He told her of his difficulties in finding some one to remove the body from
the vault to the undertaker's, of the delay in obtaining a private car,
gave her some idea of his disorganized life since they had parted, but made
no mention of Alexina Groome or Rincona. Then he politely asked her if she
had any new plans for the future. Nobody seemed to look forward to the same
old life.
Gora shrugged her shoulders with a movement expressive of irritation. "My
brother, who is engaged to Alexina Groome, insists that I give up this
lodging house."
"Oh, so they are engaged?" Gathbroke lit another cigarette, and his hand
did not tremble; he felt as if his nerves had been immersed in ice water
and frozen.
"Yes--marvelously. The family, as might be expected, is furious. But the
girl is mad about him and of age. She is just a foolish child and should be
locked up. My brother is not in the least what she imagines him. She wrote
me a letter. Good heaven! One would think she had captured the prince of
a fairy tale, or the hero of an old romantic novel. There should be a
law prohibiting girls from marrying before they are twenty-two at
least....However, the thing is done. And my brother is terribly afraid
they'll find out that I keep a lodging house. He's given them to understand
we both board here. They are prime snobs and so is he. I never dreamed it
was in him until he began to go about in society, but then you never
know what is in anybody.
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