第91章

It showed him that she was at any rate prepared to take a part in the joint work of their life.But, nevertheless, she should be spared for the moment.'When there is trouble, you shall be told everything,' he said, pressing his lips to her brow; 'but there is nothing that need trouble you yet.' He smiled as he said this, but there was something in the tone of his voice which told her that there would be trouble.

When he was in Paris he received a letter from Parker, to whom he had been obliged to entrust a running address, but from whom he had enforced a promise that there should be no letter-writing unless under very pressing circumstances.The circumstances had not been pressing.The letter contained only one paragraph of any importance, and that was due to what Lopez tried to regard as fidgety cowardice on the part of his ally.'Please to bear in mind that I can't and won't arrange for the bills for 1,500pounds due on 3rd of February.' That was the paragraph.Who had asked him to arrange for these bills? And yet Lopez was well aware that he intended poor Sexty should 'arrange' for them in the event of his failure to make arrangements with Mr Wharton.

At last he was quite unable to let the fortnight pass by without beginning the lessons which his wife had to learn.As for the first intention as to driving his cares out of his own mind for that time, he had long since abandoned even the attempt.It was necessary to him that a reasonable sum of money should be extracted from the father-in-law, at any rate before the end of January, and a week or even a day might be of importance.They had hurried on southwards from Paris, and before the end of the first week had passed over the Simplon, and were at a pleasant inn on the shores of the Como.Everything in their travels had been as yet delightful to Emily.This man, of whom she knew in truth so little, had certain good gifts,--gifts of intellect, gifts of temper, gifts of voice and manner and outward appearance,--which had hitherto satisfied her.A husband who is also an eager lover must be delightful to a young bride.And hitherto no lover could have been more tender than Lopez.Every word and every act, every look and every touch, had been loving.

Had she known the world better she might have felt, perhaps, that something was expected where so much was given.Perhaps a rougher manner, with some little touch of marital self-assertion, might be a safer commencement of married life,--safer to the wife as coming from her husband.Arthur Fletcher by this time would have asked her to bring him his slippers, taking infinite pride in having his little behests obeyed by so sweet a servitor.

That also would have been pleasant to her had her heart in the first instance followed his image; but now also the idolatry of Ferdinand Lopez had been very pleasant.

But the moment for the first lesson had come.'Your father has not written to you since you started?' he said.

'Not a line.He has not known our address.He is never very good at letter-writing.I did write to him from Paris, and Iscribbled a few words to Everett yesterday.'

'It is very odd that he should never have written to me.'

'Did you expect him to write?'

'To tell you the truth, I rather did.Not that I should have dreamed of his corresponding with me had he spoken to me on a certain subject.But as, on that subject, he never opened his mouth to me, I almost thought he would write.'

'Do you mean about money?' she asked in a very low voice.

'Well;--yes; I do mean about money.Things hitherto have gone so very strangely between us.Sit down, dear, till we have a real domestic talk.'

'Tell me everything,' she said as she nestled herself close to his side.

'You know how it was at first between him and me.He objected to me violently,--I mean openly, to my face.But he based his objection solely on my nationality,--nationality and blood.As to my condition in the world, fortune, or income, he never asked a word.That was strange.'

'I suppose he thought he knew.'

'He could not have thought he knew, dearest.But it was not for me to force the subject upon him.You can see that.'

'I am sure whatever you did was right, Ferdinand.'

'He is indisputably a rich man,--one who might be supposed to be able and willing to give an only daughter a considerable fortune.

Now I certainly had never thought of marrying for money.' Here she rubbed her face upon his arm.'I felt that it was not for me to speak of money.If he chose to be reticent, I could be so equally.Had he asked me, I should have told him that I had no fortune, but was making a large though precarious income.It would then be for him to declare what he intended to do.That would, I think, have been preferable.As it is we are all in doubt.In my position a knowledge of what your father intends to do would be most valuable to me.'

'Should you not ask him?'

'I believe there has always been a perfect confidence between you and him?'

'Certainly,--as to all our ways of living.But he never said a word to me about money in his life.'

'And yet, my darling, money is most important.'

'Of course it is.I know that, Ferdinand.'

'Would you mind asking?' She did not answer him at once, but sat thinking.And he also paused before he went on with his lesson.

But, in order that the lesson should be efficacious, it would be so well that he should tell her as much as he could even at this first lecture.'To tell you the truth, this is quite essential to me at present,--very much more than I had thought it would be when we fixed the day for our marriage.' Her mind within her recoiled at this, though she was very careful that he should not feel any such motion in her body.'My business is precarious.'

'What is your business, Ferdinand?' Poor girl! That she should have been allowed to marry a man, and than have to ask him such a question!