Lady Valeria. A novel

Front matter

LADY VALEKIA. £1 BY A. MOBERLY. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON : EICHARD BENTLEY AND SON, publishers in (Drbiiwvj) to _Sjer Attnjcstu the djjuccn. 1886. [All Eights Reserved.] CONTENTS OF VOL. II. CHAPTER PAGE I. HOW HESTER AVAITED FOR NEWS - - 1 II. A DEAD FLOAVER - - - 33 III. MAJOR RANDOLF STANNARD - - - 57 IV. DOWN AT ALTCAR - .- -78 \*. EUSTACE'S BIRTHRIGHT ' - -. - 103 A*I. A AVITCH'S.BREW - - - - 123 VII. TWICE AVARNED ! -'--.- 139 VIII. A DAY. OF STRANGE MEETINGS - - 153 IX. " FOR NE'ER WAS DREAM SO LIKE A WAKING " 169 X. HOAV EDRIC CAME TO SEAGRAVE PLACE - 187 XI. IN KENSINGTON GARDENS AGAIN - - CONTENTS. IV < HAPTER PAOE xii. lady valeria's last visitor - - 222 xiii. how oliver meynell came to st. frido lin's ..... 241 XIV. "COMB, LASSES AND LADS !" - - 258 XV. "MISSING" -----

Chapter I How Hester Waited For News Dric

was not unmindful of his promise to let Hester Archdale hear the end — if end it were — of his adventures. The Royal Denbigh being short of officers, and his chances of a visit to town uncertain, he had to content himself with writing, and in the course of the next and following days began a dozen letters at least. Despite his most strenuous endeavours, each of them broke clown utterly in the course of a page or two, VOL. II. and came to an untimely end in the waste paper basket. He made the discovery — by no means a novel one- — that a faithful account of his experiences was not to be had for the mere writing down. For one thing, his impressions of his interview with Euphrosyne changed completely each time he recalled them. Some times the whole scene became so utterly meaningless and its conclusion so flat, that he decided it had been a fiasco from beginning CT CT to end.

Euphrosyne and her confederates hael taken him for somebody else, found out their blunder, and got rid of him — that was all. Again, it seemed full of sinister meaning. He ought to write and warn Monk forthwith — against what ? Then, again, it was a crazy freak of a superstitious woman. She was anxious to prove an alibi, for some reason of her own ; his evidence came in useful, and it pleased her to make a melodramatic scene of it. There it was, clear as daylight. Some times the whole incident seemed pregnant with suggestions of tragedy, and he shrank from implicating Hester even by a confidence. Perhaps he was unconsciously hampered by the recollection of Euphrosyne's last words — however much he persuaded himself he dis regarded them. His account at last, not achieved till after many days, was a lame performance after all, only to be sent if he failed to see Hester.

A week had passed before his chance came, and meanwhile Hester waited and wondered, and Roswal and the young Buccleuch had rather a bad time of it — especially Rosw*al. It w*as the sultry weather, Hester supposed, that made steady work impossible, and sent her off into languid fits of dreaming at critical moments, or else drove her into sticking doggedly at her easel long after both eyes and fingers had given signs of being past all good work for that day. Master Jack expressed his sentiments after the manner of his kind ; grimaced, fidgeted, insisted on being bribed into goodness with 21—2 unlimited chocolate creams ; presented his heels instead of his head for his sister's con templation ; tried the sharpness of his little sword on the nearest chair-back ; made art experiments of his own with charcoal and turpentine ; and, in fact, generally conducted himself after the fashion of his elfish double, till dismissed in disgrace to the nursery.

Roswal knew all about it. He would pose "in act to spring" obediently enough ; but in a limp, uninteresting fashion. " What's the use ?" his great red eyes seemed to ask eloquently. " AVhy should I glare 1 If I did, instead of getting it down on canvas forth with, you let the very slightest interruption — a postman's knock, or a stray step in the drawing-room — set your attention wandering for minutes together. Cats ? No, I don't believe you !" It was treatment to make any dog flop down disgustedly, hang his great tongue out imbecilely and pant in exaspera tion. " It's the weather, Cuss. I'm just as stupid as you to-day." It was a glaringly unjust comparison, but Cuss only blinked the more. " Such a good day too, old dog. Papa gone off with mother for the whole afternoon ; no one to interrupt us; but," regretfully, " I cant paint, somehow.

I'm getting nervous. Sup pose we go round to Rose Damien's. She likes me to be there on a Alonday ; and you shall lie in the conservatory and watch the gold-fish ; and in the evening we'll have the horses out, and then, and then, old darling, you'll get your turn. Anything's better than waiting for people who don't mean to come, or who may just as easily be met at Rose's ; eh?" Roswal came and sat up against her very hard for a moment to express approval, and then lumbered downstairs to the hall-door, so as to lose no time at the start. There were a few hot days in that year's June, and this was one of them. The pave ment scorched, the houses reflected heat, the sun beat through Hester's red parasol, the wind was a hot blast, the shadow a glow. Hester and Roswal both rejoiced when, the fiery transit over, they found themselves in shelter at St. Maur Road, listening in the hall to the murmer of voices above, that showed no falling off in the number of Airs.

Damien's Alonday visitors. Hester decided on entering unannounced through the conservatory, and disposing of Roswal on the way. He had his own favourite nook under a stand of palms, where the tiles were cold and damp, and a lazy little fountain close by dripped musically into its moss-edged basin. Hester's eyes, dazzled by the outer glare, at first wandered unrecognisingly from group to group in the cool, softly-lighted room, which Airs. Damien had arranged after her own ideas of comfort, and which looked strangely foreign and bare with its polished boards, filmy muslin draperies, and complete absence of heavy or needless ornament. All colour and brightness seemed concentrated in one spot, where Aunt Alamie stood presiding magnificently over a table piled with flowers, fruit, and coloured sweetmeats, till it looked like a giant nosegay ; and dispensing the contents of a mighty silver bowl all dimmed with a chilly dew from the clinking blocks of ice that floated in a golden-tinted mix ture amongst slices of pineapple, spirals of lemons, and only Aunt Alamie knew what besides.

Aunt Mamie herself was a goodly sight. Her scarlet handkerchief was the brightest point of colour in the room ; her white teeth flashed in delighted smiles ; her great gold earrings swung and twinkled with each move ment ; her high cap and apron were so fresh, so frilled, so marvellously beyond all imagin able results of mere clear-starchery, that they might have been whipped to a froth out of sugar and snow and sent home by the con fectioner. " Nobody there !" said Hester, softly. " Nobody." About a dozen people came under that description, and she proceeded to tell them over mentally. " The Lepells as usual — Mr. Lepell with his crowd of girl worshippers. There are the Bostonians, those dreadfully cultured, pretty girls, who know more about England than anyone over here can ever tell them, and have a theory ready made to account for everything.

Lady Beatrix talking nonsense with her mouth full of strawberries, with all the men in the room admiring, except her husband. I wonder who that is bringing her an ice 1 I've seen him several times here lately, I think. Handsome, distinguished looking, and badly dressed. He must be a somebody to go about in a coat like that; besides, she looks so gratified at his attention. He's not listening to a word she says. He's looking right over her head at Rose. AVho is Rose talking to ? I wish someone would move and let me see. A lady — Lady Monchalsea .'" Hester's little foot gave such a vicious httle stamp that Roswal lifted his head with a jerk and looked all attention. HOW HESTER WALTED FOR NEWS. 9 " Wicked old woman ! I thought she was dead ! She shall see I am alive presently." Airs. Damien, swaying gracefully in her big cane rocking-chair, was waving idly her feather fan, and listening with absent eyes to the authoritative remarks of an imposing lady, who, seated bolt upright, one foot on a stool, surveyed the company with a sort of magis terial air through a great gold eye-glass, all unconscious of being surveyed in her turn by the calm, handsome eyes of one of the fair Bostonians, evidently noting and storing up her peculiarities for future study — as a type.

Lady Monchalsea had a thin, high-pitched nose and voice, and spoke in studied phrase. " Aly dear," she was saying, " of course, in these days, thanks to Cook, every human creature has a chance of going everywhere. It is not what we see, but how we see it, that must be considered." Airs. Damien assented languidly ; the fair Bostonian smiled approval. " The tourist who infests the Alps may carry away some recollection of mere scenery, and enjoy his own vulgar holiday in his own vulgar way. But to stand face to face wdth nature in company with one capable of inter preting the higher beauty that appeals only to " There was a stir of a fresh arrival. A tall young gentleman, wdth a close-cropped blonde head, was standing before Airs. Damien. Hester's heart beat a trifle faster, and then sank down fathoms deep, as he turned a rosy, vacuous, unknown face towards Lady Beatrix, while Lady Alonchalsea, eye-glass and sentence held in suspension, frowned portentously on the interruption.

Then the penetrating ac cents resumed : " If it were an every-day travelling party that I were asking you to join, I could under stand your hesitation. AVhat I offer is no ordinary privilege — to visit the Alps in company with Professor Alontrose." " Professor Alontrose ?" Hester exclaimed to Roswal in astonishment. HOW HESTER WATTED FOR NEWS. 11 And " Alontrose " echoed in a low but en thusiastic whisper from the Boston group. " Montrose." The handsome, odd-looking man turned from his chat with Lady Beatrix with much alacrity. " Did you call me, Airs. Damien ?" " No. It was Lady Alonchalsea who mentioned your name." And then, in re sponse to the appeal of three pairs of lovely envious eyes, she proceeded to make the great man known to his transatlantic admirers, and provide him with three fresh followers on the spot.

She seemed nervous and absent, only anxious to break away civilly from Lady Monchalsea. Lady Beatrix, after a pout at the Professor's desertion, brightened up as three more mascu line figures appeared on the scene. Hester disposed of these at a glance. Not one of them could have been mistaken for Edric for a moment. One dark — one short — one an old acquaintance. She watched each in his turn drift into Lady Beatrix's circle, and Lady Alonchalsea seize her victim once more, like the Ancient Alariner the wedding guest. O CT " You and I, Beatrix and Augustus Lepell, and Air. Alontrose — I know* how much you will have in common with both the poet and the artist " " Is that all your party V interrupted Rose. " AVe did expect Alonchalsea and his wife, but Zillah is very delicate just now, and keeps him prisoner beside her sofa.

Perhaps Ted may get a holiday. I hope so. I am an old woman now, and must have someone to see after my little comforts ; and Ted knows the northern Tyrol better than any courier." Hester started, and sallied forth in hot indignation. The arrangement was quite in telligible to her now. The Hon. Ted Boughton was the last left on his mother's hands of a large, unlovely, and unimprovable family, all the rest of whom had been adroitly disposed of in matrimony by their sagacious parent in half-a-dozen seasons. Lord Monchalsea, the eldest, most unlovely, and most unpromising, had offered himself to Mrs. Damien within a week of her arrival in England, to be refused and to carry his rejected title and affections to a wealthy daughter of the Tribes within another fortnight. A sufficient time had elapsed for Ted to be produced with decency ; and so — and so " Mrs. Damien sprang forward to her as if welcoming the interruption.

" Hester ! I beg your pardon for not seeing you sooner. Have you been here long ?" " I have been in the conservatory putting Roswal by. He makes people hot to look at him this weather." "Just like Henderson," laughed Airs. Damien. " I daren't put a butler into a white suit ; and besides, he is miserable without his tea-tray ; so I've deposed him in favour of Aunt Mamie. Doesn't she look delightful ?" Hester detected a harassed air of preoccupa tion under Rose's gay tone, and held her hand fast. " I couldn't help overhearing you," she confessed, with a glance of supreme disfavour at her old antipathy, Lady Alonchalsea, who was eyeing her superciliously. "Don't you want to go ? AVhy don't you say so at once, and get rid of her ?" Rose looked at her with a gentle wistfulness. " I can't decide.

Perhaps it would be best to go — -but the wisest decision is always the hardest. If I thought I should be missed here — ever so little — by anybody — I would stay, oh, so gladly !" She broke off ; the Bostonians were taking leave, going off with the Professor to see somebody's pictures. There was a little outbreak of parting words. Hester heard " Zwiesel Alp," " Konigsee," " Just too lovely," " Pasterne Glacier!" etc., etc., to all of which Mrs. Damien listened, constrainedly smiling, with the distressed line between her brows that Hester alone could read. "I'm a blind, selfish wretch," she thought, with sudden illumination, as she watched the farewells. " She knows I hate the thoughts CT of her going back to those Alonchalseas, and she is too shy to tell me what her real wishes are. AVhy has she never mentioned the Pro fessor's name to me ?

Perhaps they are old friends. I like his looks. I like the way his face lights up when he looks at her. I'm not afraid of that hulking, smoke-dried Ted Boughton. He and his mother may do their worst ; Rose is safe from all danger from their attractions ; but this man is of a different stamp." A whole romance unfolded itself in the girl's busy brain before the shabby coat of the unconscious hero had finally disappeared through the doorway. She looked for Rose, anxious to show her comprehension, her sym pathy. Air. Lepell had dawdled up to their neighbourhood. "You must come, Mrs. Damien. Beatrix will burn my sketch-book and throw my paint box out of the window if I have nobody to support me. Now with you and Alontrose " Airs. Damien turned away sharply, almost rudely. " AVhat clo you think of thc conservatory, Hester ?

Did you ever see the lilies so fine — though, of course, the best have gone to St. Fridolin's." " The best of everything goes to St. Frido lin's, of course. Aly dear, that is just wdiat all your friends are beginning to complain of," said Lady Alonchalsea unexpectedly, in a tone of iced spite. Airs. Damien flushed hotly, and gave her a haughty, defiant glance. "Don't let St. Fridolin's keep you, Rose," eagerly interposed Hester. " You know we can get someone to take your lectures. Miss Coutell is disengaged, and would be only too glad to come. The parish could very well spare you for a few weeks. I cannot see wh)* you should not go." She spoke even more emphatically than was needful, keeping her eyes away from her friend's face till the last words, when she broke short off, startled at the miserable, half imploring look in Mrs. Damien's lovely eyes.

It vanished before she fairly caught it ; and Rose was laughing a mocking, hard little laugh. " There is independent testimony to the value of my exertions ! Quite trustworthy, too ; so I may as well decide at once. AVhen clo you want me, Lady Alonchalsea ? The last w*eek in June ? Yes, that will suit me perfectly." " Have I done wrong ?" Hester asked her self anxiously ; but she had no chance of even guessing, for the Lepells departed and were replaced by others, friends of Hester's, to whom Airs. Damien abandoned them as others succeeded. Aunt Mamie's bowl was running low before the room cleared again, and Hester could approach her friend. "Are you angry with what I said, Rose? Of course we all want you dreadfully. It will be hateful without you, and no one can really take your place." VOL. 11. o " Hush, dear.

It is all right, and the question is settled." Then, as if to change the subject : " I am rather worried about my poor Birdie. Mr. de Cressy came early, and says she is very unhappy and longing to see me. That unlucky brother has actually en listed, and the old man is furious. I know what she will have to bear, poor child. I promised to go to her this evening, but Lady Alonchalsea is going to stay to dinner, so I must wait till to-morrow." " I'll go !" cried Hester, springing to a sudden decision. " I've nothing to do here. I shall be better than nobody. At all events, I can tell her why you didn't come. Do let me !" " The City — this blazing day — and it's getting late," Mrs. Damien exclaimed. Then, seeing Hester was resolved : " You must drive. I will order the brougham ; but I dread what Lady Archdale will say.

She hardly likes your going with me in the mornings." Hester took her wflful way, as she generally did, Roswal in attendance, much as he disliked carriage exercise. Shine was hotter, shade was stuffier, as they drove citywards ; air was less, smells were more. Hester drove straight to St. Fridolin's, and made her way on foot to Lavender Row. It had more the look of a half-emptied dust-bin than ever. Elsie's flow*ers were the only sweet, and her windows the only clean things about the place. Behind the blank, black wall the engine's ceaseless thud and clash seemed to make life hotter to hear it. The front-door was on the latch, after the primitive fashion of Lavender Row, so Hester entered, and tapped gently on the low, crooked-panelled door. " Come in," said a gay little voice, stopping in a snatch of song.

Elsie's little sewing machine stood on the table beside her, and she was making it spin along gafly by way of accompaniment. " Miss Archdale !" she cried, in surprise, while Hester stood in wonderment at the girl's changed looks. She wore the 22 — same little spotted black print gown with the close little white frill round her throat that Hester had always known her in, but a pretty pink colour tinted each pale cheek. Her great eyes were full of light and life, her pretty lips -were curving with smiles. Even the invalid's listless attitude had gone, and she was sitting erect and busy, and rose alertly to receive her visitor. "I have a message from Mrs. Damien," Hester began, somewhat awkwardly. AVas this the forlorn, drooping creature she had hurried to console ? " She could not come herself to you, and sent me to hear what has gone amiss — with your brother, I mean.

AVe were all so sorry." " AVon't you sit down ?" Elsie asked, offering a chair. " How very kind of you to come so far on this hot day. Indeed, I should not have thought of troubling you. Afay I make you a cup of tea ? The kettle is boiling. I expect father home soon." " No, thank you," said Hester, vaguely dissatisfied. It was the same gentle, courteous Elsie, but her manner had just the slightest touch of gay carelessness in it, almost the bright sauciness of assured good fortune, that was puzzling. " AVhat did you wish to know ?" she said, quite respectfully. " AVhy, we all thought you were in such distress about Sampson," she began. " Did you ?" said Elsie, amusedly. " I suppose to a lady it does seem a very dread ful thing to enlist, but to us it is different, and Sampson is sure to get on.

He is a good shot to begin with, and if his instructor likes he can do much for him ; and he is over twenty, so it won't count as boy's ser vice." Elsie stopped ; Hester still more sur prised at her fluent command of the sub ject. " If Mr. Paramount is satisfied — Elsie's face fell. " Indeed, Miss Archdale, he takes it to heart terribly ; but if I can only get him to listen to what Mr. Poynter says, I'm sure he must come round." " Mr. Poynter ! AVhat do you know about him ?" Hester tried to ask indifferently. Elsie flushed hotly. " He was good enough to come and explain things to us — to me," she said. " He has been here to-day," in a low tone. " He is very kind, and will take an interest in Sammy." " Oh, well, I am glad it is all so very satis factory," said Hester, trying not to speak curtly and drily.

" Good-bye, Elsie ; Mrs. Damien will be pleased to hear of you. You are look ing so well, too." " I have kind friends who take care of me — Oh ! the dog, the dog !" " AVhat is it, Roswal ? Down, sir ! down !" For Roswal had suddenly flung himself at the door, and was tearing furiously at the floor with a low, savage growl. He stopped at Hester's voice, but never moved his nose from the ground. " Come here !" cried his mistress, imperatively. " I am so sorry he frightened you. I suppose it was a cat outside. Now quiet, will you ? Good-bye." She opened the door and passed out, but at one bound the dog was half-way up the low staircase, and before she could overtake him was growling and tearing frantically at a closed door on the landing above. Hester seized him by the collar and dragged him away, struggling rebelliously and screwing his head round, half choked, but still obstinate.

She gave in and dropped him in despair at last, when his sense of what was due to a lady seemed suddenly restored, and he sprawled downstairs again obediently beside her. Once in the street, Hester felt ready to sit down and cry. Roswal's misconduct, following on the rebuff she had received, had quite unstrung her nerves. The noise had made her head ache, the hot drive with home at the end of it seemed unendurable to contemplate. Instinctively she crossed the crowded street, after a word to the coachman, and ascended a short flight of steps between two blocks of warehouses, and so on through a crooked lane, under a covered alley, and out into the open space in front of St. Fridolin's. The church door yawned open, wide and dark. Here at least she should find quiet and solitude. Here she might rest, weep, pray as she listed ; yet half unwillingly she crossed the churchyard, Roswal at her heels.

Within was gloom and emptiness, and stillness so deep that even her soft footfall on the flagged aisle seemed to rouse irreverent echoes. She slipped into one of the seats, and, sinking on her knees, dropped her face on her arms with a sob of weariness. Roswal, after tentatively licking her elbow, the brim of her hat, and her boot-heel very delicately, decided that it was not a case for his ministrations, and departed to make sure that the horse and carriage were not absconding in his absence. Finding that the coachman, who was well used to " our Lady's " ways, had driven round to his usual position, he returned satisfied to await his mistress's pleasure. How long she knelt there Hester did not know. Another footfall on the flags aroused her, and lifting her head she saw the Vicar entering by the vestry door and looking thoughtfully around.

She hoped he did not see her. There was always a certain unspoken antagonism between them, though either would strenuously have denied the fact and professed the highest regard for the other ; so, still as a mouse she kept, her bright eyes regarding him sharply. Possibly her mood, a most unusual one, rendered her more sympathetic than usual, for she noted for the first time the weary look in his eyes, the anxious lines of brow and lip ; or perhaps, fancying himself alone, he let slip aside for a moment the mask of grave im passiveness that shielded him from the outer world. However it was, instead of the dig nified parish priest, calm and strong and self contained, Hester seemed to see a sorrowful, trouble-laden man, with eyes full of a hopeless yearning, and lips set in pathetic resignation.

She looked and wondered, and half rose, and then he saw her. He seemed to take her being there for granted ; that was one comfort, Hester thought. " You are early for Evensong, Miss Arch dale. I thought I was late !" " I didn't come for Service. I came to think and rest," she answered him rather brusquely. "No better place." He didn't begin upon Church privileges, or lecture her on neglected opportunities, as Hester dimly feared. He only stood with his face slightly upraised to the light, thoughtfully smiling. " I've had a very bad day," Hester spoke out suddenly and unaccountably. " Every thing wrong and wretched from the beginning. It wasn't my fault. That I maintain. I'm not going in for any dishonest self-abasement. I only want peace and quietness to think things out and see where the misfit lies."

" And have you succeeded ?" " No, not quite," she admitted. " I still feel injured, and don't know who to blame." Mr. Stannard looked courteously, kindly attentive, and she went on impulsively. " It is just this : I used to think I was a great deal to many people, and now I have been suddenly shown that I am of no use to anybody, and it hurts." I do not understand you." " I have had to nurse mamma, and manage the house, since I was quite a little girl ; and daddy used to consult me and call me his commanding officer, only in fun, but it was half-true ; and, of course, I was an important person in my way. Mamma is well again, and we are all happy about it ; only, she seems to have taken up life just where she laid it down a dozen years ago. All the arrange ments of the house are wrong, and must be altered forthwith ; I am only a little girl, to be looked after and found fault with and ordered about all day long.

Daddy is wrapped up in her (so he ought to be), and never takes my part by word or look. AVhy, mamma -won't even let a visitor be admitted if she is not at home to receive him, and begins to think I ought to go nowhere without her. I can't CT CT make myself twelve years old again." " Don't try. Let Lady Archdale realise by degrees that you are a grown-up reasonable woman." She mistrusted his use ofthe second adjective, and hastened to strengthen her case. " I had Rose to lean on at least, or so I thought till to-day, when I found how com pletely outside her life I am, how little needful I am to her. Oh, it hurts, it hurts !" " Tell me," Mr. Stannard said, with a thrill of sympathy in his voice. " AVhat has she done ?" " I am not jealous of her love," Hester pro tested, half crying. " I would give her up gladly to any man worthy of it ; but I am per fectly justified in mistrusting and despising the Monchalsea set.

And to leave us all for them !" She dashed her tears away defiantly, and in reply to his questioning look told briefly the story of that afternoon, as she had read it. Professor Montrose's name came in with a certain hesitation, and his part in the pro gramme was slurred over, in her anxiety not to betray her friend. But she had an un comfortable sense that the Aricar was, somehow, mentally supplying the gaps in her narrative ; and she hurried on to her vexation about her fruitless errand to Elsie, laughing at her own inconsistency in being vexed. Then she stopped. "Now tell me the real story. This is all Prologue, is it not ?" was the unexpected comment. She flushed up to her honest brown eyes, that wavered and drooped for an instant, and then lifted themselves straightforwardly to the Vicar's face.