Page:The Climber (Benson).djvu/116

106 "So bless you, dear," she said. "I'm a little cramped with sitting."

A voice came from the bathing-tent.

"The time, please, Catherine?" it said.

Aunt Cathie fished up the warming-pan watch.

"Just on twelve," she called back.

There was a short pause, and Elizabeth appeared at the tent-door.

"Then Lucia will be wanting the tent," she observed, "and I have just got into my stitch."

"Get into it again," said Cathie.

Aunt Elizabeth moved a little away.

"I had no intention of interrupting," she said. "If I sit in the shadow of the tent at the far side, I trust I shall disturb nobody."

There was a short pause in the conversation of the others.

"What hole did you help her out of?" asked Maud at length. "Lucia hasn't told me, I think."

"Well then, dear, I mustn't," said Cathie. "It's Lucia's secret. I can only tell you she left cards, mine and Elizabeth's, too, on somebody one shouldn't have thought of calling on."

"Do you mean the person wasn't respectable?" asked Maud.

"Good gracious, no! We weren't, so to speak. So I said I had done it, because he came to call on us, without our having called, so far as Elizabeth knew. Don't ask me more. Change the subject. It's Lucia's and my secret. You're not in it this time. Ha! We're rivals. I've won."

Aunt Cathie gave vent to an extraordinary sort of crow, of which the intention was humorous, but which had a serious foundation. She rejoiced that Lucia had not told Maud their secret, and could not help crowing. Lucia had told her what she had not told to her best friend. It was true that she had told Aunt Cathie about it (and had made no secret of that) because Aunt Cathie could help her. But in this hour of triumph that was forgotten. Then the dear old soul, still pining for love and affection, laid a hand on Maud's arm.

"Old folks are greedy," she said. "Can't you tell me something you haven't told Lucia? I should chuckle over Lucia, too, then!"

Maud sat up and devoted a few moments to honest reflection.

"I can't think of anything," she said. "I think I have told Lucia all I have to tell. I'm so sorry."