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"But Lady Tancred is young and comes with us!" "And I will take care of her," announced Lord Elterton, looking sentimental much to Tristram's disgust. Ethelrida seemed to have collected a lot of rotters, he thought to himself, although it was the same party he had so enjoyed last year!
"Both," said Lord Elterton, and looked down so devotedly into her eyes that the old Duke, who was near, with Laura, thought it was quite time the young man's innings should be over! So he joined them. "Come with me, Zara, while I show you some of Tristram's ancestors on his mother's side." And he placed her arm in his gallantly, and led her away to the most interesting pictures.
Do men know love?" she asked, not with any bitterness only as a question of fact. What had Tristram been about? Lord Elterton thought. Here he had been married to this divine creature for a whole week, and she was plainly asking the question from her heart. And Tristram was no fool in a general way, he knew. There was some mystery here, but whatever it was there was the more chance for him!
And Zara, thankful to divert her mind, went with him willingly, and soon found herself standing in front of an immense canvas given by the Regent, of himself, to the Duke's grandfather, one of his great friends. "I have been watching you all through dinner," Lord Elterton said, "and you looked like a beautiful storm: your dress the gray clouds, and your eyes the thunder ones threatening."
Jimmy was to drive the donkey-cart, with Lady Betty, to take all the food. The only thing they permitted was that the pots and pans and the wood for the fire might be sent on. And they were all so gay and looked so charming and suitably clad, in their rough, short, tweed frocks. Zara, who walked demurely by Lord Elterton, had never seen anything of the sort.
Yes, with certain modifications of classes and races men were all perfectly untrustworthy, if not brutes, and a woman, if she could relax her vigilance, as regards the defense of her person and virtue, could not afford to unbend a fraction as to her emotions! And all the time she was thinking this out she was silent, and Lord Elterton watched her, thrilled with the attraction of the unobtainable.
"Now if I were married," Lord Elterton went on, "I would try to make my wife so happy, and would love her so much she would never give me cause to be jealous." "Love!" said Zara. "How you talk of love and what does it mean? Gratification to oneself, or to the loved person?"
He had never before seen her so smiling, to begin with, and never at all at himself. He longed to kick Arthur Elterton! Confounded impertinence! And what tommyrot dancing like this, in the afternoon with boots on!
"I was thinking " she said, and then she paused for a suitable lie but none came, so she grew confused, and stopped, and hesitated, and then she blurted out, "I was thinking was it possible there could ever be any one whom one could believe?" Lord Elterton looked at her. What a strange woman!
Zara walked by the Crow, who was not shooting at all. She was wearied with Lord Elterton; wearied with every one. The Crow was sententious and amused her, and did not expect her to talk. "You have never seen your husband shoot yet, I expect, Lady Tancred, have you?" he asked her; and when she said, "No," he went on, "Because you must watch him. He is a very fine shot."
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