CHAPTER XXXIX
As she mounted the steps with Willie, Persis felt something of Forbes'
regret. She was a slave on the block, and the man she wanted for owner
was crowded from the mart.
"What did father have to say?" she asked, in a dull tone already
despairing.
"I--I--it wasn't very pleasant."
"Hand it to me."
"He said to break it to you gently."
"Well, speak up, Willie. Break it! For the Lord's sake, break it!"
"Sit down, won't you?" He led her to a bench in the temple. "I hardly
know where to begin."
"Begin at the ending."
"Well, you see, your poor governor--"
"Has lost all his money?"
"Well, yes--in a way."
"It's getting to be rather a habit with the poor old boy, isn't it? Is
he smashed up badly?"
"Pretty badly."
"The house in town and the country place will have to go?"
"I'm afraid so."
"The cars and the horses--my car, too?"
"Looks like it."
"Then I needn't worry about it's being a last year's model," she
laughed. Willie stared at her admiringly.
"Gad, but you're a good loser."
"I try to be; an easy winner, an easy loser. I'm awfully sorry for
father, though. Did you--did you tell him anything?"
"I told him we were engaged."
She shivered and mumbled, "What did he say to that?"
"He seemed immensely relieved. He said, 'God bless her.' His voice was
very faint, but I think that's what he said."
"Perhaps he said, 'God help her.'"
"Maybe he did," Willie sighed. "Anyway, we're to meet him in town
to-morrow."
He stared at her with hungry eyes, and his little lean fingers crept
toward the exquisite hand of hers that lay supine, relaxed, with
upturned fingers like the petals of an open rose. He took that flower in
his hands timidly. She looked down into his famished eyes and smiled
pitifully--perhaps a little for him, certainly for herself.
He overestimated the tenderness in her gaze and squeezed her fingers in
his. She winced and drew her hand away.
"I'm awfully sorry I hurt you," he said.
"It was this ring again," she explained, though she had not meant to say
the "again."
"My ring? Our ring?" he murmured, with such joy that her sportsmanship
compelled a last effort at playing fair.
"Under the circumstances," she said, "I think I'd better return it to
you--with thanks for the loan."
"I don't want it back!" he gasped. "I won't have it back."
"You didn't agree to marry a beggar."
"I want to marry you--just you," he pleaded. "The engagement stands."
"You're terribly polite, but I can't--not for charity."
"Charity--bosh!" he stormed. "I can't get along without you. You
couldn't get along without a lot of money, Persis. If--if you'll let the
engagement stand I'll put your father on his feet again. I'll--I'll do
anything."
"How put him on his feet? I thought he was smashed?"
"He went to Chicago to raise a lot of money. He couldn't. He's coming
back to face the music. It's a funeral march unless--unless--well, I
could take up his obligations. I don't understand it very well myself,
to say nothing of explaining it to you. But I've got a lot of money, and
money is what your father's enemies want. He'll be all right if he's
tided over the shallow places. So for my sake and your governor's, let
me announce the engagement."
"Think what people would say. It looks so hideously mercenary on my
part."
"We can prove that we were engaged before this thing threatened.
Everybody will have to confess it's a true love match on both sides.
Please, please, Persis! pretty please!"
She resigned herself to all the shames she foresaw, and sighed:
"All right, Willie, it will brace Dad up a bit."
"Is he the only one you think of?" Willie pouted. "Haven't you a word
of--of love for me?" He wrung her hands in his little claws again, and
they set her nerves on edge. She wanted to shriek her detestation of her
plight; but she controlled herself enough to keep down her feelings. She
could not, however, mimic love where she felt loathing--the best she
could do was to mumble:
"We can't very well play a love scene up here before everybody, can we?
I may feel more enthusiastic when I've had a bath and a change of
costume."
She broke from him and hurried down the steps. He overtook her half-way
to plead:
"Let me announce our engagement now--to the people here."
"Not now," she pleaded; "not here!" And she ran on. But he followed
chuckling. He had a great dramatic idea.