The Claverings eBook

As the interview was becoming unpleasant, Lady Ongar took her candle and went away to bed, leaving the twenty pounds on the table.  As she left the room she knew that the money was there, but she could not bring herself to pick it up and restore it to her pocket.  It was improbable, she thought, that Madam Gordeloup would leave it to the mercy of the waiters; and the chances were that the notes would go into the pocket for which they were intended.

And such was the result.  Sophie, when she was left alone, got up from her seat, and stood for some moments on the rug, making her calculations.  That Lady Ongar should be very angry about Count Pateroff’s presence Sophie had expected; but she had not expected that her friend’s anger would be carried to such extremity that she would pronounce a sentence of banishment for life.  But, perhaps, after all, it might be well for Sophie herself that such sentence should be carried out.  This fool of a woman with her income, her park, and her rank, was going to give herself—­so said Sophie to herself—­to a young, handsome, proud, pig of a fellow—­so Sophie called him—­who had already shown himself to be Sophie’s enemy, and who would certainly find no place for Sophie Gordeloup within his house.  Might it not be well that the quarrel should be consummated now—­such compensation being obtained as might possibly be extracted.  Sophie certainly knew a good deal, which it might be for the convenience of the future husband to keep dark—­or convenient for the future wife that the future husband should not know.  Terms might be yet had, although Lady Ongar had refused to pay anything beyond that trumpery twenty pounds.  Terms might be had; or, indeed, it might be that Lady Ongar herself, when her anger was over, might sue for a reconciliation.  Or Sophie—­and this idea occurred as Sophie herself became a little despondent after long calculation—­Sophie herself might acknowledge herself to be wrong, begging pardon, and weeping on her friend’s neck.  Perhaps it might be worth while to make some further calculation in bed.  Then Sophie, softly drawing the notes toward her as a cat might have done, and hiding them somewhere about her person, also went to her room.

Chapter XXXIV

Vain Repentance

In the morning Lady Ongar prepared herself for starting at eight o’clock, and, as a part of that preparation, had her breakfast brought to her upstairs.  When the time was up, she descended to the sitting-room on the way to the carriage, and there she found Sophie, also prepared for a journey.

“I am going too.  You will let me go?” said Sophie.

“Certainly,” said Lady Ongar.  “I proposed to you to do so yesterday.”

“You should not be so hard upon your poor friend,” said Sophie.  This was said in the bearing of Lady Ongar’s maid and of two waiters, and Lady Ongar made no reply to it.  When they were in the carriage together, the maid being then stowed away in a dickey or rumble behind, Sophie again whined and was repentant.  “Julie, you should not be so hard upon your poor Sophie.”