As he went, I caught sight of a slight figure, a pair of jealous,
worshipping eyes. Poor Strathay had seen the incident; had perhaps
thought--
I took pains to be cordial to him, when he had made his way with Poultney
to my side; and to Mr. Poultney, too; though I don't like him much better
than Cadge does, with his cold eyes and his thin smile, that seems to say:
"Hope you find my schoolboy entertaining."
An Earl is always entertaining!
Yet I ran away from him. I left the tea early. I wanted to think. All the
way home in the carriage I marshalled arguments in his favour. I saw
myself at court, throned in my brilliant circle, flattered by princes,
consulted by statesmen, the ornament of a society I am fitted to adorn. I
saw a world of jealous women at my feet and Ned convinced that I had been
playing with him. I even rehearsed the scene we should enact when Strathay
should speak; I foresaw the flush upon his face, the sparkle of his eyes
when I should tell him that I would try to love him.
He must have slipped his cousin's leash, for he was at the Nicaragua
almost as soon as I was. But there at home, with the boy's eyes fixed on
mine, with the tremour of his voice telling me how much he cared, I
couldn't listen.
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