The Green Mummy - Page 23/191

"But I may be doing him an injustice," said Archie, when he was

explaining his fears to Miss Kendal on the third day after the dinner

party. "After all, the Professor is a gentleman, and will probably hold

to the bargain which he has made."

"I don't care whether he does or not," cried Lucy, who had a fine color

and a certain amount of fire in her eyes. "I am not going to be bought

and sold to forward these nasty scientific schemes. My father can say

what he likes and do what he likes, but I marry you--to-morrow if you

like."

"That's just it," said Archie, flushing, "we can't marry."

"Why?" she asked, much astonished.

Hope looked at the ground and drew patterns with his cane-point in the

sand. They were seated in the hot sunshine--for the Indian summer still

continued--under a moldering brick wall, which ran around the most

delightful of kitchen gardens. This was situated at the back of the

Pyramids, and contained a multiplicity of pot herbs and fruit trees and

vegetables. It resembled the Fairy Garden in Madame D'Alnoy's story

of The White Cat, and in the autumn yielded a plentiful crop of

fine-flavored fruit. But now the trees were bare and the garden looked

somewhat forlorn for lack of greenery. But in spite of the lateness of

the season, Lucy often brought a book to read under the glowing wall,

and there ripened like a peach in the warm sunshine. On this occasion

she brought Archie into the old-world garden, as he had hinted at

confidences. And the time had come to speak plainly, as Hope began to

think that he had not treated Lucy quite fairly in hiding from her his

momentarily embarrassed position.

"Why can't we marry at once?" asked Lucy, seeing that her lover held his

peace and looked confused.

Hope did not reply directly. "I had better release you from your

engagement," he said haltingly.

"Oh!" Lucy's nostrils dilated and she threw back her head scornfully.

"And the other woman's name?"

"There is no other woman. I love you and you only. But--money."

"What about money? You have your income!"

"Oh yes--that is sure, small as it is. But I have incurred debts on

behalf of an uncle and his family. These have embarrassed me for the

moment, and so I cannot see my way to marrying you for at least six

months, Lucy." He caught her hand. "I feel ashamed of myself that I

did not tell you of this before. But I feared to lose you. Yet, on

reflection, I see that it is dishonorable to keep you in the dark, and

if you think that I have behaved badly--"

"Well, I do in a way," she interrupted quickly, "as your silence was

quite unnecessary. Don't treat me as a doll, my dear. I wish to share

your troubles as well as your joys. Come, tell me all about it."