CHAPTER VII
Over a week had gone by and Katherine Bush had completely fallen intoher duties; they were not difficult, and she continued to keep her eyesand her intelligence on the alert, and by the second Sunday when she wasto have the afternoon to meet Matilda, she had begun to feel that awhole ocean had rolled between the present Katherine and the creature ofthe days before the outing in Paris with Lord Algy!
She had made one or two annoying mistakes and had had one or twosurprises, some pleasant ones. It was agreeable to have a cup of teawhen one woke, and one's curtains drawn back by an attentive housemaidevery morning, and a deep hot bath, instead of a scramble in a small tintub on Saturday nights. There was a bathroom in Laburnum Villa, butduring the week Matilda used it for keeping all sorts of things in, andthere were such a number of them to have the bath in turns on Saturdayand Sunday, that Katherine had preferred the indifferent comfort of amakeshift in her own attic. It seemed on looking back, after ten days ofmodest luxury, that it never could have been possible that she had goneon month after month, and year after year, in the family circle.
Her heart swelled with gratitude to Lord Algy; but for him she mightnever have known that there was anything different. At these moments sheknew that she could easily slip into sentiment about him again, and soshe invariably crushed her emotion and began some active work.
At nine o'clock in the morning it was her duty to go to LadyGarribardine in her bedroom, where she would find her propped up uponlacy pink silk pillows, a saucy cap and ribbons covering the greaterpart of a more coquettish and rather lighter golden wig than the one shewore in the day. Her face had not yet been arranged, and presented a sadcontrast to these youthful allurements. Her temper was often veryprecarious.
Katherine stood by the bed, block in hand, and took down allinstructions. Lady Garribardine's voluminous correspondence was onlyattended to in the morning; the accumulations of the later part of theday before were heaped up in one basket tray, and the early posts inanother. While a third empty one awaited those communications which wereto be answered either in type or in handwriting.
Now, after ten days of service, Katherine had mastered most of LadyGarribardine's affairs. She knew the wages of her servants, theexpenditure of the house, the phrasing of her friends' letters, theirpoints of views, little hatreds and little loves, their want orpossession of good English and powers of expressing themselves--shefancied she could almost picture the faces, so vivid were these penportraits of the writers that the notes showed. Lady Garribardine seldomanswered even the most private with her own hand and Katherine hadgrown quite accustomed to signing "Sarah Garribardine" as "yoursaffectionately" or "yours sincerely." She even derived a cynicalamusement from the fictions she was instructed to invent to one andanother.
The life of a great lady, she saw, would be a very complicated affair toa novice, and each day she felt glad she was having the opportunity oflearning its intricacies. She meant to make no mistakes when her ownturn should come.
Lady Garribardine had not continued to exploit her for her personaldiversion as she had done on the occasion of their initial meeting, shehad been too occupied, perhaps; on the contrary, she kept strictly toher role of employer and hardly spoke except on business. Katherinerealised that she looked upon her much as Lord Algy had looked uponHanson, and far from its arousing the rageful resentment which it wouldhave done in Matilda's feminine breast, she saw the justice of it, andconsidered it a proper arrangement.
"Some people have the luck to be born to high station," she reasoned toherself, "and those who would attain it for themselves must makethemselves fitted for it first--besides there would be no good in it tome, if after I had obtained it I should have to hobnob with my ownsecretary. It is the distinctions and barriers that make the thing worthhaving."
As yet she had only rarely come across other members of the world beyondher employer on such occasions as, for instance, if she were sent forsuddenly to the drawing-room to take down some instruction, or bringsome charity list; but whenever she had the chance she observed themcarefully. Some of them were far from what had been her ideal of whathigh birth and breeding would certainly show, but they all had that easeof manner which polished their casualnesses, and once she was stillreceiving instructions by the bedside when Stirling, the maid, came toknow if Lady Beatrice Strobridge might come up.
"Confound the woman!" Her Ladyship exclaimed in her angelic voice, itsrefinement of pronunciation always a joy to Katherine's ear--whateverthe bluntness of the words might be--"No, certainly not--my face is notdone--but stay, Stirling, it may be something to do with to-night--giveme the rouge and powder and a looking-glass. Don't go, Miss Bush--it isnothing private and she won't stay for more than a minute."
Katherine discreetly turned her eyes from the bed to the window, andwhen she looked round again, two blooming rose-coloured cheeks balancedthe girlish curls, and Lady Garribardine was reposing languidly upon herpillows.
"Dearest Aunt Sarah, I had to come," cried Lady Beatrice in herplaintive discontented voice, "Gerard has been perfectly impossible,actually has refused to let me go to the Artist Model's ball asGanymede, and I have got the most ducky dress, a pendant to HebeVermont's Iris."
"A few rags of chiffon, a cup and bare legs, I suppose," LadyGarribardine retorted not unkindly, as her niece sat upon the bed.
"You may describe it like that if you want to, Aunt Sarah! I assure you,though, it is most becoming, and it is too ridiculous when everyone weknow is going, and all the Thorvils have such tiny ankles, too."
"The more reason for you not to expose them to the common herd. Gonaked if you so desire to a ball in a private house among your ownclass--you'll lay yourself open only to criticisms of your charmsthere--but to let hoi polloi gaze at you undressed is to lower yourorder; I am with Gerard about that."
Lady Beatrice pouted.
"I really thought you were so up to date, Aunt Seraphim, darling, thatyou would be sure to side with me--of course I shall go, all the same; Ishould not think of paying any attention to Gerard--only it would be somuch nicer if you had consented to scold him for me."
"I am up to date, I hope, in so far as I try to move with thetimes"--Lady Garribardine's face was good-naturedly contemptuous--"only,I consider that all of you who throw your bonnets over the windmills arecutting your own throats--You are destroying values, cheapeningpleasures, breaking down hedges, and letting in the swine to feed uponyour grapes--you are often very vulgar, you modern people."
Lady Beatrice got off the bed.
"Then there is no use talking, Aunt Sarah--I dare say we are--but whatmatter? I wish I knew what _does_ matter? I am bored all the time; I getsome momentary pleasure out of my poetry, and some out of my dearprecious friends--but the rest of the day is one long yawn. You oughtnot to grudge my being Ganymede; every sort of quaint creature is atthis ball, and I get quite amused each year when I go."
"Why don't you take a box, then, and watch them? I could quiteunderstand that, and intend to do so myself--Miss Bush, by the way, didyou write to say I would have number five?"
Katherine replied in the affirmative and Lady Beatrice suddenly becameaware of her presence as she resumed her place on the bed.
"Oh, this is your new secretary, Aunt Sarah! I am sure you have afrightfully difficult time--er--Miss Bush!" And she laughed, "HerLadyship expects perfection."
"Her Ladyship has quite a right to as good as can be got--since she paysfor it."
Katherine's voice was deep and level, and contained no impertinence,only a grave statement of fact.
Lady Garribardine chuckled among her pillows.
"Miss Bush is much nearer the truth of things than any of you so-calledpsychological philosophers, Bee--analysing matters with littledilettante methods all day to the laughter of the gods. Miss Bushrealises her obligations as a secretary, but you very often don'tperceive yours as a duke's daughter, and a rising Foreign Officeofficial's wife."
Lady Beatrice was not the least crushe
d. She laughed frankly.
"Dear, sweet Aunty! There never has been a scandel about me in mylife--I am a model of circumspectness, demureness and present-dayvirtuous wifeliness. Why, I never interfere with Gerard--we hardly meetin the whole week--and I merely like my own simple friends, my ownsimple clothes, and my own simple pleasures!"
"Artless creature!" And the youthful curls shook. "Well, what did youcome for, in so many words? To try to get me to influence Gerard not toplay for once the ineffectual part of husband in authority, and so letyou disgrace the name of Thorvil and Strobridge in peace?"
Lady Beatrice seized and stroked the fat hand lying upon the pink silkcoverlet.
"You darling, ducky Aunt Seraphim! Just that! I want to wear myenchanting boy's dress--I must be Ganymede, the cupbearer!"
"Well, I'll be no party to it--be off with you. I have serious affairsto settle with Miss Bush and have no further time to waste."
Lady Beatrice saluted her obediently and got off the bed once more; shewas laughing softly.
"Gerard is coming to lunch," Lady Garribardine called to her, "and LaeoDelemar, and they are going to see a winter exhibition afterwards."
"I can't stand Laeo," Lady Beatrice cooed from the doorway; "shepretends to be so full of sex and other dreadful natural things, shemakes my innocent aesthetic flesh creep--Gerard always had fruitytastes--Bye-bye, dear Aunt Sarah!" And kissing her finger-tips she wasat last gone, leaving Katherine wondering.
They had said very severe things to each other and neither was the leastangry really--Gladys and Fred were not wont to bicker so.
"Call up Mr. Strobridge, Miss Bush--he will not have left home yet--youknow his number--ask him to speak to me at once."
Katherine obeyed--she was an expert with the telephone and never raisedher voice. Mr. Strobridge was soon at the other end of it, and she wasabout to hand the receiver to her employer when that lady frowned andtold her to give the message herself.
"My right ear is troublesome to-day," she said, "you must do thebusiness for me, Miss Bush."
"Hello! Her Ladyship wishes me to give you a message--will you wait amoment until I take it?"
"Hello! Yes."
"Say he is to come half an hour earlier to lunch to-day. I have thingsto talk over with him about to-night--He is to go to this ridiculousball in my box--tell him so."
Katherine repeated the exact message.
"Tell her I am very much annoyed about the whole thing," Mr. Strobridgereturned, "and have decided not to be present myself."
"Stuff and nonsense!" cried Lady Garribardine, when she was told, and,seizing the receiver from Katherine's hand, she roared:
"Don't be a fool, G.--it is too late in the day to stand upon yourdignity--I'll tell you the rest when you come to lunch."--Upon which sheclosed the communication and called for Stirling.
"Take all this rubbish of letters away, Miss Bush--I must get up andcope with the humiliating defects of old age--you may go."
Katherine had a very busy morning in front of her. She sat steadilytyping and writing in the secretary's room, until her lunch was broughtand even then she hardly stopped to eat it, but on her own way to thedining-room Lady Garribardine came in. She looked at the hardly tastedfood and blinked her black eyes:
"Tut, tut! You must eat, child--_pas trop de zele_--Finish yourpudding--and then bring me those two letters upon the report of theWineberger charity--into the dining-room--You can have your coffee withus--Mr. Strobridge and I are alone, Mrs. Delemar is not coming, afterall--By the way, do you have everything you want? The coffee they giveyou is good, eh? Servants always skimp the beans when left tothemselves."
"I have everything I want, thank you--but I have not been offeredcoffee," Katherine replied.
Lady Garribardine's face assumed an indignant expression, and shesharply rang the bell.
"These are the things that happen when one does not know of them--youought to have complained to me before, Miss Bush!"
Thomas answered the bell and whitened perceptibly when he saw hismistress's face. He was asked why Miss Bush had not been served withcoffee, in a voice which froze his tongue, and the only excuse he couldgive was a stammering statement that Miss Arnott had not taken any,which aroused further wrath.
"Pampered wretches!" Lady Garribardine exclaimed. "Anything to savethemselves trouble! I will speak to Bronson about this--but see that itnever happens again, Thomas!" And the trembling footman was allowed toleave the room.
"I am glad you did not try to defend them, as the foolish Arnott wouldhave done," Her Ladyship flashed. "She was always standing between myjust wrath and the servant's delinquencies, always shielding them--onewould have thought she was of their class. The result was no one in thehouse respected her--good creature though she was. See that you arerespected, young woman, and obeyed when obedience is your due."
"I will try to be"--and an inscrutable expression played roundKatherine's full red mouth. "I would never shield anyone from what hedeserved."
"It seems to me you understand a good deal, girl!--Well, come into thedining-room in half an hour," and, smiling her comprehending smile, LadyGarribardine left the room.
"G., that is a wonderful creature, that new secretary of mine--have younoticed her yet?" she said later on to her nephew when they had finishedthe serious part of their luncheon, and she had rung her enamelled bellfor the automatic entrance of the servants from behind the screen--theywere only allowed in the room to change the courses at this meal.Numbers of politicians and diplomats frequently dropped in and preferredto discuss affairs with their hostess alone.
"No--not much," Mr. Strobridge admitted when they were again bythemselves and coffee had come. "I thought she did my letter to the_Times_ remarkably well, though."
"She has not done anything badly yet--when she makes a mistake in socialtrifles she always realises it, and corrects herself. Her reading aloudwas grotesque at first, but I have never had to tell her how topronounce a word twice. I lay traps for her; she is as smart as paintand as deep as a well."
"A treasure indeed--" but Mr. Strobridge's voice was absent, he wasuninterested and was still smarting under the annoyance of the situationcreated by his wife.
Of course he could not make her stay at home by force--and he hated theidea of Ganymede and the bare legs. He reverted to the topic once more.
"I would really rather not go to see the freakish crew to-night," hesaid. "Beatrice is doing it merely from obstinacy; she is not like HebeVermont, a ridiculous _poseuse_, crazy for notoriety; she is a refinedcreature generally, though wearying. This is just to defy me."
"As I have always told you, G., you should never have married, you aremade for an ardent and devoted lover, with a suitable change ofinamorata every six months. In the role of husband you are--frankly--alittle ridiculous! You have no authority. As Miss Bush put it just nowabout something else, you usually act from good nature, not from a senseof justice; and Beatrice snaps her fingers at you and goes her own way."
"I don't mind as a rule--indeed, I am grateful to her for doing so. Canthere be anything more tedious and bourgeois than the recognisedrelation of husband and wife? The only things which make intimacy with awoman agreeable are difficulty and intermittency. Bee fortunatelyexpects nothing from me, and I expect nothing from her, beyond acting ina manner suitable to her race and station, and I don't think Ganymede inhis original costume at an Artist Models' ball a harmonious part for mywife or a Thorvil to adopt."
"You don't know how to manage her, and you are too indifferent totry--so you had better swallow your outraged dignity and come with me inmy box after all. Laeo will be there and you can sit and whisper in theback of it." And Lady Garribardine lit her cigarette, but Mr. Strobridgeprotested in whimsical distress:
"Heaven forbid! Would you kill this dawning romance, Seraphim? If Laeoand I are to be drafted off like a pair of fiances, the whole charm isgone. I wish to _menager_ my emotions so that they may last over theEaster recess; after that I shall be too busy for them
to matter. Don'tbe ruthless, sweet Aunt!"
Lady Garribardine laughed and at that moment Katherine Bush came in, thefinished letters in her hand.
"Give Miss Bush some coffee, G., while I look over them," and HerLadyship indicated the tray which had been placed by an attentiveBronson close to her hand.
Mr. Strobridge did as he was asked. His thoughts were far away, andbeyond displaying the courtesy he used to all women, he never noticedKatherine at all. She was quite ordinary looking still--with the screwedup mop of ashen-hued hair, and her plain dark blouse, unless you chancedto meet her strange and beautiful eyes.
For some reason she felt a little piqued, the man's manner andphrasing attracted her, his voice was superlatively cultivated, andhis words chosen with polished grace. Here was a person from whomsomething could be learned. She would have wished to have talked withhim unrestrainedly and alone. She remained silent and listened whenaunt and nephew again took up the ball of conversation together. Howshe would love to be able to converse like that! They were sosparkling--never in earnest seemingly, all was light as air, while Mr.Strobridge made allusions and quotations which showed his brillianterudition, and Katherine hearkened with all her ears. Some of them sherecognized and others she determined to look up, but his wholepronunciation of the sentences sounded different from what she hadimagined they would be when she had read them to herself.
This was the first time she had heard a continued conversation betweentwo people who she had already decided were worthy of note, and thishalf-hour stood out as the first milestone in her progress.
Presently they all rose--and she went back to her work with the sense ofthe magnitude of her task in climbing to the pinnacle of a great ladyand cultivated woman of the world.
For a few moments she felt a little depressed--then a thought came toher.
"He could help me to knowledge of literature and art--he could teachme true culture--and since he is married there can be no stupidlove-making. But for this he must first realise that I exist and forthat when my chance comes I must arrest his attention through the earsand the eyes. He must for once look at me and see not only his aunt'ssecretary--and then I can learn from him all that I desire to know."
That this course of action could possibly cause the proposed teacherpain in the future never entered her head.