The Other Man's Wife. A novel

Front matter

THE OTHER MAN'S WIFE. H CHE OTHER MANS WIFE a -novel. nv JOHN STEANGE WINTER, AUTHOR Of '•13OOTLKS' BABY," 'BEAUTIFUL JIM," 'MY POOR DICK," " HARVKST," "MRS. BOB," "DINNA FORGKT," Etc,. Etc. IX TWO VOLGMS& VOL. II. LONDON : F. V. WHITE & CO., 31, SOUTHAMPTON STREET, STRAND, W.C. 1891. PRINTED BT KELLY AND CO., GATE STREET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS, AND KINGSTON-ON-THAMES. CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I. — The Piping Times of Peace . . . 1 II. — Hard Lines . . . . 17 III. — Madame Wolenski ..... 32 IV.— Murder! 48 V. — I'm Afraid of Myself GI VI.— "Unless " 78 VII.— Doubt! 89 VIII. — Part of the Truth . . . . 107 IX. — A Great Surprise . . . . .118 X. — "I am Your Friend" ... 134 XL— No Light 140 XII. — Pottinger to the Front . . . 159 XIII.— The Old Jack! 172 XIV. — A Plain Question .... 188 XV. — A Straightforward Answer . . .199 XVI.— Vendetta !

NEW NOVELS AT ALL LIBRARIES. THE PLUNGER. By Hawley Smart. 2 vols. JACK'S SECRET. By Mrs. LOVETT CAMERON. 3 vols. A HOMBURG BEAUTY. By Mrs. Edward Kennard. 3 vols. CRISS CROSS LOVERS. By Tbe Honble. Mrs. H. W. CHETWYND. 3 vols, BASIL AND ANNETTE. By B. L. FARJEON. 3 vols. THAT AFFAIR. By Annie Thomas. 3 vols. THE WAY SHE WON HIM. By Mrs. HOUSTOUN. 2 vols. APRIL'S LADY. By Mrs. HUNGERFORD, Author of " Molly Bawn. F. V. "WHITE & CO., 31, Southampton Street, Strand, W.C.

Chapter I. The Piping Times Of Peace

" Tell not all you know and judge not all you see if you would live in peace." What happened to Mademoiselle Valerie after Ethel Dennis and Jack Trevor passed out of the lobby of the Haymarket Theatre into the dark night, I cannot say, but certain it is that she did not immediately make it her business to call upon Major Dennis in his retreat at the Flats, S.W. Time went on— days wore away and the Dennises still believed that they were safe from the relentless shadow which had pursued them so unpleasantly at Chertsey. And at this time they all got on in a wonderfuUy pleasant way. Major Dennis was but little at the Flats ; he went a great deal vol. n. to his club, and he spent a great deal of his time in the company of " dear old Charley Coventry," — wdio had never yet managed to pay his respects to his old chum's wife.

Stay, though — he had gone in twice to the Flats when Ethel was out, and Major Dennis had made a good deal of the circumstance. " It's so very odd, you know, Ethel," he said after the second call which Charley Coventry had made, " that old Charley should be so anxious to know you and should miss you twice running. It's very odd." " Why don't you ask him to dinner ? " said Ethel innocently. "You'd make sure of his meeting me then." " By Jove, yes, it's a good idea," cried the Major. " I'll ask him to-morrow — eh? And then we can go four to a theatre." "Yes," answered Ethel — "I'm sure that will be far the best." But Charley Coventry did not accept the invitation — naturally he hardly could, poor fellow, having been out of the way of dinner parties for many a long year. Major Dennis gave his excuses to Ethel, and added the in formation that " old Charley's such a des perately shy chap, I daresay he shirks it."

Ethel did not, however, think very much of the circumstance, for not having seen Charley Coventry, he held no place in her mind. She quite accepted the Major's excuse as being a not unnatural one, and thought no more of it. In truth her life wTas at this time a very well occupied one, and she was as happy as it was possible for her to be, unless she had been Jack Trevor's wife. As it wras she was his greatest friend, and he hers. She saw him every day and sometimes several times in the day — it had come to be an understood thing that where she went, he would go also ; and Major Dennis so far from resenting it, re garded the arrangement in the light of a totally unmixed blessing, which would permit him to come and go accordingly as his own sweet will dictated. And very soon Ethel began to make friends and to have quite a nice little circle of ac- 16* quaintances.

She got to know several people living in the Flats, or they got to know her — whichever you like ; and through them she got to know some very pleasant people in the world outside the community wdiich lived under the same roof tree. And there were some very charming people living in The Flats at that time. There wras a Mrs. Wylie, a widow getting into years, who wore her pretty white hair dressed high over a cushion and looked like an old Marquise of the Fau bourg. And there was Mrs. Weston-West, the most brilliant essayist of modern times, with the sharpest pen and keenest wit and the mildest and sweetest manners in all London-town ; and there was Stewart L'Es trange, the man who did everything and did it well — wdio wrote plays and poems and books and songs, who painted pictures and composed waltzes, and was in a word the Admirable Crichton of the day.

Well, in the rooms of such people as these Ethel Dennis naturally met all the world and his wife, and although many passed her by as being neither exactly a bee or a butterfly, still a good many pleasant people intimated to her that they would like to know her better. Among others there was a Mrs. Maravin, a widow of ample means and a large capacity for thoroughly enjoying all kinds of society, a woman who was never so happy as wdien she was arranging for a party in her own house or going to one in somebody else's. And Mrs. Maravin took an equal fancy to Ethel Dennis. " Do you know," she said to her the second time she met her — " it is not often I really take to new acquaintances — I am not a woman who goes to an evening party with her card-case in her hand and deals her visiting cards about like a round game.

I always take fright at those people, always. But sometimes I take fancies and I should greatly like to know you better. Won't you come and see me ? " " I should like it very much," said Ethel, feeling greatly pleased and a little flattered, for she had heard of Mrs. Maravin as one of the most popular hostesses in London. " Then come and see me the day after to morrow, in the afternoon," said Mrs. Maravin genially. " I shall have a little good music — not the sort of thing you generally hear about — but Kelder, who plays the violin divinely — and Madame de Vida, who needs no explana tion. Won't you introduce your husband to me ? " with a glance at Trevor who was standing close by. Ethel blushed a little. " That is not my husband, Mrs. Maravin — but a great friend of — of ours ; he and my husband were in the same regiment — and I have known him since I was a little child.

Jack, let me introduce you to Mrs. Maravin." Trevor moved towards them and bowed profoundly to Mrs. Maravin, wdio looked on him with kindly eyes, as most women did, and told him that she had been begging Mrs. Dennis to come and see her, and that she hoped that he would come also. " But I hope your husband will come too," she went on to Ethel, wdthout giving Trevor opportunity to do more than bow his ac knowledgment of her invitation. " Does he go about much ? " " Oh ! yes — but not much in the afternoon," Ethel answered. " But he is not an invalid ? " Mrs. Maravin asked. " Oh, dear no — Oh ! no. Cosmo is any thing but an invalid, is he not ? " she an swered appealing to Trevor. " Oh ! very much so," he replied promptly — " at least I mean that he is very much any thing but an invalid." Mrs. Maravin gave a sigh of relief.

" Ah ! that is a great comfort. In society now-a days, one has to be so very careful in even mentioning absent husbands or wives. I always feel my way most carefully, and j^et — yet I made a mistake with you just now, didn't I ? " " A slight mistake," admitted Ethel blush ing again. Mrs. Maravin laughed. " Ah ! people one meets about are very odd — I daresay some of my acquaintances think me as odd as I think other people sometimes ; still it is a little trying when you send a woman an invitation and you either leave out her husband wdien they live together and everything is all right between them, or you put him in and find that she is a widow or that her husband and she haven't spoken for over seven years. I think people ought to be labelled — to wear a little badge — ' M ' for married and all right — ' W ' for widow — ' S ' for separated couples.

I am sure it would be far less confusing and far less awkward than it is now." " I suppose it wrould," said Ethel — " but, as yet, I have hardly begun to ask anyone. Still I hope you will come although I have no crowd of clever people to attract you." "I shall come to see you," said Mrs. Maravin kindly. " By the bye, what part of the world do you live in ? " " Here— in the Flats," Ethel replied. " Oh ! really. Ah ! that is very nice. I live in Queen Anne's Gate — I like to have my friends within reasonable distance and, upon my word, I know so many people in The Flats that I could spend a whole day going from one floor to another." " Won't you come and pay me a little visit now ! " Ethel asked. " I should like it immensely," Mrs. Maravin replied. " Are you up or down ? " " Oh ! down. We are quite in the dregs of society," Ethel cried laughing.

"Yes, I suppose the top people do pride themselves on it," Mrs. Maravin said — then looked at the watch on her waist — " a quarter past six — weU if you wrant me to come in for ten minutes, will you take me now ? " " Of course I wdll," Ethel replied. So they then went down to the next floor where the Dennises lived ; not, however, without interruption, for a lady just enter ing the room was an acquaintance of Mrs. Maravin's and stopped to speak to her. " Ah ! Madame," she said — " how late you are — I am just running away." WTIFE. 10 " How sorry I am," replied the lady — " I have been elsewdiere this afternoon — Town is quite busy, is it not ? " " Oh ! quite so. Are you coming to me on Thursday ? " " Yes." " Ah ! that is right. By the bye, let me introduce you to my friend, Mrs. Dennis — ■ Mrs. Dennis, Madame Wolenski."

The twro ladies exchanged greetings and then Mrs. Maravin declared that she must go — she wras late already. " Good-bye, then," said Madame Wolenski, smiling. " Good-bye, Madame," — (to Ethel) " I hope we shall meet again." " Many thanks — I hope so," answered Ethel. "How exactty alike foreigners are," remarked Mrs. Maravin as they reached the door of the Dennises' flat—" so flowery and all that, don't you know." " What is she — a Russian or a Pole ? " Ethel asked. " A Pole. I asked her if she was a Russian the other day and she shuddered," Mrs. Maravin replied. — "I'm sure I can't tell why they should make such a fuss about the distinction — really, you know, there is very little difference between them." " But the little difference is all the world to them," cried Ethel. " Judge, get us some tea at once, please."

" Yes, Mum," answered Judge. " Well I never can understand wdiy there need be so much feeling in a slight dis ference," Mrs. Maravin declared. " For instance, how any woman can be foolish enough to give up wdiat some women give up for the sake of a man, is beyond me to find out. I know a woman nowT," she went on — " who is or has been exceedingly hand some, but she is nearly forty years old and as delicate as is possible for a woman to be and live. She had a husband who worshipped her — worshipped her too well, had a fine house, horses, carriages and diamonds — well, they were worth calling diamonds, I can tell you. She had a child WIFE. 12 too — and she has thrown away all — all for a penniless youth, fifteen years younger than herself — Oh ! what a fool — what a fool ! " Trevor was the first of the two to recover himself.

" Yes, that woman was a fool, an awful fool," he said, " and the man was a scoundrel." " Oh ! Cela va sans dire," cried Mrs. Maravin lightly — Mrs. Maravin was fond of airing a little French now and again. " Well, well, I don't know that it is interesting or particularly edifying to discuss these silly people. Wliat pretty rooms you have here." " They are not actually ours," Ethel explained, with a sigh of relief at the subject being thus changed. " We did not find a large suite vacant, except this which was to be let furnished for a few months. But we like living here so much that we shall secure the first good-sized suite that falls vacant." "Ah! yes, I see. That lady, Madame Wolenski, she lives here also. But I fancy she has her own rooms here. She seems a very nice creature. She had a letter of introduction to me from a dear friend of mine in Vienna."

" And how pretty she is," Ethel remarked. " Yes, she is — not perhaps pretty, as so striking - looking, and so distinguished in manner. And all that pretty white hair, that is what makes you call her pretty." " Perhaps ; I thought it lovely." "Yes, and I also." Just then Judge came in with the tea — "Is the Major at home, Judge?" Mrs. Dennis asked. "He has just come in, Mum," Judge replied. " Ask him to come here, please." " I will, Mum." " Accordingly, twro minutes later, Major Dennis came in wdth his best manner, to be introduced to Mrs. Maravin. And Mrs. Maravin was so charmed by him, that she wdiispered to Ethel, "My dear child, what a mistake of mine. Do you know I had an idea, somehow, that your husband was THE OTHER MAS'S WIFE. ninety — ninety. As it is, he is quite charm ing, quite charming !

" "I am very glad you think so," said Ethel, wondering wdiether Mrs. Maravin would think Cosmo Dennis quite charming if she was married to him ? "Oh I do ; I am so glad to have seen him. Major Dennis, your wife has faith fully promised to come on Thursday after noon—now I hope you wdll come too." " I'll do my best," said the Major in his most effusive manner. " That's not half a bad sort of woman," he remarked when Mrs. Maravin had fairly gone — " but quite the style of woman to take you in and do for you from the cradle to the grave." If Trevor could help it, he never laughed at a joke of Major Dennis's — that one, how ever, so exactly described the lady who had taken possession of Ethel, that he could not help going into a hearty fit of laughter. " Ah, you may laugh, you may laugh as much as you like," cried the Major — "And by the bye, young man, there's a letter for you at the club marked ' Most important.' I wanted to bring it round to you, having caught a glimpse of it in the hall-porter's hand, but though I told him you would certainly be here, he didn't see it.

Hadn't you better go round and get it ? " " Oh, it's safe enough there," said Trevor easily. " Still you had far better go — It may be from the regiment. Or shall I send Judge round ? " "Not a bit of it, Major — I wouldn't trouble you for the world. I'll go round presently and see what# it is. A money-lender wants to lend me money, I've no doubt." He finished his tea and asked for another cup, ate two bits of buttered muffin and presently sauntered off to go to the club to find the important letter. "Major Dennis tells me you have an important letter for me," he said to the hall porter — " you might quite safely have given it to him." "It's as much as my place is worth, Sir, to give up a letter to anyone but the owner," the man replied. "It wouldn't do, Sir, it wouldn't indeed." "I daresay not — thanks," and Trevor moved on turning into the smoking-room, where he pulled an easy-chair near to the fire and settled himself comfortably therein, before he broke the seal which secured the envelope. " Now, let us see what it's all about," he said to himself. j^n&^fes

Chapter II. Hard Lines

" Nothing to do in this world of ours ! "Where weeds spring up "with the fairest flowers ! Where smiles have only a fitful play ! And hearts are breaking every day ! " For a few minutes after Jack Trevor had read that letter he sat quite still, trying to take in the sense thereof. In plain wrords it ran thus, but just at first they seemed to convey no meaning to him : — " We regret exceedingly that we have to inform you of the demise of our honoured client, Lord Rosstrevor, which occurred last evening between ten and eleven o'clock. " Since the death last month, without issue, of Lord Rosstrevor's only brother, the Hon. Hugh Trevor, his lordship had spoken to us of communicating with you, as he believed VOL. II. that you were the son of tbe late Bishop of Blankhampton, who failing issue of the Hon. Hugh Trevor, was next heir to the title of Rosstrevor, our late client never having mar ried.

His lordship was, however, in very bad health and at all times of a nervous and retiring disposition and the definite orders to communicate with you were never given. " If, as we surmise, you are the son of the late Edward Trevor, Bishop of Blankhampton, you are now Lord Rosstrevor of Rosstrevor, County Antrim, and of Trevor Hall, Norfolk. Will you be kind enough to communicate with us at once and inform us whether you will be present at the late lord's obsequies or not? " Our late honoured client left full direc tions for his funeral, wdiich we feel justified in assuming that you will wish to be carried out to the letter. " We are, sir, your most obedient — " Rendle, Newings & Co. " Solicitors." Jack Trevor went over it acrain and again. " ' If, as we surmise, you are the son of the late Edward Trevor, Bishop of Blankhampton,' " he read aloud, in a desperate effort to get the right sense of the words into his mind, " ' you are now Lord Rosstrevor of Rosstrevor, County Antrim, and Trevor Hall, Norfolk.' Why, then I must be Lord Rosstrevor — I — oh ! no, they can't mean that, it's impossible !

" Then he read the letter over again. " Yes, that's what they mean. ' You are now Lord Rosstrevor.' / am Lord Rosstrevor. I — Jack Trevor — I — I — never felt so idiotic in my life." He got up from the big chair and went towards the window. "Hollo, Jack," exclaimed a man sitting there with one or two other men. " What's up ? You're as white as chalk. Are you ill ? 1 hope you haven't bad news in that letter." Jack looked at the letter and then at the 17* questioner. " News," he replied. " Yes — and it's knocked me over completely." " Not money losses, I hope, old chap," said the other, holding out a sympathetic hand to him. " No, I suppose not. You can read it. I feel idiotic, as if I didn't know whether I w^as standing on my head or on my heels. I wish one of you fellows would order me a brandy and soda."

There was a bell on the table and a man near to it struck it immediately. " Bring Mr. Trevor a brandy and soda," he said. Meantime the man who was reading the letter — George Dalrymple — read to the end with many an exclamation of surprise ; then he jumped up and shook Jack's hand heartily. " My dear Trevor, or I must call you Ross trevor very soon now, I congratulate you wdth all my heart. I had no idea there was any probability of anything of that kind happening." " Nor I. I never thought about it," said Jack rather wistfully. " I knew that I had some relations, but . Oh, well, I can't talk about it just now. I feel dazed and half off my head. Ah ! thanks," as the waiter brought him the refreshing stimulant. " There, I begin to feel more like myself than I did. Thanks, Dalrymple, old chap, thanks."

He tore himself awray from them all with the excuse that he must wire off a reply to the lawyers at once and he wrent into the library and filled in a telegraph form. " Yes, I am the only son of Edward Trevor, Bishop of Blankhampton. I will come to morrow as early as possible. Carry out all the late Lord Eosstrevor's wdshes to the letter. John Trevor, 15th Dragoons." Then when he had sent this off, he walked out of the club and back to The Flats. He found Ethel wearing a loose white gown and alone. " Well," she said, looking up. " Where is the Major ? " " He's going out to dinner — he's dressing now. Why ? " " Do you know what has happened to me ? " "No. Howr should I know ? " " I am Lord Rosstrevor." He was so ex cited, so utterly upset, that he blurted the news out without any idea of what its effect might be upon her.

"You are Lord Rosstrevor — what do you mean ? " she cried. " I don't mean anything. Oh ! Ethel, Ethel, if we had only known, if your mother had only known, she would have let you marry as you liked. But it's too late now, too late to be any good." His face was quivering, although I do not mean to imply that he wras near to tears. Ethel, however, dropped back into her chair with a white face and shaking in every limb. " Oh, Jack," she cried in a piteous voice, " it is hard. Oh ! it is hard." It was the first time that he had laid bare his heart to her since the day when he had told her that wdienever she wanted him he would be ready to throw up all the world for her. They had been the best and closest of friends, he had been affectionate and tender wdth her, but he had never shewn her the wdld passion of love which always raged within his heart at the sight of her sweet eyes or the touch of her soft fingers.

He gave her the letter to read. " I can't hold it still," she said, but she put it on her knee and read it through in silence ; and before she got to the end of it, Major Dennis came in. " Hollo, Trevor, so you're back ! Well, did you get your letter ? " he asked. "Yes, I did, Major." He tried to tell him wdiat had happened, but the words fairly stuck in his throat and he turned away to the window. Ethel looked up and with an effort she gathered her strength and her wits together and spoke. " Something very wonderful has happened to Jack, Cosmo," she said, and she wondered that he did not notice how strained and agitated her voice was. " His uncle or cousin is dead and he is Lord Rosstrevor now." " Lord Rosstrevor ! " repeated the Major. " My dear chap, I'm very glad, very glad indeed. What a blessing your uncle or cousin, whichever it was, did not go and marry and have a lot of small children to cut you out, as mine did.

And you're going down — wherever it is — of course." " Yes, I'm going to-morrowr morning," Jack replied. " Ah, I'm sorry I can't stop and dine wdth you. I would if I wasn't solemnly engaged elsewhere. However, the wdfe will give you some dinner. I'm sure you must wTant to talk it all over with somebody." " We could dine down here, couldn't wTe ? " Ethel asked. " Upstairs, in the dining-room, there is such a noise and — and Jack is not dressed." " Oh, yes, have it here, by all means. HAED LINES. 25 Well, good-bye, old fellow. See you again in a few days, I daresay ? " He was gone before Jack could answTer, shutting the door after him with a crash. Mrs. Dennis rang the bell. " Judge," she said, wdien that personage appeared — and Judge really was a personage in that small establishment, aye, and in the greater republic of The Flats as well — " Mr. Trevor's going to dine with me.

And we will have it dowm here." " Very good, Mum," said Judge, " I'll attend to it." They were very quiet that evening, and Judge waited on them wdth an imperturbable face, as if it was quite a usual thing to come into titles and to dine wdth Mrs. Dennis alone while the Major was dining elsewdiere ; for, of course Mrs. Dennis had told Zelle that Mr. Trevor wTas Lord Rosstrevor now, and equaUy of course, Judge's blush rose had told him. And at last they were left reaUy alone. " Shall you stay in the Service, do you think, Jack ? " she asked. "No — I shall get out of it as soon as I can," he replied. "You'll have a very different time now, of course — you'll have lots of duties and new interests. I wonder if you are the last of the name." "I don't know but I fancy so. I know really very little about my people.

They cast off my grandfather, and neither my father nor I have ever held communication wdth them until now. We've been steadily ignored always. So you see I know very little. My father never spoke of his people to me, excepting of his own father and mother. My grandmother used to tell me long yarns about the Trevors, but I never listened — it all went in at one ear and out at the other." There was a long silence — then Ethel spoke painfully and with a supreme effort. " Jack," she said gently — " you will have to marry." " Never—" he burst out — " Unless — " No — no — not that, If you are the last, you cannot let an old name die out and — and — it will be your — duty." Her trembling lips could scarcely frame the last word, but his jealous ears caught it. " Then," he cried — " let me tell you plainly from the beginning that if it be my duty a thousand times over, I have not the very small est intention of doing that particular duty, not the very smallest.

Good Heavens, what worse wdll the world be a hundred years hence if there is no Lord Rosstrevor ? If there is no Trevor family ? Not the least bit worse, probably the better if the general family stock is the sort that cuts its sons off for ever because they marry for the best of all reasons. While if I marry a woman I loathe or at best am indifferent to, loving another man's wife with all my heart, I shall make a thoroughly bad husband — one couldn't make a good one, you know if one felt like that — ■ well, the world wrould be the worse for what I had done, most distinctly the worse." " But what sort of a wife must I make ? " she asked in a pained tone. " You make a very good wdse, far better than your husband ever deserves to have. Besides, you did not marry him wdth your eyes open, knowing what you would feel — it is different.