Then, with a sigh, she picked up her
skirts with her right hand, and took Tavernake's arm.
"Do you mind walking home?" she asked. "My head aches."
Tavernake looked for a moment wistfully across the road toward
the Milan Court. Beatrice's hand, however, only held his arm the
tighter.
"I am going to make you come with me every step of the way," she
declared, "so you can just as well make the best of it.
Afterwards--"
"What about afterwards?" he interrupted.
"Afterwards," she continued, with decision, "you are to go
straight home!"
CHAPTER XXI
SOME EXCELLENT ADVICE
Tavernake, in response to a somewhat urgent message, walked into
his solicitor's office almost as soon as they opened on the
following morning. The junior partner of the firm, who took an
interest in him, and was anxious, indeed, to invest a small
amount in the Marston Rise Building Company, received him
cordially but with some concern.
"Look here, Tavernake," he said, "I thought I'd better write a
line and ask you to come down. You haven't forgotten, have you,
that our option of purchase lasts only three days longer?"
Tavernake nodded.
"Well, what of it?" he asked.
"It's just as well that you should understand the situation," the
lawyer continued. "Your old people are hard upon our heels in
this matter, and there will be no chance of any extension--not
even for an hour. Mr. Dowling has already put in an offer a
thousand pounds better than yours; I heard that incidentally
yesterday afternoon; so you may be sure that the second your
option has legally expired, the thing will be off altogether so
far as you're concerned.
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