LOUIS RAINCY ENDURES HARDNESS
Two months later the two courts, that of the Queen and that of the
Regent, were equally aware of the rising of a new star of beauty and
wit--a certain Miss Patricia Ferris, for whom, it was whispered, more
than one duel had already been fought--a royal prince wounded, and a
gallant ex-ambassador driven into exile.
The Princess Elsa, of course, had no dealings with the coteries of
Carlton House and the Brighthelmstone Pavilion. But as often as Queen
Charlotte held a reception or issued from her darkened palace of
Windsor, the Princess brought Patsy from Kew to help her Majesty to
entertain.
Once, even, she had been taken by the Princess Elizabeth to visit the
King. In the same ground-floor suite of rooms which Charles I had used
on his passage from Carisbrook to the scaffold, she found a blind old
man sitting alone, and playing quietly on the harpsichord. His beard was
long and silvery, and he smiled as he played. He heard their steps and
stopped. Then he said, graciously, "Come hither, Eliza--who is your
friend?"
On being told that it was a young Scots lady, a friend of the Princess
of Saxe-Hanover-Brunswick, the King laughed a little as was his wont.
Then he went on talking rapidly, more to himself than to his visitors.
"There is good sense in Elsa, though she did lead us a dance with her
foolish fancy for our ambassador at Vienna--I forget his name. She had
the Hapsburg temper too, and would have run off with him if he had given
her any encouragement. But he knew what was due to a princess and stood
aside, telling her to be a good girl and marry old Brunschweig. The
Emperor of Austria owed him something for that--as well as our people. I
only hope that he got his deserts. Eh, what's that you say, Eliza?"
"Only that this young lady is the niece of Mr. Julian Wemyss," said his
daughter.
The old king chuckled a little and patted the girl's unseen head.
"Is she dark or fair?--What--what? Dark--and very pretty! Well, that
makes it more necessary that she should be looked after. Ah, I see well
that if both the Emperor and I have forgotten to do something for
Wemyss, Elsa is repaying him herself. Good-bye, good-bye, I am weary
this morning. Bid Elsa come to see me another day. Surely she is staying
in the Castle--she at least has not forsaken me like the rest."
"Oh, no," said the Princess Elizabeth, "Elsa and Miss Ferris are here
nearly every day helping the Queen. And yesterday they had all the boys
from Eton College in love with them. They would not look at us at all.
We intend to leave Miss Ferris at home for the future."
They went out, and neither one looked at the other nor spoke of what
they had left behind them. But in Patsy's mind ran, repeated over and
over, the words, "I have seen the King!--I have seen the King!" And in
the darkened chambers behind the closed doors, began again the light
tinkle of the harpsichord.
Of all the visitors at Hanover Lodge, the most welcome and the most
constant was a certain Eitel, Prince of Altschloss, a young man of many
accomplishments, of gentle manners, and, for a Prince of the Empire, of
a quite extraordinary modesty.
The Princess Elsa had known him from childhood. Indeed, she had been a
friend of his mother in the days when both were young and the two of
them had something to communicate to each other every day which no one
else must hear.
The Prince had come on a visit to his god-mother, and had remained on at
the Austrian Embassy, gaining that diplomatic experience which in later
life stood him in such great stead.
To the Prince of Altschloss the two months had been of great moment.
They had taught him to be humble and distrustful of himself. Patsy had
treated him no better and no worse than any other of her admirers, and
the tonic, though doubtless bitter, had been good for the young man's
soul.
He had been one of the foremost, though not the most foolish, in the
party of the Dukes. But now he had quite left behind the reckless
prodigality and imbecility of the Regency clique. He now asserted his
independence by frequenting exclusively what was known as the Windsor
"Frump Court," in spite of the jeers of his ex-comrades.
He spoke excellent English with a slight foreign accent which was not
German, and he used it freely to inform Patsy of his constant and
unutterable devotion. Prince Eitel of Altschloss was a tall young man
with extremely black eyes, a frank, open face, and the quietest manner
in the world. But he had already taken part in half-a-dozen great
battles, and had kept his corner of the Empire clear of the predatory
bands which followed the march of all Napoleonic armies.
This was the youth who discovered that Patsy, dressed in the fashions of
the day, going to operas, balls and race-courses, was the same Patsy who
had spoken in the gate with the press-gang at the Bothy of Blairmore.
But other things had happened during these months.
For nearly eight weeks the Earl of Raincy's house in Piccadilly had been
open, and Lieutenant Louis de Raincy had frequently appeared in his new
uniform at Hanover Lodge.
Patsy had been rejoiced to see him, and the Princess had been kind to
him in a quiet way, which yet could by no means be called enthusiastic.
"My old playmate," Patsy had said in introducing him to her hostess.
"And my tyrant ever since I can remember," Louis had added. "I cannot
remember ever once being allowed my own way in all the years when we
played together."
"There was a family feud," said Patsy, explaining the situation, "that
drew us together. Because, you see, each was forbidden to the other. So
we said, 'A plague on both your houses,' and found out new nests under
more remote trees where we could meet and talk without fear of being
caught."
This romantic tale of their early friendships did not appear to be quite
to the taste of the Princess Elsa, for she turned away and left them to
recall the past at their leisure. She had other views for her little
friend than to send her back whence she came as the wife of a mere
captain of horse, even though he might be the heir to an earldom in the
hungry North.
"Louis," said Patsy, as soon as they were alone, "what would you do if I
told you that your uniform became you?"
"I know what I should like to do!" retorted the young man.
"Well, what?" Patsy did not shun the danger.
"Kiss you for saying so," said the daring youth.
"See what it is to wear the king's colours even for a week," Patsy
murmured reflectively; "it gives even Louis Raincy a more wholesome
opinion of himself. I am glad. I cannot quite yield to the suggestion,
but I respect you more for having made it. For the present be content
with this."
And she gave him her hand to kiss, which he executed without any of the
grace which the Prince would have put into the ceremony, and with a
grumble that, though small fish were reported better than none, this was
a very meagre spratling indeed.
"Think," said Patsy, mischievously, "what a change since our last
afternoon in the Nest under the beech-tree. That very hand which you
kissed so unwillingly just now, boxed the ears of this officer of his
Majesty's Blue Dragoons."
"I prefer the old style even if my ears were boxed," said Louis. "I wish
you had never gone away and that I had followed my grandfather's advice
and stayed beside you."
"Nonsense," said Patsy, "you will change your mind very shortly. How
many girls have you fallen in love with already? I hear you go to the
Regent's entertainments. Well, you will find there sweetmeats for all
tastes, some perhaps a little spoilt by keeping!"
"You know very well, Patsy, that I shall never care about any other girl
than yourself. I never have and I never shall!"
"I bet you six pairs of Limerick gloves that you will not be able to say
as much for yourself in six months," cried Patsy.
"Done with you, Patsy," said Louis, "and you may as well pay now, for I
am not going to change my mind."
"That I shall wait and see. But beware, I shall have the best of
information. We are not of the Duke's party, and do not go to their
entertainments, but we hear all that goes on nevertheless."
"I only go because of my service," said Louis, somewhat dishonestly;
"the Duke of York, who is once more Commander-in-Chief, has put me on
his staff."
"Ah," said Patsy, unkindly, "like master, like man! It is a good
proverb."
"Patsy," mourned Louis, leaning forward with his head between his hands
in a very unmartial manner, "you know better than that. You forget the
White Loch and our ride home to Castle Raincy. You went with me because
you trusted me. You took my word about my grandfather liking you to come
to him for safety, and now you--you treat me as if I were a child."
"A child--why, so you are--a dear, nice boy, and I love you, and see, I
will pat you on the head!"
The officer of his Majesty instantly put himself into such a boyish
posture of defence that Patsy laughed.
"So you don't want to be patted on the head--well, then, it shan't! But
all the same I have not forgotten--neither what you did, nor what was
done for us both by your comrade of the White Water--by the way, have
you heard from him lately?"
"Not I," said Louis, almost fiercely, "but I make no doubt that you
have! You would not offer to pat Stair Garland on the head? He is a man,
you know--you said it yourself."
"Louis," said Patsy, "you are not acting up to your uniform. I have no
conventions with you, and you have no claim to know with whom it may
please me to correspond--"
Louis rose to his feet with a very pale face, but before he had time to
put his anger into words, a servant announced--
"His Highness the Prince of Altschloss!"
Patsy advanced, smiling and held out her hand. She seemed to walk right
through poor Louis, who felt himself terribly belittled and ill-used.
The Prince did all the things naturally and gracefully, which Louis had
so blundered over. He gratified the young dragoon with the slightest bow
and the longest stare. After which he immediately turned his attention
to Patsy, who, on her side--the shameless minx!--seemed to like nothing
better than meeting him half-way.
Louis Raincy grew more and more exasperated. He could not stay, yet if
he took himself off in any undignified manner, he felt acutely that they
would certainly laugh at him. He wished that he could challenge that
prince and all such insolent foreigners--yes, and kill them one by one
like a second Julian Wemyss! This thought cheered him, and he had
reached his fifth or sixth homicide when Patsy recalled him to himself.
"Miss Aline is in her parlour, Louis. Will you go through the
conservatory and tell her that the Prince is here?"
"She wants to be rid of me," the mind of Louis Raincy went storming on
to itself. "She is a hard-hearted, deceitful--"
But while he was thus inwardly detailing the character of Patsy to ease
his anger, he was also by force of habit obeying her orders.
He found Miss Aline with a letter in her hand and a flush of excitement
on her face, which the young man was too occupied with his own affairs
to seek to trace to its cause.
"Why, Louis Raincy," cried the old lady, "is it officer's manners to
come headfirst into a leddy's room like a bullock breaking dykes? I have
seen you do better than that before ever you put on the king's coat."
"I beg your pardon, Miss Aline," said the boy penitently. "I did not
know that the door would open so quickly or that you would be so near. I
have a message--from Pat--from Miss Ferris--"
"Eh?" cried the old lady, cramming the letter into her pocket; "wha's
Miss Ferris?--I dinna ken her--and I thought that you didna either!"
"Well then," said Louis, withdrawing into his sulks, "she bade me tell
you that the Prince is with her and will be glad to see you!"
"Oh, he will, will he noo," quoth Miss Aline; "weel, there's a heap o'
princes. I hae been meeting them rayther thick thae last twa-three
months. And this yin can juist wait."
"But, Miss Aline, I think--it will be better for you to go at once--I am
not going back to--to be insulted and treated like a child. I want to
go, Miss Aline."
The old lady held up her hands from which the deep lace sleeves hung
gracefully, while the half-mitts clung to the narrow wrists.
"Hoots--hoots, laddie! What's a' this? Ye hae been quarrelling with
Patsy. For shame, Louis--eh, what's that? My puir lad, dinna tak' things
to heart. She's a guid lass--what should onybody ken aboot her that I do
not ken? Laddie, stop greetin'--Patsy would be terrible angry if she
kenned I telled ye--but she wants ye to be a strong man--'a leader and
not a follower.' Says she, 'I shall never care for a man that I can
maister.'"
"Then she will never care for me," mourned poor Louis. "I can do things
for her sake--I can do as she bids me, and I am always ready. But, Miss
Aline, it does not seem to be the least good. That prince--"
"Never ye mind aboot princes--they are kittle-cattle, and Patsy was
juist letting you see that ye should carry a speerit in ye that no
prince in ony land could daunt."
"Oh, if it were only fighting," said Louis, "I should not be afraid. But
as it is, I shall not set my foot here again till Patsy sends for me--"
"Which she is like to do the morn's mornin', just to see if ye are still
in the sulks! Laddie, can ye no see that it is just an amusement to her?
She doesna mean to be cruel, but only wants ye to be a man amang
men--and mair parteeclar amang weemen!"
"Yes, I know," said Louis, disconsolately, "she does it for my good. She
has explained that to me several times. But somehow it does not seem to
help much!"
"Louis Raincy," said the old lady, severe for the first time, "be a
worthy son of your forbears. There are forty of them in the Raincy
chapel up yonder in the wood. It wad be an awesome thing to be carried
in among them and you not worthy. I am a woman--an auld maid if you
like--but I am a Minto, and here I am braving the great ones of the
earth to look after Patsy--me that would a thousand times raither be at
Ladykirk with Eelen Young and that silly Babby Latheron, weighing out
the sugar and spices for the late conserves--the bramble and the damsons
and the elderberry wine."
In spite of all this good advice, or perhaps because of it, Louis Raincy
went off without returning to the drawing-room, and with what he took to
be despair in his heart. Patsy was by no means the old Patsy. She would
never be again. Yet when he began to turn matters over in his head after
he had reached his quarters, he could not remember a time when Patsy had
not tyrannized over him, trampled him under foot, and variously abused
him, even from the time of their infantile plays with sand castles and
sea-shells built, architected, and ornamented on the seashore between
the Black Head and the estuary of the Mays Water.
But somehow when Patsy did the same thing in London, and in the face of
other men, Louis did not enjoy the process so much.
"Hech, my daisy," said Miss Aline, as she and Patsy went back to her
parlour after the Prince of Altschloss had taken his leave, "that
laddie, Louis, has ower muckle o' his mither in him. She's a McBride,
and guid blood, but Dame Lucy is juist like some preserves. Ye put in
good berries. Ye strain to perfection. The sugar and the spice and the
correct time for boiling--skimming and stirring done with your own
hand--yet after all the stuff will not jell. It will harden in no mould
because it is unstable as water. That is the boy's mother, the Lady
Lucy. As for the lad, God send him something that will harden him, so
that when his grandfather dies, another De Raincy of the right breed may
rule in his stead. At present he is overly much after the pattern of his
mother!"
"Well," said Patsy, with her hands rolled in the fluffy ends of her
muslin scarf, "don't blame me, Miss Aline. I do my best to toughen him,
and then he goes and cries to you!"
"I wonder, dear," said the old lady, after a silence which lasted quite
five minutes, "if you could not try giving him a good conceit of
himself. My father used to say that if ye tell a dog all the time that
he is a worthless puppy and will never be good for anything, he will
herd the sheep but poorly on the hill."