Grisel Romney: A Novel

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Contents

CHAP. PAOB

I.~PlCKING UP THE THREADS, ... 7

II.— Simply a Matter of Business, . 22

Chapter I. Picking Up The Threads

I HE house in Prince's Gate had been unoccupied four years. Time after time I the false alarm had been given that the Merediths were coming home, and still they lingered. Lady Meredith had been so delicate ever since her marriage, and my lord had been warned by physicians that if he would enjoy his newly-found happiness, he must not brave the inclemencies of British climate.

A son had been bom to them some two years after their marriage, so Lord Meredith wandered from place to place with his wife and child, seeking for health for the former. As years went by, she was growing more precious to him ; his heart stopped with a sudden spasm when, at times, the idea presented itself to him that he might be left alone before long. How could he ever live without her? How could he bring up the child as she would wish? He so ignorant and useless in all such things.

But Lenore did not die; gradually she rallied from the shock occasioned by her father's death ; such was the physicians' report, and she did not contradict them. Mercifully for her, the reason seemed a likely one, and she was allowed to go on her way unquestioned.

Now, at last, they were at home again. How strange it all seemed ! The first time she had been in Prince's Gate since those old days when another was there also! She dare not for a moment look into the past ; she had never visited it even in thought since her marriage, and it was this ceaseless strain which had done the mischief — the constant watchfulness lest she should prove untrue to the man whom she had promised to love, honour, and obey above all others.

It was the day after their arrival in London. Lenore was sitting alone. She had not been out; she was recovering from the effects of her journey.

Lord Meredith had gone to his club. It was about five o'clock in the afternoon, the time of year February. London was empty, Easter was early, and everyone was still out of town. Lent was going on. What need to be there when there were no amusements to tempt the public. So hunting boxes were crowded all over England, and in the metropolis the unworldly kept their fast.

Lenore's busy fingers were embroidering some article of clothing for her boy. She used to hate work, but she had grown to love it — it stopped thought. Overhead, in the nursery, she heard his merry feet pattering, a smile came into her face, she rose from her chair, and was about to send a message that he should be brought to her.

She hesitated a moment; a ring at the doorbell, then the servant entered with a card, asking if she were too tired to see the gentleman.

" Not at all ; show Mr. Jerningham upstairs."

Philip must have already been there, for he entered immediately.

" I could not resist coming," he said. " I chanced upon Lord Meredith on the way to his club, and he gave me leave to visit you. You must send me away if I am too much for you."

B lO GRISEL ROMNEY.

" Indeed it was kind of you to come to see us so soon. No, you will not tire me in the least. Sit down and. tell me all about yourself since I last saw you, and your sister also ; it is such a time since I have heard anything of her. Is she still Miss Jerningham, or has she changed her name for another.?"

"Oh, Augusta is still Augusta Jerningham. That's the harm in being an heiress, Lady Meredith. When Augusta's aunt left her all her money, and passed your humble servant over, she did her incalculable mischief. She might have been married, with all the joys of a large family and poverty, had it not been for her money, which makes her look on the most innocent as fortune-hunting."

" And where is she at present — in town ? " " Well, she was never famous at letter-writing ; but, as far as I know, she is with our old friend Mrs. Wyld just now; after that she is going to the Romneys, and I join her there."

« Romney ! Surely that was the name of two elderly ladies I knew at Brighton. Are they new acquaintances, Mr. Jerningham.? We have lived so utterly out of the way, that I feel an absolute ignoramus on all questions relating to my friends."

PICKING UP THE THREADS. II

'* Not exactly new friends, Lady Meredith. There are three daughters, and you see — I suppose I may as well tell you — I am going to be married to one of them."

" Are you ? I am very glad ; but tell me more. The name seems familiar to me ; where can I have heard it?"

" Perhaps in connection with the youngest, Grisel. She is engaged to a mutual old friend of ours, Jack Hunt."

Philip looked past Lenore; he wished to give the information ; he almost felt the start she gave, though he did not see it.

She did not answer at first, but leant forward and poked the fire. The tremble of her voice was imperceptible as she asked —

" How long has Mr. Hunt been engaged ? You must wish him happiness from me when you see him."

" Will you not wish it him yourself. Lady Meredith? He is in town, and will doubtless come and see you whenever he hears of your arrival, but congratulations are no new thing to him. They have been engaged four years."

"And why have they never married?"

" First one thing and then another. Miss Grisel

Romney was too young, and would not give her consent ; she put it off from month to month, and latterly Jack has not pressed it. He is frightfully busy; within the last two years he seems only to live for work. He has much changed since the old days, Lady Meredith ; does not go into society at all, and never takes a holiday, save for a hurried rup down to the Manor to see his fianc^e^'

"What is Miss Romney like?" Lenore asked. Could it have been she whom she met with him the last time she ever saw Jack.?

"Small, and neither fair nor dark, with eyes and mouth usually smiling. I do not wonder at his falling into her toils."

The description answered perfectly ; of course it was easily explained — ^she must have been staying with her aunts at Brighton.

" And your Miss Romney, what of her ? Tell me of your lady-love."

" She 's one in a thousand in every way ; but I will not describe her to you. She and Grisel are in town just now, staying in Cavendish Square. I may bring them to see you.?"

" I should like to make their acquaintance," Lenore answered very quietly, "if they will not think it too formidable, coming without further introduction ; but I fear I am not strong enough to pay ceremonious visits."

"What a duffer I am, to be sure. Here have I been sitting all this time, and not asked after your health. I was awfully sorry to hear you had been so far from strong. Are you really better now?"

" Yes, much better, thank you. But my health is an uninteresting topic; I would much rather hear all about your future."

" Oh, our future is all cut and dry. Mr. Wyld's land-stewardship has fallen vacant, and he has offered it to me. Just suits me to a nicety, and Bryde is quite satisfied."

" Bryde ! Is that your fiancie ? What a quaint name. How do she and her sister come to have such nice old names?"

" Some legend in the annals of the Romneys ; but I cannot tell you just now. I hear Lord Meredith's voice, and I fear he will give me notice to quit."

"No, no; our chat has done me good. Here you are?" she said, looking round as Lord Meredith entered the room.

"Well, are you pleased with the visitor I found for you ? I thought you would like to talk over old days when I was out of the way. Now, don't move, Jerningham ; we have not been at home long enough yet for me to have made a particular chair my own. You are not over-tired, Lenore, are you ?"

" No ; on the contrary, I am wonderfully fresh to-night. Mr. Jerningham has been telling me a piece of news, Fred. He is going to be married ! " "Following our good example — eh, Lenore? My best wishes for your happiness. And who may the happy lady be?"

" Rather, I am the happy man ! Is not that a good amendment. Lady Meredith ? Bryde Romney is her name ; I hope you will soon make her acquaintance."

Philip sat for some little while longer. Lenore enjoyed talking with him, he was so exactly the Philip of old days, with the same fresh vehemence in all he did and said. He would not rest satisfied till Lenore appointed an hour for him the following day to bring Bryde and her sister to make her acquaintance.

At last the clock striking warned him of the

flight of time, and he rose to take his departure.

" I shall meet Jack Hunt this evening. May I

PICKING UP THE THREADS. IS

tell him you would like to see him — that you are once more settled in town?"

" If Mr. Hunt cares to renew an old friendship, I shall be very glad to see him. Tell him I shall be at home any afternoon after four o'clock ; but do not make him feel obliged to come ; if he is so occupied, he may not care to give any of his valuable spare time away."

" Perhaps you are right," Philip answered, wondering if he had been wrong in making the suggestion. That Jack and Lenore had made a mistake in their lives he was sure ; the subject had often puzzled him ; it occupied his mind now as he hurried to his rooms to dress for the early dinner in Cavendish Square.

Lord Meredith having dismissed Philip returned to the drawing-room. He sank into his chair with a sigh of satisfaction. Lenore looked up and smiled.

" There 's no place like home," he said ; " not but that I have enjoyed my years of Continental wandering," he added, dreading to leave an impression that he had wearied of his forced life abroad.

Lenore read the motive which prompted his remark, she had learnt to know him so thoroughly ; and he, reserved to others, delighted all the more in the fact that she read him through and through.

" If you are glad to have a settled home," she answered, " what must I be ? Remember, this is my first home since I was twelve years old ; half my life wandering about — such a time ago it seems."

" You are getting such an old woman, Lenore." He was smiling at her earnestness. " To think of having lived twenty-four years. It w a lifetime. Add twenty-four to that, and we have forty-eight. Still two years too few. Your boy's age must be added also, child ; and then do you see what an old man you have for "

"Hush!" she said, rising from her chair and laying her delicately-veined hand upon his mouth. He drew her gently down to him and kissed her.

" So you do not like arithmetic, child," he said.

" I am not going to be teased ; you are driving me away," she said.

"To your boy, I suppose, I shall grow jealous."

" I am not the least afraid," she answered, laughing, as she left the room.

Lord Meredith raised a book from the table. He did not read much. Gradually the shadows deepened in the room. It was intensely comfortable after the damp, cold fog of the February afternoon. There certainly was no place like home. In about five minutes he was sound asleep.

Lenore, returning shortly afterwards, opened the door softly and stole away again to her room. Philip Jerningham's" information was constantly before her. She longed and yet dreaded to see Jack. Why should I care so much.? she wondered. I, an old married woman, and he engaged to a girl for four years. Surely by this time we can meet without being haunted by the past.

Philip had told Lenore that he would meet Jack that evening.

On arriving at Cavendish Square he found he was the only addition to the three ladies. Miss Romney's health was failing; she went early to her room. Miss Griselda and her two nieces made up the quartette.

No one was in the room when Philip arrived, but Bryde made her appearance before long.

" Grisel has had a disappointment to-night," she i8

GRISEL ROMNEY.

said. " Jack is too busy to dine with us. I cannot understand what occupies him so constantly."

" His writing/ 1 believe. He is doing too much. I must look in and give him a word on the subject on my way home to-night."

"It is of no use; we have all done our best. Fortunately, Grisette does not mind as some people would. She is of such a sunny nature, that it takes a great deal to damp her spirits."

" When are they going to be married, Bryde ? Lady Meredith asked me the question this afternoon."

"Some time in autumn, Grisel says. But tell me about the Merediths. I did not know you were going to see them."

"Neither did I. I accidentally met Lord Meredith, and thought I could not do better than use up my unemployed afternoon in paying my respects to his wife. If you will go and make engagements in which I have no part, so must I."

" It was not my fault, Philip. I was the victim of circumstances, for which read dressmaker. However, I have something to ask you about. Did you ever hear before that Grisers Jack was an old admirer of Lady Meredith?"

" What put that into your head, Bryde ?" " Something Augusta said to me one day." " Augusta should learn to be silent." " But why ? Lady Meredith was engaged to be married long before Grisel knew Jack, only I wondered that he never spoke of the Fentons. Was there anything really in it?"

" Look here, Bryde, I may as well tell you, but I wish Augusta would learn to hold her tongue. Jack Hunt and Lenore Fenton were great allies in the old days. At one time I never doubted that it would all come right. Then something came between them, I have never found out what ; but Miss Fenton's marriage was announced immediately after, and Jack came to you, and in ten days was engaged to Grisel."

" And didn't care a bit about her. How could he do such a thing, Phil.? Poor Grisette!"

" I am sure he liked Grisette also ; but I cannot make it out. There was a mystery somewhere. Sir James Fenton could have solved it, I think, or Lady Meredith ; and she never will."

"And Grisette is to be the victim of their mysteries!" exclaimed Bryde, indignantly.

" What a fiery creature you are, Miss Bridget Remember, you and I would never have had the extreme felicity of seeing so much of each other had it not been for Jack's little mistake. But hush! here's Grisette. Keep all the surmises I have told you under lock and key."

Grisel's voice was heard singing as she descended the staircase; a rich, soft contralto, everyone must be struck with its freshness and beauty. A moment afterwards she entered the room dressed in something white; she could hardly ever be induced to wear an3^hing else. She looked very little older than she did four years ago, and had the same unconventional way in all she did and said.

"Well, Grisette, I hear you are in low spirits to-night at Jack playing truant"

" Isn't it stupid of him ? I see so little of him now!"

"You will have to consent to his wishes. Miss Griselda, and then you will see more of him."

"But I do so hate housekeeping, Phil. Sybil says I must learn, and I have never even beg^n yet. It seems so ridiculous to think of me being a married woman. I am not nearly tired of fun yet!"

" And what does Jack say to all these excusee ? Do you know, Grisette, I am sorry for him ?"

" Sorry for Jack ! Surely not It must be much better for him that I should gain some experience, and not try experiments upon him. Do you really mean, Philip, that you are sorry for him ?"

"Yes, I am sorry for him, for I think he is working too hard, and if he had you to look after him it would be different. Do you not notice that he is growing quite grey? It is simply from so much thought, and no one to cheer him between times."

"And bald, also," said Grisel, meditatively. " I never thought of it in that light before. I will speak seriously to him about it to-morrow, and then, if I can do any good, I will make up my mind to the housekeeping."

Chapter II. Simply A Matter Of Business

YT was the same evening as Philip dined in ^ Cavendish Square ; Jack Hunt had just finished dinner, and was sitting ruminating in a comfortable chair before the fire. Not a very inviting room, somehow; the walls covered with a duncoloured flock paper, and the carpet brilliant in scarlets and green in gigantic designs. The mantelpiece had the usual gilt clock, which pointed to the hour of nine, flanked by match-boxes and vases, splendid specimens of provincial potteries. A side-table and several chairs groaned under the weight of books and periodicals. The maid was clearing away the dinner things, and Jack fidgeted impatiently — the clatter of dishes was overpowering.

Certainly the years past had left their stamp pretty plainly on him. His face had grown sterner.

harder ; he was also, as Grisel remarked, growing bald, and streaks of grey were visible.

To say that his unfortunate love of four years ago had occasioned this change would not be true ; it certainly, however, originated it; but "man's love is of man's life a thing apart,'' and it had taken hours of work and study before such outward traces were visible.

He had made some money by his work ; he was no longer straitened in his means ; he had made a name for himself in the literary world ; he had succeeded in everything he undertook but one — he had never made Grisel love him. At first he thought it would be easy, she was such a child ; but he had grown almost hopeless now, and as the months ran on, her love was becoming more and more necessary to him — he had grown to long for it His business life was eating the freshness out of his existence; he craved for some strong counteracting influence.

At first he had taken to work to drown thought ; he continued it now from habit, and from a certain satisfaction in gratifying his ambition.

This evening his mind was occupied; he had written a much-talked-of article in a leading journal. The name of the author had leaked out.

and he had been congratulated on all hands that day.

Grisel knew nothing of it ; at first, she read his articles from a sense of duty, but he rarely told her of them now. Why should she read that which was so irksome to her? She had never said such was the case ; on the contrary, she read everything she knew he had written with patient care, till one day Tom exclaimed, in Jack's presence, "Is your task finished yet, La Grise ?" " Very nearly now," she answered, and shortly after flung down the magazine with a sigh of relief. After she left the room. Jack found it was his last article she had been reading.

He had kept his writings since then more to himself, but this particular evening he was overpowered with a longing for sympathy in his work. The praise of the world was nothing to the praise of one. His thoughts were leading him into the " what-might-have-beens" — ^always a most dangerous and unprofitable region — ^when a knock came at the door. Could Mr. Hunt see a gentleman who had called on business ? Of course he could ; it would be about some of his editorial work.

He was right, for the next hour he was fully occupied ; at last the work was done, and Mr. Strange and he dropped into ordinary conversation — of the events of the day, of the money market, &c. A good deal of uneasiness had been experienced by the collapse of two large firms ; there was grave subject for conjecture.

Jack had been making some fresh investments. He took the opportunity to riddle Mr. Strange's brains, as he was more up in such things than Hunt himself.

" Did you ever meet a man I saw in the street to-day — Lord Meredith ?" asked Mr. Strange,

" Some years ago I was in the same room with him once or twice. I understood he was abroad."

'' So did I, till to-day. What makes me ask is his connection with this panic. He suffered pretty severely some four years ago at the time railways were in such a bad way."

"That was ?"

"Just before his marriage. I happen to know all about it ; rather a strange story ; but it oozed out to me through my father-in-law, who was Meredith's man of business."

" And so the story has become public property,"

Jack answered sharply.

" No harm in repetition now ; the principal c actor is dead. From all one hears of Sir James

Fenton, he cannot have had much of a character."

" You had better tell me the whole thing, now

you have begun." Jack spoke impatiently; a

conviction was rising in his mind that he was

going to hear something of personal interest.

"Are you interested in the actors.?" he asked.

Mr. Strange looked questioningly at his listener.

" I knew Sir James Fenton some years ago, and

his daughter."

"Then you knew some one worth knowing. Lady Meredith must be, from all one hears, no ordinary woman."

" But this has nothing to do with Lord Meredith's loss. Lady Meredith was only a girl when I knew her."

" It has to do with it in a way. My father-inlaw saw a good deal of her at the time of her father's death, and it is his conviction that she married the wrong man."

" Idle conjecture ! People are so ready to attribute motives where none existed. A coronet and wealth, added to unexceptional personal worth, is rarely the wrong man."

" Well, judge for yourself. In the spring of four years ago, my father-in-law, Mr. Harvey, was sent for one day to see Sir James, at the time staying under Lord Meredith's roof. Sir James had got into difficulties. He had contracted large debts as^a young man, and they had fallen due. There was no money to meet them. I don't know all the ins and outs, but it resulted in Lord Meredith advancing the money — in fact, he set Sir James straight, and then married his daughter."

" And did Miss Fenton know anything of this ?"

"At the time Mr. Harvey understood she did not From an allusion she made after her father's death, asking about the possibility of the liquidation of debt to Lord Meredith, she must have been in the secret."

" You believe, then, she married Lord Meredith, being under such obligation to him. Pleasant for her husband! The world was kind enough to impute other motives to her."

" The world has usually got some theory. After all, it is simply conjecture what I have now told you. Sir James died at Brighton. His daughter at once sent for Mr. Harvey. It was not till after the funeral she even saw Lord Meredith, though he also was in Brighton. When my father-in-law saw her first, she was full of some project of living on a hundred pounds a-year, allowed to her from her uncle's estates, and indefinitely postponing her marriage. However, she soon changed her mind. I suppose it did not sound so tempting on consideration ; so she did wisely, and made up her mind to the marriage."

Jack remained absolutely silent. Mr. Strange rose to go.

" I have given you a long, gossiping history, Hunt, all brought on by this crisis in connection with Lord Meredith. It was depression in American stocks which brought Sir James Fenton to grief."

"And you say the Merediths are back in town ?"

" Yes ; I saw him to-day. You had better renew your acquaintance with them; only, remember that you are no wiser than the rest of the worid." Such were Mr. Strangers parting words, and Jack was alone.

He had suffered keenly during the last half-hour. He had certainly never counted on gaining the explanation of Lenore's marriage in the way he had done. And instead of satisfaction and justification of his own line of conduct, he saw how madly he had acted. The last time he had spoken with her came back to his mind; and even in the water-colour gallery some foreshadowing of what was coming wrung from her the words, " Duty might demand the sacrifice of self." Words and actions passed over at the time were now pregnant with meaning. How had he been so blinded by his wounded self-love? Then his subsequent conduct — the unseemly haste with which he had wooed and won Grisel, when at the time he had absolutely no heart to bestow. Fate had used him a thousand times better than he deserved. The thought of Grisel always brought sunshine with it; hfe certainly, for the second time, had drawn a prize in life's lottery.

He was not destined to be long alone that evening, his meditations were again interrupted. Philip, without warning, invaded his room. He was on his way home from Cavendish Square, and was the bearer of a message from Grisel.

"Really this is too bad!" he exclaimed. "I thought you could not dine with us to-night because of work, and I find you absolutely idle, without a trace of occupation of any kind about."

"The excuse was a valid one, all the same. My evening has been interrupted once already ; I had not been alone five minutes when you came in. The work must be done some time to-night, however."

" Which means that my absence would be better than my presence."

" No ; not at all. Sit down, and give me news of Grisel, as I fear I shall not see her till late to-morrow."

" That will suit admirably. She was afraid you might want her in the afternoon, and I have promised she should go with me to see Lady Meredith."

" I heard they had come to town. Does Lady Meredith know in what relation I stand to Grisel ?"

Jack spoke gravely.

Philip answered, "Yes, I told her everything. She sent you her kindest congratulations, and hopes you will go and see her."

" I do not see the use of it. We have not met for so long, it is better to let our acquaintance be a thing of the past."

"But such cannot be. She wishes to know Bryde and Grisel. She was most minute in her inquiries about the latter. I have promised to take them both to Prince's Gate to-morrow."

" Is Lady Meredith much changed }"

*' Changed ! Not the least in the world. In one way she's changed — looks delicate and moves languidly ; and you remember in the old days what an elastic spring she had when she walked. Otherwise, just like Lenore Fenton. You must go and see her, Jack ; she would be hurt if you didn't."

" I am not sure. I hate making new acquaintances."

"Look here, Hunt," said Philip. "Once on a time I thought things would have been very different You made a mess of it somehow. But whether I am right or wrong in my conjectures, it can never do a man anything but good to know Lenore Meredith."

Philip spoke very earnestly. He did not expect an answer. There was silence for some minutes. Jack sat gazing moodily into the fire ; Philip was watching the smoke curl lazily from their cigars. At last he broke the silence.

"There was a letter from Sybil to-night. Old Sir Roger Mainwaring is far from well."