Dawn

Chapter I

A FEW days after the dinner at the Quinta Carrr the Bellamys' visit to Madeira drew to a close. On the evening before their departure, Arthur volunteered to take Lady Bellamy down to the parade to hear the band play. After they had walked about awhile under the shade of the magnolia-trees, which were starred all over with creamy cups of bloom, and sufficiently inspect ed the gay throng of Portuguese inhabitants and Enghsh visitors, made gayer still by the amazingly gorgeous uniforms of the officials, Arthur spied two chairs in a comparatively quiet corner, and suggested that they should sit down. ' Lady Bellamy,' he said, after hesitating a VOL. III. B DAWN, while, 'you are a woman of the world, and I believe a friend of my own. I want to ask your advice about something.' < It is entirely at your service, Mr. Heigham.' ' Well, really it is very awkward- ' Shall I turn my head so as not to see your blushes?' ' Don't laugh at me, Lady Bellamy.

Of ■course you will say nothing of this.' ' If you doubt my descretion, Mr. Heigham, do not choose me as a confidante. You are going, unless I am mistaken, to speak to me about Mrs. Carr.' ' Yes, it is about her. But how did you know that ? You always seem to be able to read one's thottghts before one speaks. Do you know, sometimes I think that she has taken a fancy to me, do you see, and I wanted to ask what you thought about it.' ' Well, supposing that she had, most young men, Mr. Heigham, would not talk of such a thing in a tone befitting a great catastrophe . But, if I am not entering too deeply into par ticulars, what makes you think so V 'Well, really, I don't exactly know. She sometimes gives me a general idea.' ' Oh, then, there has been nothing tangible.' DAWN, 3 ' Well, yes, once she took my hand, or I took hers, I don't know which; but I don't tliink much of that, because it's the sort of thing that's always happening, don't you know, and nine times out of ten means nothing at all.

But why I ask you about it is that, if there is any thing of the sort, I had better cut and run out of this, because it would not be fair to stop, either to her, or to Angela, or myself. It would be dangerous, you see, playing with such a woman as Mildred.' ' So you would go away if you thought that she took any warmer interest in you than ladies generally do in men engaged to be married.' ' Certainly I should.' ' Well, then, I think that I can set your mind at ease. I have observed Mrs. Carr pretty closely, and in the way you suppose she cares for you no more than she does for your coat. She is, no doubt, a bit of a flirt, and very likely wishes to get you to fall in love with her — a natural ambition on the part of a woman ; but, as for being in love with you herself, the idea is absurd.

Women of the world do not fall in love so readily ; they are too much taken up with thinking about themselves to have time to think about anybody else. B DAWN, With them it is all self, self, self, from morning till night. Besides, look at the common-sense side of the thing. Do you suppose it likely that a person of Mrs. Carr's wealth and beauty, who has only to lift her hand to have all London at her feet, is likely to fix her affections upon a young man whom she knows is already engaged to be married, and who — forgive me if I say so — has not got the same recommendations to her favour that many of her suitors have ? It is, of course, quite possible that Mrs. Carr's society may be dangerous for you, in which case it might be wise for you to go ; but 1 really do not think that you need feel any anxiety on her account.

She finds you a charming com panion, and in some ways a useful one, and that is all. When you go, somebody else will soon fill the vacant space.' ' Then that's all right,' said Arthur, though somehow he did not feel as wildly delighted as he should have done at hearing it so clearly de monstrated that Mildred did not care a brass button about him ; but then that is human nature. Between eighteen and thirty-five, ninety per cent, of the men in the world would like to centre in themselves the affections of every young and pretty woman they know, DAWN, even if there was not the ghost of a chance of their marrying one of them. The same ten dency is to be observed conversely in the other sex, only in their case with a still smaller pro portion of exceptions. ' By the way,' asked Arthur, presently, ' how is my late guardian, Mr. George Caresfoot?' ' Not at all well, I am sorry to say.

I am very anxious about his health. He is in the south of England now for a change.' ' I am sorry he is ill. Do you know, I daresay you will think me absurd ; but you have taken a weight off my mind. I always had an idea that he wanted to marry Angela, and some times I am afraid that I have suspected that Philip Caresfoot carted me off in order to give him a chance. You see, Philip is uncommonly fond of money, and George is rich.' ' What an absurd idea, Mr. Heigham ! Why, George looks upon matrimony as an institution of the evil one. He admires Angela, I know — he always does admire a pretty face ; but as for dreaming of marrying a girl half his age, and his own cousin into the bargain, it is about the last thing that he would do.' ' I am glad to hear it. I am sure I have been uncomfortable enough thinking about him DAWN. sometimes.

Lady Bellamy, will you do some thing for me ?' < What is that, Mr. Heigham ?' ' Tell Angela all about me.' 'But would that be quite honourable, Mr. Heigham — under the conditions of your en gagement, I mean?' ' You never promised not to talk about me ; I only promised not to attempt verbal or written communication with Angela.' ' Well, I will tell her that I met you, and that you are well, and, if Philip will allow me, I will tell her more ; but of course I don't know if he will or not. What ring is that you wear V ' It is one that Angela gave me when we became engaged. It was her mother's.' ' Will you let me look at it ?' Arthur held out his hand. The ring was an antique, a large emerald, cut hke a seal and heavily set in a band of dull gold. On the face of the stone were engraved some mvsterious characters. . ' What is that engraved on the stone V ' I am not sure ; but Angela told me that Mr. Fraser had taken an impression of it, and for warded it to a great Oriental scholar.

His friend said that the stone must be extremely DAWN. ancient, as the character is a form of Sanscrit, and that he believed the word to mean " For ever " or " Eternity." Angela said that it had been in her mother's family for generations, and was supposed to have been brought from the East about the year 1700. That is all I know about it.' ' The motto is better suited to a wedding-ring than to an engagement stone,' said Lady Bel lamy, with one of her dark smiles. 'Why?' ' Because engagements are like promises and pie-crust, made to be broken.' ' I hope that will not be the case with ours, however,' said Arthur, attempting a laugh. ' I hope not, I am sure ; but never pin your faith absolutely to any woman, or you will regret it. Always accept her oaths and protestations as you would a political statement, politely, and with an appearance of perfect faith, but with a certain grain of mistrust.

Woman's fidelity is in the main a fiction. We are faithful just as men are, so long as it suits us to be so ; with this difference hoAvever, men play false from passion or impulse, women from calculation.' ' You do not draw a pleasing picture of your own sex.' DAWN. ' When is the truth pleasing ? It is only when we clothe its nakedness with the rags of imag ination, or sweeten it with fiction that it can please. Of itself, it is so ugly a thing that society in its refinement will not even hear it, but prefers to employ a corresponding formula. Thus all passion, however vile, is called by the name of " love," all superstitious terror and grovelling attempts to conciliate the unseen are known as '• religion," while selfish greed and the hungry lust for power masquerade as laudable " ambition."

Men and women, especially women, hate the trath because, hke the electric light, it shows them as they are, and that is vile. It has grown so strange to them from disuse that, like Pilate, they do not even know what it is ! I was goiug to say, however, that if you care to trust me with it, I think I see how I can take a message to Angela for you — without either causing you to break your promise or doing anything dishonourable myself.' 'How?' ' Well, if you like, I will take her that ring. I think that is a very generous offer on my part, for I do not like the responsibility.' ' But what is the use of taking her the ring?' ' It is something that there can be no mistake DAWN, 9 about, that is all, a speaking message from your self. But don't give it me if you do not like ; perhaps you had rather not !' ' I don't like parting with it at all, I confess, but I should dearly like to send her something.

I suppose that you would not take a letter ?' ' You would not write one, Mr. Heigham !' ' No, of course, I forgot that accursed promise. Here, take the ring, and say all you can to Angela with it. You promise that you will ?' ' Certainly, I promise that I will say all I can." ' You are very good and kind. I wish to Heaven that I were going to Marlshire with you. If you only knew how I long to see her again. I think that it Avould break my heart if anything happened to separate us,' and his lips quivered at the thought. Lady Bellamy turned her sombre face upon him — there was compassion in her eyes. ' If you bear Angela Caresfoot so great a love, be guided by me and shake it off, strangle it, — be rid of it anyhow ; for fulfilled affection of that nature would carry a larger happiness with it than is allowed in a world planned expressly to secure the greatest misery of the greatest number.

There is a fate which fights against it ; its ministers are human folly and passion. You DAWN, have seen many marriages, tell me, how many have you known, out of a novel, where the people married their true loves ? In novels they always do, it is another of society's pleasant fictions, but real hfe is like a novel without the third volume. I do not want to alarm you, Mr. Heigham ; but, because I like you, I ask you to steel your mind to disappointments, so that, if a blow comes, it may not crush you,' ' What do you mean, Lady Bellamy, do you know of any impending trouble V 'I? certainly not. I only talk on general principles. Do not be over-confident, and never trust a woman. Come, let us get home.' Next morning, when Arthur came down to breakfast, the BeUamys had sailed. The mail had come in from the Cape at midnight, and left again at dawn, taking them with it.

Chapter II

The departure of the Bellamys left Arthur in very low spirits. His sensations were similar to those which one can well imagine an ancient Greek might have experienced who, having sent to consult the Delphic oracle, had got for his pains a very unsatisfactory reply, fore shadowing evils but not actually defining them, Lady Bellamy was in some way connected with the idea of an oracle in his mind. She looked oracular. Her dark face and inscrutable eyes, the stamp of power upon her brow, all sug gested that she was a mistress of the black arts. Her words, too, were mysterious, and fraught with bitter wisdom and a deep knowledge dis tilled from the poisonous weeds of life. Arthur felt with something like a shudder that, if Lady Bellamy prophesied evil, evil was following hard upon her words. And in warn ing him not to place his whole heart's happiness DAWN, upon one venture, lest it should meet with shipwreck, he was sure that she was prophe sying with a knowledge of the future denied to ordinary mortals.

How earnestly, too, she had cautioned him against putting absolute faith in Angela — so earnestly, indeed, that her talk had left a flavour of distrust in his mind. Yet how could he mistrust Angela ? Nor was he comforted by a remark that fell from Mildred Carr the afternoon following the departure of the mail. Raising her eyes, she glanced at his hand. ' What are you looking at V he said. ' Was not that queer emerald you wore your engagement ring ?' 'Yes.' ' What have you done with it V ' I gave it to Lady Bellamy to give to Angela.' 'What for?' 'To show her that I am ahve and well. I may not write, you know.' ' You are very confiding.' ' What do you mean?' ' Nothing. At least, I mean that I don't think that I should care to hand over my engagement ring so easily. It might be misapplied, you know.' DAWN. 13 This view of the matter helped to fill up the cup of Arthur's nervous anxiety, and he vainly plied Mildred with questions to get her to eluci date her meaning, and state her causes of sus picion, if she had any; but she would say nothing more on the subject, which then dropped, and was not alluded to again between them.

After the Bellamys' departure, the time wore on at Madeira without bringing about any ap preciable change in the situation. But Mildred saw that their visit had robbed her of any ad vantages she had gained over Arthiu, for they had, as it were, brought Angela's atmosphere with them, and, faint though it was, it sufficed to overpower her influence. He made no move forward, and seemed to have entirely forgotten the episode on the hills when he had gone so very near disaster. On the contrary, he ap peared to her to grow increasingly preoccupied as time went on, and to look upon her more and more in the hght of a sister, till at length her patience wore thin. As for her passion, it grew almost unrestrain able in its confinement. Now she drifted hke a rudderless vessel on a sea which raged continu ously and knew no space of calm.

And so little oil was poured upon the troubled waters, there DAWN, were so few breaks in the storm-walls that rose black between her ancl the desired haven of her rest. Indeed, she began to doubt if even her poor power of charming him, as at first she had been able to do, with the sparkle of her wit and the half-unconscious display of her natural grace, was not on the wane, and if she was not near to losing her precarious foothold in his esteem and affection. The thought that he might be tiring of her struck her like freezing wind, and for a moment turned her heart to ice. Poor Mildred! higher than ever above her head bloomed that ' blue rose ' she longed to pluck. Would she ever reach it after all her striving, even to gather one poor leaf, one with ered petal ? The path Avhich led to it was very hard to climb, and below the breakers boiled.

Would it, after all, be her fate to fall, down into that gulf of which the sorrowful waters could bring neither -death nor forgetfulness ? And so Christmas came aud went. One day, when they were all sitting in the drawing-room some eight weeks after the Bel lamys had left, and Mildred was letting her mind run on such thoughts as these, Arthur, who had been reading a novel, got up and opened the folding-doors at the end of the room DAWN, which separated it from the second drawing room, and also the further doors between that room and the dining-room. Then he returned, and, standing at the top of the big drawing room, took a bird's-eye view of thc whole suite. 'What are you doing, Arthur?' ' I am reflecting, Mildred, that, with such a suite of apartments at your command, it is a sin and a shame not to give a ball.' ' I will give a ball, if you like, Arthur.

Will you dance with me if 1 do ?' ' How many times ?' he said, laughing. ' Well, I will be moderate; three times. Let me see — the first waltz, the waltz before supper, and the last galop.' ' You will dance me off my head. It is dan gerous to waltz with anyone so pretty,' he said, in that bantering tone he often took with her, and which aggravated her intensely. ' It is more likely that my own head will suffer, as I dance so rarely. Then, that is a bargain?' ' Certainly.' ' Dear me, Mildred, how silly you are ; you are hke a school-girl !' said Miss Terry. ' Agatha is put out because you do not offer to dance three times with her.' DAWN ' Oh ! but I will, though, if she likes ; three quadrilles.' And so the matter passed off in mutual badinage ; but Mildred did not forget her intention. On the contrary, ' society ' at Madeira was soon profoundly agitated by the intelligence that the lady Crœsus, Mrs. Carr, was about to give a magnificent ball, and so ill-natured — or, rather, so given to jumping to conclusions — is society, that it was freely said it was in order to celebrate her engagement to Arthur Heigham.

Arthur heard nothing of this ; one is always the last to hear things about oneself. Mildred knew of it, however, but, whether from indifference or from some hidden motive, she neither took any steps to contradict it herself, nor would she allow Miss Terry to do so. ' Nonsense,' she said ; ' let them talk. To contradict such things only makes people be lieve them the more. Mind > now, Agatha, not a word of this to Mr. Heigham ; it would put him out.' 'Well, Mildred, I should have thought that you would be put out too.' ' I ! — oh, no ! Worse things might happen,' and she shrugged her shoulders. At length the much-expected evening came, DAWN, 17 and the arriving guests found that the ball had been planned on a scale such as Madeira had never before beheld. The night was lovely and sufficiently still to admit of the illumination of the gardens by means of Chinese lanterns that glowed all around in hundreds, and were even hung hke golden fruit amongst the topmost leaves of the lofty cabbage palms, and from the tallest sprays of the bamboos.

Within, the scene was equally beautiful. The suite of three reception-rooms had been thrown into one, two for dancing, and one for use as a sitting-room. They were quite full, for the Madeira season was at its height, and all the Enghsh visitors who were ' anybody ' were there. There happened, too, to be a man-of-war in the harbour, every man-jack, or, rather, every officer-jack of which, with the exception of those on watch — and they were to be relieved later on — was there, and prepared to enjoy himself with a gusto characteristic of the British sailor-man. The rooms, too, were by no means devoid of beauty, but by far the loveliest woman in them was Mrs. Carr herself. She was simply dressed in a perfectly-fitting black satin gown, looped up with diamond stars that showed off the ex quisite fairness of her skin to great perfection.

VOL. III. C DAWN Her ornaments were also diamonds, but such diamonds — not little flowers and birds con structed of tiny stones, but large single gems, each the size of a hazel-nut. On her head she wore a tiara of these, eleven stones in all, five on each side, and surmounted over the centre of the forehead by an enormous gem as large as a small walnut, which, standing by itself above the level of the others, flashed and blazed like a fairy star. Around her neck, wrists, and waist were similar points of concentrated hght, that, shining against the black satin as she moved, gave her a truly magnificent appearance. Never before had Mildred Carr looked so perfectly lovely, for her face and form were well worthy of the gems and dress ; indeed, most of the men there that night thought her eyes as beautiful as her diamonds.

The ball opened with a quadrille, but in this Mrs. Carr did not dance, being employed in the reception of her guests. Then followed a waltz, aud, as its first strains struck up, several appli cants came to compete for the honour of her hand; but she declined them all, saying that she was already engaged; and presently Arthur, looking very tall and quite the typical young DAWN, Englishman in his dress-clothes, came hurry ing up. ' You are late, Mr. Heigham,' she said ; ' the music has begun.' ' Yes ; I am awfully sorry. I Avas dancing with Lady Florence, and could not find her old aunt.' ' Indeed, to me Mrs. Velley is pretty conspicu ous, with that green thing on her head ; but come along, we are Avasting time.' Putting his arm round her waist, they sailed away together amidst the murmurs of the dis appointed apphcants. ' Lucky dog,' said one. ' Infernal puppy,' muttered another.

Arthur enjoyed his Avaltz very much, for the rooms, though full, were not croAvded, and Mil dred waltzed well. Still he was a little uneasy, for he felt that, in being chosen to dance the first waltz with the giArer of this splendid enter tainment over the heads of so many of his superiors in rank and position, he Avas being put rather out of his place. He did not as a rule take any great degree of notice of Mildred's appearance, but to-night it struck him as unusually charming. ' Vou look very beautiful to-night, Mildred,' c D A AV N, he said, when they halted for breath; 'and what splendid diamonds you haATe on !' She flushed with pleasure at his compliment. 'You must not laugh at my diamonds. I knoAV that I am too insignificant ro wear such jewels. I had two minds about putting them on.' ' Laugh at them, indeed.

I should as soon think of laughing at the Bank of England. They are splendid.' ' Yes,' she said, bitterly ; ' they would be splendid on your Angela. They want a splen did woman to carry them off.' Oddly enough, he was thinking the same thing ; so, ha-ring nothing to say, he went on dancing. Presently the Avaltz came to an end, and Mildred Avas obliged to hurry off to receiA-e the Portuguese Governor, who had just put in an appearance. Arthur looked at his card, and found that he was down for the next galop with Lady Florence Claverlcy. ' Our dance again, Lady Florence.' ' Really, Mr. Heigham, this is quite* shocking. If everybody did not know that you belonged body and soul to the lovely widow, I should be accused of flirting Avith you.' ' Who was it made me promise to dance five dances ?' DAWN, 21 " I did.

I want to make Mrs. Carr angry.' ' Why should my dancing fiA-e or fifty dances Avith you make Mrs. Carr angry?' Lady Florence shrugged her pretty shoulders. ' Are you blind ?' she said. Arthur felt uncomfortable. In due course, however, the last waltz before supper came round, and he, as agreed upon, danced it with his hostess. As the strains of the music died away, the doors of the supper room and tent were throAvn open. ' Now, Arthur,' said Mildred, ' take me in to supper.' He hesitated. ' The Portuguese Governor ' he began, She stamped her httle foot, and her eyes gave an ominous flash. ' Must I ask you t*wice ?' she said. Then he yielded, though the fact of being for the second time that night placed in an unnecessarily prominent position made him feel more uncomfortable than ever, for they were seated at the head of the top table.

Mildred Carr was in the exact centre, with himself on her right and the Portuguese Governor on the left. To Arthur's left Avas Lady Florence, who took an opportunity to assure him solemnly that '!■> DAW N, he really ' bore his blushing honours very nicely,' and to ask him ' how he liked the high places at feasts ?' The supper passed off as brilliantly as most successful suppers do. Mrs. Canlooked charming, and her conversation sparkled hke her OAvn champagne ; but it seemed to him that, as in the case of the Avine, there was too much sting in it. The wine was a little too dry, and her talk a httle too full of suppressed sarcasm, though he could not quite tell Avhat it was aimed at, any more than he could trace the source of the champagne bubbles. Supper done, he led her back to the ball room.

The second extra was just beginning, and she stood as though she were expecting him to ask her to dance it. ' I am sorry, Mildred, but I must go now. I am engaged this dance.' ' Indeed — Avho to ?' This was veiy coldly said. ' Lady Florence,' he ansAvered, confusedly, though there really was no reason why he should be confused. She looked at him steadily. ' Oh ! I forgot, for to-night you are her mono poly. Good-bye.' A httle while after this, Arthur thought that DAWN he had had about enough dancing for awhile, and went and sat by himself in a secluded spot under the shadow of a tree-fern in a temporary conserA*-atory put up outside a boAV-Avindow. The Chinese lantern that hung upon the fern had gone out, leaving his chair in total dark ness. Presently a couple whom he did not recognise, for he only saw their backs, strayed in, and placed themselves on a bench before him in such a way as to entirely cut off his retreat.

He was making up his mind to disturb them when they began a conversation in which the squeezing of hands and mild terms of en dearment played a part. Fearing to interrupt, lest he should disturb thehequanimity, he judged it best to stop where he was. Pres ently, however, their talk took a turn that proved intensely interesting to him. It was something as follows : She. 'Have you seen the hero of the evening ?' He. ' Who ? Do you mean the Portuguese GoATernor in his war-paint ?' She. ' No, of course not. You don't call him a hero, do you? I mean our hostess's fiance, the nice-looking young fellow who took her in to supper.' DAWN, He. 'Oh ! yes. I did not think much of him. Lucky dog ; but he must be rather mean. They say that he is engaged to a ghi in England, and has thrown her over for the widow.' She. ' Ah ! you're jealous.

I know that you Avould hke to be in his shoes. Come, confess.' He. ' You are very unkind. Why should I be jealous when ' She. ' Well, you need not hurt my hand, and Avill you never remember that black shows against white V He. ' It's awfully hot here ; let's go into the garden.' (Exeunt.)

Chapter III

Arthur emerged from his hiding-place horror struck at learning Avhat was being said about him, and Avondering, so far as he was at the moment capable of accurate thought, how long this report had been going about, and whether by any chance it had reached the ears of the Bellamys. If it had, the mischief might be very serious. In the confusion of his mind, only two things were clear to him ; one Avas that, both for Mildred's and his own sake, he must leave Madeira at once, and, secondly, that he would dance no more Avith her that night. Meanwhile the ball was drawing to a close, and presently he heard the strains of the last galop strike up. After the band had been playing for a minute or so, a natural curiosity drew him to the door of the ball-room to see if Mil dred was dancing with anybody else.