Thelma. A society novel

Book II

(Continued. ,) THE LAND OF MOCKERY. 40 VOL. THELMA.

CHAPTER VII.

" A generous fierceness dwells with innocence, And conscious virtue is allowed some pride." Drtden. The melancholy days of autumn came on apace, and by-and-by the Manor was deserted. The Bruce-Errington establishment removed again to town, where business, connected with his intend ing membership for Parliament, occupied Sir Philip from morning till night. The old insidious feeling of depression returned and hovered over Thelma's mind like a black bird of ill omen, and though she did her best to shake it off she could not succeed. People began to notice her deepening seriousness and the wistful melancholy of her blue eyes, and made their remarks thereon when they saw her at Marcia Yan Clupp's wedding, an event which came off brilliantly at the commencement of November, and which was almost entirely presided over by THELMA.

Mrs. Rush-Marvelle. That far-seeing matron had indeed urged on the wedding by every delicate expedient possible. " Long engagements are a great mistake," she told Marcia, — then, in a warning undertone she added, " Men are capricious nowadays, — they're all so much in demand, — better take Masher ville while he's in the humour." Marcia accepted this hint and took him, — and Mrs. Rush-Marvelle heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the twain safely married and off to the Continent on their honeymoon-trip, — Marcia all sparkling and triumphant, — Lord Algy tremulous and feebly ecstatic. " Thank Heaven that's over ! " she said to her polite and servile husband. " I never had such a troublesome business in my life ! That girl's been nearly two seasons on my bands, and I think five hundred guineas not a bit too much for all I've done."

" Not a bit — not a bit ! " agreed Mr. Marvelle warmly. " Have they — have they " here he put on a most benevolent side-look — " quite settled with you, my dear ? " " Every penny," replied Mrs. Marvelle calmly. " Old Van Clupp paid me the last hundred this morning. And poor Mrs. Van Clupp is so very grateful ! " She sighed placidly, and appeared to meditate. Then she smiled sweetly and, approaching Mr. Marvelle, patted his shoulder caressingly. " I think we'll do the Italian lakes, dear — what do you say ? " " Charming — charming ! " declared, not her lord and master, but her slave and vassal. " Nothing could be more delightful ! " And to the Italian lakes accordingly they went. A great many people were out of town, — all who bad leisure and money enough to liberate themselves from the approaching evils of an Eng lish winter, had departed or were departing, — Beau Lovelace had gone to Como, — George Lorimer had returned with Duprez to Paris, and Thelma had very few visitors except Lady Winsleigh, who was more often with her now than ever.

In fact, her ladyship was more like one of the Errington household than anything else, — she came so fre quently and stayed so long. She seemed sincerely attached to Thelma, — and Thelma herself, too single-hearted and simple to imagine that such affection could be feigned, gave her in return, what Lady Winsleigh had never succeeded in winning from any woman, — a pure, trusting, and utterly unsuspecting love, such as she would have lavished on a twin-born sister. But there was one person who was not deceived by Lady Wins leigh's charm of manner, and grace of speech. This was Britta. Her keen eyes flashed a sort of unuttered defiance into her ladyship's beautiful, dark languishing ones — she distrusted her, and viewed the intimacy between her and the "Froken" THELMA. with entire disfavour. Once she ventured to ex press something of her feeling on the matter to Thelma— but Thelma had looked so gently wondering and reproachful that Britta bad not courage to go on.

"I am so sorry, Britta," said her mistress, " that you do not like Lady Winsleigh— because I am very fond of her. You must try to like her for my sake." But Britta pursed her lips and shook her head obstinately. However, she said no more at the time, and decided within herself to wait and watch the course of events. And in the meantime she became very intimate with Lady Winsleigh's maid, Louise Re'naud, and Briggs, and learned from these two domestic authorities many things which greatly tormented and puzzled her little brain, — things over which she pondered deeply without arriving at any satisfactory conclusion. On her return to town, Thelma had been in expressibly shocked at the changed appearance of her husband's secretary, Edward Neville. At first she scarcely knew him, he had altered so greatly.

Always inclined to stoop, bis shoulders were now bent as by the added weight of twenty years — his hair, once only grizzled, was now quite grey — his face was deeply sunken and pale, and his eyes by contrast looked large and wild, as though some haunting thought were driving him to madness. He shrank so nervously from her gaze, that she began to fancy he must have taken some dislike to her, — and though she delicately refrained from pressing questions upon him per sonally, she spoke to her husband about him, with real solicitude. " Is Mr. Neville working too hard ? " she asked one day. " He looks very ill." Her remark seemed to embarrass Philip, — he coloured and seemed confused. " Does he ? Oh, I suppose he sleeps badly. Yes, I remember, he told me so. You see, the loss of his wife has always preyed on his mind — he never loses hope of — of — that is — he is always trying to — you know ! — to get her back again."

" But do you think he will ever find her ? " asked Thelma. " I thought you said it was a hopeless case ? " " Well — I thinkso, certainly — but, you see, it's no good dashing his hopes — one never knows — she might turn up any day — it's a sort of chance ! " " I wish I could help him to search for her," she said compassionately. " His eyes do look so full of sorrow," she paused and added musingly, " almost like Sigurd's eyes sometimes." " Oh, he's not losing his wits," said Philip hastily, " he's quite patient, and — and all that sort of thing. Don't bother about him, Thelma, he's all right ! " And he fumbled hastily with some papers, and began to talk of something else. His embarrassed THELMA. manner caused her to wonder a little at the time as to the reason of it, — but she had many other things to think about, and she soon forgot a conversation that might have proved a small guiding-link in the chain of events that were soon about to follow quickly one upon another, shaking her life to its very foundation.

Lady Winsleigh found it almost impossible to get her on the subject of the burlesque actress, Yiolet Yere, and Sir Philip's supposed admiration for that notorious stage-siren. " I do not believe it," she said firmly, " and you — you must not believe it either, Clara. For wherever you heard it, it is wrong. We should dishonour Philip by such a thought — you are his friend, and I am his wife — we are not the ones to believe anything against him, even if it could be proved — and there are no proofs." My dear," responded her ladyship easilv. " You can get proofs for yourself if you like. For instance, ask Sir Philip how often he has seen Miss Yere lately, — and hear what he says." Thelma coloured deeply. " I would not question my husband on such a subject," she said proudly. " Oh well ! if you are so fastidious !

" And Lady Winsleigh shrugged her shoulders. " I am not fastidious," returned Thelma. " only I do wish to be worthy of his love, — and I should not be so if I doubted him. No, Clara, I will trust him to the end." Clara Winsleigh drew nearer to her, and took her hand. " Even if he were unfaithful to you ? " she asked in a low, impressive tone. " Unfaithful ! " Thelma uttered the word with a little cry. " Clara, dear Clara, you must not say such a word ! Unfaithful ! That means that my husband would love some one more than me ! — ah ! that is impossible ! " "Suppose it were possible?" persisted Lady Winsleigh, with a cruel light in her dark eyes. " Such things have been ! " Thelma stood motionless, a deeply mournful expression on her fair, pale face. She seemed to think for a moment, then she spoke.

" I would never believe it ! " she said solemnly. " Never, unless I heard it from his own lips, or saw it in his own writing, that he was weary of me, and wanted me no more." " And then ? " " Then " — she drew a quick breath — " I should know what to do. But, Clara, you must under stand me well, even if this were so, I should never blame him — no — not once ! " " Not blame him ? " cried Lady Winsleigh impatiently. " Not blame him for infidelity ? " A deep blush swept over her face at the hated word, " infidelity," but she answered steadily — " No. Because, yousee, it would be my fault, not his. When you hold a flower in your hand THELMA. for a long time, till all its fragrance has gone, and you drop it because it no longer smells sweetly — you are not to blame — it is natural you should wish to have something fresh and fragrant, — it is the flower's fault because it could not keep its scent long enough to please you.

Now, if Philip were to love me no longer, I should be like that flower, and how would he be to blame ? He would be good as ever, but I — I should have ceased to seem pleasant to him — that is all ! " She put this strange view of the case quite calmly, as if it were the only solution to the question. Lady Winsleigh heard her, half in contemptuous amusement, half in dismay. " What can I do with such a woman as this," she thought. " And fancy Lennie imagining for a moment that he could have any power over her ! " Aloud, she said — " Thelma, you're the oddest creature going — a regular heathen child from Norway ! You've set up your husband as an idol, and you're always on your knees before him. It's awfully sweet of you, but it's quite absurd, all the same. Angelic wives always get the worst of it, and so you'll see !

Haven't you heard that ? " " Yes, I have heard it," she answered, smiling a little. " But only since I came to London. In Norway, it is taught to women that to be patient and obedient, is best for every one. It is not so here. But I am not an angelic wife, Clara, aud so the 'worst of it' will not apply to me. Indeed, I do not know of any ' worst ' that I would not bear for Philip's sake." Lady Winsleigh studied the lovely face, eloquent with love and truth, for some moments in silence ; — a kind of compunction pricked her con science. Why destroy all that beautiful faith ? Why wound that grandly trusting nature ? The feeling was but momentary. " Philip does run after the Vere," sbe said to herself — " it's true, there's no mistake about it, and she ought to know of it. But she won't believe without proofs — what proofs can I get, I wonder ?

" And her scheming brain set to work to solve this problem. In justice to her, it must be admitted, she had a good deal of seeming truth on her side. Sir Philip's name had somehow got connected with that of the leading actress at the Brilliant, and more people than Lady Winsleigh began to make jocose whispering comments on his stage " amour" — com ments behind his back, which he was totally un aware of. Nobody knew quite how the rumour had first been started. Sir Francis Lennox seemed to know a good deal about it, and he was an "intimate"' of the " Vere " magic circle of attraction. And though they talked, no one ventured to say anything to Sir Philip himself ; — the only two among his friends who would have spoken out honestly were Beau Lovelace and Lorimer, and these were absent. THELMA.

One evening, contrary to his usual custom, Sir Philip went out after the late dinner. Before leaving, he kissed his wife tenderly, and told her on no account to sit up for him — he and Neville were e-oingr to attend to a little matter of business which might detain them longer than they could calculate. After they had gone, Thelma resigned herself to a lonely evening, and, stirring the fire in the drawing-room to a cheerful blaze, she sat down beside it. First, she amused herself by reading over some letters recently received from her father, — and then, yielding to a sudden fancy, she drew her spinning-wheel from the corner where it always stood, and set it in motion. She had little time for spinning now, but she never quite gave it up, and as the low, familiar whirring sound hummed pleasantly on her ears, she smiled, thinking how quaint and almost incongruous her simple implement of industry looked among all the luxurious furniture and costly nick-nacks by which she was surrounded.

" I ought to have one of my old gowns on," she half murmured, glancing down at the pale-blue silk robe she wore, — " I am too fine to spin ! " And she almost laughed as the wheel flew round swiftly under her graceful manipulations. Listening to its whirr, whirr, whirr, she scarcely heard a sudden knock at the street-door, and was quite startled when the servant, Morris, announced — " Sir Francis Lennox ! " Surprised, she rose from her seat at the spin ning-wheel with a slight air of hauteur. Sir Francis, who had never in his life seen a lady of title and fashion in London engaged in the primitive occupation of spinning, was entirely delighted with the picture before him, — the tall, lovely woman with her gold hair and shimmering blue draperies, standing with such stateliness beside the simple wooden wheel, the antique emblem of household industry.

Instinctively he thought of Marguerite ; — but Marguerite as a crowned queen, superior to all temptations of either man or fiend. " Sir Philip is out," she said, as she suffered him to take her hand. " So I was aware ! " returned Lennox easily. " I saw him a little while ago at the door of the Brilliant Theatre." She turned very pale, — then controlling the rapid beating of her heart by a strong effort, she forced a careless smile, and said bravely — " Did you ? I am very glad — for he will have some amusement there, perhaps, and that will do him good. He has been working so hard ! " She paused. He said nothing, and she went on more cheerfully still — " Is it not a very dismal, wet evening ! Yes ! — and you must be cold. Will you have some tea ? " THELMA. " Tha-anks ! " drawled Sir Francis, staring at her admiringly.

" If it's not too much trouble " " Oh no ! " said Thelma, " Why should it be ? " And she rang the bell and gave the order. Sir Francis sank lazily back in an easy chair, and stroked his moustache slowly. He knew that his random hit about the theatre had struck home, — but she allowed the arrow to pierce and possibly wound her heart without showing any outward sign of discomposure. " A plucky woman ! " he considered, and wondered how he should make his next move. She, meanwhile, smiled at him frankly, and gave a light twirl to her spinning wheel. " You see ! " she said, " I was amusing myself this evening by imagining that 1 was once more at home in Norway." " Pray don't let me interrupt the amusement," he responded, with a sleepy look of satisfaction shooting from beneath his eyelids. *l Go on spin ning, Lady Errington ! . . .

I've never seen any one spin before." At that moment Morris appeared with the tea, and handed it to Sir Francis, — Thelma took none, and as the servant retired, she quietly resumed her occupation. There was a short silence, onlv broken by the hum of the wheel. Sir Francis sipped his tea with a meditative air, and studied the fair woman before him as critically as he would have studied a picture. " I hope I'm not in your way ? " he asked suddenly. She looked up surprised. " Oh no — only I am sorry Philip is not here to talk to you. It would be so much pleasanter." "Would it?" he murmured rather dubiously and smiling. " Well — I shall be quite contented if you will talk to me, Lady Errington ! " " Ah, but I am not at all clever in conversation," responded Thelma quite seriously. " I am sure you, as well as many others, must have noticed that.

I never do seem to say exactly the right thing to please everybody. Is it not very unfortunate ? " He laughed a little. " I have yet to learn in what way you do not please everybody," he said, dropping his voice to a low, caressing cadence. " Who, that sees you, does not admire — and — and love you ? " She met his languorous gaze without embar rassment, — while the childlike openness of her regard confused and slightly shamed him. " Admire me ? Oh yes ! " she said somewhat plaintively. " It is that of which I am so weary ! Because God has made one pleasant in form and face, — to be stared at and whispered about, and have all one's dresses copied ! — all that is so small and common and mean, and does vex me so much ! " " It is the penalty you pay for being beautiful," said Sir Francis slowly, wondering within himself THELMA. at the extraordinary incongruity of a feminine creature who was actually tired of admiration.

She made no reply — the wheel went round faster than before. Presently Lennox set aside his emptied cup, and drawing his chair a little closer to hers, asked — " When does Errington return ? " " I cannot tell you," she answered. " He said that he might be late. Mr. Neville is with him." There was another silence. " Lady Erring ton," said Sir Francis abruptly — " pray excuse me — I speak as a friend, and in your interests, — -how long is this to last ? " The wheel stopped. She raised her eyes, — they were grave and steady. " I do not understand you," she returned quietly. " What is it that you mean ? " He hesitated — then went on, with lowered eyelids and a half-smile. " I mean — what all our set's talking about — Errington's queer fancy for that actress at the Brilliant." Thelma still gazed at him fixedly.

" It is a mistake," she said resolutely, " altogether a mis take. And as you are his friend, Sir Francis, you will please contradict this report — which is wrong, and may do Philip harm. It has no truth in it at all " " No truth ! " exclaimed Lennox. " It's true as Gospel! Lady Errington, I'm sorry for it — ■ but your husband is deceiving you most shame fully ! " " How dare you say such a thing ! " she cried, springing upright and facing him. — then she stopped and grew very pale — but she kept her eyes upon him. How bright they were ! What a chilling pride glittered in their sea-blue depths ! " You are in error," she said coldly. " If it is wrong to visit this theatre you speak of, why are you so often seen there — and why is not some harm said of you ? It is not your place to speak against my husband.

It is shameful and treache rous ! You do forget yourself most wickedly ! " And she moved to leave the room. But Sir Francis interposed. " Lady Errington," he said very gently, " don't be hard upon me— pray forgive me ! Of course I've no business to speak — but how can I help it ? When I hear every one at the clubs discussing you, and pitying you, it's impossible to listen quite unmoved ! I'm the least among your friends, I know, — but I can't bear this sort of thing to go on, — the whole affair will be dished up in the society papers next ! " And he paced the room half impatiently, — a very well-feigned expression of friendly concern and sympathy on his features. Thelma stood motionless, a little bewildered — her head throbbed achingly, and there was a sick sensation of numb ness creeping about her.

VOL. 111. THELMA. " I tell you it is all wrong ! " she repeated with an effort. " I do not understand why these people at the clubs should talk of me, or pity me. I do not need any pity ! My husband is all good ness and truth," — she stopped and gathered courage as she went on. " Yes ! he is better, braver, nobler than all other men in the world, it seems to me ! He gives me all the joy of my life — each day and night I thank God for the blessing of his love ! " She paused again. Sir Francis turned and looked at her steadily. A sudden thought seemed to strike her, for she advanced eagerly, a sweet colour flushing the pallor of her skin. " You can do so much for me if you will ! " she said, laying her hand on his arm. " You can tell all these people who talk so foolishly that they are wrong, — tell them how happy I am !

And that my Philip has never deceived me in any matter, great or small ! " " Never ? " be asked with a slight sneer. " You are sure ? " " Sure! " she answered bravely. " He would keep nothing from me that it was necessary or good for me to know. And I — oh ! I might pass all my life in striving to please him, and yet I should never, never be worthy of all his tenderness and goodness! And that he goes many times to a theatre without me — what is it ? A mere nothing— a trifle to laugh at! It is not needful to tell me of such a small circum stance ! " As she spoke she smiled — her form seemed to dilate with a sort of inner confidence and rapture. Sir Francis stared at her half shamed, — half savage. The beautiful, appealing face, bright with simple trust, roused him to no sort of manly respect or forbearance, — the very touch of the blossom-white hand she had laid so innocently on his arm, stung his passion as with a lash, — as he had said, he was fond of hunting — he had chased the unconscious deer all through the summer, and now that it had turned to bay with such pitiful mildness and sweet pleading, why not draw the knife across its slim throat without mercy ?

" Really, Lady Errington ! " he said at last sarcastically. " Your wifely enthusiasm and con fidence are indeed charming ! But, unfortunately, the proofs are all against you. Truth is truth, however much you may wish to blind your eyes to its manifestations. I sincerely wish Sir Philip were present to hear your eloquent praises of him, instead of being where he most undoubtedly is, — in the arms of Violet Vere ! " As he said these words she started away from him and put her hands to her ears as though to shut out some discordant sound — her eyes glowed feverishly. A cold shiver shook her from head to foot. " That is false — false ! " she muttered in a THELMA. low, choked voice. " How can you — how dare you ? She ceased, and with a swaying, bewildered movement, as though she were blind, she fell senseless at his feet.

In one second he was kneeling beside her. He raised her head on his arm, — he gazed eagerly on her fair, still features. A dark contraction of his brows showed that his thoughts were not alto gether righteous ones. Suddenly he laid her down again gently, and, springing to the door, locked it. Returning, he once more lifted her in a half-reclining position, and encircling her with his arms, drew her close to his breast and kissed her. He was in no hurry for her to recover — she looked very beautiful — she was helpless — she was in his power. The silvery ting-ting of the clock on the mantel-piece striking eleven, startled him a little — he listened painfully — he thought he heard some one trying the handle of the door he had locked. Again — again he kissed those pale, un conscious lips ! Presently, a slight shiver ran through her frame — she sighed, and a little moan escaped her.

Gradually, as warmth and sensation returned to her, she felt the pressure of bis em brace, and murmured — ■ " Philip ! Darling, — you have come back earlier, — I thought " Here she opened her eyes and met those of Sir Francis, who was eagerly bending over her. She I 21 uttered an exclamation of alarm, and strove to rise. He held her still more closely. " Thelma — dear, dearest Thelma ! Let me comfort you, — let me tell you how much I love vou!" And before she could divine his intent, he pressed his lips passionately on her pale cheek. With a cry she tore herself violently from his arms and sprang to her feet, trembling in every limb. " What — what is this ? " she exclaimed wrath sully. " Are you mad ? " And still weak and confused from her recent attack of faintness, she pushed back her hair from her brows and regarded him with a sort of puzzled horror.

He flushed deeply, and set his lips hard. " I dare say I am," he answered, with a bitter laugh ; " in fact, I know I am ! You see, I've betrayed my miserable secret. Will you forgive me, Lady Errington— Thelma ? " He drew nearer to her, and his eyes darkened with restrained passion. " Matchless beauty ! — adorable woman, as you are ! — will you not pardon my crime, if crime it be — the crime of loving you ? For I do love you ! — Heaven only knows how utterly and desperately ! " She stood mute, white, almost rigid, with that strange look of horror frozen, as it were, upon her features. Emboldened by her silence, he THELMA. approached and caught her hand, — she wrenched it from his grasp and motioned him from her with a gesture of such royal contempt that he quailed before her. All suddenly the flood-gates of her speech were loosened, — the rising tide of burning indignation that in its very force had held her dumb and motionless, now broke forth unre strainedly.

" 0 God ! " she cried impetuously, a magnificent glory of disdain flashing in her jewel-like eyes, "what thing is this that calls itself a man ? — this thief of honour, — this pretended friend ? What have I done, sir, that you should put such deep disgrace as your so-called love upon me ? — what have I seemed, that you thus dare to outrage me by the pollution of your touch ? I, — the wife of the noblest gentleman in the land ! Ah ! " and she drew a long breath — " and it is you who speak against my husband — you ! " She smiled scorn fully, — then with more calmness continued — " You will leave my house, sir, at once ! . . . and never presume to enter it again ! " And she stepped towards the bell. He looked at her with an evil leer. " Stop a moment ! " he said coolly. " Just one moment before you ring.

Pray consider ! The servant cannot possibly enter, as the door is locked." " You dared to lock the door ! " she exclaimed, a sudden fear chilling her heart as she remembered similar mauœuvres on the part of the Reverend Mr. Dyceworthy — then another thought crossed her mind, and she began to retreat towards a large painted panel of " Venus "disporting among cupids and dolphins in the sea. Sir Francis sprang to her side, and caught her arm in an iron grip — his face was aflame with baffled spite and vindictive ness. " Yes, I dared ! " he muttered with triumphant malice. " And I dared do more than that ! You lay unconscious in my arms, — you beautiful, be witching Thelma, and I kissed you— ay ! fifty times ! You can never undo those kisses ! You can never forget that my lips, as well as your husband's, have rested on yours — I have had that much joy that shall never be taken away from me !