On the following evening Garnet Lodge wore a brilliantly festive
appearance. Miss Polly was dressed betimes. An unprecedented variety of
geological specimens adorned her wrists and fingers, and hung over the
bosom of her lavender satin gown. She was walking up and down the
drawing-room, surveying the rows of empty rout-seats, fully
three-quarters of an hour before the earliest guest could be expected to
arrive. She was strung up for the great occasion; but, although excited,
she was not apprehensive. Miss Patty, on the other hand, was very
nervous.
"I _am_ a little anxious about the jellies, Polly; and about that new
waiter from Winnick's. But I could face all that, if it wasn't for
'Hear, O King!' To think of hearing it again after all these years! I'm
afraid it will upset me. I'll take a back place near the door for I'm
sure to cry; and then I can slip out if necessary."
"You need not be ashamed of your tears, my dear Patty. Very probably you
will not be the only person powerfully affected."
"Well, I don't know. I don't remember that anybody cried when 'Esther'
was brought out at Mercers' Hall," returned Miss Patty thoughtfully.
The first persons to arrive were Mr. and Mrs. Simpson. Amelia was
resplendent in a new pink silk gown, which seemed to magnify her florid
proportions, and made her a conspicuous object from every part of the
room. She was beaming with delight; and her gratification at finding
herself in Garnet Lodge under the present circumstances was so frankly
and exuberantly expressed, as to cause some mortification to her
husband.
"This is, indeed, a memorable evening, dear Misses Piper," she began;
for Patty had by this time joined her sister in the drawing-room. "I was
telling Bassy that he ought to feel himself honoured by being selected
to officiate--if I may so express it--at the pianoforte on this
extremely interesting and auspicious occasion."
"The honour is to me, Mrs. Simpson," answered Polly Piper politely.
"There!" turning suddenly round with such vehemence as to sweep down a
rout-seat with her pink silk skirts. "What did I tell you, Bassy?
Whatever may be the opinion of certain persons enriched by
manufactures--and yet, after all, what should we do without
manufactures? How many of us would be capable of dealing with the raw
material? Blankets, for instance: take a sheep! But still I always say
to Bassy, 'Believe me, the _real_ gentry acknowledge and revere the
position of the Fine Arts!'"
"Now, Amelia; hadn't you better mind what you're doing?" said Mr.
Simpson, setting the fallen rout-seat on its legs again. She irritated
him occasionally, but he admired her smart gown very much nevertheless,
and thought she looked remarkably well in it, and "quite the lady."
Other guests arriving now claimed the hostess's attention. And presently
Clara Bertram, in her simple black evening dress, came into the room.
Then appeared Mrs. Martin Bransby on the arm of her stepson, and bearing
excuses from her husband, who was not feeling well enough to come out
that evening. Her appearance called forth ejaculations of admiration
from Mrs. Simpson, which, however exaggerated they might sound, were
quite sincere. Mrs. Simpson gave utterance to a kind of prose rhapsody
on the subject of Mrs. Bransby's dress; and then, bowing graciously to
Theodore, said, "And Mr. Bransby Junior, too. When I had the pleasure of
unexpectedly, and, indeed, fortuitously, meeting him the other evening
at the house of a mutual friend, I remarked that he was paying Miss
Piper a high compliment in abandoning Thetis" (the good lady probably
meant Themis) "for the seductions of Apollo. But we are told, on the
poet's authority, that 'music hath charms to soothe the savage----' Not,
of course, that the epithet is applicable in _this_ case. Quite the
contrary." Then, turning her glistening spectacles on the young man, she
playfully added, "But, in addition to the magic of the lyre, we have
what Hamlet--if I mistake not--so eloquently characterizes as 'metal
more attractive:' a collection of youth and beauty which might really,
without hyperbole, be termed a bevy."
"That is an intolerable woman," muttered Theodore between his teeth, as
he conducted his step-mother to a seat.
"Oh, poor Simmy!" remonstrated Mrs. Bransby. "She is a good creature.
But to-night she is in what Bobby and Billy call one of her 'dictionary
moods.'"
Rapidly the room filled up. Besides many other Oldchester notabilities
with whom this chronicle is not concerned, there were present Major
Mitton, Canon and Mrs. Hadlow (the latter bringing May under her wing),
Owen Rivers, who came alone, Dr. Hatch, and Mr. Bragg.
Mr. Bragg, after paying his respects to the ladies of the house, and
standing for a few minutes in his silent, forlorn-looking way, went up
to May, and said, "Will you come and have a cup of tea, Miss
Cheffington? They say hot tea cools you. That seems strange, don't it?
But I believe it's true. Rule of contraries, I suppose."
May did not wish for any tea; but she saw Theodore Bransby hovering in
the distance, and she accepted Mr. Bragg's proffered arm almost eagerly.
She rather liked Mr. Bragg. His slow, quiet, common-sensible manner was
soothing. And she knew enough of his unostentatious good works in
Oldchester to have a considerable esteem for him.
He piloted May into the dining-room, where tea and coffee were being
served, and where the new waiter from Winnick's was, so far, conducting
himself in an exemplary manner.
"Have one of those little cakes, Miss Cheffington? They look very good."
"No, thank you."
Mr. Bragg provided May with a cup of tea, and then took one of the
little cakes himself. "They eat uncommonly short," said he with strong,
though quiet, approbation. "All the eatables seem good."
"Not a doubt of it. Miss Patty is a wonderful housekeeper."
"Now, do you suppose she made those little cakes herself?"
"I cannot tell; but I am sure she could if she chose. She makes
excellent cakes."
"Ah! I remember her giving me some very good ideas about a beefsteak
pudding. I tried to make my cook do one according to her receipt; but it
didn't answer," said Mr. Bragg with a sigh. Presently he remarked, as he
slowly stirred his tea round and round, "This is a bad job about Mr.
George Cheffington."
"Yes; I am very sorry for Lord Castlecombe."
"Ah, your uncle--or great-uncle is he?--I'm not much of a hand at
remembering the ins and outs of families--is hard hit. But he bears up
wonderfully, to outward appearance."
"Have you seen him, Mr. Bragg?"
"Yes; saw him o' Monday about some business. He's a keen hand at a
bargain, is Lord Castlecombe. I don't know that I ever met with a
keener."
"Poor old man!"
"Ay, that's what _I_ say, Miss Cheffington. Keenness and all that is
very well, so long as you've got somebody to be keen for. But it's a
dreary thing to be alone in advancing years. I feel it myself, though
I'm--well, I dare say nigh upon twenty years younger than his Lordship."
There was a little pause, during which Mr. Bragg sipped his tea and ate
another cake. Then he repeated, "It's a dreary thing to be alone."
"Are you alone, Mr. Bragg?" asked May, feeling that she was expected to
say something. "I thought you had sons and daughters."
"Only one son, and he's away in South America--settled in Buenos Ayres
years ago. He's a rich man already, is Joshua. I started him well,
though I hadn't so much money in those days as I have now, not by a
deal, and he's done well. And he married a lady with money--a Spanish
merchant's daughter. No; there's no likelihood of Josh coming home to
England to keep me company, even supposing I wanted him to."
Then ensued another pause. Then Mr. Bragg said, "I'm to have the
pleasure of meeting you at Glengowrie this autumn, I understand."
"No; I have decided not to go. I have written to Mrs. Griffin to say
so."
"Oh! What--on account of this death in your family?"
"No, I cannot say that. It would be mere pretence. I never saw George
Cheffington in my life; and he was not a very close relation." Mr. Bragg
nodded approvingly. "That's a straightforward way of looking at it," he
said. "But I'm disappointed you ain't to be at Glengowrie."
"Thank you. But my absence will not make much difference, I should say."
"I don't know. It might make a deal of difference," returned Mr. Bragg,
speaking even more slowly than was his wont. "But where _shall_ you be
then?"
"Where I like best to be; here, with Granny."
"Granny?"
"My grandmother, Mrs. Dobbs. You must know her by name, at all events,
for you are her tenant."
"What! old Dobbs the ironmonger's widow?--begging your pardon."
May drew herself up with a proud movement of the head, which might have
satisfied even the deceased dowager that there was a strong strain of
the Cheffington nature in her. "There is nothing to beg pardon for, Mr.
Bragg," she said haughtily. "You cannot suppose that I am ashamed of my
grandparents."
"You've no call to be ashamed of them; but people don't always see
things in the right light," answered Mr. Bragg composedly. "Yes; to be
sure, now I come to think of it, Mrs. Dobbs's daughter did marry--Ah! Of
course, Susan Dobbs was your mother! I never knew her to speak to; but I
remember her. Uncommonly pretty she was, too. Why I might ha'
known--But, you see, your aunt, Mrs. Dormer-Smith, never mentioned your
mother's family."
At this moment Owen Rivers approached them. He said he had been sent by
Mrs. Bransby to look for May; and, thereupon, carried her off to the
drawing-room. Mr. Bragg remained behind, pondering for a minute or so.
"To think of this girl being Lord Castlecombe's grand-niece _and_ old
Dobbs's grand-daughter! Well, things do turn out queer in this world!"
Then Mr. Bragg also repaired to the drawing-room.
The musical portion of the evening went off brilliantly. But the great
success was undoubtedly Clara Bertram's performance of "Hear, O King!"
She sang poor Polly Piper's bald and _jejeune_ phrases in a way which
made such of the elder auditors as remembered its first performance ask
themselves, wonderingly, if this were indeed the music they had listened
to long ago. And she concluded with a _cadenza_, so expressive and
beautiful that Mr. Simpson, raptly listening, very nearly omitted to
play the final chords.
When the song was over, there was a burst of applause, and an unusually
loud clapping together of kid-gloved palms. But, from the doorway, where
he had stood to listen, Valli precipitated himself through the crowd
like some swift missile; clearing his way, utterly regardless of
intervening backs and shoulders, male or female, and rushing up to Miss
Bertram, he exclaimed, "_Divinamente!_"
"I am glad you are content," she answered in English.
But Valli went on volubly in his own tongue, "Content? No; 'content' is
not the word. I am enchanted. You sang divinely! Demon of a girl, never
in all your life did you sing a song of _mine_ like that! What possessed
you?"
"Gratitude," answered Clara quietly.
Miss Piper now came up and kissed her effusively. Composer and singer
were soon surrounded by a little crowd, to whose polite exclamations of
"Charming!" "Immense treat!" "Really delicious!" and so forth, Miss
Polly kept replying, with lofty magnanimity, "Oh, but you must not
attribute all the honour to _me_! I assure you that more depends upon
the execution than you are, perhaps, aware of."
This first triumph had a subtle effect on Mr. Cleveland Turner. He was
moved by it to play a dashing _valse de concert_ in place of a
composition of his own, modelled on a great original, which he entitled
"Twilight in the Gardens of Walhalla." It had been much praised in
esoteric circles. But it was somewhat trying to the unregenerate ear; so
much so, that a profane and flippant outsider had rechristened it
"Feeding Time in the Gardens of the Royal Zoological Society." Mr.
Sweeting afterwards mildly reproached his young friend for not having
performed it, and thus doing something towards improving and elevating
the taste of Oldchester.
"It's no answer, my dear boy, to say they wouldn't have liked it," said
Mr. Sweeting. "No answer at all!"
But it is to be feared that Cleveland Turner had some depraved enjoyment
of the applause which resulted from his lapse into heresy.
Signor Valli, determined not to be eclipsed in popularity, and utterly
indifferent to the improvement of Oldchester's musical taste, made
himself unprecedentedly amiable. He sang vivacious Neapolitan street
songs, quaint Tuscan _stornelli_, pathetic Sicilian airs. And these
tuneful productions were greatly relished by that vast majority of the
listeners, who had not progressed so far as to connect ugliness with
righteousness--in music.
When Valli at length rose from the piano, Mrs. Simpson made a sudden
plunge across the room, and presented herself breathlessly before him.
He was in a group of persons, among whom were Mr. Sweeting, Cleveland
Turner, and Miss Piper. Amelia's round, plump face was flushed by heat
and excitement to a rose-pink hue, several shades deeper than that of
her gown; and her spectacles glittered with a blank and baffling
brightness.
"I cannot," she said, "quit this elegant scene of the Muses without
offering my poor tribute to you, Signor" (which she pronounced
"senior"), "for the delightful addition your performances have
contributed to refined enjoyment."
Valli looked up rather bewildered, and, not knowing what else to do,
made her a profound bow.
"I trust," continued the lady, "that I may be allowed to congratulate
you, signor, in the harmonious words of our great poet, upon your
'linked sweetness, long drawn out'--not, I'm sure, that any one present
considered for a moment that you were drawing it out at all _too_ long!"
And with a sweeping curtsey, in the performance of which she overwhelmed
Mr. Sweeting's legs in a flood of pink silk skirt, and backed heavily on
to Mr. Cleveland Turner's toes, Amelia withdrew, beaming.
At supper Valli was in high good humour. He had been presented to Mrs.
Bransby, and was gratified to find himself placed beside her at the
supper-table, she being incontestably the most beautiful woman in the
room. Major Mitton sat near them, and pleased Valli by praises of his
singing--a pleasure not at all diminished by his quick perception that
the good major had no knowledge whatever of the subject.
"It's a real treat, I assure you," said Major Mitton, "to hear a toon. I
don't pretend to be a great connoisseur, but I can enjoy a toon. Ah,
they may say what they please, but there's no music like Italian music,
and nobody can sing it like Italians."
This led to some reminiscences of the major's garrison life in Malta;
and to the mention of the _prima donna_ Bianca Moretti. Mrs. Bransby
recognized this name as that of the heroine of Miss Piper's story, told
at her dinner-party several months ago.
"Oh, you have heard the Moretti?" said Valli. "Yes; she _could_ sing. By
the way, I hear she is a kind of _maratre_--how do you call it?--to that
pretty Miss Cheffington."
"Miss Cheffington? Oh, impossible!"
"Pardon! Not at all impossible! I mean the young lady opposite, at the
other end of the table, sitting between those two young men. I know one
of them--the one with the blonde smooth head. I meet him in society. He
is tremendously annoying--_nojoso_--what you call a bore."
"That is Miss Cheffington, certainly. But you don't mean to say that
Signora Moretti has married her father?"
"Oh, married!" answered Valli, with a shrug. "She has been living with
him for years; that is what I mean. I hear _la Bianca_ has grown steady
now. But she had a _jeunesse pas mal orageuse_."
Major Mitton tried to change the subject, glancing uneasily at Mrs.
Bransby. But Valli was impervious to the hint. Not that he had any
intention of outraging the proprieties, or any suspicion that he was
doing so. Mrs. Bransby was not a _jeune meess_. He had heard of English
cant and hypocrisy long before he came to England. But he had been
agreeably surprised to find them conspicuous by their absence in the
section of London fashionable society which he chiefly frequented. So he
went on narrating anecdotes of _la Bianca_ and her adventures, until
Mrs. Bransby rose, and quietly left the table. Upon this, Major Mitton
and several other men drew closer to Valli. And the consequence was
that, not only the mess-table, but other circles in Oldchester, were
regaled the next day with some choice morsels of scandal, in which the
name of Gus Cheffington figured conspicuously.
But whatever might be the subsequent results of that talk, Miss Piper's
musical party had undoubtedly turned out a great success.
That night, when the sisters were alone together, they sat up for an
hour discussing the events of the evening in a glow of pleasurable
excitement. Every point was remembered and dwelt upon, but of course
their interest centred in the song from "Esther."
"It was a real triumph, Polly," said Miss Patty. "There can't be two
opinions about that. But--there, I thought I wouldn't tell you; but I
can't help it--I overheard Signor Valli and that Cleveland Turner, whom
I never did like, and never shall, speaking of 'Hear, O King,' in a
sneering, slighting manner."
Quoth Miss Polly with a lofty smile, and laying her hand on her sister's
shoulder, "My dear Patty, I am not at all surprised to hear it. I have
experience of artists, if anybody has, and in the best of them I have
always observed one defect in judging my music--professional jealousy!"