Fair Margaret - Page 73/206

Mrs. Rushmore would not be thrown off the scent.

'My dear,' she said severely, 'he proposed to you on that bench. Don't

deny it.' 'Good gracious!' exclaimed Margaret, taken by surprise.

'Don't deny it,' repeated Mrs. Rushmore.

'I had only met him once before to-day,' said Margaret.

'It's all the same,' retorted Mrs. Rushmore with an approach to

asperity. 'He proposed to you. Don't deny it. I say, don't deny it.' 'I haven't denied it,' answered Margaret. 'I only hoped that you had

not noticed anything. He must be perfectly mad. Why in the world should

he want to marry me?' 'All Greeks,' said Mrs. Rushmore, 'are very designing.' Margaret smiled at the expression.

'I should have said that Monsieur Logotheti was hasty,' she answered.

'My dear,' said Mrs. Rushmore with conviction, 'this man is an

adventurer. You may say what you like, he is an adventurer. I am sure

that ruby he wears is worth at least twenty thousand dollars. You may

say what you like; I am sure of it.' 'But I don't say anything,' Margaret protested. 'I daresay it is.' 'I know it is,' retorted Mrs. Rushmore with cold emphasis. 'What

business has a man to wear such jewellery? He's an adventurer, and

nothing else.' 'He's one of the richest men in Paris for all that,' observed Margaret.

'There!' exclaimed Mrs. Rushmore. 'Now you're defending him! I told you

so!' 'I don't quite see----' 'Of course not. You're much too young to understand such things. The

wretch has designs on you. I don't care what you say, my dear, he has

designs.' In Mrs. Rushmore's estimation she could say nothing worse of any human

being than that.

'What sort of "designs"?' inquired Margaret, somewhat amused.

'In the first place, he wants to marry you. You admit that he does.

My dear Margaret, it's bad enough that you should talk in your

cold-blooded way of going on the stage, but that you should ever marry

a Greek! Good heavens, child! What do you think I am made of? And then

you ask me what designs the man has. It's not to be believed!' 'I must be very dull,' said Margaret in a patient tone, 'but I don't

understand.' 'I do,' retorted Mrs. Rushmore with severity, 'and that's enough!

Wasn't I your dear mother's best friend? Haven't I been a good friend

to you?' 'Indeed you have!' cried Margaret very gratefully.

'Well then,' explained Mrs. Rushmore, 'I don't see that there is

anything more to be said. It follows that the man is either an agent of

that wicked old Alvah Moon----' 'Why?' asked Margaret, opening her eyes.