Stiff, tired, and cold, Algernon alighted the next morning at the
coach-office in London after his night journey. He drove to a
fashionable hotel not very far from Lord Seely's house, and refreshed
himself with a warm bath and a luxurious breakfast. By the time that was
done it was eleven o'clock in the forenoon. He had been considering how
best to proceed, in a leisurely way, during his breakfast, and had
decided to go to Lord Seely's house without further delay. He knew Lady
Seely's habits well enough to feel tolerably sure that she would not be
out of her bed before eleven o'clock, nor out of her room before
mid-day. He thought he might gain access to his lordship by a _coup de
main_, if he so timed his visit as to avoid encountering my lady. So he
had himself driven to within a few yards of the house, and walked up to
the well-known door. It was a different arrival from his first
appearance on that threshold. Algernon did not fail to think of the
contrast, and he told himself that he had been very badly used by the
whole Seely family: they had done so infinitely less for him than he had
expected! The sense of injury awakened by this reflection was as
supporting to him as a cordial.
The servant who opened the door, and who at once recognised Algernon,
stared in surprise on seeing him, but was too well trained to express
emotion in any other way. After a few inquiries about Lord Seely's
health, Algernon asked if he could be allowed to see his lordship. This,
however, was a difficult matter. My lord was better, certainly, the
footman said, but my lady had given strict orders that he was not to be
disturbed. No one was admitted to his room except the doctor, who would
not make his visit until late in the afternoon.
"Oh, I shouldn't think of disturbing my lady at this hour," said
Algernon, "but I must speak with Lord Seely. It is of the very greatest
importance."
"I'll call Mr. Briggs, sir," the footman was beginning, when Algernon
stopped him. Mr. Briggs was Lord Seely's own man, and, like all the
servants in the house, was certain to obey his mistress's orders rather
than his master's, if the two should happen to conflict. Algernon
slipped some money into the footman's hand, together with a note which
he had written that morning. "There, James," said he; "if you will
manage to convey that into his lordship's own hand, I know he will see
me. And, moreover, he would be seriously annoyed if I were sent away
without having spoken to him on business of very great importance."
James reflected that the worst that could happen to him would be a
scolding from my lady. That was certainly no trifling evil; but he
decided to risk it, being moved to do so not only by the bribe, but by a
real liking for young Errington, who was generally a favourite with
other people's servants.
The note which James carried upstairs was as follows:--
"MY LORD,--I write in the driest and most matter-of-fact terms
I can find, to ask for an interview with your lordship with the
least possible delay, being unwilling to make, or to appear to
make, any claim on the regard you once professed for me, or on
the connection which unites us, and desiring you to understand
that I appeal to you on behalf of another person; and that,
were it not for that other person I should ask no more favours
of your lordship--nor, perhaps, need any.
"A. ANCRAM ERRINGTON."
In a few moments James came running downstairs and begged Algernon,
almost in a whisper, to walk up to his lordship's room.
Lord Seely was not in bed. He was reclining in an easy-chair, with one
foot and leg supported on cushions. He seemed ill and worn, but his dark
eyes sparkled as he looked eagerly at Algernon, who entered quietly and
closed the door behind him. "What is it? I'm afraid you have bad news,
Ancram," said Lord Seely, holding out his hand.
Algernon did not take it. He bowed very gravely, and stood opposite to
the little nobleman.
"Castalia----!" cried Lord Seely, much dismayed by the young man's
manner. "Don't keep me in suspense, for God's sake! Is she ill? Is she
dead?"
"No, my lord. Castalia is not dead. Neither, so far as I know, is she
ill--in body."
"What is the matter?"
"I must crave a patient hearing, my lord. I regret to have to trouble
you whilst you are ill and suffering; but what I have to say must be
said without delay. May I ask if there is anyone within hearing?"
"No! No one. You can close the door of that dressing-closet if you
choose. But there is no one there."
Algernon adopted the suggestion at once, and then sat down opposite to
Lord Seely's chair. His whole manner of proceeding was so unusual and
unexpected that it produced a very painful impression on Lord Seely.
Algernon rather enjoyed this. He began to speak with only one distinct
purpose in his mind: namely, to frighten his wife's uncle into making a
strong effort to help him out of Whitford. How much pressure would be
necessary to achieve that purpose he could not yet tell. And he began to
speak with a sort of reckless abandonment of himself to the guidance of
the moment, a mood of mind which had become very frequent with him of
late.
"Did your lordship receive a letter from Castalia begging you to obtain
a post abroad for me?"
"Certainly. My wife answered it. I--I was unable to write myself. But I
intended to reply more at length so soon as I should be better."
"Castalia showed me Lady Seely's reply. That was the first intimation I
had of Castalia's having made such an application. I mention this
because I know your lordship suspected me of being the prime mover in
all her applications to you for assistance."
Lord Seely coloured a little as he replied, "It was natural to suppose
that you influenced your wife, Ancram."
"Your lordship must not judge all cases by your own," returned the young
man, with a candid raising of his brows; and the colour on Lord Seely's
face deepened to a dark red flush, which faded, leaving him paler than
before. "As I said," continued Algernon, "I did not know what it was
that Castalia had asked you to do for us. But, now that I do know it, I
may say at once that I heartily concur with her as to its desirability."
"I cannot agree with you there; but, even if it were so, I assure you it
is out of my power----"
"Allow me, my lord! I must tax your patience to listen to what I have to
say before you give me any positive answer."
Lord Seely leaned back in his chair, and motioned with his head for
Algernon to proceed. The latter went on:
"Exile from England and from all the hopes and ambitions not very
unnatural at my age, is not such an alluring prospect that I should be
suspected of having incited Castalia to write as she has done? However,
I will say no more as to my own private and personal feelings in the
matter. I did not mean to allude to them. I beg your pardon." Algernon
sat leaning a little forward in his chair. His hands were clasped
loosely together, and rested on his knees. He kept his eyes gloomily
fixed on the carpet for the most part, and only raised them occasionally
to look up at Lord Seely without raising his head at the same time. "I
could not write what I had to say to you, my lord. I dared not write it.
Perhaps, even, if I had written, the letter might not have reached you
at once; and I could not wish its falling into other hands, so I came
away from Whitford last night quite suddenly. I have no leave of
absence; the clerk at the post-office, even, did not know I was coming
away."
"Do you mean to say, Ancram, that you have deliberately risked the loss
of your situation?"
"My 'situation' was as good as lost already. Do you know what happened
yesterday, Lord Seely? I was subjected to the agreeable ordeal of a
visit from the surveyor of the postal district in which Whitford is
situated. I was catechised magisterially. The whole office--including my
private room--was subjected to a sort of scrutiny. There have been a
great many letters missing at Whitford lately; some money-letters. That
is to say, letters which should have passed through our office have
never reached their destination. Nothing has been traced. Nothing is
known with certainty. But the concurrence of various circumstances
points to Whitford as the place where the letters have been--stolen. I
am told on all hands that such things never happened in Mr. Cooper's
time. (Mr. Cooper was my predecessor as postmaster.) I am scowled at,
and almost openly insulted in the streets, by a miller, or a baker, or
something of the kind, who lives in the neighbourhood. He declares he
has lost a considerable sum of money by the post, and plainly considers
me responsible. You may guess how pleasant my 'situation' has become in
consequence of these things being known and talked about."
"But, good Heavens, Ancram----! I don't comprehend your way of looking
at the matter. These irregularities are doubtless very distressing, but
surely your rational course would be to use every effort to discover the
cause of them and set matters right; not run away as if you were a
culprit!"
"Your lordship judges without knowing all the facts."
"Pardon me, Ancram, but no facts can justify such rash behaviour. I have
some experience of men and of the world, and I give you my deliberate
opinion that you have acted very indiscreetly, to say the least. I am
disappointed in you, Ancram. I regret to say it, but I am disappointed
in you. You have shown a want of steadiness, and--and--almost of common
sense! The more I think of it, the more I disapprove of the step you
have taken. It shows a great want of consideration for others; for your
wife. If you were alone it might be pardonable--although, excessively
ill-judged--to throw up your post at the first experience of the rough
side of things. We all have difficulties to contend with. The most
exalted position is not secure from them, as, indeed, it would appear
almost superfluous to point out! The record of my own--my own--official
life might supply you with more than one example of the value of
steadfast energy, and an inflexible determination to conquer
antagonistic circumstances."
Poor Lord Seely! He had been subdued by sickness more completely under
the dominion of his wife than could ever be the case when he was able to
move about, to get away from her, and to converse with persons who were
not entirely devoid of any semblance of respect for his opinion. Lady
Seely, it might be said, respected nobody--a point of resemblance
between herself and her young kinsman which had not led to any very
great sympathy or harmony between them; for, as it is your professed
joker who can least bear to be laughed at, so those persons who most
flippantly ignore any sentiment of reverence towards others are by no
means prepared to tolerate a want of deference towards themselves.
Certainly, my lady had snubbed her husband during his illness almost
unmercifully; she wished him to get better, and she took care that the
doctor's orders were faithfully carried out. But her course of treatment
was anything but soothing to the spirit, and my lord's pet vanities
received no consideration whatever from her. His mind being now relieved
from the first shock of apprehension which Algernon's sudden visit had
occasioned (for, though things were bad, it was a relief to him to find
that Castalia was safe and well), he could not resist the temptation to
lecture a little, and be pompous, and display his suppressed self-esteem
with a little more emphasis than usual.
Poor Lord Seely! By so doing he unconsciously drew down a terrible
catastrophe. It seemed a trivial cause to determine Algernon to speak as
he next spoke--as trivial as the heedless footfall or too-loudly spoken
word which brings the avalanche toppling down from the rock.
"The selfishness and egotism of the man are incredible!" thought
Algernon, looking at Lord Seely. "Not one word of sympathy with me! Not
a syllable to show that my feelings are worthy of any consideration
whatever. Pompous little ass!" Then he said, very gravely and quietly,
"I think, my lord, that you have forgotten what I said to you in the
hurried note I sent upstairs, about appealing to you on behalf of
another person."
Lord Seely had forgotten it.
"Ha!--no, Ancram. I--I remember what you said; but, I--I take leave to
think that if you wish to consider that other person--it is your wife
of whom you spoke, I presume?"
Algernon bowed his head.
"If you wish to consider that person effectually, you ought not to have
flown off at a tangent in the manner you have done. You
might--ahem!--you might, at least, have written to me for advice."
"Lord Seely, I am sorry to say that you are under an entire
misapprehension as to the state of the case."
Lord Seely was not accustomed to be told that he was under an entire
misapprehension on any subject.
"If so, Ancram," he answered, with some hauteur, "the fault must be
yours. I believe I should succeed in comprehending any moderately clear
and accurate statement."
"I will try to speak plainly. During the last six weeks I have been made
seriously unhappy by rumours floating about in Whitford respecting my
wife."
"Rumours----! Respecting your wife?"
"They reach my ears through various channels, and appear to be rife in
every social circle in the place."
"Rumours! Of what nature?"
There was a little pause; then Algernon said, "The least terrible of
them is, that Castalia's reason is affected, and that she is not
responsible for her actions."
Lord Seely started into a more upright posture, and then sank back again
with a suppressed cry of pain. Algernon went on, without looking up:
"Her manner has been very singular of late. She has taken to wandering
about alone, and to make her wanderings as secretly as may be; she
haunts the post-office in my absence, carefully informing herself
beforehand whether I am in my private room or not; and if I am reported
absent, she enters it, searches the drawers, and, I have the strongest
reason to believe--indeed I may say I know--that she has tampered with a
little cabinet in which I keep a few private papers, and taken letters
out of it!"
"Ancram!"
"These things, my lord, are commonly reported and spoken of by every
gossiping tongue in Whitford. I can't help the people talking. Castalia
is not liked there; her manners are unpopular, and even the persons who
were inclined to receive her kindly for my sake have been offended and
alienated. Still, the things I have told you are facts."
"I am shocked--I am surprised--and, forgive me, Ancram, a little
incredulous. You may have listened to malicious tongues; you say that my
niece is not liked by the--the class of persons with whom she now
associates, and it may be----"
"I am sorry to say, my lord, that Castalia cannot be said to associate
with any 'class of persons' in Whitford, for latterly it has become
plain to me that all our acquaintances have given her the cold
shoulder."
The mingled expression of amazement, incredulity, and offended pride on
Lord Seely's face, when Algernon made this announcement, did not operate
with the latter as an inducement to spare him. Indeed, he had now gone
almost too far to stop short. He held up his hand to deprecate any
interruption, and said, "One moment, my lord! I must ask you a question.
Have you at any time privately supplied Castalia with money unknown to
me?"
"Never! I----"
"Then, Lord Seely, I have only one more circumstance to add: Castalia,
the other day, paid a bill of considerable amount to a mercer in
Whitford without my knowledge, and without my knowing where she found
the money to pay it; and yesterday my clerk, an honest fellow and much
attached to me, told me in private and in strict confidence, that it was
currently reported in the town that one of the notes paid by my wife to
the mercer was endorsed in the same way as a note in one of the missing
money-letters I have told you of."
"Good God, Ancram! what do you mean?"
"I told you that the least terrible rumour about Castalia was the rumour
that her mind was affected."
Lord Seely's face was almost lead-coloured. He pressed his hands one on
each side of his head with a gesture of hopeless bewilderment. "This is
the most appalling thing!" he murmured, and his voice was scarcely
audible as he said it.
"I had to make my choice without delay, Lord Seely. I regret to inflict
this blow on you in your present suffering state of body; but, if I
spared you, I could not have spared Castalia. I chose to spare my wife."
"Yes, yes;--quite--quite right. Spare Castalia! I--I thank you,
Ancram--for choosing to spare her rather than me." The poor little
nobleman's face was convulsed by a kind of spasm for a second or two,
and then he burst into tears, sobbing out, with his face hidden in his
trembling hands, "What is to be done? Gracious heavens! what is to be
done?"
"I talked about choosing to spare Castalia," said Algernon, looking at
her uncle with a sort of furtive curiosity and a feeling that was more
akin to contempt than pity, "but I don't know how long it may be in my
power, or anyone's power, to spare her. The only chance for either of us
is to get away out of Whitford as quickly as possible."
"But--but----My head is so confused. I am stunned, Ancram--stunned!
But--what was I going to say? Oh! have you interrogated Castalia? What
representations does she make as to the money? There is so much to be
said--to be asked. It cannot be but that there is some error. It cannot
be. My poor Castalia!"
"Interrogating Castalia would be quite useless; worse than useless. You
don't know what her behaviour and temper have been lately. She is
utterly unreasonable. Ask anyone who knows our house in Whitford; ask my
servants what my home has been latterly. I have bought the honour of
your lordship's alliance somewhat dear."
Lord Seely sank down in his chair as if he had been struck, and his grey
head drooped on his breast. "What can I do, Ancram?" he asked, in a tone
so contrasted in its feebleness with his usual self-assured, rather
strident voice, that it might have touched some persons with compassion.
"What can I do?" Then he seemed to make a strong effort to recover some
energy of manner, and added, "If it were not for this unfortunate attack
which disables me, I would return with you to Whitford to-night. I would
see Castalia myself."
Algernon heartily congratulated himself on the fit of gout which kept
Lord Seely a prisoner. There was nothing he less desired than that her
uncle should be confronted with Castalia. He represented that the only
efficacious help Lord Seely could give under the circumstances would be
to furnish them with money to pay their debts and leave Whitford
forthwith. He pointed out that Castalia must have felt this herself,
when she wrote urging her uncle to get them some post abroad. Algernon
became eager and persuasive as he spoke, and offered a glimpse to the
man before him, whose pride and whose affections were equally wounded,
of a future which should make some amends for the bitter present--a
future in which Castalia might have peace and safety at least, and in
which her mind might regain its balance. He would be gentle, and
patient, and tender with her; and, if they were in a position that
offered no such temptations as the post-office at Whitford, the anxiety
to all who regarded Castalia would be greatly lessened. Lord Seely was,
as he had said, too much stunned by the whole interview to follow
Algernon's rapid eloquence step by step. He felt that he must have time
for reflection; besides, he was physically exhausted. He bade Algernon
leave him for a time, and return later in the day. He would give orders
that he should be admitted at once. "You--you have not seen my lady?"
said Lord Seely hesitatingly.
"No; I purposely avoided doing so. She would have naturally inquired the
cause of my unexpected presence in town, and I could speak of all this
trouble to nobody on earth but yourself, my lord."
"Right, right, Ancram. But my lady will not fail to learn that you have
been here, and we must give her some reason."
"I can say, if you choose, that I came to London on post-office
business."
Lord Seely bowed his head almost humbly, and Algernon left him. He left
him with an air of sombre resignation, but inwardly he felt himself to
be master of the situation.