Miss Shafto

Front matter

MISS SHAFTO. EY W. E. NORRIS, AUTHOR OP " MAJOR AND MINOR," " MY FRIEND JIM," " THE ROGUE," ETC. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. III. LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY AND SON, *|ubltsl)rts in ©r&inarg tn fgrr fflajcstg tfje ©turn. 1889. (All rights reserved.) CONTENTS OF VOL. 111. CHAPTER PACE I. Madge is strictly Truthful ... 1 II. Norma's Patience is tried ... 20 III. A Waiting Game ... ... 39 IV. Farewell ... ... ... 58 V. At the Lido ... ... ... 78 VI. Lord Loddundale reappears ... 99 VII. Mr. Shafto finds a Substitute ... 117 VIII. Norma makes a Great Deal of Mi inev 137 IX. Lord Loddondale's Chance ... 158 X. "To N. and M." ... ... 177 XI. The Poet speaks ... ... 195 XII. Rebus in Arduis ... ... 214 XIII. Baron Lammergeier's Generosity ... 234 XIV. Mr. Shafto enjoys himself ... 254 XV. A "Melancholy Event" ... 272 XVI. Mr. Shafto is not contradicted 293 XVII. Timely Hospitality ... ... 308 XVIII. Norma begs Pardon ... ...

Chapter I. Madge Is Strictly Truthful

Mr. Shafto was in one of his bad humours that morning. Norma suspected it as soon as he took his place at the breakfast table, and knew it when he began to abuse the coffee and the omelette and the bread and the hotel and everybody and everything connected therewith, including the Eternal City itself. Also she knew very well what was the matter. Latterly it had always been the arrival of London letters that had upset Mr. Shafto ; and that he had incurred some further losses was just as evident yol. in. from his face as if he had announced the fact. Presently he did announce it ; for it was almost an impossibility to him to suffer in silence. " Nobody ever had such luck as I have ! Fancy a telegram arriving just half an hour too late ! — which entailed a delay of a whole day and a consequent difference to my pocket of — well, a very considerable difference.

This comes of being in Italy when one ought to be in London ! " " We can easily return to London," observed Norma, who, however, was not eager to return in order to afford the facilities hinted at. " Oh, we can shut the stable-door after the horse has been stolen, no doubt. Now, my dear girl, you needn't look at me in that solemn and reproachful way. I am not an absolute idiot, and I have no intention of ending my days in the workhouse ; but it is rather provoking to drop a lot of money simply through the carelessness of these telegraph people." " Is it worth while to leave one's self at their mercy ? " hazarded Norma. Mr. Shafto swallowed his cup of tea and his impatience. " When you are a little older and have had a little more experience, Norma," answered he, " you will under stand that we are all inevitably at the mercy of chance.

A man who begins by demanding perfect safety ends by becoming a hypochondriac. Am I to sit indoors all day because, if I go out, I may be run over in the street ? Am I never to travel by rail because railway accidents occur pretty frequently ? The most prudent of human beings can't do more than take reasonable precautions." Norma might have replied that that was all she wished her father to do, but she was aware that no such expression of her wishes would influence him, though it would certainly irritate him ; so she said nothing at all. Possibly he was not altogether ungrateful to her for her forbearance, for, after a long pause, he resumed : " I do run risks ; you're quite right about that, and I dare say you think it's a mistake to run risks. But nothing venture, nothing have. I can't explain everything to you, and you wouldn't understand me if I did ; only I may tell you that, if the worst comes to the worst, I have always a good round sum invested in really first-class securities.

Lammergeier has very kindly seen to that for me." " Some people say that Baron Lammer geier isn't to be implicitly trusted," remarked Norma. " Oh, I know that's your idea. It isn't mine, and perhaps you'll concede that I know just a little bit more about him than you do. Anyway his credit stands toler ably high at present." Mr. Shafto rose and walked slowly to the window, where he stood for some time, apparently lost in thought. When he turned round it was to say with a sigh — " Do you know, Norma, I often wish you were married." " Because you want to get rid of me ? " Mr. Shafto laughed as he stepped back to her side and pinched her ear. His ill-humour seldom lasted long. " No, you disagreeable and perverse young woman," he answered ; " I don't want to get rid of you, though you do sometimes manage to scold me pretty severely without opening your lips.

No ; it will be a bad day for me when I lose you. But everything is uncertain ; life is uncertain. How do I know when I may die and leave you all alone in the world ? And so I indulge in dreams occasionally, though I take care to keep my eyes open all the time. Unless they have very much deceived me, there's somebody here who wouldn't be unwilling to take charge of you permanently, Norma." Norma smiled and shook her head. " I don't know of any such person," she declared ; " and certainly I don't know of any one, except you, by whom I should care to be taken charge of." Mr. Shafto did not appear to attach much importance to this disclaimer. He laughed again and pursued his own train of thought. " It wouldn't be exactly a grand match — although, Loddondale being a bachelor and likely to remain one, there would be certain possibilities.

What I think more of is that Sinclair is really a good, steady fellow ; and as far as money goes, why, as I tell you, I have a good round sum in hand, the greater part of Avhich I would make over to you at once. Besides I honestly believe that you will be rich some day. Yes," he added, his face flushing a little ; " I honestly do believe that." " But Lord Walter is not thinking of such a thing; nor am I," said Norma quietly. Nevertheless, she thought, and indeed could not help thinking, a good deal about it after her father had left her. She was perhaps as little conscious of her personal charms as any woman who is undeniably beautiful can be. She had never, to her knowledge, been much admired, nor had she coveted admiration, her ambitions and tastes not lying in that direction. At the same time, she was aware that she had classical features and a well-proportioned figure, which advantages were, no doubt, of a nature to attract the artistic eye.

It might be that Lord Walter's artistic eye had been pleased by them. This notion, for some reason or other, was excessively disagreeable to her. So disagreeable was it, in fact, that she felt bound to ask herself why it should be. Well, the answer came readily enough. Only a few months back, Lord Walter had been desperately in love with some one else ; and as she liked him and wanted to think well of him, she was naturally unwilling to believe that his affection could be so lightly bestowed and withdrawn. Admitting that he had been deceived in Madge and that he was entitled to for2:et her, it still did not follow that he was entitled at once to set up another idol on her vacant pedestal. Moreover, she was vexed by the extraordinary conspiracy into which everybody seemed to have entered to marry her to a man whom she had never wished to treat otherwise than as a friend.

She was very sorry now that she had consented, against her better judgment, to give him the sittings that he had asked for, and she w*as a little resentful against him for having asked for them. He might have guessed that he was exposing her to accusations such as that which Madge had formulated. That accusation distressed her a great deal more than Madge would have understood or thought possible, and she was still brooding over it when a waiter came in to ask whether she would receive Lady Shear man. " Oh yes," she answered, with a sigh ; for in truth she was by no means disposed to receive Lady Shearman at that moment. It was not Madge's custom to use so much ceremony before looking in upon her friend ; but this, it seemed, was to be quite a ceremonious visit. She wore so grave a countenance when she was announced, and swept into the room with such a comical air of quiet dignity, that Norma asked her laughingly what was the matter.

" Have I incurred your displeasure in any way, or have you come to announce some portentous piece of bad news ? " " I think," observed Madge in mildly reproachful accents, " that it is generally I who incur your displeasure nowadays, is it not ? However, one ends by becoming hardened, and after the daily domestic experiences that I have to go through, a little extra abuse doesn't seem to matter much." " I hope you haven't been quarrelling with your husband again," said Norma. Madge shrugged her shoulders. " I never quarrel with him," she declared. " He made an absurd scene last night when we got back from the theatre, and to-day he has gone off in the sulks— which is at least better than staying at home and scolding. I need hardly tell you that he is now in a rage with poor Mr. Grey. It seems that I flirted with Mr. Grey yester day."

" It really did seem a little like it, you know," said Norma, smiling. " Oh, of course ! To you and Chris topher it always does seem like it. It would seem like it if I shook hands with the Archbishop of Canterbury and offered to subscribe to the Church House Fund." " Well, it might," confessed Norma good-humouredly. " Everything depends upon the way in which things are done." " Really ? So that I might even go to the length of posturing as a model to a sculptor, if I only knew how to do it in a proper way ? ' ' " I won't quite say that. You see, Madge, you are a married woman now." " Oh, it is being married that makes the difference ? Then, if either you or Lord Walter had been married, it wouldn't have been proper for you to behave as you have been doing, I suppose. Ah, well ! it's a queer world."

" What do you mean ? " asked Norma, puzzled and not best pleased by the other's manner. " I can see that you ha\*e come here for some particular purpose. What is it?" Madge seemed to hesitate. " I Avas thinking," said she, " that I would tell you — but perhaps, after all, I won't. It might have been a duty to tell you; but as matters have turned out, I dare say you had better not know. I did come with a purpose, though," she added, laughing, as if she had suddenly remembered it. " I met a youth at the door just now who said he had been intrusted with a note for you ; so I undertook to deliver it. Here it is. Thereupon she produced from her pocket the note which she had been so sorely tempted to tamper with, and handed it to Norma, who glanced at it and laid it down unopened. A pause ensued, after which Madge slowly got up and sighed.

She wanted to be pressed to make her revelation ; but since she was not pressed, there was nothing for it but a change of tactics. " Norma, dear," she said suddenly, " do you think that I cherish a grudge against Lord Walter Sinclair ? " " I hope you don't," answered Norma. " That means that you think I do. Well, you are right ; only it isn't for the reason that you suppose. I told you long ago that I didn't care a bit about him, and if he has given up caring about me, so much the better. But I should be very sorry — very sorry indeed — if you became too fond of him, Norma." " There is no fear of that," answered Norma quietly. " Are you sure ? It seems to me that you are a great friend of his, and that you like him verv much." " I do like him very much. I have known him since he was a little boy, and I have never heard anything about him that was not to his credit," replied Norma warmly ; for she foresaw that she was about to be told of something that was not to Lord Walter's credit.

Madge shook her head solemnly. " You haven't known him all the time, though," she remarked ; " and if you had, I don't suppose you would have heard all that there was to be said about him. Of course you remember old Green, who keeps the Shafto Arms. I wonder whether you remember a niece of his who mysteriously disappeared some years ago ? " " Bessie Green ? Yes ; I remember her perfectly. What about her ? " " She is dead, that's all. I had a letter this morning from her uncle, telling me that it was all over. She came home a few months ago in the last stage of con sumption, and I used to go and sit with her sometimes " Madge paused for a moment, and then added meaningly, " She went by the name of Mrs. W alter." Norma had turned a little pale. " Well ? " she said. " I can't tell you anything more.

As you may imagine, there was a good deal of talk and gossip about her, and it was generally understood that she had been married to some one above her in rank. She gave herself out as a widow; but some people — Mr. Morley, amongst others — -were convinced that her husband was still living, and that his name was Lord Walter Sinclair." -' I don't wonder at their having thought so," returned Norma composedly. " As there was a mystery about her, and as she called herself Walter, that was a natural enough conjecture. But they were certainly mistaken ; and the proof is that Lord Walter asked you to marry him last summer. Whatever you may think about him, you must know that he couldn't have done that if he had had a wife living at the time." *■ Oh, she was living at the time, no doubt ; but she was also dying at the time.

That is what shows him to be so heartless. At least, I mean that it would shoAv him to be heartless, if the story were true ; but of course I don't for a moment assert that it is. I only repeat what I have heard." " It is not true," said Norma ; " I don't believe a word of it." " Oh, it may be false from beginning to end ; still, one would like to have some proof." " Perhaps," said Norma, after consider ing for a moment, " the simplest plan would be to ask him." But this was a plan the simplicity of which did not at all commend itself to Madge. She protested, with scandalized exclamations. As if one could possibly do such a thing as that! W7hat would he think ? And what answer would he be likely to make? One could hardly suppose that, if he had taken so much pains to keep his secret during poor Bessie's lifetime, he would let it out now that she was dead and buried.

Besides, what right had Norma to question him ? " Of course I don't know — if you have a right, that is different." Norma smiled. " I certainly have none," she replied tranquilly ; " only, if people seriously believed this story, it Avould per haps be friendly to give him a chance of undeceiving them. But now that I think of it, I see how absurd it is. Mr. Green, who has a keen eye to his own interests, would have made claims long ago if there had been the slightest ground for making any." Madge shrugged her shoulders. " Mr. Green may have found it to his interest to hold his tongue," she observed ; " he has not been a loser by his niece's marriage, I understand." However, she did not venture to say much more, fearing lest she should be led into telling some direct lie, with which she might be charged hereafter, and guess ing that she had already made as complete a success of her calumny as she could have hoped for.

That Norma should affect to be incredulous was only Avhat might have been anticipated ; and, indeed, it seemed best to conclude by associating herself with that incredulity. " It is only a conjecture. Probably we shall never know the real truth about poor Bessie, and perhaps I ought not to have repeated all this. I can hardly believe that he would have been so cold-blooded — although I certainly don't think that he has much heart." That, to tell the truth, was Norma's own impression of him. She had never been able quite to pardon the commonsense view that he had taken of his love-affair with Madge. " If she be not fair for me, what care I how fair she be ? " is a refrain which every disappointed lover is prone to sing, and may be excused for singing ; but then no one supposes that he really means it.

Lord Walter really had meant it, and had acted so thoroughly in the vol. in. 4° spirit of the sentiment that the woman whom he had once adored had now become simply a bore to him. And this he did not hesitate to say. The note which he had penned shortly after his interview with Sir Christopher, and which Norma read as soon as she was alone, set forth with more of emphasis than chivalry the view that he now took of Lady Shearman's character. In his eagerness to convince Miss Shafto that he had been in no way to blame for that unlucky scene at the Coliseum, he went a good deal farther than was necessary for his purpose. There are certain imputations Avhich a man must bear, if people are stupid enough to cast them upon him. Norma, when she had read all that he had to say, tore the sheet across with an impatient gesture, and tossed the halves into the fire.

She did not like his sending her this elaborate explanation ; and she liked still less the terms in which it was couched. After all, he owed her no explanations. And then, although she told herself that this romance about poor Bessie Green was a palpable invention, she could not help thinking that it would have been very like Walter Sinclair to act as that unfortunate Avoman's husband Avas said to have acted. One could easily imagine how she would have alienated him by her vulgarity, by her bad temper, by this or that offence which he would have considered unen durable, and how he would have felt quite justified in pensioning her off and bidding her adieu, with an intimation that she was not what he had taken her for. This was very unfair ; but, alas ! who doesn't have unfair thoughts at times ?

And who can listen to slander without being in any degree influenced by it ? We all think that we can ; and it may be that a good many of us are really unin fluenced by it, so far as conduct goes ; yet it is to be feared that that man knew something of his fellow-men who gave the sinister advice — " Calomniez, calomniez ! il en restera toujours qnclquechose."

Chapter II

NORMA's PATIENCE IS TRIED. Lady Spencer Sinclair had been a good deal put out by the moonlit wrangle of which she had been an unwilling Avitness. She was accustomed, and had always been accustomed, to a life free from jolts and jars ; to listen to high words was as dis agreeable to her as it would have been to look on at any painful or disgusting sight, such as an accident or an operation, and long use and wont had given her an impression that it was her right to be protected from such unpleasantnesses. Therefore she was not only much incensed against the vulgar and coarse Sir Chris topher and his silly little Avife, but was inclined to be displeased with Mr. Shafto for having introduced her to such people, and with her nephew for having got him self into trouble, and even with Norma for having known no better than to allow a fracas to take place.

One and all, they dropped down to a low level in her esteem, and for upwards of thirty-six hours she felt as if she didn't wish to see any of them again. But, at the end of that time, being a good-natured woman, she forgave some of them. She had become really fond of Norma, for whom she had that sort of wondering admiration that selfish persons often have for those who are not selfish ; and, having started by merely acquiescing in her nephew's suit, was now extremely anxious that he should be successful. Besides, at the moment, she wanted some body to go out driving with her. Accordingly, she betook herself to the Hotel Bristol to pick up her young friend, whom she thus unintentionally provided with a further opportunity of displaying unselfishness. For Norma was not at all inclined to drive Avith Lady Spencer that afternoon, being out of spirits and, as far as it was possible to her to be so, out of temper.

However, she did not excuse her self (for she was well aware that she could not do that without giving offence), but got ready at once and ran downstairs to join the old lady, by whom she was affectionately received. " Do you know," said Lady Spencer, with charming candour, while they were proceeding at a brisk pace toAvards the Porta del Popolo, " I was very nearly washing my hands of the whole pack of you yesterday — I was indeed ! Very horrid of me, and very ungrateful, I admit ; but if there is a thing that would make me renounce those nearest and dearest to me, it is the risk of being involved in a brawl. I can stand a great deal of chaperon duty ; I can stand being put on sentry-go in a studio for hours together ; and I can stand a limited amount of scrambling among ruins in the dead of the night ; but brawling I can not stand !

" " I don't think I am very fond of brawl ing either," remarked Norma, laughing a little. Lady Spencer took her hand and patted it. " My dear, I know that ; I'm only making a humble confession. All the same, I do hope and trust that I have seen the last of those impossible Shearman people. Was that exhibition a sample of their customary way of going on ? " Norma attempted some defence of Sir Christopher. Of course he had forgotten himself, but he had been A'ery sorry for it afterwards, and had begged everybody's pardon. He was not a bad-hearted man, though he was passionate and unreason ably jealous. Perhaps, too, it might be admitted that he had had some little provocation. " Oh," returned Lady Spencer, "a savage is always excusable for behaving like a savage, I suppose ; only one doesn't want to associate with those primitive types of humanity.

As for the provocation, I don't deny it for a moment. Indeed, his wife was quite as bad as he was, if not worse, and 'if he had seen fit to castigate her upon the spot, it is not I who should have called the police. Why Walter allowed her to inveigle him away from us like that I can't imagine ; but I dare say he won't do it again. Has he made his peace with you yet ? " " Made his peace with me ? " repeated Norma, slightly irritated by the question. " I don't quite understand. We haven't quarrelled that I know of." Lady Spencer laughed. " I apologize ; I ought to have asked whether he has explained to you that Lady Shearman took possession of him by main force." " Oh yes, he has done that," answered Norma, laughing a little too ; " but I think he might just as well have left it undone. For one thing, it wasn't very polite to poor Madge ; and for another, it really doesn't concern me to know whether he was willing to be taken possession of or not."

" Quite sure of that ? " Lady Spencer turned her head and looked her companion full in the eyes as she put this query ; and it was without any pretence of ignoring its significance that Norma replied gravely, " Perfectly sure." " Well, if it is so, I'm sorry — very sorry. I can't say that I have ever been par ticularly sanguine ; still I hoped there was a chance — and Fm not certain that I don't hope so still. Speaking quite impartially, I should think twice before rejecting Walter, if I were a young woman. One doesn't marry a man for his talents, nor even perhaps for his good looks ; but an excellent moral character is no such bad thing in a husband, and he has the recom mendation of being devoted to you, heart and soul. Added to which, he is one of those quiet, undemonstrative people who never change."

" Is he ? " said Norma. " I don't think that is quite the description that I should have given of him. But whatever else he may be, he is certainly not devoted to me in the way that you mean, and I sincerely hope he never will be. I wish I had not consented to give him those sittings. I would not have done it if I had thought for a moment that they would cause so much misunderstanding." Lady Spencer's opinion of her nephew's chances was not made any worse by this declaration. He could not, of course, be accepted before he had proposed, nor could any girl very well have answered other wise than as Miss Shafto had done. She laughed and answered, " There has been no misunderstanding about the sittings. I made myself responsible for them at the outset, and I'll undertake to say that no body has misconstrued your good nature.

If misunderstandings have arisen out of other circumstances, I'm not to blame for that, and I shan't attempt to set them right. Only I hope there's no harm in my saying that I should very much like you to be my niece." She not unnaturally thought that Norma had been offended by Walter's apparent desertion of her for Lady Shearman at the Coliseum, and she surmised that the apology which her nephew had made had not been very skilfully worded. As she intended to give him a chance of atoning for his awkwardness no later than that very afternoon, she judged it best for the present to let the subject drop. " Is it the case that Lady Shearman is a sister of Lady Huddersfield's ? " she asked. Norma replied that it Avas. " Ah, that accounts for her silliness then. A more absolute goose than Lady Hudders field I have never met.

Fancy a woman like that, with the education of a charity girl and no mother-wit at all, attempting to make her house a political centre ! I went to two of her receptions last season, and I really felt quite sorry for the poor thing ; though, as there were heaps of nonentities there, I dare say she was too stupid to understand what a fiasco she had made." Thus, during the remainder of the drive, Norma was entertained with details bearing upon a rivalry with which this narrative has nothing to do, and from which she was led to conclude that Lady Huddersfield Avas not the only fashionable personage Avhose political ambition had resulted in a fiasco. She was very willing to talk about anybody or anything except Lord Walter, and she was not at all pleased to find him sitting in Lady Spencer's drawing-room when, towards evening, she was conducted thither to have a cup of tea.

He, on the other hand, was very pleased to see her, because he had not anticipated the meeting which his kind aunt had arranged for him. So pleased was he that he scarcely noticed the unusual chilliness with which Norma accosted him, though Lady Spencer noticed it and was amused by it, thinking it rather a favourable sign than otherwise. " One doesn't behave in that way to a man whom one means to refuse," that observant lady reflected. And so, to relieve any embarrassment from which the young people might be supposed to be suffering, she obligingly took the whole burden of the conversation upon herself and chattered away fluently for half an hour, at the expiration of which time Norma rose. " Are you going to walk home ? " Lady Spencer asked ; and, having obtained an affirmative reply, she added, " Then I dare say Walter will see you safely to your hotel."