CHAPTER XXVIII
A ROUGH AWAKENING
Lord Almeric continued to vapour and romance as he mounted the stairs.Mr. Pomeroy attended, sneering, at his heels. The tutor followed, andlonged to separate them. He had his fears for the one and of the other,and was relieved when his lordship at the last moment hung back, andwith a foolish chuckle proposed a plan that did more honour to hisvanity than his taste.
'Hist!' he whispered. 'Do you two stop outside a minute, and you'll hearhow kind she'll be to me! I'll leave the door ajar, and then in a minutedo you come in and roast her! Lord, 'twill be as good as a play!'
Mr. Pomeroy shrugged his shoulders. 'As you please,' he growled. 'But Ihave known a man go to shear and be shorn!'
Lord Almeric smiled loftily, and waiting for no more, winked to them,turned the handle of the door, and simpered in.
Had Mr. Thomasson entered with him, the tutor would have seen at aglance that he had wasted his fears; and that whatever troublethreatened brooded in a different quarter. The girl, her face a blaze ofexcitement and shame and eagerness, stood in the recess of the fartherwindow seat, as far from the door as she could go; her attitude theattitude of one driven into a corner. And from that alone her lovershould have taken warning. But Lord Almeric saw nothing, feared nothing.Crying 'Most lovely Julia!' he tripped forward to embrace her, and, thewine emboldening him, was about to clasp her in his arms, when shechecked him by a gesture unmistakable even by a man in hisflustered state.
'My lord,' she said hurriedly, yet in a tone of pleading--and her headhung a little, and her cheeks began to flame. 'I ask your forgivenessfor having sent for you. Alas, I have also to ask your forgiveness for amore serious fault. One--one which you may find it less easy to pardon,'she added, her courage failing.
'Try me!' the little beau answered with ardour; and he struck anattitude. 'What would I not forgive to the loveliest of her sex?' Andunder cover of his words he made a second attempt to come withinreach of her.
She waved him back. 'No!' she said. 'You do not understand me.'
'Understand?' he cried effusively. 'I understand enough to--but why, myChloe, these alarms, this bashfulness? Sure,' he spouted,
'How can I see you, and not love, While you as Opening East are fair? While cold as Northern Blasts you prove, How can I love and not despair?'
And then, in wonder at his own readiness, 'S'help me! that's uncommonclever of me,' he said. 'But when a man is in love with the mostbeautiful of her sex--'
'My lord!' she cried, stamping the floor in her impatience. 'I havesomething serious to say to you. Must I ask you to return to me atanother time? Or will you be good enough to listen to me now?'
'Sho, if you wish it, child,' he said lightly, taking out his snuff-box.'And to be sure there is time enough. But between us two, sweet--'
'There is nothing between us!' she cried, impetuously snatching at theword. 'That is what I wanted to tell you. I made a mistake when I saidthat there should be. I was mad; I was wicked, if you like. Do you hearme, my lord?' she continued passionately. 'It was a mistake. I did notknow what I was doing. And, now I do understand, I take it back.'
Lord Almeric gasped. He heard the words, but the meaning seemedincredible, inconceivable; the misfortune, if he heard aright, was tooterrible; the humiliation too overwhelming! He had broughtlisteners--and for this! 'Understand?' he cried, looking at her in aconfused, chap-fallen way. 'Hang me if I do understand! You don't meanto say--Oh, it is impossible, stuff me! it is. You don't mean that--thatyou'll not have me? After all that has come and gone, ma'am?'
She shook her head; pitying him, blaming herself, for the plight inwhich she had placed him. 'I sent for you, my lord,' she said humbly,'that I might tell you at once. I could not rest until I had told you. Idid what I could. And, believe me, I am very, very sorry.'
'But do you mean--that you--you jilt me?' he cried, still fighting offthe dreadful truth.
'Not jilt!' she said, shivering.
'That you won't have me?'
She nodded.
'After--after saying you would?' he wailed.
'I cannot,' she answered. Then, 'Cannot you understand?' she cried, herface scarlet. 'I did not know until--until you went to kiss me.'
'But--oh, I say--but you love me?' he protested.
'No, my lord,' she said firmly. 'No. And there, you must do me thejustice to acknowledge that I never said I did.'
He dashed his hat on the floor: he was almost weeping. 'Oh, damme!' hecried, 'a woman should not--should not treat a man like this. It's low.It's cruel! It's--'
A knock on the door stopped him. Recollection of the listeners, whom hehad momentarily forgotten, revived, and overwhelmed him. With an oath hesprang to shut the door, but before he could intervene Mr. Pomeroyappeared smiling on the threshold; and behind him the reluctant tutor.
Lord Almeric swore, and Julia, affronted by the presence of strangers atsuch a time, drew back, frowning. But Bully Pomeroy would see nothing.'A thousand pardons if I intrude,' he said, bowing this way and that,that he might hide a lurking grin. 'But his lordship was good enough tosay a while ago, that he would present us to the lady who had consentedto make him happy. We little thought last night, ma'am, that so muchbeauty and so much goodness were reserved for one of us.'
Lord Almeric looked ready to cry. Julia, darkly red, was certain thatthey had overheard; she stood glaring at the intruders, her foot tappingthe floor. No one answered, and Mr. Pomeroy, after looking from one tothe other in assumed surprise, pretended to hit on the reason. 'Oh, Isee; I spoil sport!' he cried with coarse joviality. 'Curse me if Imeant to! I fear we have come _mal a propos,_ my lord, and the sooner weare gone the better.
'And though she found his usage rough, Yet in a man 'twas well enough!'
he hummed, with his head on one side and an impudent leer. 'We areinterrupting the turtledoves, Mr. Thomasson, and had better be gone.'
'Curse you! Why did you ever come?' my lord cried furiously. 'But shewon't have me. So there! Now you know.'
Mr. Pomeroy struck an attitude of astonishment.
'Won't have you?' he cried, 'Oh, stap me! you are biting us.'
'I'm not! And you know it!' the poor little blood answered, tears ofvexation in his eyes. 'You know it, and you are roasting me!'
'Know it?' Mr. Pomeroy answered in tones of righteous indignation. 'Iknow it? So far from knowing it, my dear lord, I cannot believe it! Iunderstood that the lady had given you her word.'
'So she did.'
'Then I cannot believe that a lady would anywhere, much less under myroof, take it back. Madam, there must be some mistake here,' Mr. Pomeroycontinued warmly. 'It is intolerable that a man of his lordship's rankshould be so treated. I'm forsworn if he has not mistaken you.'
'He does not mistake me now,' she answered, trembling and blushingpainfully. 'What error there was I have explained to him.'
'But, damme--'
'Sir!' she said with awakening spirit, her eyes sparkling. 'What hashappened is between his lordship and myself. Interference on the part ofany one else is an intrusion, and I shall treat it as such. His lordshipunderstood--'
'Curse me! He does not look as if he understood,' Mr. Pomeroy cried,allowing his native coarseness to peep through. 'Sink me, ma'am, thereis a limit to prudishness. Fine words butter no parsnips. You plightedyour troth to my guest, and I'll not see him thrown over i' thisfashion. These airs and graces are out of place. I suppose a man hassome rights under his own roof, and when his guest is jilted before hiseyes'--here Mr. Pomeroy frowned like Jove--'it is well you should know,ma'am, that a woman no more than a man can play fast and loose atpleasure.'
She looked at him with disdain. 'Then the sooner I leave your roof thebetter, sir,' she said.
'Not so fast there, either,' he answered with an unpleasant smile. 'Youcame to it when you chose, and you will leave it when we choose; andthat is flat, my girl. This morning, when my lord did you the honour toask you, you gave him you
r word. Perhaps to-morrow morning you'll be ofthe same mind again. Any way, you will wait until to-morrow and see.'
'I shall not wait on your pleasure,' she cried, stung to rage.
'You will wait on it, ma'am! Or 'twill be the worse for you.'
Burning with indignation she turned to the other two, her breath comingquick. But Mr. Thomasson gazed gloomily at the floor, and would not meether eyes; and Lord Almeric, who had thrown himself into a chair, wasglowering sulkily at his shoes. 'Do you mean,' she cried, 'that you willdare to detain me, sir?'
'If you put it so,' Pomeroy answered, grinning, 'I think I dare take iton myself.'
His voice full of mockery, his insolent eyes, stung her to the quick. 'Iwill see if that be so,' she cried, fearlessly advancing on him. 'Lay afinger on me if you dare! I am going out. Make way, sir.'
'You are not going out!' he cried between his teeth. And held his groundin front of her.
She advanced until she was within touch of him, then her courage failedher; they stood a second or two gazing at one another, the girl withheaving breast and cheeks burning with indignation, the man with cynicalwatchfulness. Suddenly, shrinking from actual contact with him, shesprang aside, and was at the door before he could intercept her. Butwith a rapid movement he turned on his heel, seized her round the waistbefore she could open the door, dragged her shrieking from it, and withan oath--and not without an effort--flung her panting and breathlessinto the window-seat. 'There!' he cried ferociously, his blood fired bythe struggle; 'lie there! And behave yourself, my lady, or I'll findmeans to quiet you. For you,' he continued, turning fiercely on thetutor, whose face the sudden scuffle and the girl's screams had blanchedto the hue of paper, 'did you never hear a woman squeak before? And you,my lord? Are you so dainty? But, to be sure, 'tis your lordship'smistress,' he continued ironically. 'Your pardon. I forgot that. Ishould not have handled her so roughly. However, she is none the worse,and 'twill bring her to reason.'
But the struggle and the girl's cries had shaken my lord's nerves. 'D--nyou!' he cried hysterically, and with a stamp of the foot, 'you shouldnot have done that.'
'Pooh, pooh,' Mr. Pomeroy answered lightly. 'Do you leave it to me, mylord. She does not know her own mind. 'Twill help her to find it. Andnow, if you'll take my advice, you'll leave her to a night'sreflection.'
But Lord Almeric only repeated, 'You should not have done that.'
Mr. Pomeroy's face showed his scorn for the man whom a cry or two and astruggling woman had frightened. Yet he affected to see art in it. 'Iunderstand. And it is the right line to take,' he said; and he laughedunpleasantly. 'No doubt it will be put to your lordship's credit. Butnow, my lord,' he continued, 'let us go. You will see she will have cometo her senses by to-morrow.'
The girl had remained passive since her defeat. But at this she rosefrom the window-seat where she had crouched, slaying them with furiousglances. 'My lord,' she cried passionately, 'if you are a man, if youare a gentleman--you'll not suffer this.'
But Lord Almeric, who had recovered from his temporary panic, and wasas angry with her as with Pomeroy, shrugged his shoulders. 'Oh, I don'tknow,' he said resentfully. 'It has naught to do with me, ma'am. I don'twant you kept, but you have behaved uncommon low to me; uncommon low.And 'twill do you good to think on it. Stap me, it will!'
And he turned on his heel and sneaked out.
Mr. Pomeroy laughed insolently. 'There is still Tommy,' he said. 'Tryhim. See what he'll say to you. It amuses me to hear you plead, my dear;you put so much spirit into it. As my lord said, before we came in, 'tisas good as a play.'
She flung him a look of scorn, but did not answer. For Mr. Thomasson, heshuffled his feet uncomfortably. 'There are no horses,' he faltered,cursing his indiscreet companion. 'Mr. Pomeroy means well, I know. Andas there are no horses, even if nothing prevented you, you could not goto-night, you see.'
Mr. Pomeroy burst into a shout of laughter and clapped the stammeringtutor (fallen miserably between two stools) on the back. 'There's achampion for you!' he cried. 'Beauty in distress! Lord! how it fires hisblood and turns his look to flame! What! going, Tommy?' he continued, asMr. Thomasson, unable to bear his raillery or the girl's fiery scorn,turned and fled ignobly. 'Well, my pretty dear, I see we are to be leftalone. And, damme! quite right too, for we are the only man and the onlywoman of the party, and should come to an understanding.'
Julia looked at him with shuddering abhorrence. They were alone; thesound of the tutor's retreating footsteps was growing faint. She pointedto the door. 'If you do not go,' she cried, her voice shaking with rage,'I will rouse the house! I will call your people! Do you hear me? Iwill so cry to your servants that you shall not for shame dare to keepme! I will break this window and cry for help?'
'And what do you think I should be doing meanwhile?' he retorted with anugly leer. 'I thought I had shown you that two could play at that game.But there, child, I like your spirit! I love you for it! You are a girlafter my own heart, and, damme! we'll live to laugh at those two oldwomen yet!'
She shrank farther from him with an expression of loathing. He saw thelook, and scowled, but for the moment he kept his temper. 'Fie! theLittle Masterson playing the grand lady!' he said. 'But there, you aretoo handsome to be crossed, my dear. You shall have your own wayto-night, and I'll come and talk to you to-morrow, when your head iscooler and those two fools are out of the way. And if we quarrel then,my beauty, we can but kiss and make it up. Look on me as your friend,'he added, with a leer from which she shrank, 'and I vow you'll notrepent it.'
She did not answer, she only pointed to the door, and finding that hecould draw nothing from her, he went at last. On the threshold heturned, met her eyes with a grin of meaning, and took the key from theinside of the lock. She heard him insert it on the outside, and turn it,and had to grip one hand with the other to stay the scream that arose inher throat. She was brave beyond most women; but the ease with which hehad mastered her, the humiliation of contact with him, the conviction ofher helplessness in his grasp lay on her still. They filled her withfear; which grew more definite as the light, already low in the cornersof the room, began to fail, and the shadows thickened about the dingyfurniture, and she crouched alone against the barred window, listeningfor the first tread of a coming foot--and dreading the night.