"And," she went on, speaking angrily to herself, "knowing that he is helpless--I stupidly go and introduce into this house, a silly girl with a pretty face whose object in coming is to be--Mrs. Middleton."
Lady Dashwood was mentally lashing herself for this stupidity.
"I go and actually put her in his way--at least," she added swiftly, "I allow her mother to bring her and force her upon us and leave her--for the purpose of entrapping him--and so--I've risked his future! And yet," she went on as her self-accusation became too painful, "I never dreamt that he would think of a girl so young--as eighteen--and he forty--and full of thoughts about the future of Oxford--and the New World. Somehow I imagined some pushing female of thirty would pretend to sympathise with his aspirations and marry him: I never supposed----But I ought to have supposed! It was my business to suppose. Here have I left my husband alone, when he hates being alone, for a whole month, in order to put Jim straight--and then I go and 'don't suppose'--I'm more than a fool--I'm----" The right word did not come to her mind.
Here Lady Dashwood's indignation against herself made the blood tingle hotly in her hands and face. She was by nature calm, but this afternoon she was excited. She mentally pictured the Warden--just when there was so much for him to do--wasting his time by figuring as a sacrifice upon the Altar of a foolish Marriage. She saw the knife at his throat--she saw his blood flow.
At this moment the door opened and the old butler, who had served other Wardens and who had been retained along with the best furniture as a matter of course, came into the room and handed a telegram to Lady Dashwood.
She tore open the envelope and read the paper: "Arrive this evening--about seven. May."
"Thank----!" exclaimed Lady Dashwood--and then she suddenly paused, for she met the old thoughtful eye of Robinson.
"Yes!" she remarked irrelevantly. Then she folded the paper. "There is no answer," she said. "When you've taken the tea away--please tell Mrs. Robinson that quite unexpectedly Mrs. Jack Dashwood is arriving at seven. She must have the blue room--there isn't another one ready. Don't let in any callers for me, Robinson."
