CHAPTER XXXIX
Notwithstanding his brave threats made behind Angela's back, aboutforcing her to marry him in the teeth of any opposition that she couldoffer, George reached home that night very much disheartened about thewhole business. How was he to bow the neck of this proud woman to hisyoke, and break the strong cord of her allegiance to her absent lover.With many girls it might have been possible to find a way, but Angelawas not an ordinary girl. He had tried, and Lady Bellamy had tried,and they had both failed, and as for Philip he would take no activepart in the matter. What more could be done? Only one thing that hecould think of, he could force Lady Bellamy to search her finer brainsfor a fresh expedient. Acting upon this idea, he at once despatched anote to her, requesting her to come and see him at Isleworth on thefollowing morning.
That night passed very ill for the love-lorn George. Angela's vigorousand imaginative expression of her entire loathing of him had piercedeven the thick hide of his self-conceit, and left him sore as awhipped hound, altogether too sore to sleep. When Lady Bellamy arrivedon the following morning, she found him marching up and down thedining-room, in the worst of his bad tempers, and that was a veryshocking temper indeed. His light blue eyes were angry and bloodshot,his general appearance slovenly to the last degree, and a red spotburned upon each sallow cheek.
"Well, George, what is the matter? You don't look quite so happy as alover should."
He grunted by way of answer.
"Has the lady been unkind, failed to appreciate your advances, eh?"
"Now look here, Anne," he answered, savagely, "if I have to put upwith things from that confounded girl, I am not going to stand yourjeers, so stop them once and for all."
"It is very evident that she has been unkind. Supposing that insteadof abusing me you tell me the details. No doubt they are interesting,"and she settled herself in a low chair, and glanced at him keenly fromunder her heavy eyelids.
Thus admonished, George proceeded to giver her such a version of hismelancholy tale as best suited him, needless to say not a full one,but his hearer's imagination easily supplied the gaps, and, as heproceeded, a slow smile crept over her face as she conjured up thesuppressed details of the scene in the lane.
"Curse you! what are you laughing at? You came here to listen, notlaugh," broke out George furiously, when he saw it.
She made no answer, and he continued his thrilling tale withoutcomment on her part.
"Now," he said, when it was finished, "what is to be done?"
"There is nothing to be done; you have failed to win her affections,and there is an end of the matter."
"Then you mean I must give it up?"
"Yes, and a very good thing too, for the ridiculous arrangement thatyou have entered into with Philip would have half-ruined you, and youwould be tired of the girl in a month."
"Now, look you here, Anne," said George, in a sort of hiss, andstanding over her in a threatening attitude, "I have suspected forsome time that you were playing me false in this business, and now Iam sure of it. You have put the girl up to treating me like this, youtreacherous snake; you have struck me from behind, you Red Indian inpetticoats. But, look here, I will be square with you; you shall nothave all the laugh on your side."
"George, you must be mad."
"You shall see whether I am mad or not. Did you see what the brigandsdid to a fellow they caught in Greece the other day for whom theywanted ransom? First, they sent his ear to his friends, then his nose,then his foot, and, last of all, his head--all by post, mark you.Well, dear Anne, that is just how I am going to pay you out. You shallhave a week to find a fresh plan to trap the bird you have frightened,and, if you find none, first, I shall post one of those interestingletters that I have yonder to your husband--anonymously, you know--nota very compromising one, but one that will pique his curiosity and sethim making inquiries; then I shall wait another week."
Lady Bellamy could bear it no longer. She sprang up from her chair,pale with anger.
"You fiend in human form, what is it, I wonder, that has kept me solong from destroying you and myself too? Oh! you need not laugh; Ihave the means to do it, if I choose: I have had them for twentyyears."
George laughed again, hoarsely.
"Quite penny-dreadful, I declare. But I don't think you will come tothat; you would be afraid, and, if you do, I don't much care--I ampretty reckless, I can tell you."
"For your threats," she went on, without heeding him, "I care nothing,for, as I tell you, I have their antidote at hand. You have known mefor many years, tell me, did you ever see my nerve desert me? Do yousuppose that I am a woman who would bear failure when I could choosedeath? No, George, I had rather pass into eternity on the crest of thewave of my success, such as it has been, and let it break and grind meto powder there, or else bear me to greater heights. All that shouldhave been a woman's better part in the world you have destroyed in me.I do not say that it was altogether your fault, for an evil destinybound me to you, and it must seem odd to you when I say that, knowingyou for what you are, I still love you. And to fill up this void, totrample down those surging memories, I have made myself a slave to myambition, and the acquisition of another power that you cannotunderstand. The man you married me to is rich and a knight to-day. Imade him so. If I live another twenty years, his wealth shall becolossal and his influence unbounded, and I will be one of the mostpowerful women in the kingdom. Why do you suppose that I so fear yourtreachery? Do you think that I should mind its being known that I hadthrown aside that poor fig-leaf, virtue--the green garment that marksa coward or a fool; for, mark you, all women, or nearly all, would bevicious if they dared. Fear and poverty of spirit restrain them, notvirtue. Why, it is by their vices, properly managed, that women havealways risen, and always will rise. To be really great, I think that awoman must be vicious with discrimination, and I respect viceaccordingly. No, it is not that I fear. I am afraid because I have ahusband whose bitter resentment is justly piling up against me fromyear to year, who only lies in wait for an opportunity to destroy me.Nor is he my only enemy. In his skilful hands, the letters you possesscan, as society is in this country, be used so as to make mepowerless. Yes, George, all the good in me is dead; the mad love Ihave given you is hourly outraged, and yet I cannot shake it off._There_ alone my strength fails me, and I am weak as a child. Only thepower to exercise my will, my sense of command over the dullards roundme, and a yet keener pleasure you do not know of, are left to me. Ifthese are taken away, what will my life be? A void, a waste, a howlingwilderness, a place where I will not stay! I had rather tempt theunknown. Even in Hell there must be scope for abilities such as mine!"
She paused awhile, as if for an answer, and then went on--
"And as for you, poor creature that you are, words cannot tell how Idespise you. You discard me and my devotion, to follow a nature, inits way, it is true, greater even than my own, representing theprinciple of good, as I represent the principle of evil, but one towhich yours is utterly abhorrent. Can you mix light with darkness, orfilthy oil with water? As well hope to merge your life, black as it iswith every wickedness, with that of the splendid creature you woulddefile. Do you suppose that a woman such as she will ever be reallyfaithless to her love, even though you trap her into marriage? Fool,her heart is as far above you as the stars; and without a heart awoman is a husk that none but such miserables as yourself would own.But go on--dash yourself against a white purity that will, in the end,blind and destroy you. Dree your own doom! I will find you expedients;it is my business to obey you. You shall marry her, if you will, andtaste of the judgment that will follow. Be still, I will bear no moreof your insolence to-day." And she swept out of the room, leavingGeorge looking somewhat scared.
When Lady Bellamy reached Rewtham House, she went straight to herhusband's study. He received her with much politeness, and asked herto sit down.
"I have come to consult you on a matter of some importance," she said.
"That is, indeed, an unu
sual occurrence," answered Sir John, rubbinghis dry hands and smiling.
"It is not my own affair: listen," and she gave him a full, accurate,and clear account of all that had taken place with reference toGeorge's determination to marry Angela, not omitting the most trivialdetail. Sir John expressed no surprise; he was a very old bird was SirJohn, one for whom every net was spread in vain, whether in or out ofhis sight. Nothing in this world, provided that it did not affect hisown comfort or safety, could affect his bland and appreciative smile.He was never surprised. Once or twice he put a shrewd question toelucidate some point in the narrative, and that was all. When his wifewas finished, he said,
"Well, Anne, you have told a very interesting and amusing littlehistory, doubly so, if you will permit me to say it, seeing that it istold of George Caresfoot by Lady Bellamy; but it seems that your jointefforts have failed. What is it that you wish me to do?"
"I wish to ask you if you can suggest any plan that will not fail. Youare very cunning in your way, and your advice may be good."
"Let me see, young Heigham is in Madeira, is he not?"
"I am sure I do not know."
"But I do," and he extracted a note-book from a drawer. "Let me see, Ithink I have an entry somewhere here. Ah! here we are. 'Arthur P.Heigham, Esq., passenger, per _Warwick Castle_, to Madeira, June 16.'(Copied from passenger-list, _Western Daily News_.) His second name isPreston, is it not? Lucky I kept that. Now, the thing will be tocommunicate with Madeira, and see if he is still there. I can easilydo that; I know a man there."
"Have you formed any plan, then?"
"Yes," answered Sir John, with great deliberation, "I think I see myway; but I must have time to think of it. I will speak to you about itto-morrow."
When Lady Bellamy had gone, the little man rose, peeped round to seethat nobody was within hearing, and then, rubbing his dry hands withinfinite zest, said aloud, in a voice that was quite solemn in theintensity of its satisfaction,
"The Lord hath delivered mine enemies into mine hand."