It was the paralysed Countess who spoke. She had managed to partly raise
herself on her couch, and her face expressed positive terror. Her
husband hurried to her side,--and, with a curiously cynical smile on his
lips, Rimânez rose from the piano. Miss Charlotte, who had sat rigidly
upright and silent for some time, hastened to attend upon her sister,
but Lady Elton was singularly excited, and appeared to have gained a
sudden access of unnatural vigour.
"Go away,--I'm not ill,"--she said impatiently--"I feel better,--much
better than I have done for months. The music does me good." And
addressing her husband, she added--"Ask your friend to come and sit here
by me,--I want to talk to him. He has a magnificent voice,--and--I know
that song he sang,--I remember reading it--in a manuscript album--long
ago. I want to know where he found it--"
Rimânez here advanced with his gentle tread and courteous bearing, and
Lord Elton gave him a chair beside the invalid.
"You are working miracles on my wife,"--he said--"I have not seen her so
animated for years."
And leaving the two to talk, he crossed over to where Lady Sibyl, myself
and Miss Chesney were all seated in a group, chatting more or less
unrestrainedly.
"I have just been expressing the hope that you and your daughter will
pay me a visit at Willowsmere, Lord Elton," I said.
His brows contracted a little, but he forced a smile. "We shall be
delighted,"--he mumbled--"when do you take possession?"
"As soon as it is at all feasible"--I replied--"I shall wait in town
till the next Levée is over, as both my friend and myself have arranged
to be presented."
"Oh--ah--yes!--er--yes! That is always advisable. And it's not half such
a troublesome business as a Drawing-room is for the ladies. It's soon
over,--and low bodices are not _de rigeur_--ha--ha--ha! Who is your
presenter?"
I named a distinguished personage, closely connected with the Court, and
the Earl nodded.
"A very good man,--you could not have a better"--he said
complacently--"And this book of yours,--when does it come out?"
"Next week."
"We must get it,--we must certainly get it,"--said Lord Elton, assuming
interest,--"Sybil, you must put it down on your library list."
She assented, though, as I thought a trifle indifferently.
"On the contrary you must allow me to present it to you;" I said--"It
will be a pleasure to me which I hope you will not deny."
"You are very kind,"--she answered, lifting her beautiful eyes to mine
as she spoke--"But the librarian at Mudie's is sure to send it--he knows
I read everything. Though I confess I never buy any books except those
by Mavis Clare."
Again that woman's name! I felt annoyed, but took care not to show my
annoyance.
"I shall be jealous of Mavis Clare," I said playfully.
"Most men are!" she replied quietly.
"You are indeed an enthusiastic partisan of hers!" I exclaimed, somewhat
surprised.
"Yes, I suppose I am. I like to see any member of my sex distinguish
herself as nobly as she does. I have no genius of my own, and that is
one of the reasons why I honour it so much in other women."
I was about to make some suitable compliment by way of response to this
remark, when we were all violently startled from our seats by a most
horrible cry,--a gasping scream such as might be wrung from some
tortured animal. Aghast at the sound we stood for a moment inert,
staring at Rimânez, who came quickly towards us with an air of grave
concern.
"I am afraid," he said softly--"that the Countess is not so
well,--perhaps you had better go to her--"
Another shriek interrupted his words, and transfixed with horror we saw
Lady Elton struggling in the throes of some sudden and terrific
convulsion, her hands beating the air as if she were fighting with an
unseen enemy. In one second her face underwent such hideous contortions
as robbed it of all human semblance, and between the agonized pantings
of her difficult breath, her half-choked voice could be heard uttering
wild cries--
"Mercy!--mercy!--oh God--God! Tell Sibyl!--pray--pray to God,--pray--"
And with that she fell heavily back, speechless and unconscious.
All was instant confusion. Lady Sibyl rushed to her mother's side, with
Miss Charlotte,--Diana Chesney hung back trembling and afraid,--Lord
Elton sprang to the bell and rang it furiously.
"Fetch the doctor!" he cried to the startled servant--"Lady Elton has
had another shock! She must be taken to her room at once!"
"Can I be of any service?" I inquired, with a side-glance at Rimânez,
who stood gravely apart, a statuesquely composed figure of silence.
"No no,--thanks all the same!" and the Earl pressed my hand
gratefully--"She should not have come downstairs,--it has been too
exciting for her. Sybil, don't look at her, my dear--it will only
unnerve you,--Miss Chesney, pray go to your room,--Charlotte can do all
that is possible----"
As he spoke two of the men-servants came in to carry the insensible
Countess upstairs,--and as they slowly bore her on her coffin-like
couch past me, one of them drew the coverlet across her face to conceal
it. But not so quickly that I could not see the awful change impressed
upon it,--the indelible horror that was stamped on the drawn
features,--horror such as surely never was seen except in a painter's
idea of some lost soul in torment. The eyes were rolled up and fixed in
their sockets like balls of glass, and in them also was frozen the same
frenzied desperate look of fear. It was a dreadful face!--so dreadful in
its ghastly immovableness that I was all at once reminded of my hideous
vision of the previous night, and the pallid countenances of the three
phantoms that had scared me in my sleep. Lady Elton's looks now
resembled theirs! Sickened and appalled I averted my eyes, and was glad
to see Rimânez taking farewell of his host, the while he expressed his
regret and sympathy with him in his domestic affliction. I myself,
approaching Lady Sibyl, pressed her cold and trembling hand in mine, and
respectfully kissed it.
"I am deeply sorry!" I murmured--"I wish I could do anything to console
you!"
She looked at me with dry calm eyes.
"Thank-you. But the doctors have always said that my mother would have
another shock depriving her of speech. It is very sad; she will probably
live for some years like that."