A Heart-Song of To-day (Disturbed by Fire from the 'Unruly Member'): A Novel
mouse excusing herself to her cavalier, flew softly to a cloak-room;
it was only a minute, and the cloak enveloped _la petite_; when, with
hood drawn well over the forehead, and the satin-dressed feet pushed
into over-boots, she is off. Quickly she sped in and out among the
trees, the wind blowing her cloak open, giving her the appearance in
the shadow of a white-breasted bird on the wing, now flying, now
resting in the shade, to listen for the footsteps of her expected
companion when within a stone's throw of the cottage she stood.
"He's too utterly mean for anything; I see I shall have to bribe him
every time," she thought; "but here he comes; I'll give him a fright,"
and throwing her cloak off, though chilled, she hid in the shadow and
waited; but, no; it is not the expected, but Delrose flying, as we
have seen him, to speak to his man.
"What's to pay now? I'll step in and hide, and not pad my ears either;
he's expected too, I see, for the parlour is lit up."
In a moment Everly is forgotten in her loved game of detective. First,
under the window where she was almost discovered by Delrose (as we are
aware), next, the back door is entered, housemaid and small boy at the
Hall, no one sees her enter, Ellen's loud breathing covering her
footstep; in a few seconds she is in a pantry between dining-room and
parlour. Here she heard every word that passed between them, master
and man.
"The plot thickens, you bet; what a lovely time I am having, and what
a thunder and lightning wretch the Major is; I don't suppose I can
save those poor people, they have got ahead of me this time, in more
ways than one," murmured wee Blanche, now leaving the cottage, only
having given the others time to be out of sight. Half way to the Hall
she meets the tardy little Everly, to whom Mrs. Forester had said,
"What's up, Sir Tilton? you're as absent as a hound that's lost the
scent; you are all cut up, your eyes are Miss Vernon's, your
personality is the sofa's, away and find yourself, you're too tame for
me, and send me Major Delrose."
"How awfully late you are," exclaimed Blanche, breathlessly, "here
give me your arm."
"I regret what has been unavoidable, so many men buttonholed me" (he
did not say they were duns).
"All right, Baronet, we havn't time to talk much, I'm out of breath,
but I am going to have that show tonight."
"Oh! Blanche, I do wish you would wait, say even for a day or two,"
implored small Everly.
"Well, I guess perhaps I will," she said cunningly, not meaning to
defer her intention for even an hour, "but you must do something for
me then."
"Anything, anything," he cried eagerly.
"That's all O.K.; first, I must have surgeon Strange from the village
double quick."
"Why, you are not ill! if so, Sir Andrew Clarke is--"
"I know he is at the Hall; don't interrupt me, he is too big a man for
what I want; you must send one of the servants for Strange; I know he
is to come to the ball, but if he hasn't come, fetch him right along;
next, you are to be too awfully sweet for anything to Mrs. Haughton."
"Oh! Blanche, not too pronounced. I owe half the men money and want to
keep in the back ground."
"I'll pay them all off to-morrow."
"Well, I suppose I must; first, you want Strange, but you don't seem
ill, too bad if you have to miss the dance."
"Oh, he'll fix me up in no time; there, _ta-ta_, you go that way to
the stables; mind, right along to me, that will fetch him."
And the wee innocent-faced this time, white mouse is in the salons
quicker than it takes to tell it, even though she had first paid a
flying visit to the apartments of Mrs. Haughton. "Wonder if the
Colonel will dream on the cake, or take to tragedy," was her mental
ejaculation on what she saw there.
Just as she entered the drawing-rooms, Trevalyon, who had evidently
had a word with Delrose, judging from the look of defiance on the face
of the latter as he left his side, now walked up to Colonel Haughton,
seated at the end of the rooms beside Lady Esmondet, with whom he had
been conversing earnestly, and said:
"Haughton, dear friend, kindly ask your guests to give me their
attention for a few minutes."
On the Colonel complying with his request, Trevalyon meanwhile
glancing at the gems of art around him; behind him in a niche stood a
statue of Venus smiling down upon the blind god who had been making a
target of her breast in which were many arrows. Vaura giving him
strength by being so near, what woman whom Lionel Trevalyon would
love, but would be near him. Ah! heaven, thou hast given such bliss to
a few of us, as makes us long for immortality.
But Lionel is about to speak; looking around him, a settled purpose in
his handsome face, he said in his musical voice:
"One could not, even in one's dreams, picture a fairer garden of
society's flowers as listeners, while one tells of a plot nourished by
the sting of its wasp, and smiles of its beauteous butterflies; each
of our plots has its name, you all know the name of your last, you
have given it to the _News_ and _Truth_, and have designated it
'Trevalyon's hidden wife;' while I have come to the conclusion that,
here and now, I shall introduce the wife you have given me; her
_entree_ and recital of how you have come to give her to me will be as
fragrant spice to your dish of small talk, as you tread a measure in
yonder ball-room."
On Trevalyon speaking of his purpose to introduce his 'hidden wife,'
Delrose, who seemed to have lost all control over himself, with
muttered oath, left Mrs. Forester's side, and, with rapid strides,
went down the room and seated himself behind a small sofa on which
were seated Mrs. Haughton and Lord Rivers, seeming too comfortable,
Delrose thought; overhearing Rivers say lazily, "I wish we lived in
Utah," pressing the hand concealed in the folds of scarlet satin.
"I wonder how Lady Rivers would like me; as the last, the dearest
one," had said Madame, her white teeth showing.
Lord Rivers gave her a side-long glance.
"There'd be the devil to pay," said Delrose, savagely, as he sank
heavily into the chair behind them; folding his arms on the back of
their sofa, and between them, and leaning forward.
"You look black enough to be his dun," said Lord Rivers, carelessly.
As Sir Lionel ceased speaking, a lady, in the garb of a cloistered
nun, and closely veiled, had entered with slow, uncertain step; Sir
Andrew Clarke, stepping forward, offered a seat, saying, "Allow me;
you seem about to faint."
"No; I thank you," she said hurriedly, "I feel quite well again, with
the exception of a slight dizziness."
But in a moment, Trevalyon is beside her, whose arm she quietly takes,
while he led her up the long drawing rooms, the _cynosure_ of all
eyes, giving her at the head of the room, an easy chair. At the first
sound of the voice of the nun, Delrose had started violently,
muttering,
"By thunder, her voice, but no! not from behind a nun's veil."
"Unveil the statue, Delrose," whispered Lord Rivers; for society was
watching and listening with itching ears for more, and a pinfall could
have been heard.
"Unveil her, she'll let you, if she have any charms to show," he
continued lazily.
"My dear boy, do keep quiet; or perhaps you'd like to run away till
the farce is over," said Madame, caressingly, for she has a _penchant_
for the peer beside her; he is a new distraction and will amuse her
until she can secure a _tete-a-tete_ with the man who has some rare
fascination for her, as Lionel Trevalyon has for many. But no, Delrose
will not stir from beside the woman who has magnetised him for years.
And as he keeps his position, he mentally curses Lord Rivers for his
temporary monopoly of her.
Trevalyon had stepped over to Vaura on pretence, or with the excuse of
borrowing her fan for the nun, he not feeling strong enough to wait
any longer for a pressure of the hand; as she turned her exquisite
face upwards, oh, the torture that he could not take her to his heart;
but, his "hidden wife," and all the eyes. But he managed while, as if
learning how to open the fan and while the attention of Chancer was
momentarily engaged, to whisper, "oh darling, this ordeal is too much,
why did I not fly away with you."
"My own darling," was all her eyes and lips could silently frame. But
his hand brushed her arm, and with a sweet pain from heart to heart,
he went from her side strengthened for the fight.
"Shall I introduce you, sister, to Mrs. Haughton and a few of my
personal friends?"
"Not so, Sir Lionel, I thank you; I am dead to the world and am only
here to perform a duty; the hearing of names would stir sad memories
in my heart and unfit me for my task," and motioning him to bend down
towards her, she said in tones only heard by him:
"Your kind heart requires sympathy; go and stay near that lovely lady
you spoke to just now."
"I shall, and shall be near you also."
And though by this time half a dozen men had grouped themselves about
the beauty, he got into a corner behind her, where, when they spoke,
her breath fanned his cheek, or in turning, the soft bronze of her
hair brushed his face.
The nun now standing up, spoke in quick, nervous tones, as follows:
"You all know why I am here; an odd figure truly in such a scene. I
have been one of you, so know exactly how out of place is one in my
garb, where all is gold lace and revelry. I regret to have detained
you, but you gentlemen will not mind when beauty and grace are so
near; and you ladies will not tire, as curiosity, your strongest trait
(pardon, I, too, am a woman) is about to be gratified in my words.
Vanity has been my curse, and even now it hurts me to humiliate myself
to you all, so much so, that, though I pity a man who has wrongfully
suffered condemnation through me for many years, I would not exonerate
him were it not at the command of the church. Twelve years ago I was a
young bride, and with my husband, an officer high in rank in our army,
was at London. I was called pretty; I know I was worldly, foolish and
vain. My husband, a very superior man (as I see men now), might have
done something with me had I submitted to his guidance, but I was but
seventeen, if that is any excuse for my wickedness. The officers of
our regiment were as gay as their kind. I thought them all in love
with me; I know men well enough since to be aware that their love was
winged, and lighted where fancy willed, and _pour passer le temps_. My
own fickle fancy," and her voice faltered, "was held by two men,
antipodes each of the other; the one fair as an angel of day, who, had
he bid me to his arms, ah well' though I shame to tell you, his will
would have only been my wish."
Here Delrose's face grew black as he muttered, "there, too."
"The other man, dark as a storm-tossed sky, bewitched me also, and he
did will that I should be wholly his, and conquered; I, at last,
giving him my whole heart, and passionately loving him and him alone."
Here the slight figure swayed and would have fallen, but Vaura and
others were beside her; in a moment she again stood erect, waving them
away saying: "'Tis the weakness of the flesh; but let me do my poor
weak nature justice, I could conquer my feelings better, but that the
wine I drank on entering after my journey, and to nerve me to my task,
was drugged."--sensation--"but to my penance; I consented to leave my
husband, and with the man of whom I last spoke; on pretence of
visiting friends, I went to Paris; my lover obtaining leave of absence
at the same time for himself, and with deep cunning, inducing his
brother officer to do likewise; for though unlike, still, both as gay
society men and of the same regiment, were a good deal together.
The one honourable, the other, as I have found him to my sorrow.