Elster's Folly, Mrs. Henry Wood [ebook reader with built in dictionary .txt] 📗
- Author: Mrs. Henry Wood
Book online «Elster's Folly, Mrs. Henry Wood [ebook reader with built in dictionary .txt] 📗». Author Mrs. Henry Wood
_Ruination By Penny-Worths_!
Good Luck To You, Dear, In Your Fresh Settling Down In The Heimath
Land.
Mrs. M---- (Where We Were _Lunching_) Asked Tenderly After My Large
Young Family--As Strangers Usually Do. Then She Said, "But You Write
So Sympathetically Of Children, And 'A Soldier's Children' Is So
Real--I Thought They Must Be Yours." On Which I Explained The
Dear Queers To Her. To Whom Be Love! And To Richard.
Ever, Dear, Yours Lovingly,
J.H.E.
To Mrs. Going.
Midsummer Day, 1884.
My Dear Mrs. Going,
Not A Moment Till Now Have I Found--To Tell You I Got Home Safe And
Sound, And That Your Delicious Cream Was Duly And Truly Appreciated!
The Last Of It Was Merged In An Admirable Gooseberry Fool!
The Roses Suffered By The Hot Journey--But Even The Least Flourishing
Of Them Received Great Admiration--From Their Size--As The Skeletons
Of Saurians Make A Smaller World Stand Aghast!!!
This Last Sentence Smacks Of Jules Verne! I Don't Care Much For
Him--After All. It Is Rather _Bookmaking_.
But I Have Had A Lot Of Hearty Laughs Over "The Heroine"! It Is Very
Funny--If Not _Very_ Refined. Some Of The Situations Admirable. There
Is Something In The Girl's Calling Her Father "Wilkinson" All The Way
Through--Quite As Comic As Anything In _Vice Versa_--A Book Which I
Never Managed To Get To The End Of.
I Hope Your Wedding Went Well To-Day. Ps, For Wives To Do So."
"Some Do, And Some Don't," Observed Thomas Carr, Who Never Flattered At
The Expense Of Truth. "Are You Going Down To Hartledon?"
"Hartledon!" With A Perceptible Shiver. "In The Mind I Am In, I Shall
Never Visit Hartledon Again; There Are Some In Its Vicinity I Would
Rather Not Insult By My Presence. Why Do You Bring Up Disagreeable
Subjects?"
"You Will Have To Get Over That Feeling," Observed Mr. Carr, Disregarding
The Hint, And Taking Out His Probing-Knife. "And The Sooner It Is Got
Over The Better For All Parties. You Cannot Become An Exile From Your Own
Place. Are They At Calne Now?"
"Yes. They Were In Paris Just Before We Left It, And There Was An
Encounter At Versailles. I Wished Myself Dead; I Declare I Did. A Day Or
Two After We Came To England They Crossed Over, And Went Straight Down To
Calne. There--Don't Say Any More."
"The Longer You Keep Away From Hartledon The Greater Effort It Will Cost
You To Go Down To It; And--"
"I Won't Go To Hartledon," He Interrupted, In A Sort Of Fury; "Neither
Perhaps Would You, In My Place."
"Sir," Cried Mr. Carr's Clerk, Bustling In And Addressing His Master,
"You Are Waited For At The Chambers Of Serjeant Gale. The Consultation Is
On."
Lord Hartledon Rose.
"I Will Not Detain You, Carr; Business Must Be Attended To. Will You Come
And Dine With Us This Evening? Only Me And My Wife. Here's Where We Are
Staying--Piccadilly. My Own House Is Let, You Know."
"I Have No Engagement, And Will Come With Pleasure," Said Mr. Carr,
Taking The Card. "What Hour?"
"Ah, That's Just What I Can't Tell You. Lady Hartledon Orders Dinner To
Suit Her Engagements--Any Time Between Six And Nine! I Never Know. We Are
A Fashionable Couple, Don't You See?"
"Stay, Though, Hartledon; I Forget. I Have A Business Appointment For
Half-Past Eight. Perhaps I Can Put It Off."
"Come Up At Six. You'll Be All Right, Then, In Any Case."
Lord Hartledon Left The Temple, And Sauntered Towards Home. He Had
No Engagement On Hand--Nothing To Kill Time. He And His Wife Were
Falling Naturally Into The Way Of--As He Had Just Cynically Styled
It--Fashionable People. She Went Her Way And He Went His.
Many A Cabman Held Up His Hand Or His Whip; But In His Present Mood
Walking Was Agreeable To Him: Why Should He Hurry Home, When He Had
Nothing On Earth To Do There? So He Stared Here, And Gazed There, And
Stopped To Speak To This Acquaintance, And Walked A Few Steps With That,
Went Into His Club For Ten Minutes, And Arrived Home At Last.
His Wife's Carriage Was At The Door Waiting For Her. She Was Bound On An
Expedition To Chiswick: Lord Hartledon Had Declined It. He Met Her
Hastening Out As He Entered, And She Was Looking Very Cross.
"How Late You Are Going, Maude!"
"Yes, There Has Been A Mistake," She Said Peevishly, Turning In With Him
To A Small Room They Used As A Breakfast-Room. "I Have Been Waiting All
This Time For Lady Langton, And She, I Find, Has Been Waiting For Me. I'm
Now Going Round To Take Her Up. Oh, I Have Secured That Opera-Box, Val,
But At An Extravagant Price, Considering The Little Time That Remains Of
The Season."
"What Opera-Box?"
"Didn't I Tell You? It's One I Heard Of Yesterday. I Was Not Going Again
To Put Up With The Wretched Little Box They Palmed You Off With. I Did
Tell You That."
"It Was The Only One I Could Get, Maude: There Was No Other Choice."
"Yes, I Know. Well, I Have Secured Another For The Rest Of The Season,
And You Must Not Talk About Extravagance, Please."
"Very Well," Said Val, With A Smile. "For What Hour Have You Ordered
Dinner?"
"Nine O'clock."
"Nine O'clock! That's Awkward--And Late."
"Why Awkward? You May Have To Wait For Me Even Then. It Is Impossible To
Say When We Shall Get Home From Chiswick. All The World Will Be There."
"I Have Just Asked Carr To Dine With Us, And Told Him To Come At Six. I
Don't Fancy These Hard-Working Men Care To Wait So Long For Their Dinner.
And He Has An Appointment For Half-Past Eight."
The Colour Came Flushing Into Lady Hartledon's Face, An Angry Light Into
Her Eyes.
"You Have Asked Carr To Dinner! How Dared You?"
Val Looked Up In Quiet Amazement.
"Dared!"
"Well--Yes. Dared!"
"I Do Not Understand You, Maude. I Suppose I May Exercise The Right Of
Inviting A Friend To Dinner."
"Not When It Is Objectionable To Me. I Dislike That Man Carr, And Will
Not Receive Him."
"You Can Have No Grounds For Disliking Him," Returned Lord Hartledon
Warmly. "He Has Been A Good And True Friend To Me Ever Since I Knew What
Friendship Meant; And He Is A Good And True Man."
"Too Much Of A Friend," She Sarcastically Retorted. "You Don't Need Him
Now, And Can Drop Him."
"Maude," Said Lord Hartledon, Very Quietly, "I Have Fancied Several Times
Lately That You Are A Little Mistaking Me. I Am Not To Have A Will Of My
Own; I Am To Bend In All Things To Yours; You Are To Be Mistress And
Master, I A Nonentity: Is It Not So? This Is A Mistake. No Woman Ever Had
A Better Or More Indulgent Husband Than You Shall Find In Me: But In All
Necessary Things, Where It Is Needful And Expedient That I Should
Exercise My Own Judgment, And Act As Master, I Shall Do It."
She Paused In Very Astonishment: The Tone Was So Calmly Decisive.
"My Dear, Let Us Have No More Of This; Something Must Have Vexed You
To-Day."
"We Will Have No More Of It," She Passionately Retorted; "And I'll Have
No More Of Your Thomas Carrs. It Is Not Right That You Should Bring A Man
Here Who Has Deliberately Insulted Me. Be Quiet, Lord Hartledon; He Has.
What Else Was It But An Insult--His Going Out Of The Chapel In The Manner
He Did, When We Were Before The Altar? It Was A Direct Intimation That He
Did Not Countenance The Marriage. He Would Have Preferred, I Suppose,
That You Should Marry Your Country Sweetheart, Anne Ashton."
A Hot Flush Rose To Lord Hartledon's Brow, But His Tone Was Strangely
Temperate. "I Have Already Warned You, Maude, That We Shall Do Well To
Discard That Name From Our Discussions, And If Possible From Our
Thoughts; It May Prove Better For Both Of Us."
"Better For You, Perhaps; But You Are _Not_ Going To Exercise Any Control
Over My Will, Or Words, Or Action; And So I Tell You At Once. I'm Quite
Old Enough To Be Out Of Leading-Strings, And I'll Be Mistress In My Own
House. You Will Do Well To Send A Note To Your Amiable Friend Carr; It
May Save Him A Useless Journey; For At My Table He Shall Not Sit. Now You
Know, Val."
She Spoke Impatiently, Haughtily, And Swept Out To Her Carriage. Val Did
Not Follow To Place Her In; He Positively Did Not, But Left Her To The
Servants. Never In His Whole Life Perhaps Had He Felt So Nettled, Never
So Resolute: The Once Vacillating, Easily-Persuaded Man, When Face To
Face With People, Was Speedily Finding The Will He Had Only Exercised
Behind Their Backs. He Rang The Bell For Hedges.
"Her Ladyship Has Ordered Dinner For Nine O'clock," He Said, When The
Butler Appeared.
"I Believe So, My Lord."
"It Will Be Inconvenient To Me To Wait So Long To-Day. I Shall Dine At
Seven. You Can Serve It In This Room, Leaving The Dining-Room For Lady
Hartledon. Mr. Carr Dines With Me."
So Hedges Gave The Necessary Orders, And Dinner Was Laid In The
Breakfast-Room. Thomas Carr Came In, Bringing The News That He Had
Succeeded In Putting Off His Appointment. Lord Hartledon Received Him In
The Same Room, Fearing Possibly The Drawing-Room Might Be Invaded By His
Wife. She Was Just As Likely To Be Home Early From Chiswick As Late.
"We Have It To Ourselves, Carr, And I Am Not Sorry. There Was No
Certainty About My Wife's Return, So I Thought We'd Dine Alone."
They Very Much Enjoyed Their Tete-A-Tete Dinner; As They Had Enjoyed Many
A One In Hartledon's Bachelor Days. Thomas Carr--One Of The Quiet, Good
Men In A Fast World--Was An Admirable Companion, Full Of Intelligence And
Conversation. Hedges Left Them Alone After The Cloth Was Removed, But In
A Very Few Minutes Returned; His Step Rather More Subdued Than Usual, As
If He Came Upon Some Secret Mission.
"Here's That Stranger Come Again, Sir," He Began, In Low Tones; And It
May As Well Be Remarked That In Moments Of Forgetfulness He Often Did
Address His Master As He Used To Address Him In The Past. "He Asked If--"
"What Stranger?" Rather Testily Interposed Lord Hartledon. "I Am At
Dinner, And Can't See Any Stranger Now. What Are You Thinking About,
Hedges?"
"It Is What I Said," Returned Hedges; "But He Would Not Take The Answer.
He Said He Had Come A Long Way To See Your Lordship, And He Would See
You; His Business Was Very Important. My Lady Asked Him--"
"Has Lady Hartledon Returned?"
"She Came In Now, My Lord, While I Was Denying You To Him. Her Ladyship
Heard Him Say He Would See You, And She Inquired What His Business Was;
But He Did Not Tell Her. It Was Private Business, He Remarked, And Could
Only Be Entered Into With Your Lordship."
"Who Is It, Hedges? Do You Know Him?"
Lord Hartledon Had Dropped His Voice To Confidential Tones. Hedges Was
Faithful, And Had Been Privy To Some Of His Embarrassments In The Old
Days. The Man Looked At The Barrister, And Seemed To Hesitate.
"Speak Out. You Can Say Anything Before Mr. Carr."
"I Don't Know Him," Answered Hedges. "It Is The Gentleman Who Came To
Hartledon The Week After Your Lordship's Marriage, Asking Five Hundred
Questions, And Wanting--"
"He, Is It?" Interrupted Val. "You Told Me About Him When I Came Home,
I Remember. Go On, Hedges."
"That's All, My Lord. Except That He Is Here Now"--And Hedges Nodded His
Head Towards The Room-Door. "He Seems Very Inquisitive. When My Lady Went
Upstairs, He Asked Whether That Was The Countess, And Followed Her To The
Foot Of The Stairs To Look After Her. I Never Saw Any Gentleman Stare
So."
Val Played With His Wine-Glass, And Pondered. "I Don't Believe I Owe A
Shilling In The World," Quoth He--Betraying The Bent Of His Thoughts, And
Speaking To No One In Particular. "I Have Squared-Up Every Debt, As Far
As I Know."
"He Does Not Look Like A Creditor," Observed Hedges, With A Fatherly Air.
"Quite Superior To That: More Like A Parson. It's His Manner That Makes
One Doubt. There Was A Mystery About It At Hartledon That I Didn't Like;
And He Refused To Give His Name. His Insisting On Seeing Your Lordship
Now, At Dinner Or Not At Dinner, Is Odd Too; His Voice Is Quiet, Just As
If He Possessed The Right To Do This. I Didn't Know What To Do, And
As I Say, He's In The Hall."
"Show Him In Somewhere, Hedges. Lady Hartledon Is In The Drawing-Room, I
Suppose: Let Him Go Into The Dining-Room."
"Her Ladyship's Dinner Is Being Laid There, My Lord," Dissented The
Cautious Retainer. "She Said It Was To Be Served As Soon As It Was Ready,
Having Come Home Earlier Than She Expected."
"Deuce Take It!" Testily Responded Val, "One Can't Swing A Cat In These
Cramped Hired Houses. Show Him Into My Smoking-Den Upstairs."
"Let Me
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