A PRESENT OF COFFEE.
It was two o'clock when Lady Adela returned home. She ran lightly
upstairs and into the drawing-room, throwing off her mantle as she
came in. A tray of refreshments stood on a side-table.
Mr. Grubb rose from his chair. "It is very late, Adela."
"Late! Not at all. I wish to _goodness_ you wouldn't sit up for me!"
She went to the table and stood looking at the decanters, as if
deliberating what she should take, murmuring something about being
"frightfully thirsty."
"What shall I give you?" he asked.
"Nothing," was the ungracious answer, most ungraciously spoken. And
she poured out a tumbler of weak sherry-and-water, and drank it; a
second, and drank that also. Then, without taking any notice of him,
she went up to her chamber. Anything more pointedly, stingingly
contemptuous than her behaviour to her husband now, and for some time
past, has never been exhibited by mortal woman.
Mr. Grubb rang for the servants to put out the wax-lights, and went up
in his turn. There was no sleep for him that night, whatever there
might have been for her. He knew not how to act, how to arrest this
new pursuit of hers; he scarcely knew even how to open the matter to
her. She appeared to be asleep when he rose in the morning and passed
into his dressing-room. She herself soon afforded him the opportunity.
He was seated at his solitary breakfast, a meal his wife rarely
condescended to take with him, when her maid entered, bringing a
message from her lady--that she wished to see him before he left for
the City. Master Charley Cleveland, usually his breakfast companion,
had not made his appearance at home since the previous night.
"Is your lady up, Darvy?"
"Oh dear yes, sir, and at breakfast in her dressing-room."
He went up to it. How very lovely she looked, sitting there at her
coffee, in her embroidered white dress and pink ribbons, and the
delicate lace cap shading her sweet features. She had risen thus early
to get money from him; he knew that, before she asked for it.
"You wished to see me, Lady Adela."
"I want some money," she said in a light, flippant kind of tone, as if
it were the sole purpose of Mr. Grubb's existence to supply her
demands.
"Impossible," he rejoined. "You had two hundred pounds from me the day
before yesterday."
"I must have two hundred more this morning. I want it."
"What is it that you are doing with all this money? It has much
puzzled me."
"Oh--making a purse for myself," she answered saucily.
"You can trust to me to do that for you. I cannot continue to supply
you, Adela."
"But I must have it," she retorted, raising her voice, and speaking as
if he were the very dirt under her feet. "I will have it."
"No," he replied calmly, but with firm resolution in his tone. "I
shall give you no more until your allowance is due."
She looked up, quite a furious expression on her lovely face.
"Not give it me! Why, what do you suppose I married you for?"
"Adela!" came his reproof, almost whispered.
"I would not have taken you but for your money; you know that. They
promised me at home that I should have unlimited command of it; and I
will."
"You have had unlimited command," he observed, and there was no
irritation suffered to appear in his tone, whatever may have been his
inward pain. "It is for your own sake I must discontinue to supply
it."
"You are intelligible!" was her scornful rejoinder: for, in good
truth, this refusal was making havoc of her temper.
"All that you can
need in every way shall be yours, Adela. Purchase what you like, order
what you like; I will pay the bills without a murmur. _But I will not
give you money to waste, as you have latterly wasted it, at Lady
Sanely's_."
She rose from her seat, pale with anger. "First Charles Cleveland,
then Lady Sanely: what else am I to be lectured upon? How dare you
presume to interfere with my pursuits?"
"I should ill be fulfilling my duty to you, or my love either, Adela,
what is left of it, if I did not interfere."
"I will not listen, Mr. Grubb: if you attempt to preach to me, as you
did last night, I will run away. Sit down and write me a cheque for
the money."
"There is no necessity for me to repeat my refusal, Adela. Until I
have reason to believe that this new liking for PLAY has left you, you
should draw my blood from me, sooner than money to pursue it. But
remember," he impressively added, "that I say this in all kindness."
She looked at him, her delicate throat working, her breath growing
short with passion.
"Will you give me the cheque?"
"I will not. Anything more, Adela, for I am late?"
There was no answer in words, but she suddenly raised the cup, which
chanced to be in her hand and was half full of coffee and flung it at
him. It struck him on the chin, the coffee falling upon his clothes.
It was a moment of embarrassment for them both. He looked steadfastly
at her, with a calm, despairing sorrow, and then quitted the room.
Lady Adela, her senses returning, sank back in her chair; and in the
reaction of her inexcusable passion, she sobbed aloud.
It was quite a violent fit of sobbing: and she smothered her head up
that he should not hear. She did feel ashamed of herself, felt even a
little honest shame at her general treatment of him. As her sobs
subsided, she heard him in his dressing-room, changing his things, and
she wished she had not done it. But she must have the money; that, and
more; and without it, she should be in a frightful dilemma, and
might have her name posted up as a card-playing defaulter in the
drawing-rooms of society. So she determined to have another battle for
it with her husband, and she dried the tears on her fair young face,
and opened his dressing-room door quite humbly, so to say, and went
into it.
It was empty. Mr. Grubb's movements had been rapid, and he was already
gone. He had put out of sight the stained things taken off, removed
all traces of them. Was she not sensible even of this? Did she not
know that he was thus cautious for her own sake--that no scandal might
be given to the servants? Not she. With his disappearance, and the
consequent failure of her hope, all her resentment was returning. Her
foot kicked against something on the floor, and she stooped to pick it
up. It was her husband's cheque-book, which he must have unconsciously
dropped when transferring things from one pocket to another.
Was a demon just then at Lady Adela's side?--what else could have
impelled her?--what else whispered to her of a way to supply the money
she wanted? Once only a momentary hesitation crossed her; but she
drove it away, and carried the cheques to her writing-table and _used
one of them_.
She drew it for five hundred pounds, a heavy sum, and she boldly
signed it "Grubb and Howard." For it happened to be the cheque-book of
the firm, not of her husband's private account. She was clever at
drawing, clever at imitating styles of writing--not that she had ever
turned her talent to its present use, or thought so to turn it--and
the signature, when finished, looked very like her husband's own. Then
she carried back the cheque-book, and laid it on the floor where she
found it.
Some time after all this was accomplished, she was passing downstairs,
deliberating upon whether she could dare to go to the bank herself to
get the cheque cashed, when Charles Cleveland came in, and bounded up
the stairs.
"Where did Mr. Grubb breakfast this morning?" he inquired, apparently
in a desperate hurry, as they shook hands, and turned into one of the
sitting-rooms, Charley devouring her with his eyes all the time.
Little blame to him either, for she was looking most lovely: the
excitement, arising from what she had done, glowing in her cheeks like
a sweet blush rose.
"What a question! He breakfasted at home."
"Yes, yes, dear Lady Adela. I meant in which room." For Mr. Grubb
sometimes breakfasted in the regular breakfast-room, and sometimes in
his library.
"I really don't know, and don't care," returned Adela, connecting the
question somehow, in her own mind, with the present of coffee he had
received. "His breakfasting is a matter of indifference to me. And
pray, Mr. Charley, where did _you_ breakfast this morning?--and what
became of you last night? Have you been making a night of it with the
owls and the bats?"
"I went to my brother's. Harry had some fellows with him, and we, as
you express it, dear Lady Adela, made a night of it. That is, we broke
up so late that I would not disturb your house by returning here:
Harry gave me a sofa, and I went direct from him to Leadenhall Street
this morning."
"And what have you come back for?"
"For Mr. Grubb's cheque-book. He has missed it, and thinks he must
have left it on the breakfast-table."
"Charley," she said, "I was just wanting you. _Will_ you do me a
favour?"
"I will do everything you wish," he answered, his tones literally
trembling with tenderness.
"I want you to go to the bank in Lombard Street, and got me a cheque
cashed. Mr. Grubb gave it me this morning, and I am in a hurry for the
money, for I expect people here every minute with some accounts. It is
not crossed. Take a cab, and go at once."
"I will. I can leave the cheque-book in Leadenhall Street first."
"No, you must not wait to find the cheque-book. I will look for it
whilst you are gone. You will not be many minutes, I am sure, and I
tell you I am all impatience."
Charley Cleveland hesitated. "I scarcely know what to say," he
replied, dubiously, to this. "Mr. Grubb is waiting for the
cheque-book. This is Saturday, you know."
"What if it is?"
"We are always so busy on Saturdays."
"Very well, Charles," she returned in hurt, resentful tones. "If you
like Mr. Grubb better than you do me, you will oblige him first. You
would be there and back in no time."
"Dearest Lady Adela! Like Mr. Grubb better than---- Well, I will do
it, though I dare say I shall get into a row. Have the cheque-book
ready, that I may not lose a moment when I get back." And Adela nodded
assent.
"A confounded row, too," he muttered to himself, as he tore down the
stairs, and into the cab; "but I will go through a thundercloud full
of rows for _her_." Charley gave a concise word to the driver, and
away dashed the cab towards Lombard Street, at a pace which terrified
the road generally, and greatly astonished the apple-stalls.
He was back in an incredibly short space of time, and paid the notes
over to her. "Have you found the cheque-book?" he asked then.
"I declare I never thought about it," was Lady Adela's reply. "But he
breakfasted in the library, I hear. Perhaps you will find it there."
He rushed into the library. And there, on the table, was the missing
cheque-book. Oh, wary Lady Adela!
She followed him into the room. "Charley," she whispered, "don't say
you have been out for me--no need to say you have seen me. The fact
is, that staid husband of mine had a grumbling fit upon him last
night, and accused me of talking and laughing too much with the world
in general and Mr. Charles Cleveland in particular. If they find fault
with you for loitering, say you were detained on some matter of your
own."
He nodded in the affirmative. But a red vermilion was stealing over
his face, dyeing it to the very roots of his hair, and his heart's
pulses were rising high. For surely in that last speech she meant to
imply that she _loved_ him. And Master Charles felt his brain turn
round as it had never turned before, and he bent that flushed face
down upon her hand, and left on it an impassioned, though very
respectful kiss, by way of adieu.
"What a young goose he is!" thought Adela.
Very ill at ease, that day, was the Lady Adela. Reckless though she
might be as to her husband's good opinion, implicitly secure though
she felt that he would hush up the matter and shield her from
consequences, she could not help being dissatisfied with what she had
done. Suppose exposure came?--she would not like that. She had written
Mr. Howard's name, as well as her husband's! She lost herself in a
reverie, her mind running from one ugly point to another. Try as she
would, she could not drive the thoughts away, and by the afternoon she
had become seriously uneasy. Was such a case ever known as that of a
wife being brought to trial for---- "Whatever possesses me to dwell
upon such things?" she mentally queried, starting up in anger with
herself. "Rather order the carriage and go and pay my last night's
losses."
From Lady Sanely's she went to her mother's, intending to stay and
dine there. Somehow she was already beginning to shrink from meeting
her husband's face. However, she found they were all engaged to dine
at Colonel Hope's, including her sister Mary. So Adela had to return
home: but she took care not to do it until close upon the dinner hour.
Mr. Grubb and Charles Cleveland were both at table. Neither of them
alluded to the unpleasant topic uppermost in her mind, so she
concluded that as yet nothing had come out. Mr. Grubb was very
silent--the result no doubt of the coffee in the morning.
"I am going to Netherleigh tomorrow morning, sir," observed Charles;
"shall try to get there in time for church. My father has written to
ask me. Could you allow me to remain for Monday also? Harry means to
run down that day, to say good-bye."
"Monday?" considered Mr. Grubb. "Yes, I suppose you can. There's
nothing particular that you will be required for on Monday, that I
know of. You may stay."
"Thank you, sir."
"When does your brother leave?"
"I think on Tuesday morning."
Accordingly, on the following morning, Sunday, Charley left the house
to go to Netherleigh. Mr. Grubb went to church, as usual; Adela made
excuse--said her head ached. When he returned home at one o'clock, he
found she had gone to her mother's; and, without saying to him with
your leave, or by your leave, without, in fact, giving him any
intimation whatever, she remained at Chenevix House for the rest of
the day.
On the Monday, Mr. Grubb went to business at the customary hour,
but returned early in the afternoon to attend some public
meeting in Westminster, connected with politics. Influential
people--Conservatives: who were called Tories then--had for some time
past been soliciting him to go into Parliament; he had not quite made
up his mind yet whether he would, or not.
He and his wife dined alone. Lord and Lady Kindon, with whom they were
intimate, were to have dined with them; but only a few minutes before
the time of sitting down, a note came to say they had received ill
news of one of their children, who was at school at Twickenham, and
had to hasten thither. Adela was tryingly cross and contrary at table:
she had not wished to be alone with her husband, lest he should have
found out what she had done, and begin upon it. So, after the first
few minutes, the meal proceeded nearly in silence. She did not fear
the explosion quite as much as she did at first: each hour, as it went
on smoothly, helped to make her uneasiness less.
But she was not to escape long. Just as the servants were quitting the
room, leaving the wine on the table, one of them came back again.
"Mr. Howard has called, sir. He says he would not disturb you at this
hour, but he must see you on a matter of pressing business."
"Pressing business!" echoed Mr. Grubb. "Show Mr. Howard in. A chair,
Richard, and glasses."
The stiff and stern old man entered, bowing to Lady Adela. His
iron-grey hair looked greyer than usual, and his black coat rusty.
Rusty coats are worn by more than one millionaire.
"Why, Howard, this is quite an event for you! Why did you not come in
time for dinner? Sit down. Anything new? Anything happened?"
"Why, yes," replied Mr. Howard, who was a slow-speaking man, giving
one the idea that the bump of caution must be large on his head.
"Thank you, port."
"What is it?" inquired the senior partner.
"I will enter upon the matter presently," replied James Howard,
deliberately sipping his wine. By which answer Mr. Grubb of course
understood that he would only speak when they were alone.
Lady Adela swallowed her strawberries and left her seat so quickly
that Mr. Grubb could hardly get to the door in time to open it, and
she went up to the drawing-room. She felt sure, as sure as though she
could read his very thoughts, that "that horrid Howard" had come about
the cheque. She did not care so much that her husband should find it
out; he might do his best and his worst, and the worst from him she
did not dread greatly; but that that old ogre should know it, perhaps
take steps--oh, that was quite another thing. _Could_ he take
steps?--would the law justify it? Adela did not know; but she began to
give the reins to her imagination, and cowered in terror.
As she thus sat, her ears painfully alive to every sound, a cab
rattled into the square, and stopped at the door. It brought Charles
Cleveland. Charley had just come up from Netherleigh; the train was
late, and he was in a desperate hurry to get into his dress-clothes,
to attend a "spread"--it was what Charley called it--given by his
brother. Adela ran out, and arrested him as he was making for his
room, three stairs at a time.
"Charley, I want to speak to you--just for a moment. What mortal haste
you are in!"
To be invited thus into the drawing-room by her, to meet her again
after this temporary absence, was to him as light breaking in upon
darkness. "Oh, Charles," she added, giving him both her hands, in the
moment's agitation, "surely some good fairy sent you! I am in
distress."
"Can I soothe it?" he asked, wondering at her emotion, and retaining
her hands in his. "Can I do anything for you?"
"I am in sore need of a friend--to--to shelter me," she continued.
"Great, desperate need!"
"Can I be that friend? Suffer me, if you can. _Suffer_ me to be, Lady
Adela. Dear! dear! what can have happened?"
"But it may bring danger upon you, difficulty, even disgrace. I
believe I ought not to ask it of you."
"Danger and difficulty would be welcome, borne for you," returned
Charley, in his loyalty. "Believe that, Lady Adela."
He could not imagine what was amiss, and he caught somewhat of her
agitation. That she was in real trouble, nay, in terror, was all too
plain. For a moment the thought occurred--was Mr. Grubb angry with her
on his account? Oh, what a privilege it appeared to him, foolish but
honest-hearted fellow, to be asked to shield her!
"I will trust you," she cried, her emotion increasing. "That cheque--
but oh, Charles, do not you think ill of me! It was done in a moment
of irritation."
"Say on, dear Lady Adela."
"That cheque--he did not give it me. I had asked for money, and he
refused. I wanted it badly; and I was angry with him: _so I drew out
the cheque_."
Charley felt all at sea: not comprehending in the least. She saw it:
and was forced to go on with her painful explanation. The colour was
coming and going in her cheek; now white as a lily, now rose-red.
"That cheque you cashed for me on Saturday morning, Charley. Mr. Grubb
did not draw it. Mr. Howard's name was signed as well as his; and--and
he is with my husband in the dining-room, and I am frightened to
death."
There was a momentary pause. Charley understood now; and saw all the
_difficulty_ of the matter, as she had lightly called it. But his
honest love for her was working strongly in his heart, and he formed a
hasty, chivalrous resolve to shield her if he could. Had she not
appealed to him?
"I want you not to say that it was from me you had the cheque,
Charley."
"I never will say it. Rely upon me."
"They cannot do anything to me, I suppose; or to anyone else," she
went on. "It is the exposure that would drive me wild. I could not
bear that even that old Howard should know it was I. Oh, Charles, what
can be done?"
"Be at ease, Lady Adela. You shall never repent your confidence. Not a
breath of suspicion shall come near you. I will shield you; I am proud
to do it: shield you, if need be, with my life. You little know how
valueless that life would be without your society, dear Lady Adela."
"Now, Charles, hold your tongue. You must not take to say such things
to me. They are not right--and are all nonsense besides. What would
Mr. Grubb think?"
"Forgive me," murmured Charley, all repentance. "I did not mean to say
aught that was disloyal to him or you, Lady Adela: I could not be
capable of it, now, or ever. And I will keep my word--to shield you
through this trouble. I repeat it. I swear it."
He wrung her hand in token of good-faith, and escaped to prepare for
his engagement. She sat down, somewhat reassured, but not at all easy
in her conscience. The world just now seemed rather hard to the Lady
Adela.