"Oh!" Lucy's nostrils dilated and she threw back her head scornfully. "And the other woman's name?""There is no other woman. I love you and you only. But -money."
"What about money? You have your income!"
"Oh yes - that is sure, small as it is. But I Have incurred debts on behalf of an uncle and his family. These have embarrassed me for the moment, and so I cannot see my way to marrying you for at least six months, Lucy." He caught her hand.
"I feel ashamed of myself that I did not tell you of this before.
But I feared to lose you. Yet, on reflection, I see that it is dishonorable to keep you in the dark, and if you think that Ihave behaved badly - "
"Well, I do in a way," she interrupted quickly, "as your silence was quite unnecessary. Don't treat me as a doll, my dear. Iwish to share your troubles as well as your joys. Come, tell me all about it.""You are not angry?"
"Yes, I am - at your thinking I loved you so little as to be biased against our marriage because of money troubles. Pooh!"she flicked away a speck of dust from his coat, "I don't care that for such things.""You are an angel," he cried ardently.
"I am a very practical girl just now," she retorted. "Go on, confess!"Archie, thus encouraged, did so, and it was a very mild confession that she heard, involving a great deal of unnecessary sacrifice in helping a pauper uncle. Hope strove to belittle his good deeds as much as possible, but Lucy saw plainly the good heart that had dictated the giving up of his small income for some years. When in possession of all the facts, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
"You are a silly old boy," she whispered. "As if what you tell me could make any difference to me!""But we can't be married for six months, dearest.""Of course not. Do you believe that I as a woman can gather together my trousseau under six months? No, my dear. We must not marry in haste to repent at leisure. In another half year you will enjoy your own income, and then we can marry.""But meanwhile," said Archie, after kissing her, "the Professor will bother you to marry Random.""Oh no. He has sold me to you for one thousand pounds. There!
There, do not say a single word. I am only teasing you. Let us say that my father has consented to my marriage with you, and cannot withdraw his word. Not that I care if he does. I am my own mistress.""Lucy!" - he took her hands again and looked into her eyes -"Braddock is a scientific lunatic, and would do anything to forward his aims with regard to this very expensive tomb, which he has set his heart on discovering. As I can't lend or give the money, he is sure to apply to Random, and Random - ""Will want to marry me," cried Lucy, rising. "No, my dear, not at all. Sir Frank is a gentleman, and when he learns that I am engaged to you, he will simply become a dear friend. There, don't worry any more about the matter. You ought to have told me of your troubles before, but as I have forgiven you, there is no more to be said. In six months I shall become Mrs. Hope, and meanwhile I can hold my own against any inconvenience that my father may cause me.""But - " He rose and began to remonstrate, anxious to abase himself still further before this angel of a maiden.
She placed her hand over his mouth. "Not another word, or Ishall box your ears, sir - that is, I shall exercise the privilege of a wife before I become one. And now," she slipped her arm within his, "let us go in and see the arrival of the precious mummy.""Oh, it has arrived then."
"Not here exactly. My father expects it at three o'clock.""It is now a quarter to," said Archie, consulting his watch. "As I have been to London all yesterday I did not know that The Diver had arrived at Pierside, How is Bolton?"Lucy wrinkled her brows. "I am rather worried over Sidney," she said in an anxious voice, "and so is my father. He had not appeared.""What do you mean by that?"
"Well," she looked at the ground in a pondering manner, "my father got a letter from Sidney yesterday afternoon, saying that the ship with the mummy and himself on board had arrived about four o'clock. The letter was sent on by special messenger and came at six.""Then it arrived in the evening and not in the afternoon?""How particular you are!" said Miss Kendal, with a shrug. "Well, then, Sidney said that he could not bring the mummy to this place last night as it was so late. He intended - so he told my father in the letter - to remove the case containing the mummy ashore to an inn near the wharf at Pierside, and there would remain the night so as to take care of it.""That's all right," said Hope, puzzled. "Where's your difficulty?""A note came from the landlord of the inn this morning, saying that by direction of Mr. Bolton - that is Sidney, you know - he was sending the mummy in its case to Gartley on a lorry, and that it would arrive at three o'clock this afternoon.""Well?" asked Hope, still puzzled.
"Well?" she rejoined impatiently. "Can't you see show strange it is that Sidney should let the mummy out of his sight, after guarding it so carefully not only from Malta to England, but all the night in Pierside at that hotel? Why doesn't he bring the mummy here himself, and come on with the lorry?""There is no explanation - no letter from Sidney Bolton?""None. He wrote yesterday, as I stated, saying that he would keep the case in the hotel, and send it on this morning.""Did he use the word `send,' or the word `bring'?""He said 'send.'"
"Then that shows he did not intend to bring it himself.""But why should he not do so?"
"I daresay he will explain when he appears."
