TWO EXTREMES
Mr. Fanning followed us upstairs after dinner. I greatly hoped that he
was the sort of man who would not often frequent the drawing-room, but
I soon perceived my mistake. He not only entered that apartment, but
attached himself as soon as possible to my side. He was beyond doubt
the most disagreeable boarder we had yet secured. Indeed, Mrs. and
Miss Armstrong were delightful compared to him. I now saw Miss
Armstrong glance two or three times both at him and me, and rising
deliberately, I crossed the room, and with a motion of my hand, asked
him to accompany me. I then introduced him to that young lady. She
blushed when I did so, and bridled a little. She did not evidently
think him at all objectionable. I went back immediately to my seat
near mother, and could scarcely suppress a feeling of pleasure at Mr.
Fanning's too evident discomfiture.
I generally sang a couple of songs in the evening, and I was asked, as
usual, to do so to-night. My voice was a rather sweet mezzo soprano,
and I had been well taught. I sat down before the piano, as usual.
When Mr. Randolph was in the room he always came and turned the pages
of my music for me, but he was not present this evening, although he
had dined with us; he had evidently gone out immediately afterwards.
Now a voice sounded in my ears. I turned, and saw the objectionable
and irrepressible Mr. Fanning.
"Why did you play me that trick?" he said.
"What trick?" I asked. "I do not play tricks; I do not understand
you."
"You do understand me perfectly well. Oh, pray do sing this song; I am
sure it is charming. It is an old English ditty, is it not?--'Begone,
Dull Care, You and I will Never Agree.' Now, that is just my way of
thinking. I hate dismal people, and as to care, I never bother with
it. To hear such a sprightly song from your lips will be indeed what I
may call a pick-me-up."
I almost rose from the piano, but knowing that such a proceeding would
call public attention to Mr. Fanning's most unpleasant remarks, I said
in a low, emphatic voice--
"I will not play for you, nor allow you to turn my music, if you talk
to me as you are now doing. You must address me as you would any other
lady, and I will not permit what you consider compliments."
"Oh, I am sure I have no wish to offend. Sorry I spoke," he said. He
did not blush--I do not think he could--but he passed his hand across
his rather ugly mouth, and gave me a peculiar glance out of his queer
blue eyes. He then said in a low voice--
"Believe me, it will be my utmost endeavour to make myself agreeable.
I quite see what you mean. You do not want folks to remark; that's it,
and I absolutely understand. But you must not play me those sort of
tricks again, you know. I really cannot be introduced to ladies of the
sort you just gave me an introduction to."
"Miss Armstrong is an excellent girl," I said, "and I shall ask her to
sing when I leave the piano. She is very talented, and has a love both
for music and art."
I then sang my one song, enduring the odious proximity of this most
unpleasant man. I fancied I saw a conscious expression on the faces of
several of our guests, and resolved that whatever happened, Mr.
Fanning must leave on the following day. Such a man could not be
permitted to remain in the place.
Later on, as I was going to bed, there came a tap at my door. I opened
it, half hoping, half fearing, that Jane herself might have come to
see me. On the contrary, somewhat to my surprise, I saw Mrs. Furlong.
She asked me if she might come in. I eagerly begged of her to do so,
and drew a comfortable chair forward for her acceptance.
"What is the matter?" I said. "Do you want to say anything special?"
"I do, my dear Miss Wickham," replied the lady. "I have come for the
purpose."
"Yes?" I said in a slight tone of query.
"How did that objectionable man, Mr. Fanning, get here?"
"I suppose he came because he wanted to," I replied. "The house is
open to any one who will pay, and who bears a respectable character."
"The house ought only to be open to those who bear agreeable
characters, and know how to act as gentlemen," replied Mrs. Furlong
stoutly. "Now my husband and I dislike that person extremely, but
after all the fact of whether we like him or not matters but little;
it is because he tries to annoy you that we are really concerned.
Would you not rather at dinner come and sit at our end of the table?
It always seems very hard to us that you should sit with your
housekeeper, Miss Mullins, and amongst the least nice members of the
establishment."
"But you must please remember," I said, "that Jane is not a
housekeeper, she is one of the partners in this concern. It is kind of
you to think of me, but I cannot do what you propose. I must help Jane
in every way in my power. You do not know how good and true she is,
and how little I really do for her. If I sat with you we should have a
regular clique in the place, and by degrees the boarders would go, at
least those boarders who were not included in our set."
"I see," answered Mrs. Furlong. "It is all most unsuitable," she
added, and she stared straight before her. After a moment's pause she
looked at me again.
"It is the queerest arrangement I ever heard of in all my life. Don't
you think you are peculiarly unsuited to your present life?"
"I don't know; I hope not."
"You are a lady."
"That is my birthright. The boarding-house cannot deprive me of it," I
answered.
"Oh, I know all that, but the life is not suitable. You will find it
less and less suitable as time goes on. At present you have got your
mother to protect you, but----"
"What do you mean by at present I have got my mother?" I cried. "My
mother is young, comparatively young; she is not more than three and
forty. What do you mean, Mrs. Furlong?"
"Oh nothing, dear," she said, colouring, "nothing at all. One always
has, you know, in this uncertain world to contemplate the possibility
of loss, but don't think again of what I have said. The fact is the
life is quite as unsuitable for her as for you. You are put in a
position which you cannot possibly maintain, my dear Miss Wickham.
That awful man felt to-night that he had a right to pay you
disagreeable attentions. Now is this thing to go on? I assure you
Captain Furlong and I were quite distressed when we saw how he behaved
to you when you were at the piano."
The tears rushed to my eyes.
"It is kind of you to sympathise with me," I said. "I am going to
speak to Jane Mullins to-morrow. If possible Mr. Fanning must go."
"But there is another thing," began Mrs. Furlong. She paused, and I
saw that she was about to say something, even more disagreeable than
anything she had yet uttered.
"You have your mother, of course," she continued slowly, "but you
yourself are very young, and--now I don't want to compliment you--but
you are much nicer looking than many girls; you have quite a different
air and appearance from any other girl in this house. Oh, I hate
interfering, but your mother, Miss Wickham, must be a particularly
innocent woman."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I mean Mr. Randolph," she answered, and she raised her eyes and fixed
them on my face.
"Mr. Randolph?" I said. "Surely you must admit that he at least is a
gentleman?"
"He is not only a gentleman, but he is more highly born and has more
money than any one else in the house; he does not belong to the set
who fill this house at all. Why does he come? This is no place for
him. In one way it is quite as unsuitable to have him here as it is to
have a man like Mr. Fanning here. Those two men represent opposite
extremes. People will talk."
"What about?" I asked.
"About you, dear."
"They cannot. I will not permit it." Then I said abruptly, standing up
in my excitement, "After all, I don't care whether they talk or not; I
was prepared for misunderstandings when I came here. Mother likes Mr.
Randolph; he at least shall stay."
"But, my child, it is not nice to be talked about; it is never nice
for a young girl. People like my husband and myself quite understand.
We know well that you and your mother are at present out of your right
position, but others will not be so considerate. Mr. Randolph is
always here."
"You think," I said, stammering, "that he comes because----"
She smiled, got up and kissed me.
"What else could he come for, Westenra?" she said softly.
"He comes because--because of mother," I answered. "He likes her; he
told me so. He is anxious about her, for he thinks she misses her old
life very much; he wants to make things easier for her. He is a very
good man, and I respect him. I don't mind what any one says, I know in
my heart he comes here because----"
"No, you do not," said Mrs. Furlong, and she looked me full in the
eyes, and I found myself colouring and stammering.
"Believe me I have not intruded upon you this evening without cause,"
said the little woman. "I talked the matter over with my husband. I
would rather Mr. Fanning were here than Mr. Randolph. Mr. Fanning is
impossible, Mr. Randolph is not. He does not come here on account of
your mother, he comes here because he likes you. I am very sorry; I
felt I must speak; my husband agrees with me."
"Do not say another word now," I said. "I am sure you mean all this
kindly, but please do not say any more now. I will think over what you
have said."
"I will leave you then, dear," she said.
She went as far as the door; she was a very kindly little woman, she
was a real lady, and she meant well, but she had hurt me so
indescribably that at that moment I almost hated her. When she reached
the door she turned and said--
"If ever my husband and I can help you, Miss Wickham (but we are poor
people), if ever we can help you, we will be glad to do so. I know you
are angry with me now, but your anger won't remain, you will see who
are your true friends by-and-by."
She closed the door softly, and I heard her gentle steps going
downstairs. I will frankly say that I did not go to bed for some time,
that I paced indignantly up and down my room. I hated Jane, I hated
Mr. Fanning, I still more cordially hated Mr. Randolph at that moment.
Mr. Fanning must go, Mr. Randolph must go. I could not allow myself to
be spoken about. How intolerable of Mr. Randolph to have come as he
had done, to have forced himself upon us, to have invited us to go out
with him, to have----and then I stopped, and a great lump rose in my
throat, and I burst into tears, for in my heart of hearts I knew well
that I did not think what he did intolerable at all, that I respected
him, and--but I did not dare to allow my thoughts to go any further.
I even hated myself for being good-looking, until I suddenly
remembered that I had the same features as my father had. He had
conquered in all the battles in which he had borne part through his
life. My face must be a good one if it was like his. I would try to
live up to the character which my face seemed to express, and I would
immediately endeavour to get things on a different footing.
Accordingly, the next day at breakfast I studiously avoided Mr.
Randolph, and I equally studiously avoided Mr. Fanning. The
consequence was that, being as it were between two fires, I had a most
uncomfortable time, for Mr. Randolph showed me by certain glances
which he threw in my direction that he was most anxious to consult me
about something, and Mr. Fanning seemed to intercept these glances,
and to make his own most unpleasant comments about them; and if Mr.
Fanning intercepted them, so did Mrs. and Miss Armstrong.
Miss Armstrong had now given up Mr. Randolph as almost hopeless with
regard to a flirtation, and was turning her attention in the
direction of Mr. Fanning. She talked Art _at_ Mr. Fanning assiduously
all during breakfast, and having learned by some accident that he was
a publisher, boldly demanded from him if he would not like her to
illustrate some of his books. In reply to this he gave a profound bow,
and told her, with a certain awkward jerk of his body, that he never
gave orders in advance, that he never gave orders on the score of
friendliness, that when it came to the relations between publisher and
artist he was brutal.
"That's the word for it, Miss Armstrong," he said, "I am brutal when
it comes to a bargain. I try to make the very best I can for myself. I
never think of the artist at all. I want all the _£ s d_ to go into my
own pocket"--and here he slapped his waistcoat loudly, and uttered a
harsh laugh, which showed all his broken teeth in a most disagreeable
manner. Miss Armstrong and her mother seemed to think he was excellent
fun, and Mrs. Armstrong said, with a quick glance first at Mr.
Randolph and then at me, that it was refreshing to hear any man so
frank, and that for her part she respected people who gave themselves
no h'airs.
Breakfast came to an end, and I sought Jane in her sanctum.
"Now, Jane," I said, "you must put away your accounts, you must cease
to think of housekeeping. You must listen to me."
"What is it, Westenra?" she said. "Has anything vexed you?" she
continued; "sit down and tell me all about it."
"Several things vex me," I answered. "Jane, we must come to an
understanding."
"What about?" she asked in some alarm; "an understanding! I thought
that was all arranged when our legal agreement was drawn up."
"Oh, I know nothing about lawyers nor about legal agreements," I
answered; "but, Jane, there are some things I cannot put up with, and
one of them is----"
"I know," she answered; "Mr. Fanning."
"He is horrible, hateful; he is going to make himself most hateful to
me. Jane, dear Jane, he must go."
Jane looked puzzled and distressed. I expected her to say--
"He shall certainly go, my dear, I will tell him that his room is
required, and that he must leave at the end of the week." But on the
contrary she sighed. After a long pause she said--
"You want this house to be a success, I presume."
"I certainly do, but we cannot have it a success on the present
arrangement. Mr. Fanning must go, and also Mr. Randolph."
"Mr. Randolph, Mr. James Randolph!" said Jane, now colouring high, and
a sparkle of something, which seemed to be a curious mixture of fear
and indignation, filling her eyes. "And why should he go? You do not
know what you are talking about."
"I do. He must go. Ask--ask Mrs. Furlong. They talk about him here,
these hateful people; they put false constructions on his kindness; I
know he is kind and he is a gentleman, but he does me harm, Jane, even
as much harm as that horrible Mr. Fanning."
"Now, look here, Westenra Wickham," said Jane Mullins. "Are you going
to throw up the sponge, or are you not?"
"Throw up the sponge! I certainly don't mean to fail."
"You will do so if you send those two men out of the house. If you
cannot hold your own, whatever men come here, you are not the girl I
took you for. As to Mr. Randolph, be quite assured that he will never
do anything to annoy you. If people talk let them talk. When they see
nothing comes of their idle silly gossip, they will soon cease to
utter it. And as to Mr. Fanning, they will equally cease to worry
about him. If he pays he must stay, for as it is, it is difficult to
let the first-floor rooms. People don't want to pay five guineas a
week to live in Bloomsbury, and he has a small room; and it is a great
relief to me that he should be here and pay so good a sum for his
room. The thing must be met commercially, or I for one give it up."
"You, Jane, you! then indeed we shall be ruined."
"I don't really mean to, my dear child, I don't mean for a single
moment to desert you; but I must say that if 17 Graham Square is to go
on, it must go on commercial principles; and we cannot send our best
boarders away. You ask me coolly, just because things are a little
uncomfortable for you, you ask me to dismiss ten guineas a week, for
Mr. Randolph pays five guineas for his room, and Mr. Fanning five
guineas for his, and I don't know any other gentleman who would pay an
equal sum, and we must have it to balance matters. What is to meet the
rent, my dear? What is to meet the taxes? What is to meet the
butcher's, the baker's, the grocer's, the fishmonger's bills if we
dismissed our tenants. I often have a terrible fear that we were rash
to take a great expensive house like this, and unless it is full from
attic to drawing-room floor, we have not the slightest chance of
meeting our expenses. Even then I fear!--but there I won't croak
before the time; only, Westenra, you have to make up your mind. You
can go away on a visit if you wish to, I do not counsel this for a
moment, for I know you are a great attraction here. It is because you
are pretty and wear nice dresses, and look different from the other
boarders, that you attract them; and--yes, I will say it--Mr. Randolph
also attracts them. They can get no small change out of Mr. James
Randolph, so they need not try it on, but once for all we cannot
decline the people who are willing to pay us good money, that is a
foregone conclusion. Now you have got to accept the agreeables with
the disagreeables, or this whole great scheme of yours will tumble
about our heads like a pack of cards."