Constantine."Hitherto Miss Trenchard--"
"Oh, but I couldn't be on a Committee," cried Maggie."I've never been on one in my life.I should never know what to do.""Never been on a Committee!" cried Miss Purves, quivering with interest."Why, Mrs.Trenchard, where have you been all this time?""I'm only twenty," said Maggie.They certainly thought it strange of her to confess to her age like that."At home father never had any Committees, he did it all himself, or rather didn't do it."Mrs.Constantine shook her head."We must all help you," she said.
"You're very young, my dear, for the responsibilities of this parish.""Yes, I am," said Maggie frankly."And I'll be very glad of anything you can tell me.But you mustn't let me be Treasurer or Secretary of anything.I should never answer any of the letters, and I should probably spend all the money myself.""My dear, you shouldn't say such things even as a joke," said Mrs.
Constantine.
"But it isn't a joke," said Maggie."I'm terribly muddleheaded, and I've no idea of money at all.Paul's going to teach me."Paul smiled nervously.
"Maggie will soon fit into our ways," he said.
"I'm sure she will." said Mrs.Constantine very kindly, but as though she were speaking to a child of ten.
The bell rang and Mr.Flaunders the curate came in.He was very young, very earnest, and very enthusiastic.He adored Paul.He told Maggie that he thought that he was the very luckiest man.in the world for having, so early in his career, so wonderful a man as Paul to work under.He had also adored Grace, but very quickly showed signs of transferring that adoration to Maggie.
"Miss Trenchard's splendid," he said."I do admire her so, but you'll be a great help to us all.I'm so glad you've come.""Why, how do you know?" asked Maggie."You've only seen me for about two minutes.""Ah, one can tell," said Mr.Flaunders, sighing.
Maggie liked his enthusiasm, but she couldn't help wishing that his knees wouldn't crack at unexpected moments, that he wasn't quite so long and thin, and that he wouldn't leave dried shaving-soap under his ears and in his nostrils.She was puzzled, too, that Paul should be so obviously pleased with the rather naif adoration."Paul likes you to praise him," she thought a little regretfully.
So, for the moment, these people, the house and the Church, fitted in her World.For the rest of the fortnight she was so busy that she never went on to the beach nor into the woods.She shopped every morning, feeling very old and grown-up, she went to tea with Mrs.
Constantine and Mrs.Maxse, and she sat on Paul's knee whenever she thought that he would like her to.She sat on Paul's knee, but that did not mean that, in real intimacy, they approached any nearer to one another.During those days they stared at one another like children on different sides of a fence.They were definitely postponing settlement, and with every day Maggie grew more restless and uneasy.She wanted back that old friendly comradeship that there had been before their marriage.He seemed now to have lost altogether that attitude to her.Then on the very day of Grace's return the storm broke.It was tea-time and they were having it, as usual, in his dusty study.They were sitting someway apart--Paul in the old leather armchair by the fire, his thick body stretched out, his cheerful good-humoured face puckered and peevish.
Maggie stood up, looking at him.
"Paul, what's the matter?" she asked.
"Matter," he repeated."Nothing."
"Oh yes, there is...You're cross with me.""No, I'm not.What an absurd idea!" He moved restlessly, turning half away, not looking at her.She came close up to him.
"Look here, Paul.There is something the matter.We haven't been married a fortnight yet and you're unhappy.Whatever else we married for we married because we were going to be friends.So you've just got to tell me what the trouble is.""I've got my sermon to prepare," he said, not looking at her, but half rising in his chair."You'd better go, darling.""I'm not going to," she answered, "until you've told me why you're worrying."He got up slowly and seemed then as though he were going to pass her.Suddenly he turned, flung his arms round her, catching her, crushing her in his arms, kissing her wildly.
"Love...love me...love me," he whispered."That's what's the matter.I didn't know myself before I married you, Maggie.All these years I've lived like a fish and I didn't know it.But I know it now.And you've got to love me.You're my wife and you've got to love me."She would have given everything that she had then to respond.She felt an infinite tenderness and pity for him.But she could not.He felt that she could not.He let her go and turned away from her.She thought for a moment wondering what she ought to say, and then she came up to him and gently put her hand on his shoulder.
"Be patient, Paul," she said."You know we agreed before we married that we'd be friends at any rate and let the rest come.Wait...""Wait!" he turned round eagerly, clutching her arm."Then there is a chance, Maggie? You can get to love me--you can forget that other man?"She drew back."No, you know I told you that I should never do that.
But he'll never come back nor want me again and I'm very fond of you, Paul--fonder than I thought.Don't spoil it all now by going too fast--""Going too fast!" he laughed."Why, I haven't gone any way at all.Ihaven't got you anywhere.I can hardly touch you.You're away from me all the time.You're strange--different from every one...""I don't know anything about women.I've learnt a lot about myself this week.It isn't going to be as easy as I thought."She went up to him, close to him, and said almost desperately: "We MUST make this all right, Paul.We can if we try.I know we can."He kissed her gently with his old kindness."What a baby you are.
You didn't know what you were in for...Oh, we'll make it all right."They sat close together then and drank their tea.After all, Grace would be here in an hour! They both felt a kind of relief that they would no longer be alone.
