"That would imply a degree of intimacy that hardly exists, does it?"
Natalie said, sharply.
But Mrs. Haverford had not fought the verbal battles of the parish for
twenty years in vain.
"It was the day of that unfortunate incident at the country club,
Natalie."
Natalie colored.
"Accident, rather than incident."
"How is the poor child?"
"He is quite well again," Natalie said impatiently "I can not understand
the amount of fuss every one makes over the boy. He ran in front of
where Graham was driving and got what he probably deserved."
"I understand Clayton has given him a position."
"He has made him an office boy."
"How like dear Clayton!" breathed Mrs. Haverford, and counted the honors
as hers. But she had not come to quarrel. She had had, indeed, a frankly
benevolent purpose in coming, and she proceeded to carry it out at once.
"I do think, my dear," she said, "that some one ought to tell Audrey
Valentine the stories that are going about."
"What has she been doing?" Natalie asked, with her cool smile. "There is
always some story about Audrey, isn't there?"
"Do you mean to say you haven't heard?"
"I don't hear much gossip."
Mrs. Haverford let that pass.
"You know how rabid she has been about the war. Well, the story is," she
went on, with a certain unction, "that she has driven Chris to enlisting
in the Foreign Legion, or something. Anyhow, he sailed from Halifax last
week."
Natalie straightened in her chair.
"Are you certain?"
"It's town talk, my dear. Doctor Haverford spoke to Clayton about it
some days ago. He rather gathered Clayton already knew."
That, too, was like dear Clayton, Natalie reflected bitterly. He had
told her nothing. In her heart she added secretiveness to the long list
of Clayton's deficiencies toward her.
"Personally, I imagine they were heavily in debt," Mrs. Haverford went
on. "They had been living beyond their means, of course. I like Mrs.
Valentine, but I do think, to drive a man to his death, or what may be
his death--"
"I don't believe it. I don't believe he went to fight, anyway. He was
probably in some sort of a scrape."
"She has sold her house."
Natalie's impulse of sympathy toward Audrey was drowned in her rising
indignation. That all this could happen and Audrey not let her know was
incredible.