The priest's marriage

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

I.— The) Mother of a Debutante . . . i

II.— The Betrothae H

Chapter I Thk Mothkr Of A Dkbutantf

ICK ARCHKR found Mrs. Fulton alone in the drawing-room, when he dropped in casually on his way to Fady Feltringham’s reception. Mrs. Fulton was reclining, as she generally was, on a little sofa, and gave her hand to Dick without rising. She was not ill, but, as she herself would have explained, she so often was ill that it would have been giving unnecessary trouble to her friends to force them to recognize the variations of her health.

“ Nan is upstairs, dressing,” she said ; this is the night of her dance ; had you forgotten ? The Baileys are taking her ; she has to go to them. She is a little late, I fancy.”

“ I ’ll take her to Mrs. Bailey’s,” said Dick. “I’m going to Dady Feltringham’s, and it ’s close by.”

I

Mrs. Fulton placidly agreed to the suggestion. Dick must have a cab in any case, and if he took Nan in it, that would save two shillings ; and there was reason to save money just now, for she saw the woman’s great occasion for spending it looming in the distance. Aloud she said :

“You go to so many interesting houses, Dick.’*

“ It ’s all in the day’s work,’’ said Dick, patiently. “ Mrs. Bailey takes Nan about a good deal, does n’t she?’’

“ Yes — it ’s so nice for the child, since I can’t take her myself. Besides, they know so many more people than I do.”

She spoke slowly, looking at Dick a little doubtfully. She knew he had not a very high opinion of the Baileys, but then, everyone could not visit Cabinet Ministers’ wives, as Dick did. There was a long pause in the conversation, then Dick said — for the sake of saying something —

“ Nan is a long time dressing, is n’t she ? ”

“ She has a new frock,” said Mrs. Fulton ; “ are you in a hurry ? What time should you be at Lady Feltringham’s ? ”

“ Oh, any time will do ; there ’s no hurry.”

“ Have a cigarette while you wait,” said Mrs. Fulton ; “ it makes me restless to watch anyone waiting. We must let the child be as long as she likes. It is natural she should wish to look her best to-night. ’ ’

‘ ‘ Is the dance anything special ? ’ ’

“ Someone special is to be there, I believe.”

Dick said ” Yes,” in a tone of awakened interest. Mrs. Fulton went on doubtfully :

” I don’t even know him ; that ’s what makes me so anxious, but the Baileys have the very highest opinion of him.”

There was a short silence, then Dick said quietly :

‘ ‘ Do you mean that Annie is engaged ? ’ ’

“Not quite ; but I expect that she will be when she comes back to me.”

“ To a man you don’t know ? ”

“I’m such an invalid,” said Mrs. Fulton, apologetically. ‘ ‘ Of course I shall know him before the thing is finally settled. Meanwhile the Baileys have told me a great deal about him, that ’s some comfort.”

“Who is he?”

“ His name is Fustace Stravil.”

“ I never heard of him.”

“ Oh, you would n’t, I dare say. He is of good family, but he does n’t go into political sets at all. He is well off, the Baileys tell me.”

“ A good sort of fellow ? ”

Mrs. Fulton’s face brightened :

“ Why, that ’s just what he is, Dick, really good — that ’s what pleases me ; of course you ’ll laugh, because you have no religion at all, but Mr. Stravil used to be a Roman Catholic — was educated for a priest, in fact, but when he grew older and wiser, he changed. Now a man must be really in earnest about his religion before he will take the trouble to change it. That ’s what sets my mind at rest about Annie’s engagement.”

Dick did not laugh. Mrs. Fulton’s comfortable Dow Church idea that a man was bound to be the better for giving up what she would have termed ‘ ‘ popery ’ ’ was so thoroughly characteristic of her. Neither did he protest against being judged to be entirely without religion.

“ Don’t you think you ought to have known more about the man than that before things went so far ? ” he said, speaking a little sharply.

“My dear Dick, how could I?” she protested. “You can put a great many questions to the man who asks leave to marry your daughter, but you can’t question him when you only think he is going to propose to your daughter. I might have spoiled everything.”

“ What do you mean by spoiled everything ? ”

“ Why, I might have frightened the man away by making him think that I would be a disagreeable interfering mother-in-law. Besides, I did n’t even know him.”

“You could have let Annie invite him to call on you.”

“ But that would have been making the child go farther than he had gone ; one would do this with an ordinary acquaintance, but in a case like this a girl is wiser to show no preference whatever until the thing is put into plain words. Think how humiliated she would be afterwards if nothing came of it.”

‘ ‘ There seems to me to be a good deal of unnecessary fencing in the matter,” Dick said, impatiently.

‘ ‘ Surely if a man wants to marry a girl, he knows it and should n’t mind owning it, and if a girl wants to marry a man, she should know it and should n't mind showing it.”

” My dear Dick,” said Mrs. Fulton, ” do you really think that now ? ”.

” No,” said Dick, breaking into a laugh, ” no, that ’s all nonsense. I am quite sure neither person concerned ever knows anything of the matter till the last moment ; it is a spontaneous impulse proceeding entirely from the assistance of outsiders. I don’t think you all need have been in quite such a hurry about Nan.”

” I have n’t been exactly in a hurry, my dear,” said Mrs. Fulton ; “I don’t think you should say that. Though this is Nan’s first season, she is n’t a baby; it is only her first season because I was such an invalid, and did n’t know enough people to give her anything worth calling a season. I think the poor child would have had a fair chance of growing into an old maid before we realized what was happening, if the Baileys had n’t taken such a fancy to her. If this affair we are talking of turns out well, I shall be very glad.”

” And, in the circumstances,” said Dick, ” I quite understand that we must not expect Nan downstairs just yet, so I will have that cigarette you suggested, if I may?”

As he turned from lighting it, Mrs. Fulton was looking at him doubtfully. He waited for the question.

‘ ‘ Of course I have been wondering what you would say,” she began.

‘ ‘ And you find I make myself very disagreeable over a matter which does not concern me ? ’ ’

“ I wondered a little if you would have liked things — different.”

“ No,” he said, “ that ’s just it ; I did n’t want anything to be different — I wanted everything to be just the same. That ’s what one always wants when things are pleasant, is n’t it ? I wanted our little trio to stay as it was — and I want the ministry to keep in office, but it won’t. They ought to have gone out after the fracas last week, and if they drag on for another three months, that ’s the limit. Then I shall be an expensive young man with no income and no invitations to dinner, not even to receptions after dinner. ’ ’

“ But to come back to the child,” said Mrs. Fulton.

“That ’s the worst of it,” said Dick. “ We can’t come back to the child. We find a young lady who is * out, ’ who goes to dances — subscription dances — and comes home engaged to a man we don’t know ; and presently, I suppose, we shall find a smart married woman who will, I fancy, be among the few who will continue to ask me to dinner when I have no income. Well, the world won’t stand still, of course. I should n’t have said that this was no concern of mine, Mrs. Fulton. I am concerned. ”

“ Hush ! here is Nan,” said Mrs. Fulton, dropping her voice ; ” don’t let her know I told you yet. She would never forgive me if nothing comes of it. ’ ’

Annie came into the room. If her appearance had taken her some time and trouble, the result repaid it. She looked her best, and her best was very sweet and winning, and so young and pure that the little pearl heart on the slender chain round her throat seemed almost emblematical. She saw Dick at once, and gave a little exclamation of pleasure.

” I did n’t know you were here, or I would have hurried,” she said.

“ Dick is going with you to Mrs. Bailey’s,” said her mother.

‘ ‘ Oh, Dick, are you going to the dance, too ? How nice ! ”

“ No, but I am going your way, and can put you into your friends’ charge,” said Dick.

She looked up at him quickly, a little anxiously, wondering what had brought that curious note of restraint into his voice. Dick had the sort of voice one likes to listen to even when what it says is not of much importance ; he never said much, in any case. Annie, on the contrary, talked a good deal, but, like most girls, always stopped short just at the thing she really meant.

‘ ‘ Are you pleased with your frock, dear ? ’ ’ asked Mrs. Fulton.

“I’m not quite sure — my glass is n’t big enough to see it all at once. I ’m not sure if this queer tunic thing goes right behind. ’ ’

“ It goes quite right,” said Dick, gravely ; “I noticed it particularly as you crossed the room as the very latest development, and it is pretty into the bargain. ’ ’

“ I don’t like wearing white,” said Annie, doubtfully, “ it ’s so childish ; besides, one ought tabe very dark or very fair to wear white. It makes middling people look insipid. But Ella Payne is wearing scarlet, and somehow, when Ella is wearing scarlet I always want to wear white as much as I can.”

“ I can understand that,” said Dick. “ I ’ve met Miss Payne in scarlet. ’ ’

“One does like to make a contrast, of course,” said Mrs. Fulton, “ even if it ’s only a contrast of color. Now what is there to laugh at in that, Dick ? ”

“ Annie’s contrast goes a little further, that ’s all,” said Dick.

“It ’s always such a temptation to darken one’s eyebrows when one wears white,” continued Annie. ‘ ‘ I thought about it for at least five minutes. Do you think it would be very wrong ? ”

“ One generally thinks it is,” said Mrs. Fulton, ” but still, if it made you look nicer ”

But Annie was looking at Dick, so he answered her :

” Artistically I should say it would be wrong, they are very well as they are. On higher grounds I suppose I ’m not qualified to give an opinion ; your mother has just been saying that I have no religion.”

” Oh, mother,” cried Nan, “ I wish you would n’t say such funny things.”

“ No religion, and presently no income,” said Dick. “ It is very unfortunate.”

“No income ? Have the ministry gone out then ? ”

“No, but they ought to have gone, and they must go soon, and then I shall have no income.”

He looked so careless and so handsome as he leaned, cigarette in hand, against the mantelpiece that it was small wonder if she did not take him seriously.

” But then you never have very much income, have you ? You won’t trouble about it very badly ? ”

” I sha’n’t trouble at all till the time comes — I don’t know why I mentioned the circumstance.”

” My dear, had n’t you better start?” said Mrs. Fulton.

“ Tet Dick finish his cigarette,” Nan said ; “ there is no hurry.”

” It ’s finished,” said Dick ; “or will be by the time I get a cab. Det me go — I ’m sure Hannah is busy.

lO

I ’ve got a beautiful new cab whistle, and it is a real pleasure to me to blow it.”

Annie watched him anxiously as he left the room. She looked quite troubled. Her mother was watching her. The two seemed a little shy of each other now they were alone.

“ You look very nice, my dear,” said Mrs. Fulton.

“ Do I ? I’m glado I ’m sorry Dick is going to a horrid party; he could have stayed and talked to you.”

“ My dear, he is going to Lady Feltringham’s.”

” Of course,” said Annie ; ” I ’d forgotten ; but I ’m sure he would much rather have been here with you.”

“ What time shall you be back to-morrow, dear?” asked Mrs. Fulton.

‘ ‘ Oh, in the morning before lunch — that is, unless Mrs. Bailey comes back with me. Then, of course, I must wait for her ; that may make me later. There are some girls staying in the house, and she will want to let them talk about the dance. Mrs. Bailey is very kind to girls, I think.”

” I wish we could make some little return to her girls,” said Mrs. Fulton.

” Perhaps I shall be able to some day,” said Annie. “ Mother, I ” she stopped. They heard Dick whis-

tling hard at the hall door.

” Will Dick have no money at all when he is n’t Lord Feltringham’s secretary,” asked Annie.

“ I don’t know,” Mrs. Fulton said placidly. ” He

1 1

always has been I^ord Feltringham’s secretary ever since we have known him, and he always seems to have enough money for a single man.”

“ I hope he has. I can scarcely imagine Dick going about shabby and hard up.”

” Oh, he would n’t do that,” said Mrs. Fulton, cheerfully ; “he would get into debt. That ’s such an easy way of living for a young man of good family.”

Annie laughed. All ways of living were somewhat easy in her easy-going mother’s eyes, but before she had time to answer Dick came back to say the cab was there.

Left alone, Mrs. Fulton felt a moment’s compunction over her late complaisant acquiescence in the saving of her daughter’s cab fare. Of course, Dick must have paid his own in any case ; but if he was going to be really poor, she was sorry she had been so pleased at her own saving of these two shillings.

She was anxious as to her daughter’s future, and troubled that she had so little share in the direction of it. She even went so far as indulging in a little Low Church prayer that all might go well ; and then, considering that well or ill she could know nothing till an indefinite hour to-morrow, went to bed hoping gently for the best.

It was a short drive to the Baileys. Only Mrs. Fulton’s placid recklessness would have rated the fare at two shillings. Dick had no intention of giving more than eighteenpence. Nan did not talk much. Dick felt rather than saw that she was preoccupied and nervous. He felt a curious pity for her. He did n’t know why ; a girl going to receive her first offer of marriage should not need pity. But it was as if they were all letting her go unarmed and unwarned into danger, getting her go ! Why, they had been leading her, coaxing her, pressing her forward, consciously or unconsciously — her kind, careless mother, those well-meaning, stupid Baileys, everyone — and there was no one to warn her not to go an inch farther or a moment faster than she would go of herself. Then he remembered she was not quite sure that the love would be offered — that might be the cause of the trouble in her eyes. That was why he had been asked not to let her know the matter had been mentioned to him. He could guess how the girl would fret if she learned that anyone knew she expected an offer of marriage and none were to come.

They had reached the Baileys’ door and he had said nothing. There was nothing to be said, unless it were possible to lead up to some platitude about the folly of girls getting engaged through the pressure of friends when they were not quite sure of their own feelings ; and even that, unless done with more skill than the time at his disposal would allow, might let her know her mother had been speaking of her. He would probably have attempted something in the way of warning in spite of his promise, but the hall door opened too quickly. Annie was a little late ; at sound of her cab stopping the party had come into the hall.

Dick caught a scarlet glimpse of Miss Payne, and, beyond her, of one or two girls in tamer colors. Behind them several men were standing. He turned to Annie to say good-night, still considering the possibility of that word of warning ; but he stopped short. She had seen one of the men in the background, and her face was not the face of a girl hurried into marriage against her will.

But if Dick had been a little older or a little wiser, he would have made an opportunity for his protest. Complete innocence may be an excellent, almost a perfect, safeguard for a woman so far as the bearing of others towards her is concerned ; it is no help at all in her judgment of others. He disliked her friends, the Baileys and their friends, but was in the habit of telling himself that Annie was too good to be spoilt ; it did not occur to him that the harm lay not in the vulgarity or silliness she might learn from them, but in the want of what she might have learned had her mother been less simple and her friends better bred.

Chapter II Thk Bktrothai

'HERE was a chorus of good-natured scolding as

1 Annie entered the hall. Then Mrs. Bailey set about packing the girls into the carriage while the men of the party prepared to follow in hansoms. Ella Payne, calmly ignoring Mrs. Bailey’s arrangements, went off in a hansom with Mark Scarsdale. Beatrice Bailey was engaged, so was allowed to go with her fiance. Annie found herself next to Effie Bailey and regretted it, not that she disliked her, but she disliked what she knew she must expect of her just then.

“You clever girl,” she began in what might be termed a carriage undertone, directed straight at Nan’s ear. “ You clever girl, you could n’t have done better than to make that good-looking man bring you here ; it was just the one thing needed. You should have seen Mr. Stravil’s face when he saw you both. Who was the other man ? ’ ’

Annie had seen Mr. Stravil’s face, and knew that

Effie spoke the truth. The knowledge hurt, but she answered quietly :

“ Don’t be silly ; I did n’t make anybody come. He was calling on mother and happened to be coming this way. He is quite an old friend of mother’s and mine.”

” Is he coming to the dance ? ’ ’

” No ; he was on his way to Tady Feltringham’s.”

” Oh, as grand as that ! Then, of course, he would n’t come to stupid subscription dances. Is that the ‘ friend ’ they talk about, mother and Mr. Stravil, I mean ? I wish I had some young men for old friends. All our old friends are old fogies. Perhaps he dances badly. Please let me think he dances badly, or else I shall be wishing he were here all the evening and hating all the men who are here.”

” He dances extremely well ! ” said Nan.

‘ ‘ Then all I can say is, I wonder you can think of Eustace Stravil.”

” I never told you that I did think of Mr. Stravil.”

” Don’t be cross. Of course, you never told me, and he never told me that he was in love with you ; but all the same I expect to see you dance six times and go down to supper with him, and if I did the same with Mark Scarsdale, who has n’t any money, mother would scold me when we got home, and she won’t scold you.”

” She does n’t scold Ella, and Ella danced all the evening with Mr. Scarsdale last Wednesday.”

i6

“ Oh, no one ever scolds Ella,” Effie said with a certain respectful envy. ” I expect that ’s because everyone knows that however much she may flirt she would never do anything really silly.”

Effie’ s estimate of Mr. Stravil’s demands on Nan’s programme proved tolerably correct, and, moreover, when he was not dancing with her, he did not dance at all — except, of course, the one dance with every lady of his hostess’s party which the etiquette of subscription dances requires. Once, in the generosity of her own enjoyment, when Nan had noticed a shy, plain girl, whom she knew slightly, sitting out a great many dances, she had suggested that Stravil should invite her, and then colored uncomfortably on seeing that the Bailey girls had noticed her assumption of authority. It was tiresome of them to be so interested in her doings. Stravil had gone at once to be introduced to the girl and had asked her for a dance. It was over now ; the evening was nearly at an end, and, after a long valse, Stravil and Nan had turned into a little recess where the gas was burning very faintly. Nan was tired, but pleasantly tired. So far, it had been a very happy evening.

Neither of them seemed anxious to talk. Effie’ s remarks came back into the young girl’s mind and made her shy and constrained. It was not true that she was, or ever had been, more anxious to receive this man’s love than he to give it. Why, she had rather disliked him at first ; it was only his persistence that had overcome her dislike. She had only acquiesced at last when he and everyone else took it for granted that he was in love with her. Of course Mrs. Bailey had invited him to dinners and dances, but then he need not have come if he had not wanted to meet her.

Stupid and vulgar people always thought the girl was sure to be the more eager of the two, and Kfiie was certainly vulgar ; even Mrs. Bailey herself said so. It was a horrid idea ; it made one want to be engaged to a man much more than one did really just to show that one could. She did want to be engaged to Mr. Stravil. She had known that for weeks, and been very angry with herself for the knowledge ; and yet, to-night, she had a curious feeling that she would be glad if he went away and she never saw him again as long as she lived, and so ended all her own doubts and other people’s discussions.

“ How white you look in the shadow,” he said. “You seem almost transparent. With a little imagination one could believe that you gave out light. Might one touch you, I wonder, just to see if you are real ? ”

She laughed a little nervously. ” Oh, I am quite real, I think ; you ’ve been dancing with me — that was touching me, was n’t it ? ”

” What, with a roomful of people looking on ? That did n’t count. If that were all, we might as well be back in the ballroom.”

i8

“ I thought we came here because I was tired.”

“ Did we ? I did n’t think we came for that. Are you tired ? ’ ’

“ No — at least I am enjoying myself so much that if I don’t rest I shall be tired presently. You said, ‘ Come and rest a little,’ so I came.”

” I wonder,” he said, “ if you are one half as tired as I am ? ”

“ What are you tired of ? ”

” A great many things; chiefly, the one thing I once thought worth caring about.”

‘ ‘ Did you only care about one thing ? I care about so many. What was your one thing ? ’ ’

” One might call it liberty.”

” Oh, I can’t understand anyone tiring of that. I love it.”

” I wonder now,” he said with a laugh, “ what a little white thing like you means by liberty. ’ ’

” Why, not being ordered about, or worried, and ”

“Well?”

“ Well, not being married, and not wanting to be.”

“ You are not tired of that, then ? ”

“ No, of course not ; I ’ve only just begun. No ; not tired at all~but, ”

“ But what?”

“Tell me about your liberty, that you are tired of”

He looked in her face and laughed softly.

“ I think I won’t do that; you tell me what you were going to say when you stopped.”

” I was n’t going to say it, that was why I stopped.”

“ You had said that you liked liberty and were not tired of it, and that for you liberty meant not being married and not wanting to be but — now without what might be expected to follow that ‘ but,’ I should have to get up and go, you know. ’ ’

” It ’s not fair to talk to me in questions; one always gives quite a wrong impression answering questions, and I don’t want you to get up and go ; you know I don’t. But that is n’t because I am tired of anything, and if you are tired I am sorry ; things you say often make me sorry.”

‘ ‘ What things, for instance ? ’ ’

“ I can’t remember any of them now.”

“ Don’t remember any of them again. I won’t say them any more.”

“Why not? I ’d rather know just exactly what you thought even if it did make me sorry.”

‘ ‘ Because you are very beautiful and very good — and if there is anything ugly in me it shall be kept out of your sight.”

“ Then I shall be no help to you.”

‘ ‘ The greatest help a woman can give a man is not to know his faults.”

“ Do you know,” she said doubtfully, “ that you have a great many theories about women ? ”

“ You shall revise them,” he said, “ and I ’ll give up those you don’t approve of.”

At that moment, another couple, looking for a quiet corner for themselves, drew aside the curtain, flooding the little recess with light ; they stood a moment looking embarrassed and then fled, forgetting to replace the curtain. Annie felt the color rise in her face, and glanced quickly at Stravil. He seemed about ten times as embarrassed as she, so she looked away again.

“ There was plenty of room for them, too,” she said, carelessly.

Stravil laughed.

‘ ‘ Suppose we go back now, ’ ’ she said. ‘ ‘ I think I ’m engaged for this dance or the next. ’ ’

‘ ‘ Stay where you are, ’ ’ he said under his breath, blit imperatively. She began to feel a little afraid of him.

“ I must n’t cut dances,” she said; “ it ’s rude,” and she half arose.

‘ ‘ What matter ? No one but I must see you looking as beautiful as you look now. I have n’t finished what I brought you here to say. Before you go back you will have promised to be my wife, and then I shall have you safe, however beautiful you look.”

“ Oh,” she said, under her breath, dropping back into her seat ; ” you have rather a funny way of asking, have n’t you ? ”

“ I don’t believe I could have asked you at all,” he said, “ if those two had n’t come. I could n’t talk of love to you, you looked so white — so mystical, and cold, and good. It ’s easier to speak now you are flushed, and troubled, and human. I dare take your hand now. My dear, my dear, do you know you ’re the loveliest little girl in the whole world — and I would have shot myself if you had n’t said yes. You have n’t, by the way. Have I been too sudden ? Have I frightened you ? Do you want time to think — to ask your mother — Mrs. Bailey ? Should I have spoken to them first ? I meant to do that, to get them to persuade you, but when I saw that man come to the door with you to-night, I made up my mind I ’d have your promise before we parted this evening, and I have it, have n’t I? Don’t tell me I ’m too late.”