"You are meditative, my Lord, to-night," said Kate, at last, making an effort to relieve an awkward situation; "what are you thinking of, pray?"

"Admiring your dress, Miss Dalton, which strikes me as singularly beautiful and becoming."

"Great praise this, from such an acknowledged judge as Lord Norwood,"

said she, smiling.

"I prefer it to antique lace, which in general is too heavy and c.u.mbrous for my taste; I like these fine and delicate tissues, so frail and gossamer-like, not but their frailty, like all other frailty, incurs occasionally a heavy penalty; as here, for instance, you see this has been torn."

"So it has," said Kate, with confusion, "and I never noticed it. What a quick eye you must have, my Lord!"

"And a sharp ear, too, Miss Dalton," said he, significantly; "in fact, I am one of those people whose every-day faculties do duty for what in others goes by the name of cleverness. It 's a great pity," said he, looking down at the dress; "you see, Miss Dalton, what a false step can do."

"And yet I cannot remember when this occurred," said she, a.s.suming to misunderstand his equivocal expression.

"Not recall it, not a clew to the mishap?" asked he, shrewdly.

"None," said she, blushing at the pertinacity with which he clung to the theme; "but it's of no consequence."

"Would Miss Dalton think it very singular if I should be able to a.s.sist her memory? Would she accept the service as kindly as it was proffered, too?"

"Really, my Lord, you begin to speak in riddles," said she, more than ever piqued at his persistence.

"And yet," said he, following out the thread of his own thoughts, "I am a.s.suredly as safe a counsellor as Albert Jekyl."

Kate grew deadly pale, but never replied to this speech.

"And certainly," resumed he, "the man who speaks in his own name should ever take precedence of an envoy."

"My Lord," said she, firmly, "the very little which I can understand of your words implies a pretension to knowledge and influence over me which I disdain to accept; but still I cannot believe that you seriously mean to insult me."

"Of course not," said he; "I have come on a very different errand. If I did pa.s.singly allude to bygones, it was to show you that you can afford to be candid when I am frank. We two, united, would walk over the course, and no mistake, that 's what I was coming to. I don't mean to say that the Russian is not richer egad! there 's no disputing that, still, as to rank, a peer of Great Britain, I take it, is the equal of any man. Not to remind you of the old adage about 'a bird in the hand' I speak frankly, because you are your own mistress."

"Kate, if Lord Norwood will excuse you, come to me for one instant,"

cried Lady Hester.

"Just say yes, before you go, or, if not yes, tell me that I have ground for hope," whispered Norwood. But she arose without speaking.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 484]

"I'll not stand a 'hedge,' by Jove!" said Norwood, sulkily; "play or pay, nothing else for me."

"Allow me to pa.s.s you, my Lord," said Kate, courteously.

"One word, off or on, Miss Dalton," said he, rising, and affecting to make way, while he still barred the pa.s.sage. A proud, disdainful smile was all the reply she vouchsafed.

"All right," said he, insolently; "only remember how we stand, Miss Dalton, and whenever you want to repair the mischance of your lace flounce, don't forget the piece is in my keeping;" and he opened the pocket-book as he spoke, and exhibited the fragment before her. Sick with a terror she could neither explain nor realize, she lay back again in her chair, unable to move, while Norwood glided quietly away and left the room.

"Dear Kate, have you forgotten me all this time?" said Lady Hester, whom Kate now perceived was alone on the sofa, Midchekoff and Jekyl having retired into an adjoining gallery, where they walked slowly along, side by side, deep in conversation.

"You shouldn't have suffered Norwood to engross your attention in that manner, my dear. The Prince has been quite put out by it, and at such a moment, too, and how flushed you are! What has he been saying?"

"I can scarcely remember," said Kate, confusedly.

"Well, it's of no consequence, dear, because I have got something to tell you that would speedily make you forget it. You know, Kate, how I always prophesied wonderful things for you, just as I did before for poor Georgina Elderton, and she married a Rajah afterwards, and died Begum of something ending in 'Bad.' Indeed, I might say it ended in bad for herself, poor dear, for I believe she was poisoned. But, to come back, I always said that you also would have astonishing luck. I told Sir Stafford so. The first day I saw you, 'She 'll be like Georgina,' I said. 'You 'll see that girl in a wonderful position one of these days.'

It is not that men care for their wives more than formerly, I rather fancy the reverse, but they have got a most intense pa.s.sion just now for beauty. Wealth and good blood were once the only requisites, but they are both disregarded now, in comparison with good looks. I suppose the fashion won't last, it would be very absurd if it should, but while it is the mode one ought to profit by it. Just as I am wearing all those horrid old brocades of my great-grand-aunt's, with odious flowers of crimson and yellow, now that the taste in dress is 'rococo,' but of course in a year or two people will recover their senses again, and pretty girls without portions be left for sub-alterns in the line, as Providence intended they should. Don't you think so, dear?"

The brief question at the end of this long rambling speech would possibly have puzzled Kate to reply to, had not Lady Hester been far too much occupied in her own speculations to care for a rejoinder.

"You'll hear people talk a deal of nonsense about unequal marriages, and they'll quote Heaven knows what instances of girls, generally Irish ones, picking up princes and royal dukes, and all ending unhappily.

Don't believe a word of it, dearest; there 's never misery where there 's large fortune. The people who cry in velvet always shed rose-water tears, that don't hurt the skin or spoil the complexion. Not that I can say so of myself," added she, with a deep sigh; "but I am a creature apart. I fervently trust nature does not often form similar ones.

Buccellini told me that I had a fifth pair of nerves, I a.s.sure you he did. It was a very shocking thing, and probably he ought never to have mentioned it to me; but it perfectly explains the excessive sensibility of my whole nature, does n't it, dear?"

Kate smiled a.s.sent, and Lady Hester went on:

"Then, as to religion, my dear, I'm afraid, indeed, we all think too little about it. I 'm sure I 'm quite shocked at what I see in society.

It was only the other night Lady Grace Morton kept her seat when the Cardinal was speaking to her. I apologized to him for it afterwards, and he said, with such a sweet smile, 'If these Protestants would only give us back our churches, we 'd forgive their keeping their chairs.' The mot was very pretty, in French, and well turned was n't it? Of course, then, you 'll make no obstacle about the Greek Church, which I believe is exactly like your own, only that the priest has a beard, which I think more becoming. It looks affectionate, too; it always gives one the idea of devotion, a girl changing her faith for her husband; and really, in this tiresome age we live in, a new religion is the only new thing one ever hears of. Your excellent family that sweet sister and the dear old papa will probably make a fuss about it; but you know, after all, how absurd that is, and if you were to marry a Chinese, there 's no saying what strange creatures you 'd have to pray to. You 'll have to go to Russia, but only for presentation; that over, the Prince will obtain a renewal of his permission to reside abroad; still, if you have to pa.s.s a winter at St. Petersburg, it will be far from disagreeable. The women are too fond of caviare and high play; but they dress just as well as in Paris, and wear better diamonds. Midchekoff's jewels are unequalled; and, now that I think of it, there 's one thing I 've set my heart on, and you must positively promise to give me, a little stiletto with an emerald hilt and handle. I have pined for it there 's no other word these three years. He wore it in London, and I have never had it out of my thoughts since. You can afford to be very generous, dearest. How I envy you that pleasure! and the delight you 'll feel in providing for poor papa and Mary no, Elizabeth, I mean how absurd! I should say Ellen.

It was something about that tale of Elizabeth, the Exile of Siberia, was running in my mind. The Prince will do whatever you suggest, and, indeed, he has already hinted about your brother Frank joining the Russian service. He 'll have him named an officer in the Emperor's Guard. You must insist, too, upon La Rocca being your own settled upon yourself. They tell me it 's the sweetest spot in the world; and I 'll always live there when you don't want it. I mention this about the settlement, because there 's no saying how men will behave. I 'm sure I never could have antic.i.p.ated such a return as I have met with from Sir Stafford. And then, you know, with a Russian, one cannot be too guarded.

Don't you agree with me? Well, never mind, you 'll perhaps come round to my opinion later. But here comes the Prince, and it will be as well you should retire, dearest. I'll see you in your dressing-room, and tell you everything."

And with this a.s.surance Kate retired, with a head and heart as full as ever young lady's felt.

Kate was hastening to her room, when a short, quick step behind her made her turn round, and she saw Purvis endeavoring to overtake her.

"Oh! I have you at last," said he, puffing for breath; "and what a ch-chase I 've had for it! I 've been in five rooms already, and nearly had a f-f-fight with that Frenchwoman of Lady Hester's. She 's a regular T-T-Tartar, she is, and almost boxed my ears for looking into a small case where my Lady's r-ringlets are kept ha! ha! ha! I saw them, though, two long and two short, and a pl-pl-plait for the back of the head. How she m-m-makes up at night!"

"I must say that you have the strangest mode of requiting hospitality,"

said Kate, haughtily.

"It 's all very well to talk of hospi-hospi-hospi--" Here a fit of gaping brought on coughing, which, after a violent struggle, ended in the forced utterance of the last syllable of the word, but with such fatigue and exhaustion that he seemed scarcely able to continue; at last, however, he did resume. "It's all very well to talk of that, but we got in here by our own cl-cl-cleverness; at least by Zoe's."

"Less good-natured persons would find another word for it, Mr. Purvis."

"So they would. Haggerstone called it a Ricketty stratagem. No matter; we 're in ha! ha! ha! and he 's out. The pr-pr-proof of the pu-pu-pudding--"

"Will you excuse me, sir, if I say I must leave you?"

"Don't go, don't go; I've something very important to to tell you.

And first, Zoe my sister Zoe wants to see you. The cook has been most im-im-impertinent to her. She says it was ginger she put in the maca-maca-roni, instead of P-P--Parmesan; all his truffles are only Piedmontese. That is n't all: don't be in such a h-hurry. They 've changed the wine, too. We had Ch-Ch-Chambertin yesterday, and they 've given us P-Pomard to-day. How is that to be borne?"

"I really see but one remedy for it, sir," said Kate, scornfully.

"So Zoe said; that 's exactly her opinion. They must be sent away. Zoe knows a very ti-ti-tidy cook. He 's not a a top-sawyer, you know, but he can r-roast a bit of beef, and make a c-capital rice-pudding, and he 'll come for six dollars a month. Wouldn't that be a sa-saving? Zoe told him to c-call to-day, and speak to La-Lady Hester."

"He will find that difficult, sir," said Kate, dryly.

"And as for the b-butler, such a j-j-jackanapes I never saw; and Zoe would advise you to take little Pierrette, the fellow you see every day at the Pergola; he sells the tickets outside the door. He looks r-r-ragged enough now, but when he 's dressed--"

"You must see, sir," interposed Kate, "that these are all details in which it would be both indelicate and impertinent for me to intrude an opinion about."