So that in spite of Vera's definite proclamation that there should be
no Christmassing in her house that year, Christmassing there
emphatically was. Impossible to deny anything to Mr Bittenger! Mr
Bittenger wanted holly, the gardener supplied it. Mr Bittenger wanted
mistletoe, a bunch of it was brought home by Stephen in the dogcart. Mr
Bittenger could not conceive an English Christmas without turkey,
mince-pies, plum-pudding, and all the usual indigestiveness. Vera,
speaking in a voice which seemed somehow not to be hers, stated that
these necessaries of Christmas life would be produced, and Stephen did
not say that the very thought of a mince-tart made him ill. Even the
English weather, which, it is notorious, has of late shown a sad
disposition to imitate, and even to surpass, in mildness the weather of
the Riviera at Christmas, decided to oblige Mr Bittenger. At nightfall
on Christmas Eve it began to snow gently, but steadily--fine, frozen
snow. And the waits, consisting of boys and girls from the Countess of
Chell's celebrated institute close by, came and sang in the garden in
the falling snow, by the light of a lantern. And Mr Bittenger's heart
was as full as it could hold of English Christmas.
As for Vera's heart, it was full of she knew not what. Mr Bittenger's
attitude towards her grew more and more chivalrous. He contrived to
indicate that he regarded all the years he had spent before making the
acquaintance of Vera as so many years absolutely wasted. And Stephen
did not seem to care.
They retired to rest that evening up a staircase whose banisters the
industrious hands of Mr Bittenger had entwined with holly and paper
festoons, and bade each other a merry Christmas with immense fervour;
but in the conjugal chamber Stephen maintained his policy of implacable
silence. And, naturally, Vera maintained hers. Could it be expected of
her that she should yield? The fault was all Stephen's. He ought to
have taken her to The Bear, Switzerland. Then there would have been no
dream, no Mr Bittenger, and no danger. But as things were, within
twenty-four hours he would be a dead man.
And throughout Christmas Day Vera, beneath the gaiety with which she
met the vivacious sallies of Mr Bittenger, waited in horrible suspense
for the dream to fulfil itself. Stephen alone observed her agitated
condition. Stephen said to himself: 'The quarrel is getting on her
nerves. She'll yield before she's a day older. It will do her good.
Then I'll make it up to her handsomely. But she must yield first.'
He little knew he was standing on the edge of the precipice of death.
The Christmas dinner succeeded admirably; and Stephen, in whom courage
was seldom lacking, ate half a mince-pie. The day was almost over. No
premature decease had so far occurred. And when both the men said that,
if Vera permitted, they would come with her at once to the drawing-room
and smoke there, Vera decided that after all dreams were nonsense. She
entered the drawing-room first, and Mr Bittenger followed her, with
Stephen behind; but just as Stephen was crossing the mat the gardener,
holding a parcel in his hands and looking rather strange there in the
hall, spoke to him. And Stephen stopped and called to Mr Bittenger. And
the drawing-room door was closed upon Vera.
She waited, solitary, for an incredible space of time, and then, having
heard unaccustomed and violent sounds in the distance, she could
contain herself no longer, and she rang the bell.
'Louisa,' she demanded of the parlourmaid, 'where is your master?'
'Oh, ma'am,' replied Louisa, giggling--a little licence was surely
permissible to the girl on Christmas night--'Oh, ma'am, there's such a
to-do! Tinsley has just brought some boxing-gloves, and master and Mr
Bittenger have got their coats off in the dining-room. And they've had
the table pushed up by the door, and you never saw such a set-out in
all your life ma'am.'
Vera dismissed Louisa.
There it was--the dream! They were going to box. Mr Bittenger was
doubtless an expert, and she knew that Stephen was not. A chance blow
by Mr Bittenger in some vital part, and Stephen would be lying
stretched in eternal stillness in the middle of the dining-room floor
where the table ought to be! The life of the monster was at stake! The
life of the brute was in her hands! The dream was fulfilling itself to
the point of tragedy!
She jumped up and rushed to the dining-room door. It would not open.
Again, the dream!
'You can't come in,' cried Stephen, laughing. 'Wait a bit.'
She pushed against the door, working the handle.
She was about to insist upon the door being opened, when the idea of
the danger of such a proceeding occurred to her. In the dream, when she
got the door opened, her husband's death had already happened!
Frantically she ran to the kitchen.
'Louisa,' she ordered. 'Go into the garden and tap at the dining-room
window, and tell your master that I must speak to him at once in the
drawing-room.'
And in a pitiable state of excitation, she returned to the drawing-room.
After another interminable period of suspense, her ear caught the sound
of the opening of doors, and then Stephen came into the drawing-room. A
singular apparition! He was coatless, as Louisa had said, and the
extremities of his long arms were bulged out with cream-coloured
boxing-gloves.
She sprang at him and kissed him.
'Steve,' she said, 'are we friends?'
'I should think we were!' he replied, returning her kiss heartily. He
had won.
'What are you doing?' she asked him.
'Bittenger and I are just going to have a real round with the gloves.
It's part of his cure for my indigestion, you know. He says there's
nothing like it. I've only just been able to get gloves. Tinsley
brought them up just now. And so we sort of thought we'd like to have a
go at once.'
'Why wouldn't you let me into the dining-room?'
'My child, the table was up against the door. And I fancied, perhaps,
you wouldn't be exactly charmed, so I--'
'Stephen,' she said, in her most persuasive voice, 'will you do
something to please me?'
'What is it?'
'Will you?'
A pause.
'Yes, certainly.'
'Don't box tonight.'
'Oh--well! What will Bittenger think?'
Another pause.
'Never mind! You don't want me to box, really?'
'I don't want you to box--not tonight.' 'Agreed, my chuck!' And he
kissed her again. He could well afford to be magnanimous.
Mr Bittenger ploughed the seas alone to New York.
But supposing that Vera had not interfered, what would have happened?
That is the unanswerable query which torments the superstitious little
brain of Vera.