Blind Love | Page 6

Knight,
showed itself again. He put his hands in his pockets.

"You and your father have had another quarrel," he said, stopping
opposite Iris.
"I don't deny it," she replied.
"Who is to blame?"
She smiled bitterly. "The woman is always to blame."
"Did your father tell you that?"
"My father reminded me that I was twenty-one years old, last
birthday--and told me that I could do as I liked. I understood him, and I
left the house."
"You will go back again, I suppose?"
"I don't know."
Sir Giles began pacing the room once more. His rugged face, telling its
story of disaster and struggle in early life, showed signs of
disappointment and distress.
"Hugh promised to write to me," he said, "and he has not written. I
know what that means; I know what you have done to offend your
father. My nephew has asked you to marry him for the second time.
And for the second time you have refused."
Her face softened; its better and younger aspect revived. "Yes," she
said, sadly and submissively; "I have refused him again."
Sir Giles lost his temper. "What the devil is your objection to Hugh?"
he burst out.
"My father said the same thing to me," she replied, "almost in the same
words. I made him angry when I tried to give my reason. I don't want to
make you angry, too."
He took no notice of this. "Isn't Hugh a good fellow?" he went on.

"Isn't he affectionate? and kindhearted? and honourable?--aye, and a
handsome man too, if you come to that."
"Hugh is all that you say. I like him; I admire him; I owe to his
kindness some of the happiest days of my sad life, and I am
grateful--oh, with all my heart, I am grateful to Hugh!"
"If that's true, Iris----"
"Every word of it is true."
"I say, if that's true--there's no excuse for you. I hate perversity in a
young woman! Why don't you marry him?"
"Try to feel for me," she said gently; "I can't love him."
Her tone said more to the banker than her words had expressed. The
secret sorrow of her life, which was known to her father, was known
also to Sir Giles.
"Now we have come to it at last!" he said. "You can't love my nephew
Hugh. And you won't tell me the reason why, because your sweet
temper shrinks from making me angry. Shall I mention the reason for
you, my dear? I can do it in two words--Lord Harry."
She made no reply; she showed no sign of feeling at what he had just
said. Her head sank a little; her hands clasped themselves on her lap;
the obstinate resignation which can submit to anything hardened her
face, stiffened her figure--and that was all.
The banker was determined not to spare her.
"It's easy to see," he resumed, "that you have not got over your
infatuation for that vagabond yet. Go where he may, into the vilest
places and among the lowest people, he carries your heart along with
him. I wonder you are not ashamed of such an attachment as that."
He had stung her at last. She roused herself, and answered him.

"Harry has led a wild life," she said; "he has committed serious faults,
and he may live to do worse than he has done yet. To what degradation,
bad company, and a bad bringing-up may yet lead him, I leave his
enemies to foresee. But I tell you this, he has redeeming qualities which
you, and people like you, are not good Christians enough to discover.
He has friends who can still appreciate him--your nephew, Arthur
Mountjoy, is one of them. Oh, I know it by Arthur's letters to me!
Blame Lord Harry as you may, I tell you he has the capacity for
repentance in him, and one day--when it is too late, I dare say--he will
show it. I can never be his wife. We are parted, never in all likelihood
to meet again. Well, he is the only man whom I have ever loved; and he
is the only man whom I ever shall love. If you think this state of mind
proves that I am as bad as he is, I won't contradict you. Do we any of us
know how bad we are----? Have you heard of Harry lately?"
The sudden transition, from an earnest and devoted defence of the man,
to an easy and familiar inquiry about him, startled Sir Giles.
For the moment, he had nothing to say; Iris had made him think. She
had shown a capacity for mastering her strongest feelings, at the
moment when they threatened to overcome her, which is very rarely
found in a young woman. How to manage her