Little Lady Lorraine. A novel

Chapter I. Ady Lorraine

sat in a corner of the ball-room, absently fanning herself. By her side reposed a fat, asthmatic old chaperon. In reality they had nothing whatever to do with each other, but Lady Lorraine had scraped up a sort of ball-room acquaintance with her for pro priety's sake, and because she was weary and wanted to be allowed to sit quiet. Lord Clieveden Avas occupied with some body at supper ; her cousin, Lady Mary, Avas busy dancing ; and Lady Lorraine hailed a few moments' rest Avith satisfaction. Lady Lorraine ! Avhat a pretty name ! Lady Lorraine Tremenheere ! it was her mother's fancy. Lorraine had been the name echoing through the old halls at home, clinging to the ivied towers, being shouted Avith childish glee among the bat tlements, and heard all day about the gar dens and terraces of that same dear old home in years gone by.

Lorraine had been the sunny child scampering wildly to and fro, filling the air with laughter, and hearts Avith gladness, scattering smiles broadcast, and snatching kisses unawares. " My dear ! my dear !" said the fat, asthmatic old chaperon, tapping Lor raine's arm with her fan. Lady Lorraine lifted her eyes from the point of her white satin shoe, Avhere they had been fixed, and woke up from her reverie — woke up to find two young men standing in front of her, waiting for " the pleasure of a dance." " I beg your pardon," said she, smiling. " I Avas asleep, I think ! Don't you see I am not dancing ? I have hurt my foot, and am only Availing for my cousin." The young men bowed, and, expressing condolence, withdrew. Others followed suit, with a like result : Lorraine would not dance. The asthmatic old chaperon became annoyed at last.

Was this her idea of a girl doing her duty ? Avas it fair ? Avas it right ? nay ! even if her foot had been irremediably damaged, still — ought she not to dance ? What — refused Lord Burleigh, too ! "My dear, my dear," said she, heaving a reproachful sigh, " have you hurt your self much ?" i — " Twisted my foot somehow!" said Lady Lorraine, colouring crimson. " What an odd girl !" said the old lady to herself, wishing her girl had as many chances as that : trust her for not being allowed to throw them aAvay ! Lorraine, with your big soft eyes strain ing out there to the floAvers, fixed dreamily on them and not seeing one of them, where have your thoughts floAvn to-night ? Why that set unvarying expresssion on your face ? Lorraine, proud, pretty Lorraine, what is it? Lady Lorraine was annoyed Avith her self; unjustly !

No prouder girl in London than Lorraine Tremenheere ; hearts and coronets had been prostrated before her, praying for her acceptance, praying for her smiles and favour, praying for hope and encouragement at least : but all in vain ! She would smile, indeed, but vaguely ; if devotion became tiresome, then coldness, frigidity, and a freezing demeanour, though kind all the time, distanced by degrees the devotee, and he saw it was no good. Ac quaintances, friends by the dozens she had, but never had the proud little head bowed in submission yet, and never had her heart acknoAvledged by Avord or sign that she Avas vanquished and must surrender at dis cretion. Far back in the dim vista of her teens, leaving traces even on her first season, there had been something — a first ideal Love — but that had come to nothing, as first ideal Loves generally do, and though there was still a soft place there in her heart, bringing a blush to her cheek, and a half smile to her eyes at the remembrance, the smile was more one of pity for herself than any vestige of affection or regret influencing her.

Then (here is her life's story straight off), when still at this stage, she had come across the great friend of this ideal first Love, and treading on the ashes of the old affection, making some thing of a go-between between him and her, o o confiding in him her little miseries, to her then seeming so great, a friendship had grown and groAvn between them, so filling up their lives, so surpassing their dreams and aspirations, that it had at length to be noticed ; and they came to terms. Lady Lorraine, strong and proud and self-confi dent as ever, dictated them. These Avere her words : "We Avill be friends always, or till you tire of me. I shall not tire of you ever, because it is not in my nature. When you marry of course it must be different, and I shall count on you no longer. Till then I shall trust you always, and tell you everything And you must tell me everything or Avhat you like.

And you must come and see me at Ravenshill " (her home), " will you not ? And you will be my Friend " (Avith a big F) " ahvays, will you not ? And I shall write to you, sometimes three times a year, and sometimes three times a month. And you must never, never, mistrust me, or think that I am forgetting you. And also you must never misunderstand me, or think I mean anything but Friendship. I shall be the same always. I don't think I shall ever marry. I shall never care for any one again, and you know all about that. " Always your friend, " Lorraine." Walter Carew was the name of the young man. Lorraine's confidence was not misplaced — he was as good a young fellow as ever breathed. And very much on these terms had their friendship lasted. It had become an understood thing at Ravenshill — nay ! in Society — and it was Society's marvel.

Only for their very great trust in each other, and for his very great respect for her, perhaps it would not have lasted. He kissed her once — she was reading ; he had stooped over her, and something had impelled him to try it once. She just rose, Avith her book half closed, Avhile every trace of colour left her cheek. " You will not do that again, Walter ?" she asked, looking at him steadily. " Pro mise !" " No," stammered he, Then she sat down again, and talked aAvay unconcernedly as though nothing had happened. More than this had the friendship out lived : jealousies, differences of opinion, seeming forgetfulness, seeming affronts, all had it stood unshaken. Disputes there had been, but one or the other, or some times both, had begged forgiveness, and an increased tenderness of tone — as much as they ever dreamed of using to each other — had been the only landmark by which to knoAv the fact.

Smoothly thus had the time glided by. But noAv misfortune has fallen on their friendship, and Lorraine's heart is very sad. Walter Carew was the eldest son of Lord Pauncefort. He had always been brought up on his expectations, had fol loAved his father's lead on the turf, and had not despised play, though his heart was not much in them. In the Guards, he num bered amongst his friends the best men in his regiment, and Avas by all pronounced to be a good fellow. Sorrow and grief had, howevers befallen the house of Pauncefort. Bad luck, a long run of bad luck had so impoverished his lordship, that at last he could disguise the fact no longer, and was forced to confess the state of things to his son. Look at it in Avhatever light they might, stave off the evil as they might, still truth Avill out.

On the other hand, Walter himself was not entirely free from difficulties, and though he might conceal the fact from his father, it made the blow no lighter, and made him struggle more vehemently than ever to repair the mischief. Money Avas not to be had, credit will not last for ever, and the Household troops and bankruptcy do not go well together. To send in his papers was with him but comparatively a work of small moment ; grieved as he might be to quit his regiment, he loved it too well to bring on it the smallest shadow of discredit. To Lorraine he came with his tale ; one of the hardest for a girl to hear, for in such cases she is so hopelessly useless. All the hand-wringing and sobbing in the world Avill not bring help or make money. But still she believed the evil day would be tided over, and that things would get straight yet.

Women always do, about things they cannot understand. But now to-day — the day of this ball — something else had come to her know ledge. " I am going to leave England, dear Lorraine," he had written. " An appoint ment, if I can get it, or else a line regiment, or else I don't know what. When shall I see you ?" And Lorraine is very sad, In the boudoir in Grosvenor Square, something thus had her thoughts run, and now they were ten times stronger : — " Leave me all alone ? What is he doing ? I cannot stand it. For years I have told him everything — every single thing ! I Avould rather cut off my right hand — much. Why ! life looks impossible Avithout him ! so blank, so dreary ! It would not be life ! It cannot, cannot be !" And then she cried, poor pretty Lor raine ! and then she wondered at herself.

Then she voAved to Avork for him, or to beg for him ; but then she knew she must not talk of it to any one — and as for her father, no ! he Avas kindness itself — but then he was common sense itself. And then — " They Avill think I am in love with him, and I'm not that !" So, with her head full of him, and of plans to help him, she followed her cousin Lady Mary Dalton upstairs to the ball, and seemed as gay and as happy as usual. Only about the middle of the evening, she did long to rest, and never had the young men at her London balls seemed to her such an inane, tiresome, all cut-on-the same-pattern set of young men as did those clustering round her to-night. , Lady Mary was dancing. Oh, yes ! trust her ; not one was she to feel or shoAv disgust at any inanity so long as there was anything to be got by attention and civility.

She was not pretty, and she had not a penny ; but she had a figure and dressed shoAvily, and she hoped by unremitting care, and vigilance, and civility to customers to suit somebody. Just now, as she whirls by with Lord Burleigh, her laugh grates harshly on Lorraine's ear. " Lady Lorraine is not dancing to-night," were some words which reached Lorraine from the cluster of young men in the doorway ; and looking up, she saw Walter Carew, Avho had just arrived, edging his way through them. He coloured at the inuendo, and that she should have heard it— and she blushed as she boAved to him. In a few moments he came over to her, and asked her to dance. " No, I must be consistent, but I Avill go M to supper. "Oh, then! my dear, your foot is better," said the fat asthmatic old lady, maliciously. " No, it isn't !" ansAvered Lorraine.

" So you are going to dance, Lady Lor raine, after all !" said one of the young men. " No ! I am not. I cannot, Lord TAvistle ton ; but Mr. CareAv is going to give me ' 0 0 0 some supper, Avhich no one else was civil enough to offer me." Lady Lorraine could take care of herself. " I don't care ! I call it vulgar," was saying a fat old lady, one of the many imped ing their progress on the stairs, " to care only for swells, and great names, and great people, and money, and splash and dash — ah ! my dear Lady Lorraine, I beg your pardon, I hope I have not torn your gown, dear." " Such a presumptuous, ragged, arrogant speech, I wonder they sat it out." " They say so, they really say so — an arranged thing ! I wonder Lord Clieve- O 0 den allows it ; but she has no mother, poor dear, and although Lady Mary" Lorraine turned vindictively to see who it was, and as she did so, her eyes and Wal ter Carew's met.

He turned it off with a laugh and hurried her on. " Ah ! Lady Lorraine ! you up ? Since how long ? I did not know you were in town ! I hope I see you well." " Ah ! Lady Lorraine ! might I introduce my brother ? he is so anxious — ah ! well, — another time." " An ice, please," Lorraine said, as Carew found her a seat. The hum Avent on. " Hideous, is she not ? but a clever actress ! Really, there is no one to see noAv ! and nothing being acted Avorth going to. Quite melancholy. ing to ?" What are Ave corn- " Good ball this !" " Yes, charming !" " Do you know Avho " No." that is ?" " Then I'll tell you." And a Avhispered conversation folloAved, during Avhich Walter CareAv re-appeared with the ice. " You got my note ?" " Yes, is it really true ? I cannot believe it. You will not really go ?" " Yes."

" But what can you do out there, what will you do ?" " I don't know!" and he looked miserable enough. " I wish I could help you. I wish I could do anything." He smiled a trustful smile into her face, as though he knew that well enough. " Are you sorry to go, to leave all this ?" and she made a motion towards the people and the surrounding scene, as she looked up in his face anxiously. " No," said he. " As for society and all that, I hate it ! There is no regret for that, but for other reasons," and she saw the tears gathering in his eyes, as they dwelt on her face. " I cannot talk to you here, surrounded thus ; I cannot say Avhat I think or feel ; I am afraid to talk at all about it. I " " You are so cold, Lorraine," began he, " I should almost have thought you could have talked about anything any- Avhere."

"Cold, am I ?" said she, and a look came over her face, that caused him to repent of his words, and taught him perhaps more of her heart than he had seen during all the time he had knoAvn her. " Who is that ?" she asked hastily, as a young man lounged into the room by him self. "Why! it is! surely! Charlie Dal rymple ! You never told me he Avas in London. How altered and brown he is ! Will he know us ? I am glad Mary is up stairs." It was Lorraine's first love. He had been absent from England some two or three years. Some mischief-making had prevented that early attachment from com ing to anything. Lady Mary had taken alarm lest her cousin Lorraine should make a very brilliant match, had herself tried to hook the fish, and in the effort had lost the prey for both. " What will you do, Lorraine ?" asked Carew.

" Will you meet him ? I had not the faintest notion that he was any- Avhere nearer than the north of Italy." " Being so cold, and so well able to talk of anything anyAvhere," said Lady Lorraine, " I Avill stand my ground, and await his movements. No," she added hastily, see ing a pained expression cross the young man's face, " I am not angry ! but your going away has so put me out, I am not myself. Come and see me, and let us talk over everything quietly." " Quietly !" said he, impetuously. " If I Avere on my Avay to the hands of the hang man, I believe you would say, ' Let us talk it over quietly.' " 2 — " Perhaps I should," answered she, co quettishly. How pretty she looked at that moment ! Charlie Dalrymple saAV her, coloured, started, wondered, thought a minute, then seeing CareAv beside her, finally plucked up courage and made a move rewards her.

Hoav awkwardly he did it ! and how queen like and self-possessed, and charming and gracious she seemed as she put out her hand to him ! A Avoman's pride must be ten times greater than a man's since it arms her to the teeth full fifty times more com pletely on half a second's notice. " You find two of your old friends to gether, Mr. Dalrymple. What an unex pected pleasure for us both ! We thought you were in Italy." " Lady Lorraine, you really have not forgotten me then ? And CareAv, old fellow ! how fares it with you ?" " The world has been kind to all of us," said Lorraine, " I think, since we parted, to judge by your looks and our experience. But tell me something of yourself — where you have been — why* you have not come back before, and why you are here now ?" And as he told her, Lorraine watched him, looking for old familiar gestures ; listened to his voice, seeking old tones, long lost and almost forgotten, and found herself wondering at that dream she had dreamed so Avell.

Then Lady Mary came up, followed by Lord Clieveden. " Are you ready to go, Lorraine ? Why — well ! This is a meeting !" Lorraine whispered to Carew to get the cloaks, and felt sick with the old angry feeling of half disgust and half jealousy, as she listened to Lady Mary Dalton's noisy talk. " Who is going to take you to the carriage, Lorraine ?" asked her cousin, Avhen they had put on their Avraps. " As Mr. Carew is noAv hooked round the button by my tiresome fringe, I think Ave had better come together," said Lor raine ; " besides, I must not monopolise Mr. Dalrymple entirely." " What Avere you thinking about, Lor raine, just noAv ?" asked CareAv as they Avent. " I Avas Avondering hoAv ever I could have cared one straAv about him. Come and see me soon." " Yes." " Come and see us soon, Dalrymple," called Lord Clieveden, as the carriage-door shut. " Yes." And the tAvo friends stood on the steps together.

Chapter II

ELL!" thought the postman, as he turned a small missive round and round between his fingers 0 while he waited for the door to be opened, " I don't know that I ever left one of this sort here before. A queer little thing, to be sure, with a gold monogram, and folded so quaint — no envelope, neither ! Letter and all in one ! I wonder how they does it ! I should write the inside out, I 'spect, and double it wrong then. Why don't they come ? Ring and knock again ! Why don't he have a slit in his door ? It's a sin when people don't, and a good fitting door, too, that it Avon't go under ! At last ! at last !" he added, sarcastically, as a man-servant opened the door. ' You have taken your time and consideration about it." And he departed on his mission doAvn the street. If the tiny note had caused a moment's thought to the postman, it Avas almost a clap of thunder to the old ser vant.

" Some mistake ! some mistake !" mumbled he ; " my master never has this kind of thing, and he turned it over con temptuously, as he fumbled in his many pockets for his glasses. " A coronite, too, all in gold ! No, it isn't a coronite ! What a queer thing ! and what for ? For show, or to show Avho it's from, as if that weren't Avrit inside ! But I'll be bloAved if it isn't all right. ' Christopher Vernon, Esq., King Street, St. James's.' Yes, that's him ! Some gaudy, fashionable thing Avorriting my master ! Well," and heaving a deep sigh, he shut the street-door, and turned up stairs with the letter. A comfortable room enough, Mr. Ver non's. Why should he not have letters of this sort ? To judge by the apartment, he seemed no hermit, no anchorite, no hater of his kind, or of social joys. The room is almost luxuriously furnished, with its sofas, two arm-chairs, first-rate prints on the walls, handsome curtains, handsome tables, Avith valuable writing paraphernalia, some pre cious ivories on pedestals in the corners, another table covered with beautiful books, a miniature case, and in the corner by the fire-place all the requisites for a comfortable " smoke," which glue many visitors to the spot, and prevent their proceeding far ther on their tour of inspection round the rooms.

" Ah ! well, I will not plague him Avith it now," groaned HaAvkins, and discreetly placing the note on the table, the thought ful servant AvithdreAV. Let us look at the Aveary man Avithin, thus guarded and considered so carefully by postman and servant. Lift the portiere with its gaudy stripes, push aside the lace edging, and open that inner door. Heavens ! Avhat a contrast ! Not in the man, there is nothing to shock us there, but in the presiding genius of the two rooms. A dirty soiled paper on the walls, no curtain to the AvindoAv. " I like to look out on the day and on the night," he said once in extenuation. No carpet on the floor, only a strip here and there, a huge bookcase full of a wondrous miscellany of books of all sorts, sizes, and shapes ; an enormous deal table covered with papers, blotting paper, ink blots, inkstand, and pens ; a wooden arm-chair drawn up by the fire place, and a wooden stool, on which sits Christopher Vernon, Esq., absently look ing out of the window, his elbows on the table, and his hands clasped under his chin.

His room, his eccentricity, might pro bably prejudice a visitor against him, but it Avould be a false prejudice. He is worthy of favour. A second glance would give a better impression. He is not good looking — not, that is, what would be called a handsome man. He would never shine in a ball-room, as owning a pleasant, youthful, good-humoured face ; he Avould never do as a dandy ; neither does he look a great man ! Yet there is a line of determination on that face, a look of aspira tion on that brow — nay, more ! you catch a glimpse of soul and of inspiration in that eye that fascinates and conquers, if the heart be not steeled too obstinately against it, and if the power Avritten there be recognised and alloAved its SAvay. There is a look of pride, of haughtiness about that lip, the finely-chiselled nose has caught it, and the whole face ; but he is restless noAv, it is no fitting time to take his portrait.

As he moves, his character seems to change ; as he tumbles his three-legged stool over 00 in getting up hastily, he seems more of a man, less of a hero than just noAv, qui escent, — when poAver Avas dormant, or only expressed by his changing countenance, when hope and determination alternately flushed his cheek, and gave depth and de cision to his glance. Standing there, he looks every inch a man ; not quite so much the gentleman as when aspirations filled his mind, and took it far on high. " I am unfit for work to-day, I am no good at all ; I am taking a holiday without meaning to give myself one," and he walked aimlessly into the next room. " Why, how long has this been here ?" and he seized the note feverishly. " From her ! I thought she had forgotten me. 0 0 At last ! at last ! But when ? — how, I wonder ?

The Post, practical, commonplace, matter-of-fact mode of delivery," he added, Avith a dreary smile ; " I should do to put in my own play ! That old fool Hawkins, Avhy did he not give it me ? It may want an answer. It may have been here all day," and he rang the bell furiously, while he still contemplated his treasure. " Hawkins," he said, with an assumption of calm in his tone, " hoAV many times have I told you to give me my letters at once ? " Yes, sir. " Well, hoAV long has this been here ? Just to save yourself the trouble of going a few steps farther, you leave here a most important letter." " What, that 'ere quaint three-cornered thing ? You don't call that an important letter ? Letters, and documents, and manu scrips I knoAvs, but that — why, that's" — (with a contempt past language or imita tion) — " only a Avorriting tale from some fashionable female that Avants something.

Any one can see that Avith half an eye." " HaAvkins, you are a fool and a drivel ling idiot ! You knoAv nothing about it, and I am surprised at you. Not knoAv letters when you see them ! Bills you knoAv, but letters ! Well ! it is true, my fashionable correspondence is small, so perhaps your ignorance is my fault. But how long has this been here ?" " Not long, sir," said Hawkins, sooth ingly ; " some time — some little time ago." " You are a fool, Hawkins !" " Why !" said the old man, adjusting his spectacles. " Lor' ! if master ain't put out ! The first time I've seed him so all these blessed years." And Hawkins stood contemplating him with a mixture of awe and admiration. " Perhaps you are right, Hawkins ; per haps I am put out. I wanted this letter ; and another time never mind disturbing me, but let me have anything at once."

" I'm sure I'm very sorry, sir," took up Hawkins, mollified immediately ; " but I never thought you would want such a thing as that ; and then I knew you was a- Avriting, and busy and working that head of yours," and HaAvkins signed reverently to his master's mighty cranium ; " and I thought if I could save you a little bit of worriting — postpone it, like — I Avould." " Thank you, HaAvkins. I was Avork ing; but — but this letter Avould have helped me." " Helped him ! hear that — helped him !" " You may go, HaAvkins." And HaAvkins Avent. But as he went, the bell — the door-bell — his door-bell — that eternal test to ser- Aants' tempers, and an article Avhich will probably be honourably mentioned in many a future strike — rang again, and as he stood Avith the door open in his hand, and saw a lady in a brougham seeking admittance, was it to be wondered at if he articulated Avith some heat, — " Another on 'em !

But as she alighted, and he saw before him Mrs. Vernon, his young master's mother, he quickly changed his tone, and wreathed his sickliest smile for her accept ance, as he prostrated himself in an old fashioned obeisance before her. " My son is at home, I suppose ? You need not announce me. I want to surprise him." She was a woman of majestic figure and extraordinary beauty. Large dark liquid eyes, rippling wavy auburn hair, delicately chiselled features, and exquisitely small hands and feet. She went upstairs by herself, opened the door softly, and stood for a moment con templating her son, who was standing lean ing against the mantelpiece reading his letter. Her heart was in her face, and she stood looking on. Then, disappointed at his not seeing her at once, for his back was turned to the door, she glided in softly, and putting her hand on his shoulder, Avhispered, — " Christopher, my darling !"

" Mother !" exclaimed he, starting vio lently. The letter fell on the floor, and she Avas clasped in his arms. " Hoav is this, mother ? left Nismes ? in London ? and never told me ! I would have come to meet you — to fetch yj you. " I came on business — that money, you know ! They Avanted me at once. I could not delay — and, besides, I liked sur prising you. I might have telegraphed, but I didn't. And hoAV is my boy ? What Avere you doing, dear, when I came up ? You were so absorbed in your letter you never heard me. Ah ! Avhat is that I see ?" and she slightly turned the fallen letter Avith the point of her tiny boot : " L. T., Lorraine Tremenheere. I thought that was all over ?" " So it is, mother." " Hein ? it seems like it." " Lady Lorraine has certainly Avritten to me to-day, but it is the first time for months, and only for a charity."