man clinging to his last hope.

At other times and under other circumstances, Isabel might have answered him sharply. She spoke with perfect gentleness now.