‘Oh!’ said Sir Richard. ‘Was he satisfied with that?’
‘Perfectly. He said he was very sorry. And then he asked where we were bound for. I said, for Bristol, becauseallthe family had lost its money, and so I had had to be taken away from school.’
‘You have the most fertile imagination of anyone of my acquaintance,’ said Sir Richard. ‘May I ask what school you have been gracing?’
‘Harrow. Afterwards I wished I had said Eton, because my cousin Geoffrey is at Harrow, and I don’t like him. I wouldn’t go to his school.’
‘I suppose it is too late to change the school now,’ Sir Richard said, in a regretful tone.
She looked up quickly, her fascinating smile crinkling the corners of her eyes. ‘You are laughing at me.’
‘Yes,’ admitted Sir Richard. ‘Do you mind?’
‘Oh no, not a bit! No one laughs in my aunt’s house. I like it.’
‘I wish,’ said Sir Richard, ‘you would tell me more about this aunt of yours. Is she your guardian?’
‘No, but I have had to live with her ever since my father died. I have no real guardian, but I have two trustees. On account of my fortune, you understand.’
‘Of course, yes: I was forgetting your fortune. Who are your trustees?’
‘Well, one is my uncle Griffin – Aunt Almeria’s husband, you know – but he doesn’t signify, because he does just what Aunt tells him. The other is my father’s lawyer, and he doesn’t signify either.’
‘For the same reason?’
‘I don’t know, but I shouldn’t wonder at it in the least. Everyone is afraid of Aunt Almeria. Even I am, a little. That’s why I ran away.’
‘Is she unkind to you?’
‘N-no. At least, she doesn’t ill-treat me, but she is the kind of woman who always gets her own way. Do you know?’
‘I know,’ Sir Richard said.
‘She talks,’ explained Pen. ‘And when she is displeased with one, I must say that it is very uncomfortable. But one should always be just, and I do not blame her for being so set on my marrying Fred. They are not very rich, you see, and of course Aunt would like Fred to have all my fortune. In fact, I am very sorry to be so disobliging, particularly as I have lived with the Griffins for nearly five years. But, to tell you the truth, I didn’t in the least want to, and as for marrying Fred, I couldnot! Only when I suggested to Aunt Almeria that I would much prefer to give my fortune to Fred, andnotmarry him, she flew into a passion, and said I was heartless and shameless, and cried, and talked about nourishing vipers in her bosom. I thought that was unjust of her, because it was a very handsome offer, don’t you agree?’
‘Very,’ said Sir Richard. ‘But perhaps a trifle – shall we say, crude?’
‘Oh!’ Pen digested this. ‘You mean that she did not like mynotpretending that Fred was in love with me?’
‘I think it just possible,’ said Sir Richard gravely.
‘Well, I am sorry if I wounded her feelings, but truly I don’t think she has the least sensibility. I only said what I thought. But it put her in such a rage that there was nothing for it but to escape. So I did.’
‘Were you locked in your room?’ enquired Sir Richard.
‘Oh no! I daresay I should have been if Aunt had guessed what I meant to do, but she would never think of such a thing.’
‘Then – forgive my curiosity! – why did you climb out of the window?’ asked Sir Richard.
‘Oh, that was on account of Pug!’ replied Pen sunnily.
‘Pug?’
‘Yes, a horrid little creature! He sleeps in a basket in the hall, and healwaysyaps if he thinks one is going out. That would have awakened Aunt Almeria. There was nothing else I could do.’
Sir Richard regarded her with a lurking smile. ‘Naturally not. Do you know, Pen, I owe you a debt of gratitude?’
‘Oh?’ she said, pleased, but doubtful. ‘Why?’
