CAPTAIN CLAVERING MAKES HIS FIRST ATTEMPT.
During breakfast on the following day,--which means from the hour
of one till two, for the glasses of iced gin-and-water had been
many,--Archie Clavering was making up his mind that he would begin at
once. He would go to Bolton Street on that day, and make an attempt
to be admitted. If not admitted to-day he would make another attempt
to-morrow, and, if still unsuccessful, he would write a letter; not a
letter containing an offer, which according to Archie's ideas would
not be letting her know that he was there in a manner sufficiently
potential,--but a letter in which he would explain that he had
very grave reasons for wishing to see his near and dear connexion,
Lady Ongar. Soon after two he sallied out, and he also went to a
hairdresser's. He was aware that in doing so he was hardly obeying
his friend to the letter, as this sort of operation would come rather
under the head of handling a filly with a light touch; but he thought
that he could in this way, at any rate, do no harm, if he would only
remember the instructions he had received when in the presence of the
trained mare. It was nearly three when he found himself in Bolton
Street, having calculated that Lady Ongar might be more probably
found at home then than at a later hour. But when he came to the
door, instead of knocking, he passed by it. He began to remember that
he had not yet made up his mind by what means he would bring it about
that she should certainly know that he was there. So he took a little
turn up the street, away from Piccadilly, through a narrow passage
that there is in those parts, and by some stables, and down into
Piccadilly, and again to Bolton Street; during which little tour
he had made up his mind that it could hardly become his duty to
teach her that great lesson on this occasion. She must undoubtedly
be taught to know that he was there, but not so taught on this, his
first visit. That lesson should quickly precede his offer; and,
although he had almost hoped in the interval between two of his
beakers of gin-and-water on the preceding evening that he might ride
the race and win it altogether during this very morning visit he was
about to make, in his cooler moments he had begun to reflect that
that would hardly be practicable. The mare must get a gallop before
she would be in a condition to be brought out. So Archie knocked at
the door, intending merely to give the mare a gallop if he should
find her in to-day.
He gave his name, and was shown at once up into Lady Ongar's
drawing-room. Lady Ongar was not there, but she soon came down, and
entered the room with a smile on her face and with an outstretched
hand. Between the man-servant who took the captain's name, and the
maid-servant who carried it up to her mistress,--but who did not see
the gentleman before she did so, there had arisen some mistake, and
Lady Ongar, as she came down from her chamber above expected that
she was to meet another man. Harry Clavering, she thought, had
come to her at last. "I'll be down at once," Lady Ongar had said,
dismissing the girl and then standing for a moment before her mirror
as she smoothed her hair, obliterated as far as it might be possible
the ugliness of her cap, and shook out the folds of her dress. A
countess, a widow, a woman of the world who had seen enough to make
her composed under all circumstances, one would say,--a trained mare
as Doodles had called her,--she stood before her glass doubting
and trembling like a girl, when she heard that Harry Clavering was
waiting for her below. We may surmise that she would have spared
herself some of this trouble had she known the real name of her
visitor. Then, as she came slowly down the stairs, she reflected how
she would receive him. He had stayed away from her, and she would
be cold to him,--cold and formal as she had been on the railway
platform. She knew well how to play that part. Yes; it was his turn
now to show some eagerness of friendship, if there was ever to be
anything more than friendship between them. But she changed all this
as she put her hand upon the lock of the door. She would be honest
to him,--honest and true. She was in truth glad to see him, and he
should know it. What cared she now for the common ways of women and
the usual coynesses of feminine coquetry? She told herself also, in
language somewhat differing from that which Doodles had used, that
her filly days were gone by, and that she was now a trained mare. All
this passed through her mind as her hand was on the door; and then
she opened it, with a smiling face and ready hand, to find herself in
the presence of--Captain Archie Clavering.
The captain was sharp-sighted enough to observe the change in her
manner. The change, indeed, was visible enough, and was such that it
at once knocked out of Archie's breast some portion of the courage
with which his friend's lessons had inspired him. The outstretched
hand fell slowly to her side, the smile gave place to a look of
composed dignity which made Archie at once feel that the fate which
called upon him to woo a countess was in itself hard. And she walked
slowly into the room before she spoke to him, or he to her.
"Captain Clavering!" she said at last, and there was much more of
surprise than of welcome in her words as she uttered them.
"Yes, Lady On--, Julia, that is; I thought I might as well come and
call, as I found we weren't to see you at Clavering when we were all
there at Easter." When she had been living in his brother's house
as one of the family he had called her Julia, as Hugh had done. The
connection between them had been close, and it had come naturally to
him to do so. He had thought much of this since his present project
had been initiated, and had strongly resolved not to lose the
advantage of his former familiarity. He had very nearly broken down
at the onset, but, as the reader will have observed, had recovered
himself.
"You are very good," she said; and then as he had been some time
standing with his right hand presented to her, she just touched it
with her own.
"There's nothing I hate so much as stuff and nonsense," said Archie.
To this remark she simply bowed, remaining awfully quiet. Captain
Clavering felt that her silence was in truth awful. She had always
been good at talking, and he had paused for her to say something; but
when she bowed to him in that stiff manner,--"doosed stiff she was;
doosed stiff, and impudent too," he told Doodles afterwards;--he knew
that he must go on himself. "Stuff and nonsense is the mischief, you
know." Then she bowed again. "There's been something the matter with
them all down at Clavering since you came home, Julia; but hang me if
I can find out what it is!" Still she was silent. "It ain't Hermy;
that I must say. Hermy always speaks of you as though there had never
been anything wrong." This assurance, we may say, must have been
flattering to the lady whom he was about to court.
"Hermy was always too good to me," said Lady Ongar, smiling.
"By George, she always does. If there's anything wrong it's been with
Hugh; and, by George, I don't know what it is he was up to when you
first came home. It wasn't my doing;--of course you know that."
"I never thought that anything was your doing, Captain Clavering."
"I think Hugh had been losing money; I do indeed. He was like a bear
with a sore head just at that time. There was no living in the house
with him. I daresay Hermy may have told you all about that."
"Hermione is not by nature so communicative as you are, Captain
Clavering."
"Isn't she? I should have thought between sisters--; but of course
that's no business of mine." Again she was silent, awfully silent,
and he became aware that he must either get up and go away or carry
on the conversation himself. To do either seemed to be equally
difficult, and for a while he sat there almost gasping in his misery.
He was quite aware that as yet he had not made her know that he was
there. He was not there, as he well knew, in his friend Doodles'
sense of the word. "At any rate there isn't any good in quarrelling,
is there, Julia?" he said at last. Now that he had asked a question,
surely she must speak.
"There is great good sometimes I think," said she, "in people
remaining apart and not seeing each other. Sir Hugh Clavering has not
quarrelled with me, that I am aware. Indeed, since my marriage there
have been no means of quarrelling between us. But I think it quite as
well that he and I should not come together."
"But he particularly wants you to go to Clavering."
"Has he sent you here as his messenger?"
"Sent me! oh dear no; nothing of that sort. I have come altogether on
my own hook. If Hugh wants a messenger he must find some one else.
But you and I were always friends you know,"--at this assertion she
opened her large eyes widely, and simply smiled;--"and I thought that
perhaps you might be glad to see me if I called. That was all."
"You are very good, Captain Clavering."
"I couldn't bear to think that you should be here in London, and that
one shouldn't see anything of you or know anything about you. Tell
me now; is there anything I can do for you? Do you want anybody to
settle anything for you in the city?"
"I think not, Captain Clavering; thank you very much."
"Because I should be so happy; I should indeed. There's nothing I
should like so much as to make myself useful in some way. Isn't there
anything now? There must be so much to be looked after,--about money
and all that."
"My lawyer does all that, Captain Clavering."
"Those fellows are such harpies. There is no end to their charges;
and all for doing things that would only be a pleasure to me."
"I'm afraid I can't employ you in any matter that would suit your
tastes."
"Can't you indeed, now?" Then again there was a silence, and Captain
Clavering was beginning to think that he must go. He was willing
to work hard at talking or anything else; but he could not work
if no ground for starting were allowed to him. He thought he must
go, though he was aware that he had not made even the slightest
preparation for future obedience to his friend's precepts. He began
to feel that he had commenced wrongly. He should have made her know
that he was there from the first moment of her entrance into the
room. He must retreat now in order that he might advance with more
force on the next occasion. He had just made up his mind to this and
was doubting how he might best get himself out of his chair with the
purpose of going, when sudden relief came in the shape of another
visitor. The door was thrown open and Madam Gordeloup was announced.
"Well, my angel," said the little woman, running up to her friend
and kissing her on either side of her face. Then she turned round as
though she had only just seen the strange gentleman, and curtseyed to
him. Captain Clavering holding his hat in both his hands bowed to the
little woman.
[Illustration: Captain Clavering makes his first attempt.]
"My sister's brother-in-law, Captain Clavering," said Lady Ongar.
"Madam Gordeloup."
Captain Clavering bowed again. "Ah, Sir Oo's brother," said Madam
Gordeloup. "I am very glad to see Captain Clavering; and is your
sister come?"
"No; my sister is not come."
"Lady Clavering is not in town this spring," said the captain.
"Ah, not in town! Then I do pity her. There is only de one place to
live in, and that is London, for April, May, and June. Lady Clavering
is not coming to London?"
"Her little boy isn't quite the thing," said the captain.
"Not quite de ting?" said the Franco-Pole in an inquiring voice, not
exactly understanding the gentleman's language.
"My little nephew is ill, and my sister does not think it wise to
bring him to London."
"Ah; that is a pity. And Sir Oo? Sir Oo is in London?"
"Yes," said the captain; "my brother has been up some time."
"And his lady left alone in the country? Poor lady! But your English
ladies like the country. They are fond of the fields and the daisies.
So they say; but I think often they lie. Me; I like the houses,
and the people, and the pavé. The fields are damp, and I love not
rheumatism at all." Then the little woman shrugged her shoulders and
shook herself. "Tell us the truth, Julie; which do you like best, the
town or the country?"
"Whichever I'm not in, I think."
"Ah, just so. Whichever you are not in at present. That is because
you are still idle. You have not settled yourself!" At this reference
to the possibility of Lady Ongar settling herself, Captain Clavering
pricked up his ears, and listened eagerly for what might come next.
He only knew of one way in which a young woman without a husband
could settle herself. "You must wait, my dear, a little longer, just
a little longer, till the time of your trouble has passed by."
"Don't talk such nonsense, Sophie," said the countess.
"Ah, my dear, it is no nonsense. I am always telling her, Captain
Clavering, that she must go through this black, troublesome time as
quick as she can; and then nobody will enjoy the town so much as de
rich and beautiful Lady Ongar. Is it not so, Captain Clavering?"
Archie thought that the time had now come for him to say something
pretty, so that his love might begin to know that he was there. "By
George, yes, there'll be nobody so much admired when she comes out
again. There never was anybody so much admired before,--before,--that
is, when you were Julia Brabazon, you know; and I shouldn't wonder if
you didn't come out quite as strong as ever."
"As strong!" said the Franco-Pole. "A woman that has been married is
always more admired than a meess."
"Sophie, might I ask you and Captain Clavering to be a little less
personal?"
"There is noting I hate so much as your meesses," continued Madame
Gordeloup; "noting! Your English meesses give themselves such airs.
Now in Paris, or in dear Vienna, or in St. Petersburg, they are not
like that at all. There they are nobodies--they are nobodies; but
then they will be something very soon, which is to be better. Your
English meess is so much and so grand; she never can be greater and
grander. So when she is a mamma, she lives down in the country by
herself, and looks after de pills and de powders. I don't like that.
I don't like that at all. No; if my husband had put me into the
country to look after de pills and de powders, he should have had
them all, all--himself, when he came to see me." As she said this
with great energy, she opened her eyes wide, and looked full into
Archie's face.
Captain Clavering, who was sitting with his hat in his two hands
between his knees, stared at the little foreigner. He had heard
before of women poisoning their husbands, but never had heard a woman
advocate the system as expedient. Nor had he often heard a woman
advocate any system with the vehemence which Madame Gordeloup now
displayed on this matter, and with an allusion which was so very
pointed to the special position of his own sister-in-law. Did Lady
Ongar agree with her? He felt as though he should like to know his
Julia's opinions on that matter.
"Sophie, Captain Clavering will think you are in earnest," said the
countess, laughing.
"So I am--in earnest. It is all wrong. You boil all the water out of
de pot before you put the gigot into it. So the gigot is no good, is
tough and dry, and you shut it up in an old house in the country.
Then, to make matters pretty, you talk about de fields and de
daisies. I know. 'Thank you,' I should say. 'De fields and de daisies
are so nice and so good! Suppose you go down, my love, and walk in de
fields, and pick de daisies, and send them up to me by de railway!'
Yes, that is what I would say."
Captain Clavering was now quite in the dark, and began to regard the
little woman as a lunatic. When she spoke of the pot and the gigot
he vainly endeavoured to follow her; and now that she had got among
the daisies he was more at a loss than ever. Fruit, vegetables, and
cut flowers came up, he knew, to London regularly from Clavering,
when the family was in town;--but no daisies. In France it must, he
supposed, be different. He was aware, however, of his ignorance, and
said nothing.
"No one ever did try to shut you up, Sophie!"
"No, indeed; M. Gordeloup knew better. What would he do if I were
shut up? And no one will ever shut you up, my dear. If I were you,
I would give no one a chance."
"Don't say that," said the captain, almost passionately; "don't say
that."
"Ha, ha! but I do say it. Why should a woman who has got everything
marry again? If she wants de fields and de daisies she has got them
of her own--yes, of her own. If she wants de town, she has got
that too. Jewels,--she can go and buy them. Coaches,--there they
are. Parties,--one, two, three, every night, as many as she please.
Gentlemen who will be her humble slaves; such a plenty,--all London.
Or, if she want to be alone, no one can come near her. Why should she
marry? No."
"But she might be in love with somebody," said the captain, in a
surprised but humble tone.
"Love! Bah! Be in love, so that she may be shut up in an old barrack
with de powders!" The way in which that word barrack was pronounced,
and the middle letters sounded, almost lifted the captain off his
seat. "Love is very pretty at seventeen, when the imagination is
telling a parcel of lies, and when life is one dream. To like
people,--oh, yes; to be very fond of your friends,--oh, yes; to be
most attached,--as I am to my Julie,"--here she got hold of Lady
Ongar's hand,--"it is the salt of life! But what you call love,
booing and cooing, with rhymes and verses about de moon, it is to go
back to pap and panade, and what you call bibs. No; if a woman wants
a house, and de something to live on, let her marry a husband; or if
a man want to have children, let him marry a wife. But to be shut up
in a country house, when everything you have got of your own,--I say
it is bad."
Captain Clavering was heartily sorry that he had mentioned the fact
of his sister-in-law being left at home at Clavering Park. It was
most unfortunate. How could he make it understood that if he were
married he would not think of shutting his wife up at Ongar Park?
"Lady Clavering, you know, does come to London generally," he said.
"Bah!" exclaimed the little Franco-Pole.
"And as for me, I never should be happy, if I were married, unless I
had my wife with me everywhere," said Captain Clavering.
"Bah-ah-ah!" ejaculated the lady.
Captain Clavering could not endure this any longer. He felt that the
manner of the lady was, to say the least of it, unpleasant, and he
perceived that he was doing no good to his own cause. So he rose from
his chair and muttered some words with the intention of showing his
purpose of departure.
"Good-by, Captain Clavering," said Lady Ongar. "My love to my sister
when you see her."
Archie shook hands with her and then made his bow to Madame
Gordeloup.
"Au revoir, my friend," she said, "and you remember all I say. It is
not good for de wife to be all alone in the country, while de husband
walk about in the town and make an eye to every lady he see." Archie
would not trust himself to renew the argument, but bowing again, made
his way off.
"He was come for one admirer," said Sophie, as soon as the door was
closed.
"An admirer of whom?"
"Not of me;--oh, no; I was not in danger at all."
"Of me? Captain Clavering! Sophie, you get your head full of the
strangest nonsense."
"Ah; very well. You see. What will you give me if I am right? Will
you bet? Why had he got on his new gloves, and had his head all
smelling with stuff from de hairdresser? Does he come always perfumed
like that? Does he wear shiny little boots to walk about in de
morning, and make an eye always? Perhaps yes."
"I never saw his boots or his eyes."
"But I see them. I see many things. He come to have Ongere Park for
his own. I tell you, yes. Ten thousand will come to have Ongere Park.
Why not? To have Ongere Park and all de money a man will make himself
smell a great deal."
"You think much more about all that than is necessary."
"Do I, my dear? Very well. There are three already. There is Edouard,
and there is this Clavering who you say is a captain; and there
is the other Clavering who goes with his nose in the air, and who
think himself a clever fellow because he learned his lesson at
school and did not get himself whipped. He will be whipped yet some
day,--perhaps."
"Sophie, hold your tongue. Captain Clavering is my sister's
brother-in-law, and Harry Clavering is my friend."
"Ah, friend! I know what sort of friend he wants to be. How much
better to have a park and plenty of money than to work in a ditch and
make a railway! But he do not know the way with a woman. Perhaps he
may be more at home, as you say, in the ditch. I should say to him,
'My friend, you will do well in de ditch if you work hard;--suppose
you stay there.'"
"You don't seem to like my cousin, and if you please, we will talk no
more about him."
"Why should I not like him? He don't want to get any money from me."
"That will do, Sophie."
"Very well; it shall do for me. But this other man that come here
to-day. He is a fool."
"Very likely."
"He did not learn his lesson without whipping."
"Nor with whipping either."
"No; he have learned nothing. He does not know what to do with his
hat. He is a fool. Come, Julie, will you take me out for a drive. It
is melancholy for you to go alone; I came to ask you for a drive.
Shall we go?" And they did go, Lady Ongar and Sophie Gordeloup
together. Lady Ongar, as she submitted, despised herself for her
submission; but what was she to do? It is sometimes very difficult to
escape from the meshes of friendship.
Captain Clavering, when he left Bolton Street, went down to his
club, having first got rid of his shining boots and new gloves. He
sauntered up into the billiard-room knowing that his friend would be
there, and there he found Doodles with his coat off, the sleeves of
his shirt turned back, and armed with his cue. His brother captain,
the moment that he saw him, presented the cue at his breast. "Does
she know you're there, old fellow; I say, does she know you're
there?" The room was full of men, and the whole thing was done so
publicly that Captain Clavering was almost offended.
"Come, Doodles, you go on with your game," said he; "it's you to
play." Doodles turned to the table, and scientifically pocketed the
ball on which he played; then he laid his own ball close under the
cushion, picked up a shilling and put it into his waistcoat pocket,
holding a lighted cigar in his mouth the while, and then he came back
to his friend. "Well, Clavvy, how has it been?"
"Oh, nothing as yet, you know."
"Haven't you seen her?"
"Yes, I've seen her, of course. I'm not the fellow to let the grass
grow under my feet. I've only just come from her house."
"Well, well?"
"That's nothing much to tell the first day, you know."
"Did you let her know you were there? That's the chat. Damme, did you
let her know you were there?"
In answer to this Archie attempted to explain that he was not as yet
quite sure that he had been successful in that particular; but in
the middle of his story Captain Doodles was called off to exercise
his skill again, and on this occasion to pick up two shillings. "I'm
sorry for you, Griggs," he said, as a very young lieutenant, whose
last life he had taken, put up his cue with a look of ineffable
disgust, and whose shilling Doodles had pocketed; "I'm sorry for you,
very; but a fellow must play the game, you know." Whereupon Griggs
walked out of the room with a gait that seemed to show that he had
his own ideas upon that matter, though he did not choose to divulge
them. Doodles instantly returned to his friend. "With cattle of that
kind it's no use trying the waiting dodge," said he. "You should make
your running at once, and trust to bottom to carry you through."
"But there was a horrid little Frenchwoman came in!"
"What; a servant?"
"No; a friend. Such a creature! You should have heard her talk. A
kind of confidential friend she seemed, who called her Julie. I had
to go away and leave her there, of course."
"Ah! you'll have to tip that woman."
"What, with money?"
"I shouldn't wonder."
"It would come very expensive."
"A tenner now and then, you know. She would do your business for you.
Give her a brooch first, and then offer to lend her the money. You'd
find she'll rise fast enough, if you're any hand for throwing a fly."
"Oh! I could do it, you know."
"Do it then, and let 'em both know that you're there. Yes, Parkyns,
I'll divide. And, Clavvy, you can come in now in Griggs' place." Then
Captain Clavering stripped himself for the battle.