Mr. Crewe's Career — Complete. Winston Churchill

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СКАЧАТЬ ideas about things, Humphrey.”

      “It's simple enough,” said Mr. Crewe, deprecatingly, “after you've seen a few hundred gardens and get the general underlying principle.”

      “It's very clever,” Alice murmured.

      “Not at all. A little application will do wonders. A certain definite colour massed here, another definite colour there, and so forth.”

      Mr. Crewe spoke as though Alice's praise irritated him slightly. He waved his hand to indicate the scheme in general, and glanced at Victoria on the stone bench. From her (Austen thought) seemed to emanate a silent but mirthful criticism, although she continued to gaze persistently down the valley, apparently unaware of their voices. Mr. Crewe looked as if he would have liked to reach her, but the two ladies filled the narrow path, and Mrs. Pomfret put her fingers on his sleeve.

      “Humphrey, you must explain it to us. I am so interested in gardens I'm going to have one if Electrics increase their dividend.”

      Mr. Crewe began, with no great ardour, to descant on the theory of planting, and Austen resolved to remain pocketed and ignored no longer. He retraced his steps and made his way rapidly by another path towards Victoria, who turned her head at his approach, and rose. He acknowledged an inward agitation with the vision in his eye of the tall, white figure against the pines, clad with the art which, in mysterious simplicity, effaces itself.

      “I was wondering,” she said, as she gave him her hand, “how long it would be before you spoke to me.”

      “You gave me no chance,” said Austen, quickly.

      “Do you deserve one?” she asked.

      Before he could answer, Mr. Crewe's explanation of his theories had come lamely to a halt. Austen was aware of the renewed scrutiny of Mrs. Pomfret, and then Mr. Crewe, whom no social manacles could shackle, had broken past her and made his way to them. He continued to treat the ground on which Austen was standing as unoccupied.

      “Hello, Victoria,” he said, “you don't know anything about gardens, do you?”

      “I don't believe you do either,” was Victoria's surprising reply.

      Mr. Crewe laughed at this pleasantry.

      “How are you going to prove it?” he demanded.

      “By comparing what you've done with Freddie Ridley's original plan,” said Victoria.

      Mr. Crewe was nettled.

      “Ridley has a lot to learn,” he retorted. “He had no conception of what was appropriate here.”

      “Freddie was weak,” said Victoria, “but he needed the money. Don't you know Mr. Vane?”

      “Yes,” said Mr. Crewe, shortly, “I've been talking to him—on business.”

      “Oh,” said Victoria, “I had no means of knowing. Mrs. Pomfret, I want to introduce Mr. Vane, and Miss Pomfret, Mr. Vane.”

      Mrs. Pomfret, who had been hovering on the outskirts of this duel, inclined her head the fraction of an inch, but Alice put out her hand with her sweetest manner.

      “When did you arrive?” she asked.

      “Well, the fact is, I haven't arrived yet,” said Austen.

      “Not arrived” exclaimed Alice, with a puzzled glance into Victoria's laughing eyes.

      “Perhaps Humphrey will help you along,” Victoria suggested, turning to him. “He might be induced to give you his celebrated grievance about his horses.”

      “I have given it to him,” said Mr. Crewe, briefly.

      “Cheer up, Mr. Vane, your fortune is made,” said Victoria.

      “Victoria,” said Mrs. Pomfret, in her most imperial voice, “we ought to be going instantly, or we shan't have time to drop you at the Hammonds'.”

      “I'll take you over in the new motor car,” said Mr. Crewe, with his air of conferring a special train.

      “How much is gasoline by the gallon?” inquired Victoria.

      “I did a favour once for the local manager, and get a special price,” said Mr. Crewe.

      “Humphrey,” said Mrs. Pomfret, taking his hand, “don't forget you are coming to dinner to-night. Four people gave out at the last minute, and there will be just Alice and myself. I've asked old Mr. Fitzhugh.”

      “All right,” said Mr. Crewe, “I'll have the motor car brought around.”

      The latter part of this remark was, needless to say, addressed to Victoria.

      “It's awfully good of you, Humphrey,” she answered, “but the Hammonds are on the road to Ripton, and I am going to ask Mr. Vane to drive me down there behind that adorable horse of his.”

      This announcement produced a varied effect upon those who heard it, although all experienced surprise. Mrs. Pomfret, in addition to an anger which she controlled only as the result of long practice, was horrified, and once more levelled her glasses at Austen.

      “I think, Victoria, you had better come with us,” she said. “We shall have plenty of time, if we hurry.”

      By this time Austen had recovered his breath.

      “I'll be ready in an instant,” he said, and made brief but polite adieus to the three others.

      “Good-by,” said Alice, vaguely.

      “Let me know when anything develops,” said Mr. Crewe, with his back to his attorney.

      Austen found Victoria, her colour heightened a little, waiting for him by the driveway. The Pomfrets had just driven off, and Mr. Crewe was nowhere to be seen.

      “I do not know what you will think of me for taking this for granted, Mr. Vane,” she said as he took his seat beside her, “but I couldn't resist the chance of driving behind your horse.”

      “I realized,” he answered smilingly, “that Pepper was the attraction, and I have more reason than ever to be grateful to him.”

      She glanced covertly at the Vane profile, at the sure, restraining hands on the reins which governed with so nice a touch the mettle of the horse. His silence gave her time to analyze again her interest in this man, which renewed itself at every meeting. In the garden she had been struck by the superiority of a nature which set at naught what had been, to some smaller spirits, a difficult situation. She recognized this quality as inborn, but, not knowing of Sarah Austen, she wondered where he got it. Now it was the fact that he refrained from comment that pleased her most.

      “Did Humphrey actually send for you to take up the injured horse case?” she asked.

      Austen flushed.

      “I'm afraid he did. You seem to know all about it,” he added.

      “Know СКАЧАТЬ