"And all that philosophy is directed against me?" she asked, looking up
at him seriously.
"It is only just that you should see yourself, Claudia, as others see
you," he said in a more sympathetic tone of voice. "It pains me to have
to speak like this; to criticise your actions as though I were a man old
enough to be your grandfather. But I merely want to point out what is
the unvarnished truth."
"All of us have our failings," she declared with a pout. "You tell me
this because you want to sever your connection with me. Why not admit
the truth?"
"No. I tell you this because a woman who seeks to occupy the place you
now occupy is exposed to the pitiless gaze of admiration; but little
respect, and no love is blended with it. I speak frankly, and say that,
however much you have gained in name, in rank, in fortune, you have
suffered as a woman."
"How?"
"Shall I tell you the actual truth?"
"Certainly. You will not offend me, I assure you," she replied in a
cynical tone, coquettishly placing her small foot in its neat silk
stocking upon the fender.
"Well, Claudia," he said, "to tell you the truth, you are no longer the
simple-hearted, intelligent, generous, frank and true woman I once
knew."
"Really? You are extremely flattering!" she exclaimed. She began to
see that her ruse of boldly returning to him as she had done and waiting
him there, even in defiance of old Parsons, was of no avail.
"I do not speak with any desire to hurt your feelings, Claudia," he went
on. "I know my words are harsh ones, but I cannot remain a spectator of
your follies without reproving you."
"You would compel me to return to the deadly dulness of tennis,
tea-table gossip, church-decorating and country life in cotton blouses
and home-made skirts--eh? Thank you; I object. I had quite sufficient
of that at Winchester."
"I have no right to compel you to do anything," he answered. "I only
suggest moderation, in your own interests. On every side I hear
scandalous stories into which your name is introduced."
"And you believe them?" she asked quickly. "You, my friend, believe all
these lying inventions of my enemies?"
"I believe nothing of which I have no proof."
"Then you believe in what is really proved?"
"Yes."
"In that case you must believe that, even though I possess all the
defects which you have enumerated, I nevertheless love you?"
"In woman's true love," he said slowly, emphasising every word, "there
is mingled the trusting dependence of a child, for she always looks up
to man as her protector and her guide. Man, let him love as he may, has
an existence which lies outside the orbit of his affections. He has his
worldly interests, his public character, his ambition, his competition
with other men--but the woman of noble mind centres all in that one
feeling of affection."
"Really?" She laughed flippantly, toying with her bracelets. "This is
a most erudite discourse. It would no doubt edify the House if one
night you introduced the subject of love. You've grown of late to be
quite a philosopher, my dear Dudley. Politics and that horrid old
Foreign Office have entirely spoilt you."
"No, you misunderstand me," he went on, deeply in earnest. "I merely
want to place before you the utter folly of your present actions--all
these flirtations about which people in our rank are always talking."
"Ah!" she laughed; "because you're jealous. Somebody has been telling
you, no doubt, that the Grand-Duke was always at my side at Fernhurst,
and probably embellished the story until it forms a very nice little
tit-bit of scandal."
"Well, is it not true that this foreigner was with you so constantly
that it became a matter of serious comment?"
"I don't deny it. Why should I? He was very amusing, and if I found
him so I cannot see why people should presume to criticise me. If I had
a husband I might be called upon to answer to him, but as poor Dick is
dead I consider myself perfectly free."
"Yes, but not to make a fool of yourself by openly inviting people to
cast mud at you," he burst forth impatiently.
"Upon that point, Dudley, we shall never agree, so let us drop the
subject," she replied, treating his criticisms airily and with utter
indifference. "I shall please myself, just as I have always done."
"I have no doubt you will. That is what I regret, for when a woman
loses her integrity and self-respect, she is indeed pitiable and
degraded."
"Really!" she cried; "you are in a most delightful mood, I'm sure. What
has upset you? Tell me, and then I'll forgive you."
"Nothing has upset me--except your visit," he answered quite frankly.
"Then I am unwelcome here?"
"While you continue to follow the absurd course you have of late chosen,
you are."
"Thank you," she replied. "You are at least candid."
"We have been friends, and you have, I think, always found me honest and
outspoken, Claudia."
"Yes, but I have never before known you to treat me in this manner," she
answered with sudden _hauteur_. "The other day you declared your
intention of severing our friendship, but I did not believe you."
"Why?"
"Because I knew that we loved each other."
"No," he said in a hard tone, "do not let us speak of love. Speak of it
to those men who dance attendance upon you everywhere, but with me,
Claudia, be as frank as I am with you."
"Dudley! It is cruel of you to speak like this!" she cried with a
sudden outburst of emotion, for she now saw quite plainly that the power
she once exerted over him had disappeared.
Chisholm had been sadly disillusioned. During the past few weeks the
bitter truth had gradually been forced upon him. Instead of remaining a
real, dignified, high-minded woman of unblemished integrity, Claudia
Nevill had grown callous and artificial, and in other ways hostile to
true womanhood. But Dudley had always admired her, and once she had
been his ideal.
He had admired her simplicity of heart. Unquestionably that is a great
charm in a woman, though not a charm so illuminating as integrity,
because it consists more in the ignorance of evil, and, consequently, of
temptation, than in the possession of principle strong enough to
withstand both. In the days before her marriage her simplicity of heart
was the child of that unruffled serenity of soul which suspects no
mischief to be lurking beneath the fair surface of things--which trusts,
confides and is happy in this confidence, because it has never been
deceived, and because it has never learned that most fatal of all arts,
the mystery of deceiving others.
But all was now changed. She was no longer the Claudia of old. She had
degenerated into a smart, brilliant woman, full of arts and subterfuges,
with no thoughts beyond her engagements, her toilettes, and her
vainglorious triumphs.
"I have only spoken what I feel, Claudia!" exclaimed the man still
standing before her. "I have no power to compel you to heed my
warning."
"Oh, do let us drop the subject, my dear Dudley!" she cried impatiently.
"This lecture of yours upon my duty towards society may surely be
continued on another occasion. Let us go along to the Duchess's. As
I've already said, the House has entirely spoilt you."
"I don't wish to continue the discussion. Indeed, I've said all that I
intend saying. My only regret is that you are heedless of my words--
that you are blind to the truth, and have closed your ears to all this
gossip."
"Let them gossip. What does it matter to me? Now to you, of course, it
matters considerably. You can't afford to imperil your official
position by allowing all this chatter to go on. I quite understand
that."
"And yet you come here to-night and ask me to take you to the
Duchess's?" he said.
"For the last time, Dudley," she answered, looking up at him with that
sweet, sympathetic look of old. "This is the last of our engagements,
and it is an odd fancy of mine that you should take me to the ball--for
the last time."
"Yes," he repeated hoarsely, in a deep voice full of meaning; "for the
last time, Claudia."
"You speak as though you were doomed to some awful fate," she remarked,
looking up at him with a puzzled expression on her face. Little did the
giddy woman think that her words, like the sword of the angel at the
entrance to Paradise, were double-edged.
"Oh," he said, rousing himself and endeavouring to smile, "I didn't
know. Forgive me."
"You've changed somehow, Dudley," she said, rising. She went near to
him and took his hand tenderly. "Why don't you tell me what is the
matter? Something is troubling you. What is it?"
"You are, for one thing," he answered promptly, looking straight into
her splendid eyes. As she stood there in that beautiful gown, with the
historic pearls of the Nevills upon her white neck, Dudley thought he
had never seen her look so magnificent. Well might she be called the
Empress of Mayfair.
"But why trouble your head about me?" she asked in a low, musical voice,
pressing his hand tenderly. "You have worries enough, no doubt."
"The stories I hear on every hand vex me horribly."
"You are jealous of that man who was at the Meldrums' house-party. It's
useless to deny it. Well, perhaps I was foolish, but if I promise never
to see him again, will you forgive me?"
"It is not for me to forgive," he said in an earnest voice. "I have, I
suppose, no right to criticise your actions, or to exact any promises."
"Yes, Dudley, you, of all men, have that right," she answered, her
beautiful breast, stirred by emotion, rising and falling quickly. "All
that you have just said is, I know, just and honest; and it comes
straight from your heart. You have spoken to me as you would to your
own sister--and, well, I thank you for your good advice."
"And will you not promise to follow it?" he asked, taking her other
hand. "Will you not promise me, your oldest man friend, to cut all
these people and return to the simple, dignified life you led when Dick
was still alive? Promise me."
"And if I promise, what do you promise me in exchange?" she asked.
"Will you make me your wife?"
The look of eagerness died out of his face; he stood as rigid as one
turned to stone. What was she suggesting? Only a course that they had
discussed, times without number, in happier days. And yet, what could
he answer, knowing well that before a few hours passed he might be
compelled to take his own life, so as to escape from the public scorn
which would of necessity follow upon his exposure.
"I--I can't promise that," he faltered, uttering his refusal with
difficulty.
She shrank from him, as if he had struck her a blow.
"Then the truth is as I suspected. Some other woman has attracted you!"
"No," he answered in a hard voice, his dark brow clouded, "no other
woman has attracted me."
"Then--well, to put it plainly--you believe all these scandalous tales
that have been circulated about me of late? Because of these you've
turned from me, and now abandon me like this!"
"It is not that," he protested.
"Then why do you refuse to repeat your promise, when you know, Dudley,
that I love you?"
"For a reason which I cannot tell you."
She looked at him puzzled by his reticence. He was certainly not
himself. His face was bloodless, and for the first time she noticed
round his eyes the dark rings caused by the insomnia of the past two
nights.
"Tell me, Dudley," she implored, clinging to him in dismay. "Can't you
see this coldness of yours is driving me to despair--killing me? Tell
me the truth. What is it that troubles you?"
"I regret, Claudia, that I cannot tell you."
"But you always used to trust me. You have never had secrets from me."
"No, only this one," he answered in a dull, monotonous manner.
"And is it this secret which prevents you from making the compact I have
just suggested?"
"Yes."
"It has nothing to do with any woman who has come into your life?" she
demanded eagerly.
"No."
"Will you swear that?"
"I swear it."
"You only tell me that we cannot marry, that is all? Can I have no
further explanation?"
"No, none."
"Your decision is not owing to the scandal which you say is talked
everywhere? You give your word of honour that it is not?"
"Yes, I give my word of honour," he answered. "My inability to renew my
offer of marriage is owing to a circumstance which I am powerless to
control."
"And you refuse to tell me its nature?"
"I regret, Claudia, that I must refuse," he said, pressing her hand.
His lips twitched, and she saw that tears stood in his eyes. She knew
that the man who had been her lover in the days of her girlhood spoke
the truth when he added, "This circumstance must remain my own secret."