POPENJOY IS POPENJOY.
Then came Lady Brabazon's party. Lord George said nothing further to
his wife about Jack De Baron for some days after that storm in Berkeley
Square,--nor did she to him. She was quite contented that matters
should remain as they now were. She had vindicated herself, and if he
made no further accusation, she was willing to be appeased. He was by
no means contented;--but as a day had been fixed for them to leave
London, and that day was now but a month absent, he hardly knew how to
insist upon an alteration of their plans. If he did so he must declare
war against the Dean, and, for a time, against his wife also. He
postponed, therefore, any decision, and allowed matters to go on as
they were. Mary was no doubt triumphant in her spirit. She had
conquered him for a time, and felt that it was so. But she was, on that
account, more tender and observant to him than ever. She even offered
to give up Lady Brabazon's party, altogether. She did not much care for
Lady Brabazon's party, and was willing to make a sacrifice that was
perhaps no sacrifice. But to this he did not assent. He declared
himself to be quite ready for Lady Brabazon's party, and to Lady
Brabazon's party they went. As she was on the staircase she asked him a
question. "Do you mind my having a waltz to-night?" He could not bring
himself for the moment to be stern enough to refuse. He knew that the
pernicious man would not be there. He was quite sure that the question
was not asked in reference to the pernicious man. He did not
understand, as he should have done, that a claim was being made for
general emancipation, and he muttered something which was intended to
imply assent. Soon afterwards she took two or three turns with a stout
middle-aged gentleman, a Count somebody, who was connected with the
German embassy. Nothing on earth could have been more harmless or
apparently uninteresting. Then she signified to him that she had done
her duty to Lady Brabazon and was quite ready to go home. "I'm not
particularly bored," he said; "don't mind me." "But I am," she
whispered, laughing, "and as I know you don't care about it, you might
as well take me away." So he took her home. They were not there above
half-an-hour, but she had carried her point about the waltzing.
On the next day the Dean came to town to attend a meeting at Mr.
Battle's chambers by appointment. Lord George met him there, of course,
as they were at any rate supposed to act in strict concert; but on
these days the Dean did not stay in Munster Court when in London.
He would always visit his daughter, but would endeavour to do so in her
husband's absence, and was unwilling even to dine there. "We shall be
better friends down at Brotherton," he said to her. "He is always angry
with me after discussing this affair of his brother's; and I am not
quite sure that he likes seeing me here." This he had said on a
previous occasion, and now the two men met in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, not
having even gone there together.
At this meeting the lawyer told them a strange story, and one which to
the Dean was most unsatisfactory,--one which he resolutely determined
to disbelieve. "The Marquis," said Mr. Battle, "had certainly gone
through two marriage ceremonies with the Italian lady, one before the
death and one after the death of her first reputed husband. And as
certainly the so-called Popenjoy had been born before the second
ceremony." So much the Dean believed very easily, and the information
tallied altogether with his own views. If this was so, the so-called
Popenjoy could not be a real Popenjoy, and his daughter would be
Marchioness of Brotherton when this wicked ape of a marquis should die;
and her son, should she have one, would be the future marquis. But then
there came the remainder of the lawyer's story. Mr. Battle was
inclined, from all that he had learned, to believe that the Marchioness
had never really been married at all to the man whose name she had
first borne, and that the second marriage had been celebrated merely to
save appearances.
"What appearances!" exclaimed the Dean. Mr. Battle shrugged his
shoulders. Lord George sat in gloomy silence. "I don't believe a word
of it," said the Dean.
Then the lawyer went on with his story. This lady had been betrothed
early in life to the Marchese Luigi; but the man had become
insane--partially insane and by fits and starts. For some reason, not
as yet understood, which might probably never be understood, the lady's
family had thought it expedient that the lady should bear the name of
the man to whom she was to be married. She had done so for some years
and had been in possession of some income belonging to him. But Mr.
Battle was of opinion that she had never been Luigi's wife. Further
enquiries might possibly be made, and might add to further results. But
they would be very expensive. A good deal of money had already been
spent. "What did Lord George wish?"
"I think we have done enough," said Lord George, slowly,--thinking also
that he had been already constrained to do much too much.
"It must be followed out to the end," said the Dean. "What! Here is a
woman who professed for years to be a man's wife, who bore his name,
who was believed by everybody to have been his wife----"
"I did not say that, Mr. Dean," interrupted the lawyer.
"Who lived on the man's revenues as his wife, and even bore his title,
and now in such an emergency as this we are to take a cock and bull
story as gospel. Remember, Mr. Battle, what is at stake."
"Very much is at stake, Mr. Dean, and therefore these enquiries have
been made,--at a very great expense. But our own evidence as far as it
goes is all against us. The Luigi family say that there was no
marriage. Her family say that there was, but cannot prove it. The child
may die, you know."
"Why should he die?" asked Lord George.
"I am trying the matter all round, you know. I am told the poor child
is in ill health. One has got to look at probabilities. Of course you
do not abandon a right by not prosecuting it now."
"It would be a cruelty to the boy to let him be brought up as Lord
Popenjoy and afterwards dispossessed," said the Dean.
"You, gentlemen, must decide," said the lawyer. "I only say that I do
not recommend further steps."
"I will do nothing further," said Lord George. "In the first place I
cannot afford it."
"We will manage that between us," said the Dean. "We need not trouble
Mr. Battle with that. Mr. Battle will not fear but that all expenses
will be paid."
"Not in the least," said Mr. Battle, smiling.
"I do not at all believe the story," said the Dean. "It does not sound
like truth. If I spent my last shilling in sifting the matter to the
bottom, I would go on with it. Though I were obliged to leave England
for twelve months myself, I would do it. A man is bound to ascertain
his own rights."
"I will have nothing more to do with it," said Lord George, rising from
his chair. "As much has been done as duty required; perhaps more. Mr.
Battle, good morning. If we could know as soon as possible what this
unfortunate affair has cost, I shall be obliged." He asked his
father-in-law to accompany him, but the Dean said that he would speak a
word or two further to Mr. Battle and remained.
At his club Lord George was much surprised to find a note from his
brother. The note was as follows:--
"Would you mind coming to me here to-morrow or the next day at 3.
"B. Scumberg's Hotel, Tuesday."
This to Lord George was very strange indeed. He could not but remember
all the circumstances of his former visit to his brother,--how he had
been insulted, how his wife had been vilified, how his brother had
heaped scorn on him. At first he thought that he was bound to refuse to
do as he was asked. But why should his brother ask him? And his brother
was his brother,--the head of his family. He decided at last that he
would go, and left a note himself at Scumberg's Hotel that evening,
saying that he would be there on the morrow.
He was very much perplexed in spirit as he thought of the coming
interview. He went to the Dean's club and to the Dean's hotel, hoping
to find the Dean, and thinking that as he had consented to act with the
Dean against his brother, he was bound in honour to let the Dean know
of the new phase in the affair. But he did not find his father-in-law.
The Dean returned to Brotherton on the following morning, and therefore
knew nothing of this meeting till some days after it had taken place.
The language which the Marquis had used to his brother when they were last
together had been such as to render any friendly intercourse almost
impossible. And then the mingled bitterness, frivolity, and wickedness
of his brother, made every tone of the man's voice and every glance of
his eye distasteful to Lord George. Lord George was always honest, was
generally serious, and never malicious. There could be no greater
contrast than that which had been produced between the brothers, either
by difference of disposition from their birth, or by the varied
circumstances of a residence on an Italian lake and one at Manor Cross.
The Marquis thought his brother to be a fool, and did not scruple to
say so on all occasions. Lord George felt that his brother was a knave,
but would not have so called him on any consideration. The Marquis in
sending for his brother hoped that even after all that had passed, he
might make use of Lord George. Lord George in going to his brother,
hoped that even after all that had passed he might be of use to the
Marquis.
When he was shown into the sitting-room at the hotel, the Marchioness
was again there. She, no doubt, had been tutored. She got up at once
and shook hands with her brother-in-law, smiling graciously. It must
have been a comfort to both of them that they spoke no common language,
as they could hardly have had many thoughts to interchange with each
other.
"I wonder why the deuce you never learned Italian," said the Marquis.
"We never were taught," said Lord George.
"No;--nobody in England ever is taught anything but Latin and
Greek,--with this singular result, that after ten or a dozen years of
learning not one in twenty knows a word of either language. That is our
English idea of education. In after life a little French may be picked
up, from necessity; but it is French of the very worst kind. My wonder
is that Englishman can hold their own in the world at all."
"They do," said Lord George,--to whom all this was ear-piercing
blasphemy. The national conviction that an Englishman could thrash
three foreigners, and if necessary eat them, was strong with him.
"Yes; there is a ludicrous strength even in their pig-headedness. But
I always think that Frenchmen, Italians, and Prussians must in dealing
with us, be filled with infinite disgust. They must ever be saying,
'pig, pig, pig,' beneath their breath, at every turn."
"They don't dare to say it out loud," said Lord George.
"They are too courteous, my dear fellow." Then he said a few words to
his wife in Italian, upon which she left the room, again shaking hands
with her brother-in-law, and again smiling.
Then the Marquis rushed at once into the middle of his affairs.
"Don't you think George that you are an infernal fool to quarrel with
me."
"You have quarrelled with me. I haven't quarrelled with you."
"Oh no;--not at all! When you send lawyer's clerks all over Italy to
try to prove my boy to be a bastard, and that is not quarrelling with
me! When you accuse my wife of bigamy that is not quarrelling with me!
When you conspire to make my house in the country too hot to hold me,
that is not quarrelling with me!"
"How have I conspired? with whom have I conspired?"
"When I explained my wishes about the house at Cross Hall, why did you
encourage those foolish old maids to run counter to me. You must have
understood pretty well that it would not suit either of us to be near
the other, and yet you chose to stick up for legal rights."
"We thought it better for my mother."
"My mother would have consented to anything that I proposed. Do you
think I don't know how the land lies? Well; what have you learned in
Italy?" Lord George was silent. "Of course, I know. I'm not such a fool
as not to keep my ears and eyes open. As far as your enquiries have
gone yet, are you justified in calling Popenjoy a bastard?"
"I have never called him so;--never. I have always declared my belief
and my wishes to be in his favour."
"Then why the d---- have you made all this rumpus?"
"Because it was necessary to be sure. When a man marries the same wife
twice over----"
"Have you never heard of that being done before? Are you so ignorant as
not to know that there are a hundred little reasons which may make that
expedient? You have made your enquiries now and what is the result?"
Lord George paused a moment before he replied, and then answered with
absolute honesty. "It is all very odd to me. That may be my English
prejudice. But I do think that your boy is legitimate."
"You are satisfied as to that?"
He paused again, meditating his reply. He did not wish to be untrue to
the Dean, but then he was very anxious to be true to his brother. He
remembered that in the Dean's presence he had told the lawyer that he
would have nothing to do with further enquiries. He had asked for the
lawyer's bill, thereby withdrawing from the investigation. "Yes," he
said slowly; "I am satisfied."
"And you mean to do nothing further?"
Again he was very slow, remembering how necessary it would be that he
should tell all this to the Dean, and how full of wrath the Dean would
be. "No; I do not mean to do anything further."
"I may take that as your settled purpose?"
There was another pause, and then he spoke, "Yes; you may."
"Then, George, let us try and forget what has passed. It cannot pay for
you and me to quarrel. I shall not stay in England very long. I don't
like it. It was necessary that the people about should know that I had
a wife and son, and so I brought him and her to this comfortless
country. I shall return before the winter, and for anything that I care
you may all go back to Manor Cross."
"I don't think my mother would like that."
"Why shouldn't she like it? I suppose I was to be allowed to have my
own house when I wanted it? I hope there was no offence in that, even
to that dragon Sarah? At any rate, you may as well look after the
property; and if they won't live there, you can. But there's one
question I want to ask you."
"Well?"
"What do you think of your precious father-in-law; and what do you
think that I must think of him? Will you not admit that for a vulgar,
impudent brute, he is about as bad as even England can supply?" Of
course Lord George had nothing to say in answer to this. "He is going
on with this tom-foolery, I believe?"
"You mean the enquiry?"
"Yes; I mean the enquiry whether my son and your nephew is a bastard. I
know he put you up to it. Am I right in saying that he has not
abandoned it?"
"I think you are right."
"Then by heaven I'll ruin him. He may have a little money, but I don't
think his purse is quite so long as mine. I'll lead him such a dance
that he shall wish he had never heard the name of Germain. I'll make
his deanery too hot to hold him. Now, George, as between you and me
this shall be all passed over. That poor child is not strong, and after
all you may probably be my heir. I shall never live in England, and you
are welcome to the house. I can be very bitter, but I can forgive; and
as far as you are concerned I do forgive. But I expect you to drop your
precious father-in-law." Lord George was again silent. He could not say
that he would drop the Dean; but at this moment he was not sufficiently
fond of the Dean to rise up in his stirrups and fight a battle for him.
"You understand me," continued the Marquis, "I don't want any assurance
from you. He is determined to prosecute an enquiry adverse to the
honour of your family, and in opposition to your settled convictions. I
don't think that after that you can doubt about your duty. Come and
see me again before long; won't you?" Lord George said that he would
come again before long, and then departed.
As he walked home his mind was sorely perplexed and divided. He had
made up his mind to take no further share in the Popenjoy
investigation, and must have been right to declare as much to his
brother. His conscience was clear as to that. And then there were many
reasons which induced him to feel coldly about the Dean. His own wife
had threatened him with her father. And the Dean was always driving
him. And he hated the Dean's money. He felt that the Dean was not quite
all that a gentleman should be. But, nevertheless, it behoved him above
all things to be honest and straightforward with the Dean.
There had been something in his interview with his brother to please
him, but it had not been all delightful.