The Fascinating Miss Lamarche. ([A novel.] New edition.)

Front matter

THE FASCINATING MISS LAMARCHE. EXTRACTS FROM PRESS NOTICES OF THE PREVIOUS CLOTH EDITION. The " Saturday Review" says : "We cordially recommend the history of Miss Lizzie Lamarche." The "Morning Post" says: "There is a brightness in the writer's manner that will ensure the perusal of his tale." The "Sporting" Times" Says: "An exceptionally interesting and clever story. It is quite out of the beaten track, and cannot fail to interest everyone with even a tinge of sporting in his or her composition." The "Literary World" says: " Cleverly put together, the situations are exciting." The " Liverpool Courier " says : " A capital novel." The "British Journal of Commerce" says: "A better description of the life of our jeunesse doree it would be hard to find." The "National Observer" says: "The interest is sustained throughout."

The " Bristol Mercury " says : " The story is an exceptionally clever one, and it is a long time since we have seen a work by an unknown writer of a quarter the power." Publishers' Circular : " Mr. Fernival's story is well told 4fr. o o MV [NEW EDITION.] THE FASCINATING MISS LAMARCHE BY C. C. FERN1VAL. LONDON : A. P. MARSDEN, 27> SOUTHAMPTON STREET, COVENT GARDEN, W.C. iS94- CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I. How Captain Lackin took a wife ... i II. Lord Doverdale comes to dinner ... n III. The debut of Miss Lamarche 25 IV. Captain Lackin's great inheritance ... 34 V. Introduces Mr. Crighton 49 VI. Lady Doverdale consults Lord Caerlyon ... ... ... ... 62 VII. A walk to Rocketer Hill 72 VIII. An afternoon's tennis and a day's shooting ... ... 85 IX. Major Mordaunt visits Doverdale Park 99 X. What must be done about Jones? ... vi contents.

CHAP. page XI. The Statuette 121 XII. Lord Doverdale comes of age ... 129 XIII. War-Horse the hideous 138 XIV. George Holloway patronises his young friend ... ... ... 150 XV. An interview with the family solicitor ... ... ... ... ... 161 XVI. Mr. Ninian Gosselyne plays patience ... ... ... ... 175 XVII. Mr. Cutler of New York 187 XVIII. At the opera ... ... ... ... 199 X IX. Captain Lackin explains matters to Mr. Cutler ... ... ... 210 XX. Startling news from Epsom... ... 221 XXI. How Mr. Vanshekel tried to make things safe... ... ... ... 233 XXIL The result of the Derby and Oaks... ... ... ... ... CONTENTS. chap. PAGE XXIII. Serving Mr. Vanshekel as he ought to be served ... ... ... 257 XXIV. The Doverdale Park cricket week... ... 272 XXV. " My mother never had a daughter" 286 XXVI. The mad gentleman in the summer-house ... 297 XXVII. The course of untrue love ran smooth 309 XXVIII. Everybody happy

Chapter I

When p-?tty Lizzie Lamarche (nee Marsh), the chorus singer at the Arcadia Theatre, entered into the bonds of holy matrimony with the dashing Captain Gustavus Lackin, she was thought by her friends to have done very well for herself. Captain Lackin was young, Captain Lickin was not bad looking, and Captain Lackin was rich ; that is to say, Captain Lackin spent lots of money and stood treat freely. It is true some fastidious persons might have called the loud-voiced, self-assertive, over dressed individual in question a snob ; that they might have hinted that a complexion so suspiciously rubicund did not quite suggest the steady habits desirable in " Benedict the married man." They might, moreover, have remarked that the Captain's lineage was obscure, and that the Army List did not contain his name, and none could have contradicted them.

But what of this? At that period of her existence, Lizzie Marsh and her friends were not fastidious, and such excellent authorities as billiard-markers, cabmen, and all the noble army of hangers-on about the theatre were unanimous in pro nouncing the Captain to be " a real gentleman " ; whilst Mr. De Boulay, the manager, told her that she was a deuced lucky girl to have hooked so great a swell. Now Captain Lackin, at the time of his marriage, though a snob, was not exactly a bad sort of fellow in his way ; he be longed to that unfortunate class who are designated " no- B body's enemies but their own." Not a man of any quixo tically high sense of honour, he played the game of life fairly according to his lights ; he would not have thought twice about selling a worthless horse to a friend for double its value, nor of utilising the possession of a bit of stable information by laying heavily against a " stiff 'un " ; but he would not have cheated at cards, nor concocted a Turf robbery.

Neither was the Captain a drunkard ; it is true that he habitually indulged in a considerable amount of stimulant, but the occasions on which he passed the actual bounds of sobriety were comparatively rare ; for his health was still sound, and he carried his liquor well. The only son of a country attorney, whose practice lay among a humble class of clients, Gustavus Lackin's extra vagances, during his father's life, had been confined to a little surreptitious billiard playing, and a bet or two on the principal events on the Turf. His father had encouraged his joining the local volunteers, and as the old man, though generally close enough in money matters, had for reasons of policy been very liberal to the corps, it was not un natural that the son of so generous a benefactor should speedily rise to the rank of Lieutenant ; an officer who does not mind putting his hand in his pocket being a desideratum among our citizen soldiery.

Hence it arose that Jem the billiard-marker, and Tom the ostler, took to addressing young Lackin as " Captain " ; and " once a Captain always a Captain " being a fixed rule with such gentry, Captain Lackin he remained till the end of the chapter. When the paternal Lackin was gathered to his fathers, the restraint on his hopeful son was removed. Finding himself possessed of a capital little short of twenty thousand pounds, invested in safe securities, the young man decided to cut the shop and enjoy life ; and as his income, which he always talked of as a thousand a year did not quite attain to eight hundred, a sum hardly sufficient to cut a dash upon, the Captain decided to utilise the talents he considered himself to possess, and double the amount by judicious betting on the Turf. Lackin, as has been previously mentioned, had tried his prentice hand at the game, and with great success ; he was singularly lucky.

The large topaz breast-pin that habitually adorned his manly bosom was the trophy of his astuteness, it having been purchased when an outlay of two halfcrowns on Persepolis for the Chester Cup had been rewarded by a cheque for ten pounds, minus expenses, after the sensational victory of that fortunate outsider. It is unnecessary to follow Captain Lackin through the whole of his Turf career. Beginning by being the owner of a few weeds, barely good enough to run second or third at small leather-flapping meetings, he had gradually enlarged the sphere of his operations. Convinced that bad horses did not pay, he went in for a bigger game, and though a considerable portion of the old attorney's hoard had gone before his object was attained, he found himself, at the time of his marriage the owner of racehorses whose names were household words.

Yet, for all this, the duplication of the fortune had not been achieved. Though apparently fairly successful, still, one thing with another, every year showed a diminution of the capital account; so when, emboldened by love and champagne, the Captain offered his hand and his heart to the fair Miss Lamarche, he made it understood that the immediate fulfilment of his promise must be contingent on Clytemnestra winning the Middle Park Plate. The fates proved propitious, for not only did that excellent filly win the stake in question, but next year she carried off the One Thousand Guineas, and the Oaks as well, thereby enabling the Captain, who had backed her heavily for both events, to land the best haul he had made in his racing career. The capital account, which had sunk so low that but few available assets remained besides the stud, now presented a most favourable appearance, and Captain Lackin invested much of his winnings in the purchase of the charming little bijou residence in St. John's Wood which he had occupied as tenant since his marriage.

This property he settled on his wife. The villa was furnished and decorated in the most elegant style, by the most fashionable west-end tradesmen, who vied with each other in their anxiety to receive orders from the successful sportsman. "We need not pay these fellows B till after the Leger," the Captain remarked to his bride; "they can quite well afford to wait till then." Perhaps they could ; they showed more desire for fresh custom than for ready cash. Of course when Captain Lackin made it a condition that his wife should retire from the stage she made no objection. There is not much interest in singing the inane words gener rally provided for the choruses of operas, and her solo per formances had, at this period, not extended beyond the utterance of single phrases, such as " The King ap proaches," or "What a rum old buffer?" sentences which, though grammatical and coherent, hardly admit of dramatic effect.

Music, in itself, she loved; she had a good voice and a correct ear, so her husband, glad to find an occupation for his bride during the times when he was away on the race-course, encouraged her to cultivate this talent, and busied himself in consulting his many theatrical friends on the subject of singing-masters. The choice ultimately fell on Mr. Devine, a gentleman who had been a favourite pupil of the leading instructor in Italy ; but who, having, by an unfortunate accident, lost his voice, had been obliged to abandon the lyric stage and take to teaching as a livelihood. Young, good-looking, of refined manners, and well instructed, Angelo Devine was already rising to the head of his profession ; and it was quite evident that all which was required to make him the teacher of the fashionable world, was that he should become a little older and take unto himself a wife.

In the earlier days of the St. John's Wood menage mat ters went swimmingly. The Captain was fond of society, and Mrs. Lackin's dinner and supper parties were charming. Theatrical friends dropped in after business was over, and the Captain's associates on the Turf were ever welcome. There was plenty of music for those who cared for it, and plenty of cards for those who cared for them. It is true that the bank account was not increasing ; Captain Lackin's luck at cards was not then as great as it afterwards became, and though Clytemnestra won a nice little stake at Ascot, and walked over for another at Goodwood, the success of the stable culminated at Epsom. Old Astracan, who was thought to be so well in for the Royal Hunt Cup, could get no nearer than third ; and the crack two-year-old, Mar mion, of whom great things were expected, did not run up to his form.

" He wants time," said Mr. Tampling, the trainer. He was not the only one who required that fleeting commodity, for before Doncaster, Captain Lackin also wanted time to pay his losses at the York Autumn Meet ing. The remark of the trainer about Marmion was not made to Captain Lackin himself; it was addressed to Major Mordaunt and Mr. Vanshekel, two gentlemen who had horses in Tampling's stable. This pair were allowed to know considerably more about the Captain's horses than the owner himself, who remained under the impression that the colt had shown himself to be soft-hearted and utterly deficient in stamina. The losses at York, following on those at Ascot and Goodwood, more than ran away with the cash at Lackin's immediate command. The embarrassment, however, was merely temporary, for the sum required was not very considerable.

The Captain, therefore, found no difficulty in inducing his friend Mr. Vanshekel to advance the money on his note of hand. " I will not decline to take security, nor will I refuse interest," said the financier in question, "as even between friends it is better that such matters should be carried out in a business-like manner ; but as I am not a Jew (he would have had good cause for an action for libel against his looking-glass if this statement was veracious), " five per cent, is as much as I could think of asking you, especially as you know how luck has smiled on me in your charming house." Now, however much Mr. Vanshekel may have lied about his ancestry, this latter statement was absolutely true — for tune had befriended him at the St. John's Wood villa. Too prudent to risk his reputation, such as it was, by making large coups, the wily Hebrew had gone on the principle of little, and good, and often.

Moreover, his best nights had invariably been those when, declining to play himself, on the ground that he could not lose a note of Mrs. Lackin's charming music, he had contented himself by backing the luck of other people. It might have been observed, had anyone noticed it, that he was not without his little superstitions, and always liked to get a pony on the rubber, one way or other, when Major Mordaunt, who doted on music, occupied his favourite place, the one nearest the pianoforte. The momentous Doncaster Meeting arrived. The tip sters unanimously agreed that the principal event was a mere gift for Clytemnestra. Had she not spread-eagled her field in the One Thousand, and won the Oaks with ever so much in hand ? What was to oppose her ? The winner of the Derby was not entered, the second in that race had gone amiss, and the third had, as Captain Lackin knew to his cost, been ignominously beaten at York by a colt but little above plating form.

Was there ever such a certainty? Yet, strange to say, there was always good money ready to lay against the favourite winning, or even getting a place, at a price considerably larger than these credentials seemed to warrant. The race itself it is unnecessary to describe ; suffice it to say that on the starter's flag being dropped, Clytemnestra, who up to that moment had been quiet as a lamb, began to dance a lively pas seul on her hind legs, and was left so far behind, that though her jockey, with laudable perseverance, tried to catch up the flying squadron in front, he could only succeed in securing the barren honour of the fourth place ; but even this was a wonderful performance, considering the ground lost at the start. The sporting press condoled deeply with Captain Lackin, "whose well-known integrity," so they put it, "entirely negatived the idea of any false play on his part."

They, moreover, proffered him the consolation that, as Clytem nestra had earned no penalty for the Cesarewitz or the Cambridgeshire, one or both of these events seemed to be at her mercy. The idea of future success was pleasant enough, but in the meantime, what was Lackin to do for ready money ? All the hard-earned savings of the old attorney were gone, and with the exception of the paternal mansion, mortgaged to nearly its full value, the whole available assets of the Captain were contained in the stable, and in the villa in St. John's Wood. The comfortable but unpretending residence of the old lawyer in Rotterborough had not been retained by his son for any sentimental reason, but simply because it was occupied by an old aunt of his, to whom he had, at the first blush of his prosperity, given a lease of the place for life at a nominal rent.

This old lady was considerate enough to die during the Doncaster week, but with the exception of the well-worn furniture in the house, she had but little to leave, as most of her means had consisted of an annuity. Still, five hundred pounds in consols was better than nothing, though there was, of course, the draw back that the cash would not be available till after the usual forms of probate, &c, had been gone through. When a man finds himself in pecuniary difficulty he naturally considers this question — To which of my friends shall I apply for advice and assistance ? To Lackin the answer was simple. Vanshekel had before proved a helper in time of need, and he might be willing to act the same part again ; besides which, it was necessary to explain to him that the repayment of the former loan must be post poned.

Mr. Vanshekel was fully prepared for the inter view, and had indeed laid all his plans in advance. At the outset he condoled with his friend on his misfortune, and offered, in the kindest way, to allow the matter of money between them to stand over indefinitely. When, however, the Captain broached the subject of further assistance, the tone of his adviser altered : " Look here, Lackin," said the counsellor, "to lend a trifle of money to a friend in temporary difficulty is one thing, to raise a sum sufficient to pay your losses over the meeting is another — the first was a pleasure, the second must be a matter of business. What security have you to offer ? What property have you left ? " The Captain hesitated for a moment, then replied : " I have just come into full possession of a house in Rotter borough, and inherited the sum of about five hundred pounds, which will be payed as soon as my aunt's will can be proved ; besides this, I have, as you know, the villa in St. John's Wood, and of course there are the horses ; but it would be folly to throw them on the market just now ; and, old fellow, I can certainly repay you when Clytemnestra wins the Cesarewitz."

"The property at Rotterborough," rejoined Vanshekci, who seemed wonderfully posted up in Lackin's affairs, " is worth little or nothing, beyond the mortgages, and you omitted to mention the fact that the villa in St. John's Wood is settled upon your wife ; the furniture, whatever it cost you, would not sell for more than five hundred pounds at the most ; your aunt's bequest will have to pay probate and legacy duty, and you require five thousand pounds by next Monday to prevent the disagreeable necessity of your being posted as a defaulter. That's about the long and short of it, isn't it ? I say nothing of outside debts, due to tradesmen, but they are not likely to be very accommodating under the circumstances, are they ? " " Yes, I suppose that's pretty near it," sighed the Captain. " I presume that the horses must go to the hammer, and I shall have to go through the bankruptcy court.

Yet, if you would assist me in any way to find the money, I could pay you back with interest when Clytemnestra wins the Cesarewitz, which is as great a certainty as ever the Leger appeared to be. Is it not a pity to throw away so glorious a chance? for if I have to be made a defaulter, all my splendid book will be useless. It is such a certainty." "That's just about it," replied the Jew, "but certainties do not always come off, except," he added with a grin, " certainties to lose — they do come off. The public will back Clytemnestra for pounds shillings and pence, like a flock of sheep ; why should not you take a little of the wool off their backs ? " "Well," said Lackin, despondingly, "you buy the filly and run her as you like ; I would as soon you had her as anyone else, as she must go. I have a character for straight ness that I should be sorry to lose, especially as it is about the only thing I have left."

" That is true," responded the Hebraic one, shrugging his shoulders and taking a puff at his cigar; "you still have a character, and it is at present perhaps your most valuable asset ; but like a fresh egg it will not improve by tbe keeping. For all your reputation you are not so deadly honest as a confiding public imagine. I know a little more about cards than you do, but you are beginning to learn. I have been pretty observant ; I noticed how freely you finessed against that young subaltern who showed you his hand when turning round to speak to your wife ; and I, as well as you, have discovered how curiously that old-fashioned mirror, the one, you know, Mrs. Lackin bought in Wardour Street, reflects. I found it out before you did, and so did Mor daunt, and a most valuable piece of furniture it has been to both of us."

" But," almost gasped Lackin, entirely taken aback, " it was not placed there with any idea of cheating ; its situation was a mere accident." " I know that," rejoined Vanshekel, smiling blandly, " but there it is, and there I hope it will remain if you accept my terms. I, and I alone, can see you through this difficulty, for no other man would advance the money on such security as you offer. I will find the pieces you so urgently require, but it must be on my own conditions. First, in order to protect myself, you, and Mrs. Lackin, against any uncon scionable creditor in the shape of a tradesman, I must have a bill of sale over the furniture of the villa. Secondly, I must also have a bill of sale over the entire stud, and the absolute management of the stable. I wish you to remain the nominal owner of the horses, for the public will trust you as they would not trust me.

You will continue to back Clytemnestra for the Cesarewitz, but it will be at such times, and for such sums, as I direct, and with what bookmakers I choose." ' In fact," groaned the Captain, " I am to be your slave ? " " Oh, no, my dear friend, do not put it in that way," said the tempter, in most mellifluous tones; "you are to be my ally, my confederate, my junior partner." "Yes, very junior indeed," muttered the Captain. " I'm sorry you don't like my offer," replied Vanshekel, with more hardness in his voice, " for it is the only one I can make you. I cannot but think that you will find its acceptance a mutual advantage. Remember I am running a considerable risk to oblige a friend." " But how would Tampling stand such an arrangement ? Surely he would never play any such games ; he has his character to depend upon," rejoined the unfortunate Cap tain, who was not really in his heart so much averse to turning rogue as he fancied.

" Leave Tampling and his character to me," replied Van shekel. " Do you suppose Tampling lost much over the Leger, or that I did either ? You may as well know, once for all, that Tampling is as much my slave, as you put it — confederate I prefer to call it — as you are. Ask him what his orders to Jones were, and tell him to show you his patent bridle. Honesty won't pay on the Turf, my boy, but the name for it will work wonders. I knew that you must find this out some day soon. Racing has never paid you yet, has it ? Now, under my wing, the coin will come in in piles, see if it doesn't. You have been pigeon long enough ; come out as a rook, for I want your assistance to pluck a fal young bird." "Meaning Doverdale?" said Lackin. " Exactly," replied the Hebrew.

Chapter II

While these affairs were going on in the racing world, it must not be supposed that the current of affairs had been running without interruption in St. John's Wood. It is therefore necessary to retrogress somewhat, and return to the time of Captain Lackin's short-lived prosperity. The early days of Mrs. Lackin's wedded life passed gaily enough. She did not love her husband with any romantic affection, but she liked him, and was pleased to find that, under her influence, the number of brandy-and-sodas was decreasing, and that, when his racing avocations did not call him away from London, the Captain had evidently begun to realise the words of the old song, " There's no place like home ! " Free-handed with his cash as he had always been, he liked his wife to amuse herself, and dress well ; so Lizzie, who in the days of her spinsterhood had felt the pinch of poverty, now ordered what she pleased, both for her own adornment and for the entertainment of the guests at her pleasant dinner-parties, regardless of con sideration of cost.

It must not, however, be supposed that the ex-chorus singer was actually of a spendthrift disposi tion ; hers was only the extravagance of ignorance, for she fully believed her husband's income to be amply sufficient to pay for all this luxury. This state of domestic bliss was not destined to be of long continuance. From Ascot, Lackin returned grumpy and out of temper, and though home influences exercised a softening effect, and seemed to bring him round to his former good humour, Lizzie could not fail to observe signs that the Captain had been helping himself freely from the brandy bottle again. Still nothing in the shape of a squabble had ever taken place between the husband and wife, and when the former started for Goodwood, he took leave of his spouse with apparent affection. Though Lizzie was aware that her husband had been unlucky at Ascot, no word of serious pecuniary difficulty had reached her ; the Cap tain was not a man to confide business matters to a woman.

It was, therefore, with a light heart that, after greeting her husband on his return from Goodwood, she laughingly said, " By-the-bye, Gustavus, you might as well give me some money, for I haven't a shilling in my pocket. I am a perfect pauper." " So am I," growled her husband, with an oath. " I haven't got any coin, and I don't expect any." " But, Gustavus, dear," replied the lady, with a slight pout, " we must have some money. There are all the tradesmen's books to pay ; besides, I promised Madame Requin to give her a cheque as soon as you returned to town ; she says she has a large account to make up." It is impossible to record the Captain's actual phrases ; suffice it to say that they were vulgar and profane, without any redeeming feature of wit or originality. His wife might not perhaps have so much minded the terms in which he anathematised Madame Requin, and the rest of the trades people — alas, she had heard such language before, during her theatrical career — but when he turned the rough side of his tongue to herself, and poured out a flood of invective against her folly and extravagance, she felt not only hurt, but wronged, and went off to her room to have a good cry.

Poor thing, it was a sad revelation to her. That the money she had thought so plentiful should be a delusion was but a momentary pang compared to the one she felt on dis covering that the husband whom she liked, and was almost beginning to love, could behave in such a blackguard manner without, as far as she could see, any provocation on her part. It is true that Mrs. Lackin had observed, with regret, that within the last few weeks the quantity and strength of the drinks had again increased, and she was also fully aware that her husband was not a good loser. She had heard him curse his luck after a bad run of cards, and knew that at times he garnished his conversation pretty liberally with expletives ; still, hitherto to her herself his tone had been always pleasant, and if he did use the " big, big D," it was in an impersonal manner, and generally associated with the word "it."

Now, however, it was coupled with the pronoun "you," which is a very different affair. She would have been more inclined to forgive the violence of her hus band's language had he been evidently drunk, but this was not the case ; he might have had a brandy-and-soda, possibly two, but intoxicated he was not. Lizzie Lackin, however, was a brave woman, and at eight o'clock that evening, as young Lord Doverdale offered his arm to take her into dinner, it would have been hard for anyone but a most intimate acquaintance to trace any sign of trouble or discomposure on her face. On the other hand, her husband looked sulky and ill at ease ; until, after the wine had been round once or twice, he brisked up, told some bad jokes in a loud tone of voice to Mr. Vanshekel, chaffed Major Mordaunt about his abstinence (that gentle man, by the doctor's orders, as he said, confining himself to non-intoxicating fluids), snubbed Mr. Devine, whom, as a mere singing-master, he considered socially beneath him, and addressed to Lord Doverdale such language of ful some flattery that the young nobleman blushed for very shame.