Maisie Said. ''You Didn't Marry That Rich, Ugly Husband of Yours for Love."
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222 "You hypocritical cow," Maisie said. ''You didn't marry that rich, ugly husband of yours for love." It was the truth. and the words took Augusta's breath away. ;She turned j aside to hide het fa"C"e-fo She had underestimated this young woman. She had made a bad begtnntng. and now she had to dtg herself out of the hole. From now on she must manipulate Maisie carefully. This was a providential opportunity. and she must not waste it. She swallowed hard and forced herself to sound neutral. "Will you sit down for a moment?" She Indicated a chair. Maisie looked surprised, but after a moment's hesitation she took a seat. Augusta sat opposite her. The gtrl had to be made to give Hugh up. Money would not work, and she was clearly not the type to be bullied. She would have to believe that it was the best thing for both of them. Ideally Maisie would think that gtvtng Hugh up was her own idea. And that might be best achieved by Augusta arguing the opposite. Now there was a good notion .... Augusta said: "If you want to marry him, I can't stop you." The gtrl looked surprised. and Augusta congratulated herself on having caught her off guard. "What makes you think I want to marry him?" Maisie said. Augusta almost laughed. She wanted to say The fact that you're a 223 scheming little gold-digger. but instead she said: "What girl wouldn't want to marry him? He's personable and good-looking and he comes from an great family. He has no money. but his prospects are excellent." Maisie narrowed her eyes and said: "It almost sounds as if you want me to marry him." delicately. Maisie was suspicious and seemed too bright to be easily hoodwinked. "Let's not be fanciful, Maisie.'' she said. "Forgive me for saying so. but no woman of my class would wish a man of her family to marry quite so far below him." Maisie showed no resentment. "She might if she hated him enough." Augusta continued to lead her on. "But I don't hate Hugh." she said. "Whatever gave you that idea?" "He did. He told me you treat him as a poor relation and make sure everyone else does the same." "How ungrateful people can be. But why would I wish to ruin his career?" "Because he shows up that ass of a son of yours. Edward." A wave of anger engulfed Augusta. Once again Maisie had come l uncomfortably close to the truth. It was true that Edward lacked Hugh's low cunning, but Edward was a fine, sweet young man and Hugh was ill-bred. "I think you had better not mention the name of my son," Augusta said in a low I . 224 voice. Maisie grinned. "I seem to have touched a sore place." She immediately became grave again. "So that's your game. Well, I won't play it." "What do you mean?" said Augusta. Suddenly there were tears in Maisie's eyes. "I like Hugh too much to ruin him." Augusta was surprised and pleased by the strength of Maisie's passion. This was working out perfectly, despite the bad beginning. "What are you going to do?" Augusta asked. Maisie began to cry. "I shan't see him any more. You may yet destroy him, but you won't have my help." "He might come after you." "I shall disappear. He doesn't know where I live. I'll stay away from the places where he might look for me." A good plan, Augusta thought; you'll only need to keep it up for a short f01h while, tnen he will go abroad and be away for years, perhaps forever. But she said nothing. She had led Maisie to the obvious conclusion and now the girl needed no further help. Maisie wiped her face on her sleeve. "I'd better go now, before he comes back with the doctor." She stood up. "Thank you for lending me your dress, Mrs Merton." The housekeeper opened the door for her. "I'll show you out." 225 "We'll take the back stairs this time, please," Maisie said. "I don't want--" She stopped, swallowed hard, and said in a near-whisper: "I don't want to see Hugh again." Then she went out. Mrs Merton followed and closed the door. Augusta let out a long breath. She had done it. She had stunted Hugh's career, neutralised Maisie Robinson. and averted the danger from David Middleton, all in one night. Maisie had been a formidable opponent. but in the end she had proved too emotional. C\~>1 r t. Augusta sa:t enjuytng her triumph for a few moments. then she went up to Edward's room. He was sitting up in bed, sipping brandy from a goblet. His nose was bruised and there was dried blood around it, and he looked somewhat sorry for himself. ' ~poor boy," Augusta said. She went to his nightstand and damped a corner of a towel. then sat on the edge of the bed and wiped the blood from his upper lip. He winced. "Sorry!" she said. He gave her a smile. "That's all right. mother," he said. "Do carry on. It's very soothing." While she was washing him Dr Humbold came in. closely followed by Hugh. "Have you been fighting. young man?" the doctor said cheerily. Augusta took exception to that suggestion. "He certainly has not," she said crossly. "He has been attacked." 227 For a moment he seemed as if he would argue. However, there was really nothing for him to say. "Very well," he muttered at last. He turned into his room. Augusta went back into Edward's room. The doctor was closing his bag. "No real damage," he said. "His nose will feel tender for a few days, and he may have a black eye tomorrow; but he's young. and he'll soon heal." "Thank you. doctor. Hastead will see you out." "Good night." Augusta bent over the bed and kissed Edward. "Good night, dear Teddy. Go to sleep. now." "Very well, mother dear. Good night." She had one more task to perform. She went down the stairs and entered Joseph's room. She was hoping he would have gone to sleep waiting for her. but he was sitting up in bed, reading the Pall Mall Gazette. He put it aside immediately and lifted the covers to let her in. He embraced her immediately. She realised it was quite light in the room: dawn had broken without her noticing it. She closed her eyes. He entered her quickly. She put her arms around him and responded to his movements. She thought of herself when she was siXteen. lying on a river bank in a raspberry-pink dress and a straw hat. being kissed by the young Earl of Strang; only in her mind he did not stop at kissing her. but lifted 228 her skirts and made love to her in the hot sunshine, with the river lapping at their feet .... When it was over she lay beside Joseph for a while, reflecting on her victory. "Extraordinary night," he murmured sleepily. "Yes," she said. "That awful girl." "Mmm," he grunted. "Very striking-looking... arrogant and wilful ... thinks she's as good as anyone .. .lovely figure ... just like you at that age." Augusta was mortally offended. "Joseph!" she said. "How could you say such an awful thing?" --- reply, and she saw that he was asleep. the room. / She did not go back to sleep that night. (vi) Micky Miranda lived in two rooms of a row house in Southwark, a respectable· working-class district on the south side of London Bridge. None of his h.lgh- class friends had ever visited him there, not even Edward Pilaster. Micky played the role ofayoungman-about-town on a very tight budget, and elegant accommodation was one of the things he could manage without. At nine o'clock each morning the landlady, a widow with two grown-up 230 deal through and the guns would be shipped. But old Joel clung on with infuriating stubbornness to his post and his life. "You'll get them soon, Papa," said Micky. "Joel can't last much longer." "Good," said Papa, With the smug expression of one who has won an argument. tiL~ t-tkJ~ ~ Micky buttered a roll. It was like this all the time. He could never please j his father no matter how he tried. He turned his mind to the day ahead. Tonto now owed money he could never pay. The next step was to turn a problem into a crisis. He wanted Edward and Tonto to quarrel publicly. That should not be too difficult to arrange. Tonto's disgrace would become general knowledge and he would be obliged to resign from his job and go home to Cordova. That would put him comfortably out of the reach of David Middleton. However. Micky wanted to do all this and still remain Tonto's friend. For he had another purpose: he wanted Tonto's job. Tonto could make matters difficult, if he felt so inclined, by maligning Micky to the Minister. So Micky had to keep him sweet. While Micky was thinking about him, there was a knock at the door to the room and the landlady announced a visitor. A moment later Tonto came in. Micky had been planning to call on him after breakfast. This would save him the trouble.