THE AUNT’S STORY
“You know who the Douglases are?” began Miss Mehetabel, bracing herself
up, with a look of pride.
“Oh, yes; you have always given me to understand that they belonged to a
very honorable race.”
“An honorable race, indeed! Why, child, they are the descendants of a
queen—a Scottish queen! Lady Margaret Douglas was the daughter of Queen
Margaret Tudor, and back to her we can trace our ancestry. Never forget
it, child—never forget that you are descended in a direct line from the
royalty of Scotland.”
Brownie did not reply to her last remark, for it was a hobby with her
proud kinswoman, and once thoroughly started on the subject, she knew
the family tree would have to be brought out, and the wearisome task of
tracing the Douglas race for three long centuries would have to be
rehearsed. So she wisely held her peace.
“Yes, the descendant of a queen!” she repeated; “and many of our
ancestors intermarried with the English nobility, so that to-day,
Brownie Douglas, there runs no better blood in any veins than in yours
and mine.
“Before I left the old country, dear, I mingled with the proudest
circles of the land. I was presented at Court, and during a brilliant
London season I was introduced to the young Lord of Dunforth, son of the
fifth Lord of Firth.
“His name was Royal—they called him Roy—and he was rightly named, for he
was fit to be a king!
“From the first hour of our meeting we loved each other, and we were
betrothed, by the consent and approval of both his friends and my own,
after an acquaintance of six months. Our marriage was to be delayed for
a year, until Roy should complete his course at Oxford, when he would
come in possession of a fine estate in Essex. We exchanged letters
frequently, and the words he penned were like a feast to my soul. I have
them now, every one, and they are all that I have left of the love, the
glorious love, which I once fondly hoped would brighten my life to its
end. In the same circle in which we moved, there was a very handsome
girl, by the name of Lady Helen Capel. She belonged to a very wealthy
and honorable family, and it was said that before Lord Dunforth was
introduced to me he used to pay some attention to her. From the very
first of my acquaintance with him she evinced an intense dislike toward
me.
“Report said that she wanted to win him for herself, and I believe in my
heart that was why she was so haughty and disagreeable whenever we met.
“Lord Dunforth finished his course at Oxford with great honor to
himself, and preparations were began for our marriage, which was
appointed to take place just before the Christmas holidays.
“One evening we attended a ball given by Helen Capel’s aunt, Lady
Ruxley.
“On entering the ballroom I had given my card to Roy to fill out such
sets as he wished for himself, and then as others were introduced to me,
they put their names in the blanks that were left.
“Soon after, Charles Capel came up with a handsome but rather
rakish-looking gentleman, whom he introduced as the Count de Lussan. Roy
had left me for a few minutes to speak to some one he knew, or what
followed never would have happened.
“The stranger immediately requested the pleasure of dancing with me, and
I innocently assented, never for a moment dreaming that any one would be
present in Lady Ruxley’s rooms with whom it would not be proper for me
to dance.
“I gave him my card, and he put his name down against a waltz, while a
peculiar smile curled his lips.
“Not many minutes after Helen Capel sauntered toward me, and sat down by
my side.
“For the first time in her life she was gracious to me, and, bearing her
no ill-will, I chatted freely with her for quite a while.
“‘Have you danced much?’ she asked, holding out her hand for my card.
“‘Several times,’ I returned, with a smile, as I gave it up to her.
“She ran her eyes hastily over the names, and I could see her scowl
every time she read Roy’s. Then, suddenly looking up, she exclaimed,
aghast:
“‘Why, Miss Douglas, will his lordship permit you to dance with the
Count de Lussan?’
“The form of the question nettled me exceedingly, and I replied,
somewhat haughtily:
“‘His lordship will permit me to dance with whomsoever I choose, Miss
Capel.’
“She laughed a silvery, wicked laugh, and fixing her bold black eyes
upon me, said, in an exasperated way:
“Pardon me, Miss Douglas, but I do not believe Lord Dunforth, who is
very arbitrary when once his will is aroused, will permit his betrothed
to dance with any one who bears the reputation which Count de Lussan
bears.’
“‘But your own brother introduced me to him, Miss Capel!’ I exclaimed,
indignantly.
“‘Charles? I’m astonished at him; but I presume the count asked him, and
he did not like to refuse. Why, he is a notorious blackleg, and how he
ever gained admission here, is more than I can tell.’
“I was startled at this intelligence, but I would not show it before
her, nor yield one iota; and looking up at that moment, I saw Lord
Dunforth and Count de Lussan both approaching me.
“Miss Capel remained by my side, evidently desirous of seeing the little
game played out.
“The count reached me first, and bowing low, offered me his arm, saying
his turn had come.
“I glanced nervously into my lover’s face as I hesitatingly took the
count’s arm, fearing that all was not right, and my heart stood still,
as I noted its expression of blank dismay and stern displeasure.
“He hastened forward, and taking my card, hastily scanned the names upon
it, and his brow grew dark with wrath, as he read Count de Lussan’s
against a waltz.
“Bowing haughtily to my companion, he said, with compressed lips:
“‘Excuse me, but I must ask you to release this lady from her promise to
dance with you.’
“The count’s eyes flashed fire, and his face grew crimson, as he
answered, coldly:
“‘I cannot do so, my lord, except at the lady’s own request.’
“‘She does request it through me—by my desire,’ replied Lord Dunforth,
sternly.
“‘Miss Douglas, do you command me to release you?’ asked the count,
turning to me with that same disagreeable smile upon his lips that I had
seen there when he had written his name against the waltz.
“‘Tell him yes, Meta. I cannot allow it, and will give you my reasons
the first opportunity,’ whispered my lover, in pleading tones, in my
ear.
“I was on the point of yielding. Oh, why was I so blind that I did not?
I had half withdrawn my hand from the count’s arm, when I heard a low,
mocking laugh near by.
“Glancing up, I saw Helen Capel watching every motion, catching every
word and tone, a smile of mocking triumph on her handsome face.
“In an instant I remembered my boast to her, that ‘Lord Dunforth would
permit me to dance with whomsoever I chose,’ and in that fatal moment I
resolved to show her my power over him; that I had a will of my own.
“Lifting my head a trifle haughtily, I said:
“‘My lord, I have promised Count de Lussan that I will waltz with him,
and I cannot break my word.’
“‘Meta, Meta, don’t do it!’ he begged, in a whisper.
“‘I must,’ I answered, coldly.
“‘I command you not!’ he said, in a tone which the count caught, and
curled his lip in scorn.
“I bowed coldly, all the antagonism in my nature aroused by his command,
then turning to my companion, I said:
“‘The music is inspiriting, count. I am ready,’ and encircling my waist
with his arm, he whirled me into the midst of the giddy dancers.
“I had always loved to waltz; but, oh! how I have hated it since then.
And this is the reason, dear, why I would never allow you to learn. It
is not decent for young girls to be encircled in the arms of men of whom
they know nothing.
“As we waltzed I became aware of strange, surprised glances following
us; whispered words of censure greeted my ears, and a tremor of
uneasiness took possession of me, which merged into absolute terror when
I reached the spot where Lord Dunforth still stood.
“He was like a piece of statuary, his noble brow overcast, and his fine
lips white and set as if in pain.
“Count de Lussan released me, thanking me for the great pleasure I had
given him, and then moved away.
“My lover did not speak one word to me until the music struck up again,
and the attention of the people around us was attracted in other
directions.
“‘Will you oblige me by withdrawing from the company?’ he asked then.
“I arose at once and took his arm.
“‘Oh, Roy, what have I done?’ I exclaimed, in deep distress at his
coldness, my heart thrilling with a terrible pain.
“‘You have disgraced yourself and me—the Count de Lussan is the lowest
blackleg in London.’
“I lifted my eyes and searched my lover’s face after those, to me, words
of doom. It was as inflexible as marble, not a gleam of love, kindness,
or forgiveness. He was like a stern judge pronouncing sentence upon me,
and the thought burst like lightning upon me, searing my very soul.
“I had lost him forever! and throwing out my hands toward him, I sank
with a low moan of agony at his feet before he could even put forth an
arm to save me.”