The Golden Silence | Page 6

were among them--who did not admit that Lorenzi had believed in his
"rights." And as for the money he had spent in trying to establish a
legal claim to the Northmorland title and estates, it had not been his
own, but lent him by people he had hypnotized with his plausible
eloquence.
"That question was decided in court----"
"It would be harder for a foreigner to get an English nobleman's title
away than for a camel to go through the eye of the tiniest needle in the
world. But never mind. All that's buried in his grave, and you're giving
me everything father wanted me to have. I wish I could keep my horrid
temper better in hand, and I'd never make you look so cross. But I
inherited my emotional nature from Margherita Lorenzi, I suppose.
What can you expect of a girl who had an Italian prima donna for a
grandmother? And I oughtn't to quarrel with the fair Margherita for
leaving me her temper, since she left me her face too, and I'm fairly
well satisfied with that. Everybody says I'm the image of my
grandmother. And you ought to know, after seeing her picture in
dozens of illustrated papers, as well as in that pamphlet poor father
published."
"If you want me to tell you that you are one of the handsomest women
who ever lived, I'll do so at once," said Stephen.
Margot smiled. "You really mean it?"
"There couldn't be two opinions on that subject."
"Then, if you think I'm so beautiful, don't let your brother and his
snobbish Duchess spoil my life."
"They can't spoil it."
"Yes, they can. They can keep me from being a success in their set,
your set--the only set."

"Perhaps they can do that. But England isn't the only country, anyhow.
I've been thinking that when--by and by--we might take a long trip
round the world----"
"Hang the world! England's my world. I've always looked forward to
England, ever since I was a little thing, before mamma died, and I used
to hear father repeating the romantic family story--how, if he could
only find his mother's letters that she'd tried to tell him about when she
was dying, perhaps he might make a legal claim to a title and a fortune.
He used to turn to me and say: 'Maybe you'll be a great lady when you
grow up, Margot, and I shall be an English viscount.' Then, when he
did find the letters, behind the secret partition in grandmother's big
old-fashioned sandal-wood fan-box, of which you've heard so
much----"
"Too much, please, Margot."
"I beg your pardon! But anyway, you see why I want to live in England.
My life and soul are bound up in my success here. And I could have a
success. You know I could. I am beautiful. I haven't seen any woman
whose face I'd change for mine. I won't be cheated out of my
happiness----"
"Very well, we'll live in England, then. That's settled," said Stephen,
hastily. "And you shall have all the success, all the happiness, that I can
possibly give you. But we shall have to get on without any help from
my brother and sister-in-law, and perhaps without a good many other
people you might like to have for friends. It may seem hard, but you
must make up your mind to it, Margot. Luckily, there'll be enough
money to do pleasant things with; and people don't matter so
immensely, once you've got used to----"
"They do, they do! The right people. I shall know them."
"You must have patience. Everybody is rather tired of our names just
now. Things may change some day. I'm ready to begin the experiment
whenever you are."

"You are a dear," said Margot. And Stephen did not even shiver. "That
brings me to what I had to tell you. It's this: after all, we can't be
married quite as soon as we expected."
"Can't we?" he echoed the words blankly. Was this to be a reprieve?
But he was not sure that he wanted a reprieve. He thought, the sooner
the plunge was made, the better, maybe. Looking forward to it had
become almost unbearable.
"No, I must run over to Canada first, Stephen. I've just begun to see that.
You might say, I could go there with you after we were married, but it
wouldn't be the same thing at all. I ought to stay with some of my old
friends while I'm still Margot Lorenzi. A lot of people were awfully
good to father, and I must show my gratitude. The sooner I sail the
better, now the news of our engagement has got ahead of me. I needn't
stop away very long. Seven or eight weeks--or nine at most, going and