AN EVENING AT MISS BLAKE'S.
The establishment of Miss Joanna Blake was not on a scale of
magnificence. Miss Jo's only parlor being about ten feet square, was not
too grandly vast at any time, and not exactly adapted for the mirthful
throng to disport themselves in. The style of furniture, too, was, some
people might think, on a trifle too grand a scale for its dimensions.
When Val, and his fourteen or fifteen friends aforesaid, lit their
cigars, tilted back their chairs, elevated the heels of their boots on
the piano or table, and all puffed away together, the parlor became
rather obscure, and a stranger suddenly entering might have conceived
the idea that the house was in flames; and that, perhaps, was the reason
the parlor always smelt like a tobacconist's shop. Besides the parlor,
Miss Jo had a dining-room and a kitchen, and two bedrooms, in the floor,
though, and she did her own work.
In the parlor of No. 16 Great St. Peter's Street, the lamp was lit, the
drab moreen curtains let down, and the table set for tea. There was a
snowy cloth on the mahogany which hid the marks of the bootheels and the
stains of the punch-tumblers, and the china cups and saucers, and the
glass preserve-plates and butter-dish, and spoon-holder, not to speak of
the spoons themselves, which were of real silver, and had cost a dollar
a piece, and had a big capital "B" engraven thereon, glittered and
flashed in the light. There was buttered toast, and hot biscuit, and
pound-cake, and fruit-cake, and mince-pie, and quince-jelly, and cold
chicken, and coffee and tea--all the work of Miss Jo's own fair hands;
and Miss Jo herself, rather flushed with the heat, but very imposing and
stately to look at in a green poplin dress--real Irish poplin at
that--and a worked collar a finger-length deep, presided at the
tea-tray, and dispensed the hospitalities of the festive board. Val,
sitting opposite, did his part, which consisted chiefly in attempting to
pass the cake-plates, and spilling their contents, of upsetting
everything he touched, and looking mildly but reproachfully at the
refractory object afterward. Mrs. Marsh was there, placid, and insipid,
and faded, and feeble, as usual; and Miss Rose was there, pale and
pretty; and Miss Clowrie was there, smiling and soft of voice, and deft
of touch, and purring more than ever; and Miss Blair was there, laughing
at all the funny things, and rosy as Hebe herself; and Charley Marsh was
there, making a martyr of himself in the attempt to be fascinating to
three young ladies at once; and everybody had eaten and drank, forced
thereto by Miss Blake, until they were, as Charley forcibly put it, "a
misery to themselves." So a move was made to adjourn, which just
consisted of pushing their chairs about five inches from the table, not
being able to push them any further, and Miss Jo began rattling among
the tea-things, which she called clearing them off. Miss Catty, always
sweet and obliging, and that sort of a thing, insisted on helping her,
and Charley opening the upright, clattered a "Fisher's Hornpipe" in
spirited style.
"Come and sing us a song, Laura--that's a good girl," he said, while
Val, making an apology, slipped out. "Come and sing 'The Laird o'
Cockpen.'"
Miss Blair, all smiles, took her seat, and sung not only "The Laird o'
Cockpen," but a dozen others of the same kidney.
"What do you think of that?" inquired Miss Blair, triumphantly rising
up, with a finishing bang. "Who says I can't sing? Now, Miss Rose, you
sing, I know."
"Of course she does," said Charley. "Miss Rose, permit me to lead you to
the instrument."
Miss Rose looked as though she were about to excuse herself, but that
impulsive Laura Blair ran over and caught her by both hands.
"Up with you! We won't take any excuses. Charley, the young lady is at
your mercy, lead her off."
Charley promptly did so. Miss Rose, smiling graciously, ran her white
fingers over the yellow keys, and looked up at him.
"What shall I sing, Monsieur?"
"Anything you please, Mademoiselle. I am prepared to be delighted with
'Old Dan Tucker,' if you chose it."
The white fingers still ran idly over the keys, breaking into a
plaintive prelude at last, and in a voice, "low and sweet" as Annie
Laurie's own, the song began. The words were those of a gifted young
American poetess; the melody, a low sweet air, in a melancholy minor
key--Miss Rose's own, perhaps.
The sweet voice faltered a little toward the close; but as a buzz of
congratulation ran around the circle she arose hastily. Arose to find
herself face to face with two gentlemen who had entered as she began her
song, and who had stood silently listening with the rest. It was Captain
Cavendish and Val; and the young officer's face wore a look no one in
that room had ever seen it wear before--a pale and startled look of
anxiety, almost of fear--and as she faced them he backed a few paces
involuntarily. Miss Rose, evidently taken completely by surprise,
started visibly, growing white and red by turns. But Val was introducing
them, and only he and one other present saw the changing faces of the
twain. That other was Miss Catty Clowrie, whose eyes were as keen as any
other cat's, and who watched them furtively, with vividest interest.
Miss Catty was enough of a mathematician to know there is no effect
without a cause. What, then, was the cause of this? It was easily enough
answered. Captain Cavendish and Miss Rose had met before, and had known
each other well, though they were now bowing as perfect strangers. The
elegant officer had recovered all his high-bred sangfroid, and was
smooth and bland as sweet oil; but Miss Rose's face had settled into so
deadly a pallor that Mrs. Marsh, albeit not the most eagle-sighted in
the world, noticed it.
"Dear me, Miss Rose, how pale you are! Aren't you well?"
Miss Rose murmured something about the heat, and subsided into the most
shadowy corner she could find; and Charley created a diversion by
sitting down to the piano himself and rattling off a jingling symphony.
In the midst of it carriage wheels rolled up to the door of No. 16, and
the first-floor bell rang loudly a minute after.
"That's Natty," said Charley.
Miss Jo met her in the hall and escorted her to her bedroom, which was
the dressing-room for the evening; and presently Miss Nathalie came in,
dressed in black silk, trimmed with black lace, and all her beautiful
golden hair falling in glittering ringlets over her shoulders, her
cheeks glowing with the rapid ride through the night air. Brilliant she
looked; and Captain Cavendish's heart, or whatever the thing is that
does duty for a heart with men of the world, quickened its beating a
little, as he shook hands. Nathalie kissed Miss Rose, sitting so very
still in her quiet corner.
"My pale little girl! Here you sit like a white shadow, all by yourself.
Charley, what on earth are you shouting there?"
"Now, Natty, it's your turn," said Miss Jo.
"Here's the cards," said Charley, laying hold of a pack. "While Natty's
singing we'll play 'Muggins.' Does anybody here know 'Muggins'?"
Nobody did.
"What a disgrace! Then I'll teach you. Miss Jo, I'll sit beside you.
Come along, captain; here Laura, Catty, Val, mother; Miss Rose, won't
you join us?"
"Don't, Miss Rose," said Natty, who was playing a waltz. "They're
nothing but a noisy set. Come here and sing with me."
Natty sung everything--Italian arias, French chansonettes, German and
Scotch ballads; her full, rich soprano voice filling the room with
melody, as on Sundays it filled the long cathedral aisles. Natty's voice
was superb--Miss Rose listened like one entranced. So did another,
Captain Cavendish, who made all sorts of blunders in the game, and could
not learn it at all, for watching the two black figures at the
piano--the little pale girl with the modest brown braids, and the
stately heiress with her shining yellow curls. Catty Clowrie watched
them and the captain, and the game too, noting everything, and making no
mistakes. A very noisy party they were, every one laughing,
expostulating, and straining their voices together, and Charley winning
everything right and left.
"I say, Cavendish, old fellow! what are you thinking of?" cried Val.
"This is the third time I've told you to play."
Captain Cavendish started into recollection, and began playing with the
wildest rapidity, utterly at random.
"Look here, Natty," called Charley, as the card-party, more noisy than
ever, broke up; "I say it's not fair of you to monopolize Miss Rose all
the evening. Here's Captain Cavendish has lost all his spare change,
because he couldn't watch the game for watching that piano."
Miss Rose retreated hastily to her corner; Natty wheeled round on the
piano-stool.
"What noise you have been making. Have you finished your game?"
Charley jingled a pocketful of pennies--Speckport pennies at that--as
large as quoits.
"Yes, we have finished, for the simple reason I have cleaned the whole
party completely out, and I have won small change enough to keep me in
cigars for the next two months. Who's this?"
"It's somebody for me," said Natty, starting up; "that's Rob Nettleby's
knock."
"Don't go yet, Natty," said Val, "it is too early."
"It is half-past ten; I should have been off half an hour ago. Miss
Blake, my things, please."
Miss Jo produced a white cloud and large cloak, and Natty's move was a
signal for all to depart. Catty, Laura, Miss Rose, and Mrs. Marsh's
mufflings had to be got, and the little parlor was a scene of "confusion
worse confounded."
Val strolled over to where Captain Cavendish was making himself useful,
helping Miss Marsh on with her cloak.
"Natty, I'll go home with you, if you like," said polite Val; "it will
be rather a dismal drive up there with no one but Rob Nettleby."
"Mr. Blake is forestalled," said Captain Cavendish, coolly. "Miss Marsh
has accorded the honor to me."
"All right," said Val, "I'll go home with Laura Blair, then. Charley can
take care of the other three, for Catty lives next door."
Lady Leroy's carryall, with Cherrie Nettleby's elder brother for driver,
was waiting at the door. Good-byes were said, Natty kissed her mamma,
Laura and Miss Rose, but only shook hands with Miss Clowrie. Captain
Cavendish noticed the omission as he seated himself beside her, and they
drove off.
"I don't like her," said Natty; "I never did, since I was a child. She
was such a crafty, cunning little thing in those days--a sort of spy on
the rest of us--a sort of female Uriah Heep."
"Is she so still?"
"Oh, no; she is well enough now; but old prejudices cling to one, you
know. I don't like her, because I don't like her--an excellent female
reason, you understand."
"Does your brother share your prejudices, Miss Marsh?" asked the young
officer, with a meaning smile.
"Charley? I don't know. Why?"
"Because I fancy the young lady is rather disposed to regard him with
favor. I may be mistaken, though."
Natty suddenly drew herself up.
"I think you are mistaken, Captain Cavendish. Catty Clowrie has sense,
whatever else she may lack, and never would dream of so preposterous a
thing."
"Pardon! it has been my mistake, then. You seem to be all old friends in
this place."
"Oh," said Natty, with her gay laugh, "every one knows every one else in
Speckport, and a stranger is a marked being at once. Apropos of
strangers, what a perfect darling that Miss Rose is."
"How very young-ladylike! Miss Rose does not sound like a family name;
has she no other cognomen?"
"Her letter to me was signed W. Rose. I don't know what the 'W' is for.
I think she has the sweetest face I ever saw."
"What a lovely night it is?" was Captain Cavendish's somewhat irrelevant
answer; and had the moon been shining, Natty might have seen the flush
his face wore. Perhaps it was the sea-breeze, though; for it was blowing
up fresh and bracing, and a host of stars spangled a sky of cloudless
blue. The monotonous plash of the waves on the shore came dully booming
over the rattle of their own carriage-wheels.
"What are the wild waves saying? Miss Rose and I have a bond of sympathy
between us: we both love the sea. I suppose," said Natty, going off into
another subject, "Mrs. Leroy will read me a lecture for my long stay,
when I get back."
"Will she not be asleep?"
"Asleep? No, indeed; I believe if I staid out for a week she would never
close an eye until I got back."
"Is she so very fond of you, then?"
"It is not that; though I think she is as fond of me as it is in her
nature to be of anything, except," with another laugh, "eating and
money. It is fear that keeps her awake; she dreads being left alone."
"Why? Not from an evil conscience, I trust."
"For shame, sir. No, she always keeps a large sum of money in her
chamber--you saw that queer cabinet--well, in that; and she is terribly
scared of robbers, in spite of all our bolts and bars."
"She should not keep it about her, then."
"Very true; but she will. I sleep in the room next hers, and I presume
she feels my presence there a sort of safeguard against burglars. In
Midge she has no confidence whatever."
"And yet I should consider Midge the greatest possible safeguard. The
sight of her might scare away an army of robbers."
"Now, now!" cried Natty. "I shall not have Midge abused. She is the most
faithful and trustworthy creature that ever lived."
"Perhaps so; but you will own that she is not the most lovely. When I
was a boy at Eton, I used to read German legends of beautiful
princesses guarded by malignant spirits, in uncouth human forms. I
thought of the stories this morning when I was at Redmon."
"That's a compliment, I suppose," said Natty, "but I don't relish
compliments, I can tell you, at Midge's expense. Here we are at the
cottage."
"What cottage is it?" Captain Cavendish asked, forgetting suddenly that
he had spent half an hour there that very morning.
"The Nettlebys. The father is our gardener; the sons, the whole family,
make themselves useful about the place, all but Cherrie, who is more for
ornament than use. Here we are at Redmon, and there is the light burning
in Mrs. Leroy's window."
"Does it burn all night?" he asked, looking up at it.
"No; it is a beacon for me. I must go to her room the first thing now,
give an account of myself, and extinguish it. Good-night; I hope you
will enjoy your solitary journey back."
"I shall have pleasant thoughts of a lady fair to keep me company. Are
you sure you can get in?"
"Midge is opening the door now; once more, good-night."
Waving her hand to him, she was gone while she spoke. Midge stood
blinking in the doorway, holding a candle above her head, which tar-mop
was now tied up in a red flannel petticoat.
She shaded her eyes with her hand, peering out at the tall figure in the
loose overcoat; and when she made sure of his identity, slamming the
door to with a bang that left no doubt of her feelings toward him.
"Midge, why did you do that?" Natty said, reprovingly.
"Because I never want to see his wicked face here, Miss Natty; that's
why!" cried Midge, shrilly; "and I don't want to see him with you, for
he is a villain, and he will turn out one, if he was ten officers, ten
times over."
But Natty was flying up the polished stairs with a new happiness at her
heart, singing as she went a snatch of "Love's Young Dream."