FASHIONABLE SKETCHES FROM THE LIFE.
Next morning, whilst Thaddeus was vainly explaining to the general
that he no longer possessed a regiment of horse, which the poor old
man wanted him to order out, to try the success of some manoeuvres he
had been devising, little Nanny brought in a letter from Slaughter's
Coffee-house, where he had noted Lady Tinemouth to direct it to
him.[Footnote: This respectable hotel still exists, near the top of
St. Martin's Lane.--1845.] He opened it, and found these contents:--
"My dear Sir,
"So anxious was I to terminate the affair with Lady Dundas, that I
went to her house last night. I affirmed it as a great obligation
that you would undertake the trouble to teach her daughters; and I
insist that you do not, from any romantic ideas of candor, invalidate
what I have said. I know the world too well not to be convinced of
the truth of Dr. Goldsmith's maxim,--'If you be poor, do not seem
poor, if you would avoid insult as well as suffering.'
"I told Miss Dundas that you had undertaken the task solely at my
persuasion, and that I could not propose other terms than a guinea
for two lessons. She is rich enough for any expense, and made no
objection to my demand; besides, she presented the enclosed, by way
of entrance-money. It is customary. Thus I have settled all
preliminaries, and you are to commence your first lesson on Monday,
at two o'clock. But before then, pray let me see you.
"Cannot you dine with us on Sunday? A sabbath privilege! to speak of
good is blameless. I have informed Miss Egerton of as much of the
affair as I think necessary to account for your new occupation. In
short, gay in spirits as she is, I thought it most prudent to say as
little to her and to Lady Sara as I have done to the Dundases;
therefore, do not be uneasy on that head.
"Come to-morrow, if not before, and you will give real pleasure to
your sincere friend,
"ADELIZA TINEMOUTH."
"SATURDAY MORNING, GROSVENOR PLACE."
Truly grateful to the active friendship of the countess, and looking
at the general, who appeared perfectly happy in the prosecution of
his wild schemes, Thaddeus inwardly exclaimed, "By these means I
shall at least have it in my power to procure the assistance which
your melancholy state, my revered friend, requires."
On opening the enclosed, which her ladyship mentioned, he found it to
be a bank note for ten pounds. Both the present and its amount gave
him pain: not having done any service yet to the donor, he regarded
the money more as a gift than as a bond of engagement. However, he
found that this delicacy, with many other painful repugnances, must
at this moment be laid aside; and, without further self-torment, he
consigned the money to the use for which he felt aware the countess
had wished it to be applied, namely, to provide himself with an
English dress.
During these various reflections, he did not leave Lady Tinemouth's
letter unanswered. He thanked her sincerely for her zeal, but
declined dining with her the next day, on account of leaving his poor
friend so long alone; though he promised to come in the evening when
he should be retired to rest.
This excuse was regretted by none more than Lady Sara Ross, who,
having heard from Lady Tinemouth that she expected Mr. Constantine to
dinner on a Sunday, invited herself to be one of the party. She had
now seen him constantly for nearly a month, and found, to her
amazement, that in seeking to beguile him, she had only ensnared
herself. Every word he uttered penetrated to her heart; every glance
of his eyes shook her frame like electricity.
She had now no necessity to affect softness. A young and unsuspected
passion had stolen into her bosom, and imparted to her voice and
countenance all its subtle power to enchant and to subdue. Thaddeus
was not insensible to this gentle fascination; for it appeared to his
ingenuous nature to be unconsciously shown, and from under "veiled
lids." He looked on her as indeed a lovely woman, who, with a
touching delicacy, he observed, often tried to stifle sigh after
sigh, which, fluttering rose to her silent lips. Thus, as silently
remarking her, he became deeply interested in her; for he believed
her yearning heart then thought of her gallant husband, far, far at
sea. So had been his conclusion when he first noticed these
demonstrations of an inward unuttered sensibility. But in a little
while afterwards, when those veiled lids were occasionally raised,
and met his compassionate gaze, she mistook the nature of its
expression; and her responsive glance, wild with ecstasy, returned
him one that darted astonishment, with an appalling dread of his
meaning, through his every vein. But on his pillow the same night,
when he reflected on what he had felt on receiving so strange a look
from a married woman, and one, too, whom he believed to be a virtuous
one! he could not, he would not, suppose it meant anything to him;
and ashamed of even the idea having entered his head, he crushed it
at once, indignant at himself. Though, whenever he subsequently met
her at Lady Tinemouth's, he could not help, as if by a natural
impulse, avoiding the encountering of her eyes.
In the course of conversation at dinner, on the day Thaddeus had been
expected by Lady Tinemouth, in a tone of pleasure she mentioned that
she had conferred a great favor on her young cousins, the Misses
Dundas, by having prevailed on Mr. Constantine to undertake the
trouble of teaching them German. Lady Sara could not conceal her
vexation, nor her wonder at Lady Tinemouth's thinking of such a
thing; and she uttered something like angry contempt at acquiescence,
while inwardly she hated her former old friend for having made the
proposal.
Miss Egerton laughed at the scrape into which Lady Tinemouth had
brought his good nature, and declared she would tell him next time
she saw him what a mulish pair of misses he had presumed to manage.
It was the youngest of these misses that excited Lady Sara's
displeasure. Euphemia Dundas was very pretty; she had a large fortune
at her disposal; and what might not such united temptations effect on
the mind of a man exposed every day to her habitual flirtation? Stung
with jealousy, Lady Sara caught at a slight intimation of his
possibly coming in before the evening should close. Rallying her
smiles, she resolved to make one more essay on his relapsed
insensibility, before she beheld him enter scenes so likely to
extinguish her hopes. Hopes of what? She never allowed herself to
inquire. She knew that she never had loved her husband, that now she
detested him, and was devoted to another. To be assured of a
reciprocal passion from that other, she believed was the extent of
her wish. Thinking that she held her husband's honor safe as her
life, she determined to do what she pleased with her heart. Her
former admirers were now neglected; and, to the astonishment and
admiration of the graver part of her acquaintance, she had lately
relinquished all the assemblies in which she had so recently been the
brightest attraction, to seclude herself by the domestic fireside of
the Countess of Tinemouth.
Thus, whilst the world were admiring a conduct they supposed would
give a lasting happiness to herself and to her husband, she was
cherishing a passion which might prove the destruction of both.
On Sunday evening, Thaddeus entered Lady Tinemouth's drawing-room
just as Miss Egerton seated herself before the tea equipage. At sight
of him she nodded her head, and called him to sit by her. Lady
Tinemouth returned the grateful pressure of his hand. Lady Sara
received him with a palpitating heart, and stooped to remove
something that seemed to incommode her foot; but it was only a feint,
to hide the blushes which were burning on her cheek. No one observed
her confusion. So common is it for those who are the constant
witnesses of our actions to be the most ignorant of their expression
and tendency.
Thaddeus could not, in spite of himself, be so uninformed, and he
gladly obeyed a second summons from the gay Sophia, and drew his
chair close to hers.
Lady Sara observed his motions with a pang she could not conceal; and
pulling her seat as far from the opposite side as possible, began in
silence to sip her tea.
"Ye powers of gallantry!" suddenly exclaimed Miss Egerton, pushing
away the table, and lifting her eye-glass to her eye, "I declare I
have conquered! Look, Lady Tinemouth; look, Lady Sara! If Mr.
Constantine does not better become this English dress than his Polish
horribles did him, drown me for a witch!"
"You see I have obeyed you, madam," returned Thaddeus smiling.
"Ah! you are in the right. Most men do that cheerfully, when they
know they gain by the bargain. Now, you look like a Christian man;
before, you always reminded me of some stalking hero in a tragedy."
"Yes," cried Lady Sara, forcing a smile; "and now you have given him
a striking resemblance to George Barnwell!"
Sophia, who did not perceive the sarcasm couched under this remark,
good-humoredly replied:
"May be so, Lady Sara; but I don't care for his black suit: obedience
was the thing I wanted, and I have it in the present appearance."
"Pray, Lady Tinemouth," asked her ladyship, seeking to revenge
herself on his alacrity to obey Miss Egerton, "what o'clock is it? I
have promised to be at Lady Sarum's concert by ten."
"It is not nine," returned the countess; "besides, this is the first
time I have heard of your engagement. I hoped you would have spent
all the evening with us."
"No," answered Lady Sara, "I cannot." And ringing the bell, she rose.
"Bless me, Lady Sara!" cried Miss Egerton, "you are not going? Don't
you hear that it is little more than eight o'clock?"
Busying herself in tying her cloak, Lady Sara affected not to hear
her, and told the servant who opened the door to order her carriage.
Surprised at this precipitation, but far from guessing the cause,
Lady Tinemouth requested Mr. Constantine to see her ladyship down
stairs.
"I would rather not," cried she, in a quick voice; and darting out of
the room, was followed by Thaddeus, who came up with her just as she
reached the street door. He hastened to assist her into the carriage,
and saw by the light of the flambeaux her face streaming with tears.
He had already extended his hand, when, instead of accepting it, she
pushed it from her, and jumped into the carriage, crying in an
indignant tone, "To Berkeley Square." He remained for a few minutes
looking after her; then returned into the house, too well able to
translate the meaning of all this petulance.
When he reascended the stairs, Lady Tinemouth expressed her wonder at
the whimsical departure of her friend; but as Thaddeus (who was
really disturbed) returned a vague reply, the subject ended.
Miss Egerton, who hardly thought two minutes on the same thing, sent
away the tea-board, and, sitting down by him, exclaimed,--
"Mr. Constantine, I hold it right that no man should be thrown into a
den of wild creatures without knowing what sort of animals he must
meet there. Hence, as I find you have undertaken the taming of that
_ursa major_ Lady Dundas, and her pretty cubs, I must give you a
taste of their quality. Will you hear me?"
"Certainly."
"Will you attend to my advice?"
"If I like it."
"Ha!" replied she, returning his smile with another; "that is just
such an answer as I would have made myself, so I won't quarrel with
you. Lady Tinemouth, you will allow me to draw your kinsfolks'
pictures?"
"Yes, Sophia, provided you don't make them caricatures. Remember,
your candor is at stake; to-morrow Mr. Constantine will judge for
himself."
"And I am sure he will agree with me. Now, Lady Dundas, if you
please! I know your ladyship is a great stickler for precedence."
Lady Tinemouth laughed, and interrupted her--
"I declare, Sophia, you are a very daring girl. What do you not risk
by giving way to this satirical spirit?"
"Not anybody's love that I value, Lady Tinemouth: _you_ know
that I never daub a fair character; Mr. Constantine takes me on your
credit; and if you mean Charles Montresor, he is as bad as myself,
and dare not for his life have any qualms."
"Well, well, proceed," cried her ladyship; "I will not interrupt you
again."
"Then," resumed she, "I must begin with Lady Dundas. In proper
historical style, I shall commence with her birth, parentage, and
education. For the first, my father remembers her when she was
_damoiselle a'honneur_ to Judge Sefton's lady at Surat, and soon
after her arrival there, this pretty Abigail by some means captivated
old Hector Dundas, (then governor of the province,) who married her.
When she returned in triumph to England, she coaxed her foolish
husband to appropriate some of his rupee riches to the purchase of a
baronetage. I suppose the appellation _Mistress_ put her in mind
of her ci-devant abigailship; and in a fond hour he complied, and she
became _My Lady_. That over, Sir Hector had nothing more
obliging to do in this world but to clear her way to perhaps a
coronet. He was so good as to think so himself: and, to add to former
obligations, had the civility to walk out of it; for one night,
whether he had been dreaming of his feats in India, or of a review of
his grand entry into his governorship palace, I cannot affirm, but he
marched out of his bed room window and broke his neck. Ever since
that untoward event, Lady Dundas has exhibited the finest parties in
town. Everybody goes to see her, but whether in compliment to their
own taste or to her silver muslins, I don't know; for there are half
a dozen titled ladies of her acquaintance who, to my certain
knowledge, have not bought a ball-dress this twelvemonth. Well, how
do you like Lady Dundas?"
"I do not like your sketch," replied Thaddeus, with an unconscious
sigh.
"Come, don't sigh about my veracity," interrupted Miss Egerton; "I do
assure you I should have been more correct had I been more severe;
for her Indian ladyship is as ill-natured as she is ill-bred, and is
as presumptuous as ignorant; in short she is a fit mamma for the
delectable Miss Dundas, whose description you shall have in two
questions. Can you imagine Socrates in his wife's petticoats? Can you
imagine a pedant, a scold, and a coquette in one woman? If you can,
you have a foretaste of Diana Dundas. She is large and ugly, and
thinks herself delicate and handsome; she is self-willed and
arrogant, and believes herself wise and learned; and, to sum up all,
she is the most malicious creature breathing."
"My dear Sophia," cried Lady Tinemouth, alarmed at the effect such
high coloring might have on the mind of Thaddeus; "for heaven's sake
be temperate! I never heard you so unbecomingly harsh in my life."
Miss Egerton peeped archly in her face.
"Are you serious, Lady Tinemouth? You know that I would not look
unbecoming in your eyes. Besides, she is no real relation of yours.
Come, shake hands with me, and I will be more merciful to the gentle
Euphemia, for I intend that Mr. Constantine shall be her favorite.
Won't you?" cried she, resigning her ladyship's hand. Thaddeus shook
his head. "I don't understand your Lord Burleigh nods; answer me in
words, when I have finished: for I am sure you will delight in the
zephyr smiles of so sweet a fairy. She is so tiny and so pretty, that
I never see her without thinking of some gay little trinket, all over
precious stones. Her eyes are two diamond sparks, melted into lustre;
and her teeth, seed pearl, lying between rubies. So much for the
casket; but for the quality of the jewel within, I leave you to make
the discovery."
Miss Egerton having run herself out of breath, suddenly stopped.
Seeing that he was called upon to say something, Thaddeus made an
answer which only drew upon him a new volley of raillery. Lady
Tinemouth tried to avert it, but she failed; and Sophia continued
talking with little interruption until the party separated for the
night.