THE MEREDITHS
There is no part of Wales more rural and unspoilt by the inroads of
what is called "civilisation" than some of the secluded valleys lying
between the Radnorshire hills. Here Nature still holds her own, and
spreads her pure and simple charms before us. Large tracts of moor and
rushy fen are interspersed with craggy hills, rising one behind another
in lovely shades of purple and blue; and far from the haunts of men, or
at all events of town men, many acres of uncultivated land are still
tenanted by the wild mountain pony and the picturesque gipsy. On the
edge of one of these moors stood a quaint old family mansion,
surrounded by extensive grounds and woods. In front lay a descending
plain of varied beauty, green meadows, winding streams, and placid
lakelets; behind it, the wild vales and moor stretched up to the brown
and blue hills.
Colonel Meredith had lived there all his life, his ancestors before
him, and here it was that Valmai had found a home as companion to the
delicate eldest daughter of the family, who was delighted to find in
her so congenial a friend. Her beauty had made a great impression upon
the whole amiable family, as good looks often do upon people who cannot
boast of the same advantages. It was a good thing that the girl had no
vanity in her character, for her charms were continually brought before
her in the household. Her pet name was "Beauty," and Colonel Meredith
was fond of dilating upon her attractions of person wherever he went.
Cecil, a boy of sixteen, was completely her slave, and considered
himself the victim of a hopeless passion; while the girls vied with
each other in their love and adulation of their friend, so Valmai led
at least an outwardly calm and happy life. Her character had developed
rapidly during the last two years, and she found herself, to her own
surprise, possessed of a power of repression and a control over her
emotions which she would have thought impossible a few years earlier.
The memory of Cardo, the glamour of their rural courtship, the bliss of
their honeymoon, his departure and her subsequent sorrows, were kept
locked in the deepest recesses of her soul, and only recalled during
the silent hours of the night. She had become less impatient of the
stripes of sorrow; she had taken the "angel of suffering" to her heart
with meek resignation, endeavouring to make of her a friend instead of
an enemy, and she reaped the harvest always garnered by patience and
humility. But forgotten? No, not a tender word--not a longing
wish--not a bitter regret was forgotten! She seemed to lead two
separate lives--one, that of the petted and admired friend of the
Merediths; the other, that of the lonely, friendless girl who had lost
all that made life dear to her. Gwladys's love alone comforted her,
and the frequent visits which they paid to each other were a source of
great happiness to both. Her invalid charge soon benefited much by her
presence, and was really so far recovered that there was scarcely any
further need for Valmai's companionship, but she was glad to stay on as
a visitor and friend of the family. She was reading to Miss Meredith
one evening in the verandah, when Gwen and Winifred came bounding up
the steps from the lawn, hatless and excited.
"Oh, fancy, Beauty; we are going to have a visitor--a young man, too! a
friend of Dr. Belton's in Australia; he is travelling about somewhere,
and will come here to-morrow. Won't it be jolly? He writes to say he
is bringing a note of introduction from Dr. Belton, who wished him to
call and give us a personal account of him. I don't tell you, Mifanwy,
anything about it, because you are quite above these things; but Winnie
and I are looking forward to see Cecil's black looks when the stranger
falls in love with Beauty, which he will do, of course!"
"When you stop to take breath I will ask a question," said the more
sober Mifanwy. "What is the young man's name?"
"Oh, I don't know," said Gwen. "Papa stuffed the letter in his pocket,
and he has driven off to Radnor, and won't be back till dinner
to-morrow evening. Probably he will drive the young man with him from
the station. Larks, isn't it? I hope he will be a good tennis player."
And she waltzed down the verandah as she went.
"What a girl!" said Mifanwy.
Valmai smiled pensively. The word "Australia" had wakened sad
memories, which had to be controlled and driven back at once.
"Let us go in; it is getting late for you," she said.
And they passed through a French window into the unlighted drawing-room.
The next evening Colonel Meredith returned, and, as Gwen had foretold,
brought with him the expected visitor. The girl ran excitedly into
Valmai's room.
"He is awfully handsome, dear. I have just taken a peep at him through
the hall window as he alighted. He'll be seated opposite to you at
dinner, but _next_ to _me_, and I mean to make the best of my
opportunity. You'll see how charming I can be in spite of my plain
face."
And off she went, singing as usual, to return in another moment and ask:
"What dress are you going to wear, Beauty? That soft white cashmere?
Oh, you look sweet in that, but I bet you a button that I'll cut you
out to-night."
As Valmai sat down at the dinner-table she was conscious that the
stranger sat opposite to her, and, looking across at him, met the eyes
of Cardo Wynne!
A sharp spasm darted through her heart, for at the moment in which she
had met his gaze she had seen his look averted from her; and the
long-cherished hopes of months and faith in his constancy, held to
through so many discouraging circumstances, gave way at a glance, for
well she knew that Cardo had recognised her, and at the same moment had
avoided her eyes, and had turned to make a remark to his neighbour
Gwen. She bent her head over some trifling adjustment of her
waistband, while the hot flush of wounded love and pride rose to her
face, to give place to a deathly pallor as she realised that this was
the outcome of all her hopes and longings.
Fortunately the pink tints of the lamp-shade hid her face, and equally
it befriended Cardo, for, on seeing before him Valmai in all the beauty
with which his imagination and his memory had endowed her, he had felt
his heart stand still and his face blanch to the lips. How he gained
sufficient self-control to make a casual remark to his neighbour he
never could understand, but he did; and while he was recalling the
scene in "The Velvet Walk," and his promise to Valmai "that should he
ever meet her again she need fear no sign of recognition from him,"
Gwen chattered on with volubility. All he heard was:
"Oh, you positively must fish, you know, for there is nothing else to
be done here. One day you must fish, next day you ride or drive, next
day you fish again; and that's all, except tennis. Winnie and I do
nothing else. In the evening Beauty sings to us, and there's
beautifully she sings. You'll be charmed with her voice--sweet, old
Welsh airs, you know--"
"Hush, Gwen; stop that chatter. I want to ask Mr. Wynne something
about Dr. Belton."
"Oh, papa! all the way from the station, and you didn't ask him about
Dr. Belton!"
Cardo was thankful to have to talk to Colonel Meredith, for it enabled
him to turn his head aside, though still he was conscious of that white
figure opposite him, with the golden head and the deep blue eyes.
She had regained her composure, and was talking calmly to the curate,
who was laying before her his plans for a Sunday school treat. It is
one of the bitter trials of humanity that it has to converse about
trifles while the heart is breaking. If only the tortured one could
rush away to some lonely moor, there to weep and wail to his heart's
content, the pain would not be so insufferable; but in life that cannot
be, and Valmai smiled and talked platitudes with a martyr's patience.
In the drawing-room, after dinner, she buried herself in the old, red
arm-chair, setting herself to endure her misery to the bitter end.
When Cardo entered with Colonel Meredith, Cecil, and the curate, she
had passed from agonised suffering to the cold insensibility of a
stone. She knew she would wake again when the evening was over, and
she was alone with her sorrow; but now she had but to bear and wait.
It would be impossible to describe Cardo's feelings; indeed, he felt,
as he entered the room, and saw that white figure in the crimson chair,
that he had already passed through the bitterness of death.
"Nothing more can hurt me," he thought; "after this I can defy every
evil power to do me harm!" And he stood in his old attitude with his
elbow leaning on the mantelpiece, while he answered Gwen's frivolous,
and Winifred's sentimental, questions.
"Are you fond of music?" one of them said at last. "Yes? Oh! Beauty,
dear, do come and sing to us--that sweet ballad you sing so often, you
know--'By Berwen Banks'."
"Not to-night," said a soft voice from the armchair. "I am tired,
Gwen. You sing, dear."
"Well, I'll sing that, if you won't."
And she sang it; and Valmai and Cardo, "so near and yet so far,"
estranged and miserable, listened to every word, which fell on their
memories like searing drops of molten lead.
"By Berwen's banks my love has strayed
For many a day in sun and shade;
And when she carolled loud and clear
The little birds flew down to hear.
"By Berwen's banks the storm rode high,
The swollen river rushing by;
And in its waves my love was drowned,
And on its banks my love was found.
"I'll ne'er forget that leafy shade,
I'll ne'er forget that winsome maid;
But there no more she carols free,
So Berwen's banks are sad to me!"
At the last words, during the acclamations of the family, Valmai rose,
unable to bear more. There was a little cry and a soft fall by the
side of the red chair, and she lay in a white, unconscious heap on the
floor.
"Oh! Beauty, darling!" cried Gwen and Winifred, in a breath, while
they flew towards her.
Cardo, too, had instinctively rushed towards the fallen figure. He
lifted her in his strong arms as though she had been a feather-weight.
"Oh! thank you, Mr. Wynne," said Mrs. Meredith; "this way, please, to
her own room at once, where we can lay her on the couch."
And with the whole family forming a _queue_ behind them, even the
curate standing on the mat at the bottom, Cardo bore her up the
staircase and into the room which Mrs. Meredith indicated.
During a little distraction, caused by Gwen's pommelling of the sofa
cushions, Cardo for a moment lost control over his feelings, and he
pressed Valmai's form convulsively to his breast as he stooped to lay
her down on the couch. He was quickly edged away by the fluttering
womenkind who pressed round, each with her own restorative; a little
sigh from Valmai told him that she was already recovering, and casting
one lingering look of love on the white figure, he made his way
downstairs, and joined the other gentlemen, who had straggled back into
the drawing-room. He listened absently to the different conjectures as
to what had caused Valmai's faint.
"Never knew her do such a thing before!" said Colonel Meredith. "Can't
think what it was; but I do remember once she burst into tears when she
was singing some old Welsh ballad--that very one, I think--yes--'By
Berwen Banks'--strange coincidence!"
In a little while the ladies returned also. "She is all right now,"
they said, "and quite ashamed of herself; she has had a glass of wine
and a biscuit, and insisted upon our leaving her--in fact, she turned
us all out of the room and bolted the door."
"Isn't she a lovely girl, Mr. Jones?"
"Oh! yes, indeed--yes--very, indeed!" and Mrs. Meredith was delighted
to have an excuse for dilating on her visitor's charms of person and
character; while Cardo set himself to work to deliver himself of every
message which Dr. Belton had entrusted to him.
He bore Colonel Meredith's cross-examination with unflinching patience,
and even suggested fresh topics of inquiry, for, while he had carried
Valmai up the stairs he had come to the determination to leave the
house before he saw her again. The strain of the situation was more
than he could bear. To live under the same roof with her, and not to
claim her for his own was impossible--to adhere to the terms of his
promise, never to allude to his former acquaintance with her was
utterly beyond his power. "Base--dishonourable!" Could it have been
Valmai who spoke to him in these terms? or was he the victim of some
strange hallucination?
When at last the evening came to an end, he thankfully lighted his
candle at the hall table, the whole family hovering round with various
hopes that "he would sleep well," "that he didn't mind a feather-bed,"
"that he didn't mind the sun shining in in the morning." "You can
close the shutters, you know. Good-night."
"What time does the post come in the morning?" he asked.
"Oh! at seven o'clock; you can have your letters brought up if you
wish; but we always like to have them on our plates at breakfast. Bob
will bring yours up."
"If it's no trouble," said Cardo.
There was a whole chorus of "certainly not!" "of course not!" under
cover of which he made his way safely round the turning on the
stair-case. He stepped wearily up the second flight of stairs; there
was her room! and he groaned almost audibly as he turned into his own.
Inside that bolted door, a listening ear had caught every vibration of
his footstep, every tone of his voice, and a tear-stained face was now
raised in agonised prayer, over folded hands which held in their clasp
a ring hung on a white satin ribbon.
The exclamations of disappointment and regret next morning, when
Cardo's empty seat at the breakfast table disclosed their guest's
absence, were loud as they were sincere.
"How unfortunate!" said Colonel Meredith. "I meant to have taken him
out fishing to-day; there was a little rain in the night and the Ithon
would have been perfect for trout to-day. Here's his note:--
"DEAR COLONEL MEREDITH--I am grieved to say that some unexpected
circumstances necessitate my leaving your hospitable roof and returning
home to Cardiganshire at once. I shall walk to the station and catch
the 7.30 train. Please tender my heart-felt thanks to Mrs. Meredith,
and all the other members of your family for their kindness and
hospitality. I hope to call upon them at another time, and express my
regrets and thanks in person.
"With many thanks to you also,
"I remain,
"Yours truly,
"CARADOC WYNNE."
Colonel Meredith was reading the last words as Valmai entered and took
her place at the breakfast table.
"Isn't it a shame, Beauty," said Gwen. "Just as I was beginning to
make a favourable impression upon him, too! There must have been
something in the letter Bob took up to him this morning."
"Oh, of course," said her father; "fine young fellow--very!"
"Awfully handsome, I call him," said Winifred; "such a sparkle in his
eyes!"
"Beauty wasn't smitten," said Gwen.
"On the contrary, she was so smitten she fainted," said Winnie; "you
are still rather pale, dear. Papa, wouldn't it be a jolly day for a
picnic by the Ithon?"
"Yes," said the Colonel; "bring your lunch down in the brake, and we'll
light a fire by the carn, and broil the fish, for I am sure we shall
get a basketful to-day--eh! eh! Cecil?"
"Yes--and the drive will do Miss Powell good," said the lad, who was in
good spirits from having so easily got rid of Cardo.
And after breakfast they all drove off to the picnic, and Cardo's
arrival and his departure were forgotten by all save one.