“Baby, too,” said Ferdy, shaking his head. “Bound to squall. They do. Very awkward, Sherry. Don’t know what you can do.”
“Well, for God’s sake let us have a little brandy!” said his lordship, striding over to the table and seizing the decanter.
It was some time before Hero came downstairs, but after about half an hour she put in an appearance, still wearing her silk and gauze ball dress, but with her jewels discarded and her curls a little ruffled. She came quickly into the room, a look of great distress in her face, and went towards Sherry with her hands held out, and saying impetuously: “Oh, Sherry, it is so shocking! She has told me the whole, and I never thought anyone could be so wicked! It is all too true! That dear little baby is indeed Sir Montagu’s own child, but he will not give poor Ruth a penny for its maintenance, no, nor even see Ruth! Oh, Sherry, how can such things be?”
“Yes, I know, Kitten. It’s devilish bad, but — but you have only the girl’s word for it, and I dare say, if we only knew — ”
“Might be a mistake,” explained Ferdy, anxious to be helpful.
She turned her large eyes towards him. “Oh no, Ferdy, there can be none indeed! You see, she told me everything! She is not a wicked girl — I am sure she is not! She is quite simple, and she did not know what she was doing!”
“They all say that,” said Mr Ringwood gloomily.
“How can you, Gil? I had not thought you would be so unjust!” Hero cried. “She is nothing but a country maid, and I can tell that her father is a very good sort of man — respectable, I mean, for no sooner did he discover the dreadful truth than he cast her out of his home, and will not have anything to say to her, which always seems to me shockingly cruel, though Cousin Jane says it is to be expected, because of the wages of sin, which comes in the Bible! Indeed, she is quite an innocent girl, for how could it be otherwise when she believed in Sir Montagu’s promise to marry her? Why, even I know better than that!”
Ferdy, who had been listening intently, said at this point: “Now, that’s a thing I wouldn’t do, Gil! One thing to seduce a girl — though, mind you, I think it’s a mistake, myself! Only leads to trouble, and the lord knows there are plenty of ladybirds on the town! — quite another to tell her you mean to marry her. Dash it, too smoky by half!”
Disregarding this interruption, Hero hurried on: “Sherry, she is in such distress! I do not know how she has survived, and if it had not been for a good natured woman who took pity on her, she must have died of starvation! But it seems that this woman is one of the fruit women at the Opera House, and perhaps Ruth ought not to stay with her, for I recall that you told me, Sherry, that those women — ”
“Yes, well, never mind that!” said Sherry hastily.
“Oh no! I remember you said I must not mention it! But the thing is that she took Ruth in, for Ruth came to London to find Sir Montagu, never dreaming that he would refuse even to see her! But he is the most heartless — Sherry, indeed I am sorry to speak so of a friend of yours, but it is beyond anything! To seduce this poor, ignorant girl — for that is what he did — !”
“Yes, but wait a moment, Kitten!” protested Sherry. “Where? I mean, if she is a simple country maid, as you say she is, I don’t see — ”
“It was when he was staying in Hertfordshire last winter. I did not know of it, but I dare say you will, Sherry: Ruth says he has an uncle who lives near Hitchin. And it seems he had gone down to stay with him for Christmas, and that is how he met Ruth.”
Mr Ringwood nodded. “That’s true enough, Sherry. Old Fortescue Revesby. Expectations,” he added darkly.
“I know all that!” Sherry said impatiently. “But what on earth should take him to seduce this wretched girl — ”
“Oh, I don’t know, Sherry!” interposed Ferdy fair-mindedly. “Pass the time away — devilish dull, I dare say!”
“Yes, that is what I think,” Hero agreed. “But how wicked, Ferdy! How heartless! How could he do so? He has ruined her for mere sport, for I don’t believe he ever cared for her in the least degree!”
“You know what?” suddenly said Ferdy, addressing himself to Mr Ringwood. “Couldn’t make out why it all sounds so dashed familiar! Got it now! Saw a piece at the Lyceum Theatre just like it. Father threw the girl out into the snow. Ruth’s father throw her into the snow, Kitten?”
“No, no — at least, I don’t know! But this is true, Ferdy!”
“Never heed Ferdy!” commanded the Viscount. “The thing is, Kitten, it ain’t our affair, and we can’t — ”
Under the wide, shocked gaze from Hero’s eyes he faltered, and cast a wild look towards Mr Ringwood for support.
Mr Ringwood did his best. “Sherry don’t care to have Revesby’s baby in his spare bedroom, Kitten. Can’t blame him: might keep him awake.”
“Oh no, but just for tonight — ! Sherry, you would not be so unkind as to turn the poor soul away at this hour of night! You could not!”
“No, I don’t say I’ll do that, but the thing is, Kitten — Dash it, what the devil does Monty mean by saddling me with his by-blow?” exclaimed Sherry, in accents of strong indignation.
“Now I come to think of it,” abruptly remarked Mr Fakenham, “it wasn’t the Lyceum. It was the Non-Pareil. I’ll think of the name of the piece in a minute.”
“I thought such things only happened in the theatre,” Hero said sorrowfully. “I did not know men could be so wicked!”
“Well, but Kitten, you don’t quite understand!” Sherry said desperately. “It sounds bad, but ten to one there’s another side to the story. These little affairs, you know — it don’t do to be talking of them, but — dash it, it’s the sort of thing that might happen to anyone!”
“Oh no!” Hero cried in a breaking voice, her eyes swimming in tears. “Not you, Sherry! Not you!”
“No, no — My God, I hope not!” said his lordship, with a sudden hair-raising vision of the scene which had taken place in King Street. He discovered that his cousin and Mr Ringwood, both much moved by Hero’s cry and look of anguish, were gazing at him reproachfully, and demanded in a voice of wrath: “What the devil are you looking like that for, the pair of you? I never seduced anyone in my life, I’ll have you know! What’s more, I’m not the sort of fellow to leave his bastards to starve in the gutter. I mean, I wouldn’t if I had any, but I haven’t — at least, if I have I never heard of them! Oh, the devil!”
His friends, greatly discomposed, at once begged pardon, Ferdy explaining that he had been momentarily carried away. The Viscount was seriously ruffled, but Mr Ringwood had the presence of mind to refill his glass, and Hero, holding one of his hands between both of hers, said: “Oh no, Sherry, I know you would not! And you will let me help this poor girl, will you not?”
“I suppose something will have to be done about her,” said his lordship. “Though I’m damned if I know what! I shall have to speak to Monty, but I can tell you I don’t like to do it, for it’s as plain as a pikestaff he don’t mean to own the child.”