Within an Ace

Front matter

WITHIN AN ACE. By MRS. C. JENKIN, AUTHOR OF " TWO FRENCH MARRIAGES," " COUSIN STELLA," " ONCE AND AGAIN," ETC. ETC. LONDON: SMITH, ELDER & CO., 15, WATERLOO PLACE. 1869. [The right of Translation is reserved.] CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGK I. Hero, or no Hero '. 1 II. The Hour and the Man 28 IH. An Enthusiast for Matrimony 51 IV. Uncle Dan Sets his Trap 76 V. Two in Uncle Dan's Trap 98 VI. "Changing Old Lajups for New" 118 VH. A Legitimist Dowager 144 Vni. A Stab in the Dark 159 IX. LUCUS A NON LUCENDO i 187 X. Pas Convenable 210 XI. "Tea Lira— Tanta-Lira-Lira " 231 XH. An Old Lady of the Court of Charles X 250 XIII. No Change for the Better 263 XIV. Worse and Worse 278 XV. Within an Ace

Chapter I. Hero, Or No Hero

? "'Lo! the conq'ring hero comes!'" rolled out a sonorous bass voice. There followed on this announcement a rustle as of wings, and a group of girls ran from all parts of the room to cluster round the speaker. One leant on his shoulder, trying to peep into the letter he held aloft, another hung on his arm, pulling it down in the hope to satisfy her curiosity ; a third knelt before him, unconsciously taking the attitude of Thetis petitioning Jove. May, his pretty May, the most backward to come, he seized with his strong right hand, drawing her down on his knee. It was a pleasant picture of home. Imagine a father in the very noon of manhood, tall, stalwart, a large head still clothed with crisp chestnut curls, though the ample forehead is higher and broader than it had been some ten years pre vious : clear hazel eyes, a well -shaped nose, a mouth beautiful in form and expression.

Goodness was written on this man's face in distinct characters. His three daughters resembled him ; but the second, the one on his knee, was his softened perfected image. The girl leaning on Mr. Sinclair's shoulder was his adopted child. Catherine Leighton, always called Cattie, was the one anxiety of the family. Beauty absolute, such as May's, she did not possess, but a something more — grace. Is she brunette or blonde ? Her eyes, are they blue or black ? Is she grave or gay ? Those who had known her longest could scarcely answer any of these queries. Is she clever? That dark woman writing at a distant table, would assure you that Cattie could do anything she pleased. That red-haired old man reading Shakspeare, and who had not deigned to lift his eyes on his brother's announcement, would have growled out that " she would never do anything worth doing."

Uncle Dan, indeed, has always a sarcasm ready for Cattie. By the by, he never calls her Cattie, but invariably Miss Leighton. He scorns her music, her drawing, her dancing, propounds to the girls little ticklish problems in the expectation of confound ing and mortifying Cattie and procuring a triumph for his darling May, whom he believes to be a genius. But Cattie always divines the answer, while sweet May is knitting her lovely brows in vain per plexity. Uncle Dan is openly hostile to Cattie; he will not allow her any share of personal attraction. He predicts that she will end on the stage, that abomination of desolation to a rigid Scotch Pres byterian. He is never even touched when some demonstration of his ill-will has brought tears to her eyes. The truth is, uncle Dan has a clear perception that Cattie is terribly captivating, and he is jealous of her for May's sake.

Miss Toynbee, the dark lady in the yellow turban a la Sta'el, is the governess. She has been with the Sinclairs ever since Mrs. Sinclair's death. For two years after her entrance into the family, she had been universally suspected of an intention to marry Mr. Sinclair. But he declared on his honour that she hacl never made him any direct or indirect proposition of the kind, always adding, " The only fault I have to find with her, is her making me listen to her verses. To quiet her, I once printed, at my expense, her tragedy of Ariadne, but the dear creature must find some less classical subject if she means to be read." "Bessie and May and Carry Sinclair are three angels," would Miss Toynbee say, " but with no sacred fire, not a spark to blow into a flame, terre a terre, their spirits cling to the earth.

Cattie, now, her soul has wings, she will soar into the empyrean, she will leave a track of flame behind her ! " At the sound of Mr. Sinclair's voice, Miss Toynbee's pen had remained in mid air, between the paper and the inkstand. " What hero, dear Dar ? " exclaimed Cattie. "Is it Lord Clyde, or Burton, or ? " "No, no," laughed Mr. Sinclair; " restrain your imaginations, young ladies, it is only .... but there," putting the coveted letter into Cattie's hand, " read it aloud for the general benefit." Cattie read as follows : — " Dear Ma. Sinclair,— St. Blaze, July 30. " I have been doing as I would be done by helping my neighbour. Since my stay here I have become intimate with a Comtesse de Jencay and her son. They belong to the old noblesse of France. She, indeed, is a type of a class of Frenchwomen almost extinct; she is by birth and family tradition a Royalist, — you understand, an out-and-out Legiti mist, — concealing under affable manners the pride of Lucifer.

She is besides fiercely Ultramontane, and in spite of a certain leaven of Regency latitudi narian ideas, an upholder of Popes, priests, and all thereunto belonging. " She and her son differ, I believe, on every point, on religion, politics, I was going to add on morals also ; at all events, he is certainly less lax in speech than she is. I confess my sympathies are with the count, although I admit he sometimes carries his opposition too far. She can see no good in modern notions, he none in those of the old regime. She resists the notion of equality, and he upholds it by word and deed. I fancy, but I am not sure of this, that mother and son have never been on cordial terms since the marriage of Mdlle. de Jencay. However that may be, it is certain that Count Armand wishes to pay England and Scotland a visit.

He says that he wants to study our institutions and countryfolk ; but as his mother was lamenting to me yesterday that she had found him some delicious ' partis ' in English young ladies to marry, I suspect my count's desire to see the British Isles has another motive than to gain information. ' If he would only marry, chere dame,' says the old Comtesse, ' I could leave this place and return to Rome, to the society of my dear agreeable cardinals, — for they are agreeable. They are witty, subtle, never worry you with a continual yearning after this and that, they keep to what has been ; and at all events they know what they want, which those of my son's school do not.' "I have given M. de Jengay a letter of intro duction to you, my old friend, and, trust me, I would not have done so had I not known him to be an honourable young man."

" Ay, we are all honourable men," growled Uncle Dan. Cattie went on : — " The Count is also a polished man of the world, more given, I should say, to ' effleurer les gens ' (make Miss Toynbee translate that phrase if she can, for I cannot,) than to form friendships." " Just so superficial, that's what the jargon means," again interrupted uncle Dan ; but this time Cattie did not stop. " He is certainly not of an expansive nature, listens rather than speaks. I hope I am not im pressing you unfavourably towards a person I really like and esteem, as my introducing him to you proves. Perhaps you will be able, through some of your clients, to get him some shooting and deer stalking; you would confer an obligation on me by so doing. My love to you all. Miss Toynbee will have an opportunity of showing how well an Englishwoman who has never been in France can speak French.

M. de Jengay understands English well, he can speak it in French fashion. I beg Cattie will be merciful." The letter was signed, " Elizabeth Patterson." " Well, I am disappointed," exclaimed Cattie, as she laid down the letter. " Papa, why did you say a conquering hero was coming ? " asked Tottie. " I made a blunder, my dear," returned her father, gravely. " We are above caring about French Counts." " A conquering hero, however, does mean some one who has conquered something, which this Count never has," retorted Cattie. " His mother seems to have furnished him with opportunities for conquering himself, and I hope he has availed himself of them ; but I plead guilty of giving false information, and I beg pardon for myself and the Count. We must do the best we can for him," added Mr. Sinclair.

The writer of the letter was one of the oldest friends of the Sinclair family, and that means a great deal in Scotland ; so, though uncle Dan might grumble and the young ladies fume at the prospect of a French visitor, Mrs. Patterson's recommendation would be attended to. Bessie, as lady of the house, was perplexed as to which spare room she should allot to the Count. In general, bachelors were lodged on the highest floor, but in his character of foreigner and noble, she doubted whether he ought not to have the best room. " To be sure," said Mr. Sinclair. " Though he is not a hero, still we have not counts every day to visit us. Eh, May, what do you say ? " " The little green room looking into the garden is the prettiest : and the smell from the mignionette below is perfectly delicious." " Then the green room let it be ; and he won't be a count worth his porridge if he does not appreciate the mignionette."

"Who were the first whistlers, papa?" here called out Tottie. " Do you give it up ? The winds, when they whistled ' Over the hills and far av..y.' " Oh ! Tottie, be quiet," said Bessie. " Papa, you must please remember to bring some fish from town to-morrow." " That's my good Bessie," observed uncle Dan. " The idea of a count only suggests fish to her. I should like to know Miss Leighton's thoughts on the same subject." " Of fish, sir ? " said Cattie, demurely. " Yes, Miss Leighton ; of fish for women's nets." " If you mean the Count by your metaphor, sir, I feel curiosity — that's allowable, I hope. Yes, I should like to see a Frenchman who is neither a master nor a hairdresser. I should be glad to see what a French gentleman is like." Cattie spoke with a pure English accent, and her voice was a rare one, powerful, yet sweet ; but when ever she spoke to uncle Dan there was always a twang of irritation in it.

After an instant's pause, she added, " You have heard Bessie's thoughts and mine ; why don't you ask what are May's ? " " Just about our white frocks, dear," said May, answering for herself, with the intonation of her native town, which in her was pretty. " Don't set to pulling caps for the Count," said Mr. Sinclair. " Oh ! papa," exclaimed Tottie ; " as if any of us would ever care for a Frenchman ! " " You forget his title, my dear." " Who cares for French titles ? " said Tottie, with a droll toss of her little head. "It's not the same as an English one." " A clever discovery," put in Miss Toynbee. " And pray why don't you consider a French title equivalent to an English title ? " " Because it isn't," returned Tottie, indignantly. " No one would ever make me believe it was. I hate Frenchmen, that I do."

" Reasons, reasons ! " said her father. " They are our natural enemies ; and I am sure they hate us," answered Tottie. " The Scotch are like the Jews," said Miss Toynbee. " They believe themselves to be the favoured people of God. They go out to spoil their neighbours while they hold them as an abomina tion." " I look on a Cosmopolite and an Atheist as much the same thing," retorted uncle Dan, in a voice like the crackling of thorns. " Miss Toynbee," called out Tottie, " why should your nose and chin be like you and uncle Dan ? " " They are not, you silly child." " Yes they are, because words are always passing between them." " Do, Tottie, be done with those nonsensical riddles. Nobody cares for them," said Bessie. " Just one more, dear Bessie. What jams had they in the ark? I'll tell you, dear.

Preserved pears. Do you understand ? " " No ; and I don't care to do so." " Pairs, dear," said the irrepressible Tottie. " Be quiet, Tiggles," whispered Cattie Carry had three or four diminutives by which she was known. To call her Tiggles was to silence her. Mr. Sinclair, as if waking out of a dream, said, " Talking of nets and fish, reminds me of a pretty duet that was popular in my very young days — my mother used to sing it." " It's in the old blue book," said Bessie. And May and Cattie were presently joining their fresh young voices in the fishing duet. May had a clear bird-like pipe ; but Cattie had a grand mezzo soprano voice, such as you seldom hear off the stage. Mr. Sinclair lay back in his chair with closed eyes, beating time on his knee. There was a smile on his lips ; but when he opened his eyes, they were brimful of hot unshed tears.

The two girls waited for the usual, " Thank you, my dears — very well sung." As the praise and thanks did not come, May went to his side. " Asleep again, papa ? " He looked at her, and said, "Your music, children, brought to my recollection some lines of Long fellow ; " and he went on, in a low tone, stroking May's hair the while, — Come back, ye friendships long departed, That like o'erflowing streamlets started, And now are dwindled, one by one To stony channels in the sun ! Come back ! ye friends whose lives are ended, Come back, with all that light attended, Which seemed to darken and decay When ye arose and went away. Alas ! our memory may retrace Each circumstance of time and place, Season and scene come back again, And outward things unchanged remain, The rest we cannot reinstate, Ourselves we cannot recreate, Nor set our souls to the same key Of the remembered harmony.

Before he pronounced the last words, the girls were all again clustered about him ; loving eyes looked up to his, loving hands caressed him. They were sorry because they saw he was sad ; but as yet they knew sorrow only by name. How could they realize the feelings, sympathise with the regrets of one so removed from them by experiences of many kinds ? Miss Toynbee had stopped her busy pen to listen. For an instant something like a cloud passed over and softened her flashing black eyes ; then she said, " No use looking back. Forward — always forward." " Say rather, 'Higher — always higher,'" returned Mr. Sinclair. " The same thing, sir, is it not ? " " If the end be Heaven," he replied " Of course, sir ; but as we are on the earth, I take it for granted we are meant to interest ourselves in this planet of ours."

" By writing poems and cultivating the arts," said uncle Dan. " All that serves to carry on civilization is a good work, Mr. Daniel." "Civilization!" repeated uncle Dan. "Ay, that's the modern cry, the excuse for every folly nowadays. War ! Oh ! an excellent thing. It carries civilization into New Zealand or the Fegee Islands. We murder some twenty thousand innocent creatures, break mothers' hearts — what conse quence ? Civilization spreads." " Uncle Dan would prefer paint to broadcloth," said Cattie, in a low voice to May. Uncle Dan turned on her immediately. " A young lady like Miss Leighton is of course an authority on the subject." Cattie grew very red ; but she would not allow herself to be so put down. She warmed to the attack. " I have read about civilization, sir ; and I know that conquest by a superior race does civilize the inferior."

" Exterminate, Miss Leighton ; that's what your reading should have taught you. Pray, how did the conquest of the Spaniards civilize Mexico ? How have the red skins fared since the advent into their country of Europeans ? The inferior, Miss Leighton, is extinguished, not civilized, by the superior race. Keep to your trillings and quaverings, and your card-box painting. Women are never so agreeable as when they remain in their own sphere." Miss Toynbee threw aside her pen with a decided movement. " Why is there to be one sphere for man and one for woman, Mr. Daniel? Scripture calls woman man's helpmate, and not a doll for the amusement of his leisure hours. We have brains as well as you." Uncle Dan cleared his throat significantly. " And hands and hearts." " Sometimes," put in the adversary.

" All we ask for is a fair field and no favour." " You want all the field and all the favour into the bargain. Yes, yes ; force yourselves into man's arena, make yourselves lawyers, doctors, preachers, soldiers, dentists, for what I care ; you'll be the sufferers. Just now, men work out of tenderness for their women folk. Take out diplomas, set yourselves up in chambers and offices, and see what'll come of it. Men will care no more about you, except to keep you back in the race." For years uncle Dan and Miss Toynbee had battled these questions, and the combat had generally been brought to a conclusion, as now, by the inter vention of May. " Let me alone, girl," the old man said. " Kisses are not arguments." " They stop them," laughed May, as she put her fresh youug lips to his. Bad-tempered people are always declared to be rough diamonds, by their female advocates.

If a man is morose, there is sure to be some woman who excuses him, by accusing his circulation ; if he is violent, wounding every one forced into contact with him, well, of course, he has the defects of his virtues — has he not the warmest of hearts ? and so on. It is a pleasant illusion, and renders hfe endurable. Uncle Dan was a very rough diamond. His whole person revealed that he was irascible. New acquaintances held aloof from him ; the timid felt themselves become imbecile under the white heat of his pale grey eye. His very silence revealed an impatience that disturbed people's presence of mind. What amount of will must not this irritable man have exerted to be, what he invariably was, gentle to his brother and nieces, and, on the whole, forbearing to the servants. One thing remained a puzzle to the outer world, and that was why, being the elder brother by many years, he was always called Mr. Daniel.

The habit had arisen from his having chosen to live in Mr. Sinclair's house, and to give up to Archie the head ship of the family. It was Miss Toynbee's privilege to break down uncle Dan's will, to make him renounce his taci turnity. With no other woman had he ever con- 'V descended to argue. She said of him that he was the most even-tempered of men, he was always cross; and he said of her that, "poor thing, she had a bee in her bonnet." Cattie was the only inmate of Mayfield for whom he had no patience, and you might sooner have levelled mountains or exalted valleys than have uprooted one of Mr. Daniel Sinclair's prejudices. The girl herself protested that this dislike had had its rise from her having once taken an unread Times to cut out a pattern. The misdemeanour had been committed soon after she had come to live with the Sinclairs, six years ago ; he had passed sentence on her then as frivolous, vain, and affected, and he had never retracted an iota of the condemnation.

Uncle Dan's ideal woman was her of the Book of Proverbs. She who rises early and watches late, who overlooks her maidens, and who, if she does not spin the linen of the household, sees that it is kept in ' good order. Of all creatures distasteful to him it was a woman with artistic tastes. Anathema, maranatha. If uncle Dan was an uncut diamond, Cattie was one with many facettes. Her character was a medley ? 19 - — an enigma to herself and to every one about her. There was such a mixture of lofty and trivial — of cold and hot — of love and hate — with now and then a bit of romance, that there was no coming to any con clusion about her. Even a small show of kindness would make her adore you to-day — an adoration that the slightest incident might turn to detestation. She would work with forty horse-power one week, the next remain idle and indifferent.

" A capricious monkey," said uncle Dan. There was one person, however, excepted from all the changes of Cattie's humours, and that was Mr. Sinclair. With him she was humble and loving ; his will seemed her law. On the day that she was one-and-twenty, she had asked her guardian to let her have a quiet talk with him. She tried to express to him her intense grati tude for all he had done for her. Cattie had not the gift of ready tears ; in moments of great emotion hands and lips hardened to something of the rigidity of granite, but it was impossible for Mr. Sinclair to mistake the reality of the feeling she struggled to put into words. But it was not alone her gratitude she had to confess. There was something else to be told. Cattie was worse than poor; she was penniless, and Cattie wanted to make herself independent by her own exertions.

" Nonsense, my dear ! I should as soon have expected such a declaration from Bessie or May." " But I am not your real child," replied Cattie, her lips quivering as she said this. " Is it a good feeling that dictated those words ? " he asked. " I am not good. I don't think I was intended to be good." "Hush! child." She seized his hand, held it against her cold lips for an instant. " But you are an angel ! I am grateful to you. Indeed, indeed, I do love you ; but hate is stronger than love with me." " Poor little soul ! " ejaculated Mr. Sinclair. " I cannot be happy here any longer," went on Cattie, hurriedly. " It will only get worse and worse." " It has been said, and said truly, Cattie, that we may change our skies, but we always carry ourselves about with us. You will never, my poor ? 21 child, have less cause for suffering than you have here."

" I don't say I shall be happier, but I shall be better. I am growing wicked, dear Dar (the name she had invented for Mr. Sinclair). I don't think uncle Dan meant to do so much harm, but he has been a spirit of evil to me ; he tempts me. No ; I must go away." " Is it possible that an old man's crabbedness, or his partiality for May — for a girl who loves you as a sister — can be the cause of such bitterness." " Not his love for May, poor darling ; but his injustice to me. The pin-pricks he has been giving me for years have made me feel sore all over. Just as you make me good, he rouses all the bad nature in me. I can't help fancying he has an ' evil eye.' If I stay he will bring some misfortune on me." " But what would you do ? What are you fit for?" asked Mr. Sinclair, looking with pity and fear on the attractive, impulsive pleader.

" I mean to be — I wish to be — Mamma said it was the best thing for me " Cattie hesitated. Cattie hesitated. " What did your mother wish, my dear ? " asked Mr. Sinclair, believing that Cattie's agitation was caused by the mention of her mother. " A singer, or — or — an actress." Mr. Sinclair had expected to hear that she wished to be a governess or a companion. All the Scotch man in him was roused by this declaration. For the first time since Cattie had known him, she saw a look of anger on her benefactor's face. Before he could speak, she was on her knees. " Don't, don't say anything unkind to me. I can bear it from any one but you. I will obey you — indeed I will — in all things." " Then, my dear, give up all idea of such a means of gaining your livelihood. The tempting spirit is indeed at your ear, Cattie.

He has shown you the world at your feet, but the conditions he exacts, Cattie, are you prepared to agree to them ? Would you shut yourself out from what should be a woman's Paradise ? Have you never dreamed of a happy home, with a husband and children to love and cherish ? " Cattie, who was now standing before him, shook her head roguishly : " No, dear Dar, I have never dreamed such dreams. I have never seen a man I thought I could endure as a husband. Everybody is so corn nionplace. Of course, some of the people I see are very clever, and all that ; but I had rather die, like the Lady of Shalott, than marry one of them." " You want plumes, and armour, and jackboots." " Anj _hing would be better than the horrid coats in fashion ; and such feet ! " " You are a sillier child than I took you for — evidently not fit to guide yourself.

However, let us discuss your project a little more. How do you know you have the requisite talent for an actress or a singer ? You niay have a passion for an art, without any talent for it." " For two years before poor mamma died, I studied for the stage, — she said it was the only chance for me ; and the other day " — here Cattie reddened violently — " Mr. M heard me sing, and wrote to say he would engage me." " Pray, who is Mr. M ? " " The impresario of Her Majesty's," replied Cattie, opening her eyes with astonishment that the question was necessary. " And when and where had Mr. M an oppor tunity of hearing you ? " " He was down here a fortnight ago, and I begged old Parodi to ask him to come and hear me sing at his house. Parodi did not wish to do so, but I made him. If there's any fault in the matter, it's entirely mine."

" And Miss Toynbee, did she go with you to this rendezvous ?" " No, I got Mrs. McKenzie to chaperone me." Mr. Sinclair was confounded by the whole of Cattie's confession. He had been accustomed to say, as all men do, that women were unaccountable creatures ; doing wrong with a good intention, — in clined to crooked paths rather than straight ones, even when the end was laudable ; but there had been with him, as with others, a mental reservation as regarded his own household. They were for him types of candour and simplicity. It was a trying moment when Cattie shook this conviction. He remained so long silent that Cattie touched his hand to rouse him. " Did you ever read Mrs. Trimmer's story of the Robins ? I advise you to do so, my dear ; for you ? 25 remind me of that wilful Pecksy who would leave the nest, and fell and broke one of her wings."

" It was Flapsy, not Pecksy, dear Dar," said Cattie ; " and as you have told Flapsy to stay in the nest, why, she will ; but I shall never be a tame bird, content to sing in a cage. I shall sprout out in some distressing way. I shall be a lecturer on woman's wrongs, or a Primitive Methodist preacher, or a fashionable milliner. It may be shockingly wrong, but I could not bear a jog-trot life, to do to-morrow what I did to-day." " Nothing more hideously monotonous than the life of an actress, Cattie, — saying, singing, looking the same things night after night." " Ah ! but it is glorious to hold thousands of people silent, panting, interested only in you ; to move a thousand hearts as though they were but one." " Promise not to take in future any such decided step as you have done without consulting me.