I believe she was angry at my
apparently forgetting her so soon. But she was in fault, not
I."
Cuthbert looked at his smart shoes. "Had I loved Selina,"
said he slowly, "I should have remained true to her, and have
married her in spite of the objection of her father--"
"And of her sister Isabella--Mrs. Octagon that is; don't
forget that, Cuthbert. And I could scarcely run away with a
girl who believed stories about me."
"What sort of stories?" asked Mallow, remembering certain
rumors.
"The sort that one always does tell of an unmarried man,"
retorted Caranby. "Scandalous stories, which Isabella picked
up and retailed to Selina. But I never pretended to be a
saint, and had Selina really loved me she would have
overlooked certain faults. I did love her, Cuthbert. I did
all in my power to prove my love. For a time I was engaged to
her, and when she expressed a wish that I should build her a
house after her own design, I consented."
"The house at Rexton!" exclaimed the young man.
"Exactly. I got an architect to build it according to designs
suggested by Selina. When our engagement was broken and I
became--out of pique, remember--engaged to Miss Saul, I
still went on building the house. Selina, I believe, was very
angry. One week when I was out of London she went down with
her sister to see the house, and there met Emilia."
"Ah! then there was trouble?"
"No; there was no time for a quarrel, if that is what you
mean.
Pages:
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77