TRAMPLING UPON FIVE
I cannot truthfully say that I felt exactly proud of myself as I
marched down to the drawing-room. I met Eveleen coming up as I went
down, and she looked flurried; then I met Lilian, and she looked more
flurried still; and, lastly, at the foot of the stairs, mamma.
Something told me that all three of them had been in the drawing-room
to try to bring those men to a consciousness of shame. There was that
in their bearing which hinted that they had not succeeded. Eveleen
suggested a desire to shake me; Lilian an inclination to bite my nose
off; and as for mamma, she received me in a state of fluster which
spoke volumes.
“You understand, Norah, that I have forbidden you to disgrace me, and
I forbid you again!”
I was just in a mood to melt, and had mamma adopted another tone, or
even appealed to me to leave her Major Tibbet, I am nearly sure I
should have melted. But when she spoke to me like that, of course,
needles came out all over me, and I smiled as sweetly as I knew how.
“Disgrace you, mamma? Why it was not necessary to forbid me to do
that. I am sure you have brought me up too carefully to think it.”
Somehow my soft answer did not seem to turn away mamma’s wrath.
“Don’t be impertinent, miss! I command you to go into that room and
dismiss those men!”
“Certainly, mamma; if you will come with me.”
She wavered, apparently she had just gone through a little passage in
which she had been worsted.
“I will come with you, but no nonsense, mind; without any unnecessary
words you will dismiss them at once and finally.”
I was just about to open the drawing-room door for mamma to enter,
when Audrey came flying down the staircase. It certainly did seem,
judging by the very first words she uttered, that she had been
listening over the banisters.
“Norah, stop! Mamma, don’t be unreasonable. Let her go!”
Mamma stared. “Let her go! Alone! With those five men! After the way
in which they have behaved! Audrey, are you mad?”
“Really, mamma, to hear you talk one would think that none of us had
ever been out with gentlemen alone. What harm will they do her? She’ll
be as safe with them as she would with you. I’m sure they can be
trusted. As the child says, she hasn’t had much fun; let her enjoy the
streak that’s come her way. Now, Norah, in you go, and remember what I
told you, trample on them for all you’re worth! And have a really good
time, my dear! And, mamma, you come upstairs with me.”
She pulled me down to her, and kissed me. We were not a kissing
family--most emphatically not among ourselves! And to be kissed by
Audrey, at such a moment! It had almost the same effect on me which
mine had on Jane; only fortunately I had more sense than she had, and
could exercise some self-control.
Mamma went up the stairs with Audrey, as meek as a lamb--everybody
gives in to Audrey--and I went into the drawing-room, conscious of a
strong, and most unwonted disposition to be peacocky.
They rushed at me the moment I showed my nose inside the door--all
five.
“You have kept us waiting,” began Mr Hammond. “I said at a quarter-to,
sharp!”
“And with dinner ordered punctually at seven,” went on the Major. “And
with fish which will resent an instant’s delay.”
I resolved to put a stop to that sort of thing at once. I waved them
back with Audrey’s fan--she had lent me a beautiful black one, real
lace. I felt equal to five thousand men at least, and quite capable of
acting on the hint which she had dropped.
“Please don’t come so close. I don’t like being crowded.”
Mr Hammond proceeded to push the others back with his huge arms.
“Now, you fellows, you annoy Miss Norah!”
I caught his eye, and held it, in a fashion which, I fancy, caused him
some slight embarrassment.
“Mr Hammond, you sent me a message by the maid.”
“A message? Really? Me? I may have done.”
“You expressed a desire that I should not keep you waiting. I do not
wish to do so. Please don’t wait.”
“Miss Norah!--I--I don’t understand.”
“I say, please don’t wait. Shall I ask Mr Carter to ring for the maid
to open the door?”
“Miss Norah!”
His jaw dropped open. He displayed such unmistakeable signs of
confusion, as well as contrition, that I proceeded to forgive him, in
my own way.
“I am not accustomed to being requested by gentlemen not to keep them
waiting. Those whose acquaintance I care to have are only too glad to
consider my convenience, they never dream of expecting me to consider
theirs.”
It was a dreadful story. And a horrid thing to say as well. But
Audrey’s words were in my ears, I was bent on trampling. I had been
trampled on so long.
“So, if for any reason whatever you feel disposed to ask me to
consider your convenience, pray say so at once, and Mr Carter will
ring for the maid to open the door.”
Never was man more profusely apologetic. To see him cringing--it
really amounted to cringing--was a novel sensation for me. Never had a
man apologised to me before--at least, to the best of my recollection
and belief.
“I am sure, Miss Norah, I beg ten thousand pardons. Nothing further
from my mind than to consider myself, in any way; only too proud and
happy to be allowed to consider you; quite a mistake if anything can
have induced you to suppose the contrary. Fact is, I was thinking of
the Major’s dinner.”
“The Major’s dinner? What about the Major’s dinner?”
“He ordered it at seven.”
“Did he? And how does that interest you?”
“It doesn’t--not at all!--not in the slightest!--not in the very least
degree!--do assure you! Might I--might I venture to hope, Miss Norah,
that you--you--you’ll do me the honour of accepting these few
flowers?”
Thereupon they all came crowding round me again, each with a floral
offering.
“Did I not ask you not to come too close? I do not care to be
conscious of another person’s proximity.” They slunk back, like dogs
before a whip. “I see, Mr Hammond, that you have camellias. I don’t
like camellias. I think they’re vulgar. You might put them on the
table. Nor do I care for stephanotis, I am obliged to you, Major
Tibbet. Thank you, Mr Rumford, I have had some roses given me this
afternoon, already. You might put them with the other flowers on the
table. You are very good, Mr Purchase, but obviously Parma violets do
not go with black. They suggest mourning. You can hardly wish me to go
into mourning at the prospect of spending part of an evening with you.
I am not sure, Mr Carter, that I care for lilies-of-the-valley either.
They are not quite so bad as camellias, but they are a little wooden.
Don’t you think so? Stay! Let me look at them. After all, they do go
with black. Perhaps I will wear them, since there is nothing else to
wear.”
Even in my then mood it did seem incredible that they should endure my
impertinence--worse, my ingratitude--and never show a sign of
resentment. But something seemed to tell me that I might say and do
exactly what I pleased, and they would still crouch at my feet, ready
to endure anything rather than that I should not notice them at all. I
was beginning, already, to understand what it is which makes a woman
love the sense of power, the consciousness of being able to do as she
likes with men. As is the case, I have heard, with some beggars on
horseback, I was disposed to ride my steed for all it was worth, with
cruel and scandalous disregard of the possibility of the poor brute’s
breaking down upon the road.
Pulling Mr Carter’s carefully-arranged little nosegay to pieces I
tossed some of the lilies aside and pinned the rest against my
bodice--the five watching me with a queer sort of speechlessness,
which nearly moved me to laughter.
“Now, let me understand what the programme is for this evening. Aren’t
we to have some dinner?”
Major Tibbet held both hands out in front of him as he replied:
“I have ordered dinner at the King’s Restaurant--a sumptuous dinner,
Miss Norah--at seven--exactly! It is already a quarter past--it will
be spoilt!”
“Will it? Then we will dine elsewhere.”
“Dine elsewhere?”
“Certainly. Where we are not likely to encounter black looks, and
excuses, because we choose to be a little late.”
“But--I shall have to pay in any case.”
“Shall you? Mr Rumford, where do you propose that we shall dine?”
He displayed a feeling for his fellow of which I chose to show myself
incapable.
“Well, Miss Norah, I gathered that the Major had arranged to dine at
the King’s.”
“At seven. But we can’t eat a seven-o’clock dinner at half-past; we
want to have something fit to eat. Have you nothing, Mr Hammond, to
suggest?”
“I suggest, Miss Norah, what you suggest--absolutely. Entirely in your
hands--only too delighted.”
“And you, Mr Purchase, what do you say?”
“I would remind you, Miss Norah, that you accepted Major Tibbet’s
invitation to dine at the King’s.”
“Indeed! When you are a little older, Mr Purchase, you will learn that
women sometimes change their minds.” He was about ten years older than
I was, and had perhaps had ten times as much experience; but those
were trifles light as air. “Are you void of ideas, Mr Carter?”
“You must dine at the King’s Restaurant, Miss Norah.”
“Must? You use rather an odd word. Must?”
“Perhaps I had better have said that you will dine at the King’s
Restaurant, Miss Norah. Having made an engagement, a lady keeps it.”
After the way in which he--indeed, in which they all--had behaved, the
idea of his talking to me like that was good. Taking no notice of him,
whatever, I crossed to Mr Hammond.
“You appear to be the most agreeable and obliging person present. Will
you give me some dinner at Dupont’s? I never have dined at Dupont’s,
but have often thought that I should like to.”
“Too charmed--only too charmed!”
“Thank you so much. These gentlemen can dine with Major Tibbet at the
King’s, where we’ll hope that they’ll enjoy their meal.”
I took the arm which Mr Hammond offered, and the others came rushing
to the front. Mr Carter, in particular, was most eloquent.
“Miss Norah, what have we done that you should desert us? You promised
that you would be our guest--our co-guest.”
I put into my voice and words as much impertinence as I possibly
could.
“I like your manners so little that I really cannot fancy you as one
of my hosts, Mr Carter.”
“I only ventured to remind you that you had accepted----”
“No excuses, or explanations; I dislike both. If I consent to still
suffer you near me, please understand that to-night I am above the
law. My whims are to be paramount; my most transitory wish your chief
desire. I may change my mind a hundred times; each time you’re at once
to change yours too. Nor are you to so much as hint that I was ever in
another mind. It does not follow because I tell Mr Hammond that I’ll
dine with him at Dupont’s that I will--or that I’ll dine at all. In
five minutes I may be in fifty moods. If you desire to question any
one of them, please do not inflict your company on me. It is not the
manner which I care for in a host of mine. Mr Hammond, at the present
moment I am disposed to dine with you at Dupont’s. If these gentlemen
choose, and know how to behave, it may be that they can dine there
too.”
I went out of the room on Mr Hammond’s arm. The others came after us,
with faces which were a little black. It was just possible that Major
Tibbet was thinking of the bill which he would have to pay for the
uneaten dinner at the King’s Restaurant. I have heard that for quite
ordinary repasts their charges were enormous. Under the circumstances
it could not have been pleasant for him to reflect that he had
commanded them to do their very best.