As the days passed on, Mrs. Davenant grew to understand more fully the
innocent but frank and brave nature of the beautiful girl whom her son
Stephen had so strangely committed to her charge; grew to understand and
to love her, and, bit by bit, her nervousness and timidity wore off in
Una's presence. Insensibly she grew to lean and rely on the girl, who,
with all her innocence and ignorance of the world, was so gently calm
and self-possessed, and Una, in return, lavished her love upon the
timid, shrinking woman.
Mrs. Davenant had heard no word from Stephen; she was accustomed to such
silence, and almost dreaded to hear, lest it should be a message tearing
Una from her side. She did not know that Stephen was master of Hurst
Leigh and all the immense wealth of Ralph Davenant.
Una did not know that Jack Newcombe was back here in London, almost
within half an hour of her. When she thought of her father and mother
there in Warden, it was always with the confident trust that they were
well, for she felt that if it were otherwise, Gideon would somehow let
her know. She was quite ignorant that the cottage was empty and
deserted.
Indeed, there was not much time for thought. Day after day brought its
succession of wonderful sights and experiences, as the little green
brougham bore them about town, and Mrs. Davenant showed her all the
marvels of the great city.
Una was dazzled, bewildered sometimes: but her instinctive good taste
helped her to keep back all extravagant expressions of surprise on her
voyage through Fairyland.
One day, however, an exclamation of delight escaped her, as she came in
sight of a jeweler's window, opposite which the brougham had stopped.
To her who had only read of precious stones, and regarded them as
objects almost fabulous, the window looked as if it contained the wealth
of the Indies and of Aladdin's palace combined.
They entered and Mrs. Davenant asked to see some ladies' watches,
selected one and a handsome albert, and, with a smile, arranged them at
Una's waist, in which, to her equal amazement, she found a pocket
already provided.
Pale with emotion, she could not utter a word, and to hide the tears
that sprang into her eyes, turned aside to look at a case containing a
magnificent set of brilliants. The jeweler politely unlocked the case,
and placed the bracelet in her hand.
"A really magnificent set. It is sold. They were purchased by Lady
Isabel Earlsley."
"Lady Earlsley," said Mrs. Davenant. "Ah, yes; she is fond of diamonds,
is she not?"
"Yes, and of other precious stones, too, madam. She has excellent taste
and discrimination. Perhaps you have seen her set of sapphires?"
"No," said Mrs. Davenant, in her quiet way, "I have met Lady Earlsley,
but I have not seen them."
The jeweler opened an iron safe, and took out a case containing a
superb, a unique set of sapphires, and handed them to her.
"This is it--I have it to alter. They are the purest in the world--finer
even than her ladyship's rubies, which are considered, but wrongly,
matchless."
Una stared open-eyed, and the jeweler, pleased by her enthusiasm and
admiration, took the set from its case and laid it in her hands.
As Una was bending over them fascinated, a handsome carriage drew up,
and the shop door was opened by a footman in rich livery.
Una looked up, and saw a beautiful girl who, pausing in the doorway,
stood regarding her.
The eyes of the two girls met, Una's with an instant frank admiration in
her calm depths--a curious, half-amazed, but also admiring stare in the
bright, dark eyes of the other.
The jeweler glanced from the new-comer to the gems in Una's lap, and
changed color. Mrs. Davenant started nervously, and turned pale.
With a quick, bird-like, but thoroughly graceful movement, the
richly-dressed lady turned, and with a smile of recognition, bowed.
"Mrs.----" she said, and hesitated.
"Davenant," said Mrs. Davenant. "How do you do, Lady Earlsley?"
Lady Isabel Earlsley, the great heiress and queen of fashion, held out
her hand in her quick, impulsive way, but turned her quick glance on
Una, whose eyes had never left the dark, bewitching face.
"Your daughter, Mrs. Davenant?"
Poor Mrs. Davenant trembled with nervous agitation.
"No--no--a young friend, Miss Rolfe," she answered, tremulously.
Lady Bell went straight up to Una and held out her hand, her eyes fixed
on the now flushed face.
"How do you do?" she said, in the almost blunt fashion which her
admirers declared so charming, and which, though envious tongues
declared an affectation, was a perfectly natural consequence of her
early life.
Una put her hand in the delicate white gloved one, and the two women
looked at each other for a moment in silence.
Was it possible at that moment that some prophetic instinct whispered to
the heart of each that the threads of both their lives were doomed to be
entangled together?
Then Una suddenly remembered that she had in her hand the jewels
belonging to this young lady, and with a grave smile she put them back
in their case.
"You are looking at my sapphires, I see," said Lady Bell, in a tone
which set the soul of the alarmed jeweler at rest. "Do you admire them?
Are they fine, do you think?"
Una smiled.
"I do not know. They are very beautiful. I have never seen anything like
them before."
"Really," said Lady Bell, with a nod; "I don't care for them. They don't
suit me; there is not enough color in them." Then, turning to the
jeweler, she said, in that quiet tone of command which for the first
time fell upon Una's ears: "Give me the rubies, please."
The man hastened to hand her a case from the safe, and Lady Bell placed
the contents in Una's lap.
"Ah!" she said, with a smile, as Una's eyes opened wide with admiration,
at once childish and yet dignified, "you are of my opinion, too. But the
sapphires would suit you best. I wish I were your husband."
Una looked up with a smile of grave astonishment; and Lady Bell turned
with a light laugh to Mrs. Davenant.
"How puzzled she looks! I mean," she went on to Una, "that if I were
your husband I would give you the sapphire set; though a lover would be
more suitable, would it not?"
Then seeing Una's grave, open-eyed wonder, Lady Bell turned to Mrs.
Davenant, and in a low tone, said:
"Who is she, Mrs. Davenant?--has she just come out of a convent? She is
simply lovely; her eyes haunt me--who is she?"
Mrs. Davenant stammered, and fidgeted speechlessly.
"Ah!" said Lady Bell, quickly, in the same low tone. "You think I'm rude
and ill-bred. They all do when I ask a simple question, or show the
slightest interest in anything." She glanced at Una lingeringly: "I
mustn't ask, I suppose?"
"I--I--she is new to London," said Mrs. Davenant. "It is her first
day----"
"Her first day!" echoed Lady Bell, her eyes twinkling. "Do you mean that
she was never in London before? How I envy her; I who am sick and weary
of it! Yes, the glamour is on her; I can see it in her eyes--on her
face. She is like some beautiful wild bird who has settled on an
inhabited island for the first time, and is marveling at the strange
sights and faces--look at her!" and she touched Mrs. Davenant's arm.
Una, quite unconscious of their scrutiny, was sitting looking dreamily
into the street with its ceaseless throng of carriages and people. Lady
Bell had hit upon a happy simile; she looked like some beautiful bird,
half stupefied by the strange life moving around her.
Mrs. Davenant rose; but Lady Bell, with a gentle pressure, forced her
back into her seat.
"Not this minute; leave her for a minute. See what a beautiful picture
she makes! New to London! Do you know what will happen when London finds
that she is in its midst?"
Mrs. Davenant looked up helplessly. She, too, looked like a bird--like
some frightened pigeon in the clutch of a glittering hawk.
"You can't guess," went on Lady Bell, with a smile. "Well, it will make
a queen of her--all London will be at her feet within a month, and I--I
shall be dethroned."
The last few words were spoken--murmured--almost inaudible, and in a
tone that was half sad, half mocking. But suddenly her mood changed; and
with a smile that lit up her face, and seemed to dance like a flash of
sunlight from eyes to lips and back again, she said:
"At any rate be mine the credit of discovering her. I am the first at
the shrine of the new goddess!" and touching Una's hand with the top of
her gloved finger, she said: "Miss Rolfe, Mrs. Davenant has been kind
enough to promise to come and see me tomorrow night. Are you fond of
dancing?"
"I don't know," said Una, with a smile. "I do not know how to dance----"
"Heavens!" murmured Lady Bell.
"You forget, Lady Bell," murmured poor Mrs. Davenant.
"Ah, yes, yes; I remember," said Lady Bell, hastily. "Well, you will
come and see how you like it, won't you?"
Una looked at Mrs. Davenant inquiringly, and Lady Bell looked from one
to the other impatiently.
"Do not say 'No,' pray, Mrs. Davenant," she said, with her dark, bright
eyes. "I have set my heart upon it, and a disappointment is
intolerable. Besides, why should you say 'No?' You would like to come?"
"Yes, I should like to come," said Una gravely.
Lady Bell looked at her as if fascinated.
"From a convent, certainly," she murmured.
"Then it's settled. Remember! I shall look for you--shall wait for you
with impatience. Mrs. Davenant, I count upon you."
"But--but I cannot go out, Lady Earlsley--I am in mourning."
Lady Bell sighed impatiently.
"I am so sorry! I have never set my heart upon anything so much in my
life," she said. "Something tells me that we shall be great friends! Are
you fond of jewels, lace, books?--what are you specially fond of?" And
she seemed to dazzle Una with her smile. "You shall see them
all--everything. Yes, let her come, and I will take such care of her as
if she were something too precious to be touched; she shall not leave my
side all the evening. Let her come, Mrs. Davenant!"
Mrs. Davenant paled and flushed in turn. What would Stephen say--would
he be displeased or gratified? What should she do? She could not resist
the half-imploring, half-commanding eyes which Lady Bell flashed upon
her, and at last murmured a frightened "Yes."
With a smile that seemed to set the diamonds scintillating, Lady Bell
shook hands with Mrs. Davenant, and taking Una's, held it for a moment
in silence, then, with a sudden gravity, she said:
"Good-bye. I will take care of you. I will be your _chaperon_. We shall
meet again," and was gone.
So interested and absorbed had she been in Una that she had quite
forgotten her purpose in entering the shop, and had gone without another
word to the jeweler.
He showed no surprise, however, but smiled complacently as he put the
jewels back into their cases, being quite used to Lady Bell's vagaries,
and he bowed Mrs. Davenant and Una out with increased respect and
deference.
Lady Bell, attended by the two footmen, entered her carriage, and Mrs.
Fellowes, her friend and companion, who had been sleeping peacefully,
awoke with a little start.
"Well, my dear, have you got the rubies?"
"The rubies?" said Lady Bell. "No, I quite forgot them."
"Forgot them!" said Mrs. Fellowes.
"Yes. What are stupid rubies compared with an angel?"
"My dear Lady Bell!" exclaimed Mrs. Fellowes, "what are you talking
about?"
Lady Bell leaned back with her hands folded in her lap, and her eyes
musingly staring at nothing.
"Yes, an angel," she repeated. "I never believed in them until today,
but I have seen one this morning--in a jeweler's shop."
"Lady Bell, how strangely you talk. I am getting alarmed."
"You always are," said Lady Bell, coolly. "I repeat, I have seen an
angel. You are always trying to flatter me by talking of my beauty and
such nonsense; but I have seen today a real beauty. Not a mere pretty
pet mortal like myself, but one of the celestials! With eyes like a wild
bird's, and a lady, too, I'll be sworn!"
"My dear Bell, what language!" murmured Mrs. Fellowes.
"A perfect lady; her hands, her voice would vouch for that. Her voice is
like a harp. If I had been a man I should have fallen in love with her
on the spot."
"Fallen in love," said Mrs. Fellowes. "My dear Bell," with a politely
suppressed yawn, "I am half inclined to think you have taken leave of
your senses, and you will drive me out of mine. One night it is a young
man whom we nearly run over; a--I must say--a tipsy young man."
"No; he had only taken too much wine."
"Well, if that isn't being tipsy----"
"Don't, don't," said Lady Bell, pleadingly; "we might have killed him."
"I don't know that he would have been much loss to the world at large,"
said Mrs. Fellowes.
"Home!" said Lady Bell to the footman; and she sank back with a
brilliant flush on her face.
Mrs. Davenant drove home also, and in considerable perturbation. What
had she done? What would Stephen say?
Fortunately for that young man's peace of mind, he was resting at ease
at Hurst Leigh, little dreaming that Lady Bell, or any one else, would
meet Una, and coax her out of his mother's nerveless hands.
Una, with quick sympathy, saw that her companion was distressed, and
with a gentle touch of her hand, said:
"You do not like me to go to this lady's house. I will not go. No; I
will not go."
"My dear," she replied, with a sigh, "it isn't in our hands now. You
don't know Lady Bell--nor do I very well; but I know enough of her to be
convinced that if you do not go tomorrow night, she would come and fetch
you, though she left all her guests to do so."
"Is she then so--so accustomed to having her own way?"
"Always; she always has her own way. She is rich--very, very rich--and
petted; and she is even more than that; she--she--I don't know how to
explain myself. Well, my dear, she is a sort of queen of society, and
more powerful than many real queens."
"So that when she commands such as I am I must obey," said Una, with her
low, musical laugh.
"Just so," said Mrs. Davenant, with a sigh. "But you will be careful, my
dear. I mean, don't--don't let her put you forward, remind her of her
promise to keep you at her side."
"I think I would rather not go."
"Don't be frightened, my dear," said Mrs. Davenant, kindly; but Una's
calm, steady look of response showed her that there was no fear in the
young, innocent heart.
"No, I am not frightened," she said. "I do not know what I am to fear."
Having consented to Una's going, Mrs. Davenant lost no time in making
the few necessary preparations. She selected a plain but rich evening
dress, set her own maid to make the required alterations, selected from
her own store a sort of old Honiton, and gave orders that some white
flowers should be bought at Covent Garden the next morning.
"White flowers, my dear," she said, nervously. "Because I--I am not
sure that Stephen would not consider that your being in the house with
me you are not in mourning. But, then, you are no relation, my dear."
"I wish I were," said Una, kissing her.