Chapter 14 - Page 2

rude?" he said, turning upon his wife. "What objection have you
to my singing duets with Miss Wylie?"

"Nice language that!" said Jane. "I never said I objected; and
you have no right to drag her away to the piano just when she is
going to write a letter for me."

"I do not wish Miss Wylie to do anything except what pleases her
best. It seems to me that writing letters to your tradespeople
cannot be a very pleasant occupation."

"Pray don't mind me," said Agatha. "It is not the least trouble
to me. I used to write all Jane's letters for her at school.
Suppose I write the letter first, and then we can have the duet.
You will not mind waiting five minutes?"

"I can wait as long as you please, of course. But it seems such
an absurd abuse of your good nature that I cannot help protest!"

"Oh, let it wait!" exclaimed Jane. "Such a ridiculous fuss to
make about asking Agatha to write a letter, just because you
happen to want her to play you your duets! I am certain she is
heartily sick and tired of them."

Agatha, to escape the altercation, went to the library and wrote
the letter. When she returned to the drawing-room, she found no
one there; but Sir Charles came in presently.

"I am so sorry, Miss Wylie," he said, as he opened the piano for
her, "that you should be incommoded because my wife is silly
enough to be jealous."

"Jealous!"

"Of course. Idiocy!"

"Oh, you are mistaken," said Agatha, incredulously. "How could
she possibly be jealous of me?"

"She is jealous of everybody and everything," he replied
bitterly, "and she cares for nobody and for nothing. You do not
know what I have to endure sometimes from her."

Agatha thought her most discreet course was to sit down
immediately and begin "I would that my love." Whilst she played
and sang, she thought over what Sir Charles had just let slip.
She had found him a pleasant companion, light-hearted, fond of
music and fun, polite and considerate, appreciative of her
talents, quick-witted without being oppressively clever, and, as
a married man, disinterested in his attentions. But it now
occurred to her that perhaps they had been a good deal together
of late.

Sir Charles had by this time wandered from his part into hers;
and he now recalled her to the music by stopping to ask whether
he was right. Knowing by experience what his difficulty was
likely to be, she gave him his note and went on. They had not
been singing long when Jane came back and sat down, expressing a
hope that her presence would not disturb them. It did disturb
them. Agatha suspected that she had come there to watch them, and
Sir Charles knew it. Besides, Lady Brandon, even when her mind
was