Ernestine was a delightful hostess,she loved situations,and her social tact was illimitable.In a few minutes Trent was seated in a comfortable and solid chair with a little round table by his side,drinking tea and eating buttered scones,and if not altogether at his ease very nearly so.Opposite him was Davenant,dying to escape yet constrained to be agreeable,and animated too with a keen,distasteful curiosity to watch Ernestine's methods.And Ernestine herself chatted all the time,diffused good fellowship and tea -she made an atmosphere which had a nameless fascination for the man who had come to middle-age without knowing what a home meant.Davenant studied him and became thoughtful.He took note of the massive features,the iron jaw,the eyes as bright as steel,and his thoughtfulness became anxiety.Ernestine too was strong,but this man was a rock.What would happen if she carried out her purpose,fooled,betrayed him,led him perhaps to ruin?Some day her passion would leap up,she would tell him,they would be face to face,injured man and taunting woman.Davenant had an ugly vision as he sat there.He saw the man's eyes catch fire,the muscles of his face twitch,he saw Ernestine shrink back,white with terror and the man followed her.
"Cecil!Aren't you well?you're looking positively ghastly!"He pulled himself together -it had been a very realistic little interlude.
"Bad headache!"he said,smiling."By the by,I must go!""If you ever did such a thing as work,"she remarked,"I should say that you,had been doing too much.As it is,I suppose you have been sitting up too late.Goodbye.I am so glad that you were here to meet Mr.Trent.Mr.Davenant is my cousin,you know,"she continued,turning to her visitor,"and he is almost the only one of my family who has not cast me off utterly."Davenant made his adieux with a heavy heart.He hated the hypocrisy with which he hoped for Scarlett Trent's better acquaintance and the latter's bluff acceptance of an invitation to look him up at his club.
He walked out into the street cursing his mad offer to her and the whole business.But Ernestine was very well satisfied.
She led Trent to talk about Africa again,and he plunged into the subject without reserve.He told her stories and experiences with a certain graphic and picturesque force which stamped him as the possessor of an imaginative power and command of words for which she would scarcely have given him credit.She had the unusual gift of making the best of all those with whom she came in contact.
Trent felt that he was interesting her,and gained confidence in himself.
All the time she was making a social estimate of him.He was not by any means impossible.On the contrary there was no reason why he should not become a success.That he was interested in her was already obvious,but that had become her intention.The task began to seem almost easy as she sat and listened to him.
Then he gave her a start.Quietly and without any warning he changed the subject into one which was fraught with embarrassment for her.At his first words the colour faded from her cheeks.
"I've been pretty lucky since I got back.Things have gone my way a bit and the only disappointment I've had worth speaking of has been in connection with a matter right outside money.I've been trying to find the daughter of that old partner of mine -I told you about her -and I can't."She changed her seat a little.There was no need for her to affect any interest in what he was saying.She listened to every word intently.
"Monty,"he said reflectingly,"was a good old sort in a way,and I had an idea,somehow,that his daughter would turn out something like the man himself,and at heart Monty was all right.I didn't know who she was or her name -Monty was always precious close,but I had the address of a firm of lawyers who knew all about her.Icalled there the other day and saw an old chap who questioned and cross-questioned me until I wasn't sure whether I was on my head or my heels,and,after all,he told me to call again this afternoon for her address.I told him of course that Monty died a pauper and he'd no share of our concession to will away,but I'd done so well that I thought I'd like to make over a trifle to her -in fact I'd put away 10,000pounds worth of Bekwando shares for her.I called this afternoon,and do you know,Miss Wendermott,the young lady declined to have anything to say to me -wouldn't let me know who she was that I might have gone and talked this over in a friendly way with her.Didn't want money,didn't want to hear about her father!""You must have been disappointed.""I'll admit it,"he replied."I was;I'd come to think pretty well of Monty although he was a loose fish and I'd a sort of fancy for seeing his daughter."She took up a screen as though to shield the fire from her face.
Would the man's eyes never cease questioning her -could it be that he suspected?Surely that was impossible!
"Why have you never tried to find her before?"she asked.
