Perceiving that she had thoroughly enraged the Beauty, Hero made haste to say contritely: ‘No, indeed! I beg your pardon: I had no business to say that. It is only that I have a particular kindness for George, and I cannot bear to see him made unhappy.’
‘I do not presume to advise you, ma’am, but I must hope that yourparticular kindnessfor Lord Wrotham may not lead you into a worse scrape than this unsavoury affair. Forgive me if I speak too boldly! You have done me the signal honour of confiding in me – with what object I am at a loss to understand –’
‘Oh, Isabella, pray do not talk in that missish way!’ Hero besought her. ‘Can you not guess why I have come to beg you to help me?’
‘I have not the remotest conjecture.’
‘Oh, dear, and I was used to think you so clever! The thing is, you must know what George is, Bella; They say he never misses, and, oh, he must not kill Sherry, heshallnot kill him!’
Miss Milborne shrugged her shoulders. ‘I imagine there can be little fear of either killing the other!’
‘So I thought, but Gil and Ferdy have been with George all the morning, and they say there is no moving him! Helikesfighting duels – isn’t it odd? They say that when he is in one of these tiresome moods there is no doing anything with him! Isabella, I must stop this dreadful meeting!’
‘I am sure I do not know how you will contrive to do so.’
‘That is why I have come to you, Isabella, though he will not listen to Gil or Ferdy, George will listen to you! Oh, will you be so very obliging as to send for him, and make him promise he won’t fight Sherry?Please, Isabella, will you do that for me?’
Miss Milborne rose to her feet somewhat suddenly. ‘Isend for George?’ she repeated, in stupefied tones. ‘Have you taken leave of your senses?’
‘No, of course I have not! You must know that there can be nothing he would not do for your sake! You have only to beg him –’
‘I would sooner die an old maid!’
Startled by the suppressed passion in the Beauty’s voice, Hero could only blink at her in surprise. Miss Milborne pressed her hands to her hot cheeks. ‘Upon my word, I had not thought it possible! So I am to send for George, and to supplicate him not to engage in a duel! After he has been making shameless love to you! Nothing –nothingcould prevail upon me to do it! I am astonished you should ask it of me! Pray tell me why you, who are on such intimate terms with him, do not supplicate George yourself! I am persuaded your words must carry quite as much weight with him as mine. More, I dare say!’
Hero sprang up, her hands tightly locked together within her ermine muff, quite as angry a flush as Isabella’s in her cheeks. ‘You are right! Iwillgo to George! He does not make shameless love to me; no, for he has no love for me! but he is fond of me, a little, and he did say he would not wish to make me unhappy! I do not know how I can have been so foolish as to think that you would help me, for there is nothing behind your beauty but vanity and spite, Isabella!’
With these words she fairly ran from the room, and down the stairs, letting herself out of the front door, and shutting it behind her with a slam. She entered her barouche, and told the surprised footman to direct the coachman to drive to Lord Wrotham’s lodging.
His lordship was at home, and had barely time to straighten his neckcloth, and run a hand over his tumbled locks before his visitor came tempestuously into the room.
‘George!’ Hero said, casting her muff on to a chair, and advancing upon him with both hands stretched out.
‘My dear Lady Sheringham!’ George said, bowing formally, one eye on the wooden countenance of his servant.
This individual reluctantly withdrew from the room, just as Hero cried sharply: ‘Oh, don’t, George! I am in such distress!’
He caught her hands, and held them warmly. ‘No, no, but Kitten, youmustthink what my man would imagine! You should not have come here!’
‘No, I know I should not, but what else could I do? for I know very well you would not come to Half Moon Street.’
‘Hardly!’
‘Then you see that I was obliged to come!’
He glanced quickly out of the window, perceived the crest on the panel of her barouche, and exclaimed: ‘In your own carriage! Kitten, you are incorrigible! Good God, if Sherry gets wind of this there’ll be the devil to pay, and no pitch hot!’
‘How can it signify? Nothing could be worse than it is at this moment! George, you must not meet Sherry!’
‘I shall certainly do so, however.’
She clasped the lapels of his coat, giving him a little shake. ‘No, I say you shall not! George, you know it was very wrong of us, although we meant no harm.Please, George, beg Sherry’s pardon, and let us all be comfortable again!’
He shook his head obstinately. ‘I have never drawn back yet from an engagement, and by God, I will not do so now!’
‘Yes, but, George, this time –’
‘Besides, I’m dashed if I’ll apologise for kissing you! I liked it excessively!’ said George brazenly. ‘If Sherry had a grain of sense, he’d know it didn’t mean a thing, too!’
