His amiable anxiety on behalf of Miss Kendal was only cut short by the
entrance of the young lady herself. Professor Braddock then showed his
hand too plainly by evincing a strong wish to conciliate her in every
way. He procured her a seat: he asked after her health: he told her that
she was growing prettier every day, and in all ways behaved so unlike
his usual self, that Lucy became alarmed and thought that he had been
drinking.
"Why have you sent for me?" she asked, anxious to come to the point.
"Aha!" Braddock put his venerable head on one side like a roguish bird
and smiled in an infantine manner. "I have good news for you."
"About the mummy?" she demanded innocently.
"No, about flesh and blood, which you prefer. Sir Frank Random has
arrived back at the Fort. There!"
"I know that," was Miss Kendal's unexpected reply. "His yacht came to
Pierside on the same afternoon as The Diver arrived."
"Oh, indeed!" said the Professor, struck by the coincidence, and with a
stare. "How do you know?"
"Archie met Sir Frank the other day, and learned as much."
"What?" Braddock struck a tragic attitude. "Do you mean to say that
those two young men speak to one another?"
"Yes. Why not? They are friends."
"Oh!" Braddock became roguish again. "I fancied they were lovers of a
certain young lady who is in this room."
By this time Lucy was beginning to guess what her step-father was aiming
at, and grew correspondingly angry.
"Archie is my sole lover now," she remarked stiffly. "Sir Frank knows
that we are engaged and is quite ready to be the friend of us both."
"And he calls that love. Idiot!" cried the Professor, much disgusted.
"But I would point out to you, Lucy--and I do so because of my deep
affection for you, dear child--that Sir Frank is wealthy."
"So is Archie--in my love."
"Nonsense! nonsense! That is mere foolish romance, He has no money."
"You should not say that. Archie had money to the extent of one thousand
pounds, which he gave you."
"One thousand pounds: a mere nothing. Consider, Lucy, that if you marry
Random you will have a title."
Miss Kendal, whose patience was getting exhausted, stamped a very neat
boot.
"I don't know why you talk in this way, father."
"I wish to see you happy."
"Then your wish is granted: you do see me happy. But I won't be happy
long if you keep bothering me to marry a man I don't care two straws
about. I am going to be Mrs. Hope, so there."
"My dear child," said the Professor, who always became paternal when
most obstinate, "I have reason to believe that the green mummy can be
discovered and poor Sidney's death avenged if a reward of five hundred
pounds is offered. If Hope can give me that money--"