CHAPTER XVIII.
CAPTAIN CLAVERING MAKES HIS FIRST ATTEMPT.
During breakfast on the following day,--which means from the hourof one till two, for the glasses of iced gin-and-water had beenmany,--Archie Clavering was making up his mind that he would begin atonce. He would go to Bolton Street on that day, and make an attemptto be admitted. If not admitted to-day he would make another attemptto-morrow, and, if still unsuccessful, he would write a letter; not aletter containing an offer, which according to Archie's ideas wouldnot be letting her know that he was there in a manner sufficientlypotential,--but a letter in which he would explain that he hadvery grave reasons for wishing to see his near and dear connexion,Lady Ongar. Soon after two he sallied out, and he also went to ahairdresser's. He was aware that in doing so he was hardly obeyinghis friend to the letter, as this sort of operation would come ratherunder the head of handling a filly with a light touch; but he thoughtthat he could in this way, at any rate, do no harm, if he would onlyremember the instructions he had received when in the presence of thetrained mare. It was nearly three when he found himself in BoltonStreet, having calculated that Lady Ongar might be more probablyfound at home then than at a later hour. But when he came to thedoor, instead of knocking, he passed by it. He began to remember thathe had not yet made up his mind by what means he would bring it aboutthat she should certainly know that he was there. So he took a littleturn up the street, away from Piccadilly, through a narrow passagethat there is in those parts, and by some stables, and down intoPiccadilly, and again to Bolton Street; during which little tourhe had made up his mind that it could hardly become his duty toteach her that great lesson on this occasion. She must undoubtedlybe taught to know that he was there, but not so taught on this, hisfirst visit. That lesson should quickly precede his offer; and,although he had almost hoped in the interval between two of hisbeakers of gin-and-water on the preceding evening that he might ridethe race and win it altogether during this very morning visit he wasabout to make, in his cooler moments he had begun to reflect thatthat would hardly be practicable. The mare must get a gallop beforeshe would be in a condition to be brought out. So Archie knocked atthe door, intending merely to give the mare a gallop if he shouldfind her in to-day.
He gave his name, and was shown at once up into Lady Ongar'sdrawing-room. Lady Ongar was not there, but she soon came down, andentered the room with a smile on her face and with an outstretchedhand. Between the man-servant who took the captain's name, and themaid-servant who carried it up to her mistress,--but who did not seethe gentleman before she did so, there had arisen some mistake, andLady Ongar, as she came down from her chamber above expected thatshe was to meet another man. Harry Clavering, she thought, hadcome to her at last. "I'll be down at once," Lady Ongar had said,dismissing the girl and then standing for a moment before her mirroras she smoothed her hair, obliterated as far as it might be possiblethe ugliness of her cap, and shook out the folds of her dress. Acountess, a widow, a woman of the world who had seen enough to makeher composed under all circumstances, one would say,--a trained mareas Doodles had called her,--she stood before her glass doubtingand trembling like a girl, when she heard that Harry Clavering waswaiting for her below. We may surmise that she would have sparedherself some of this trouble had she known the real name of hervisitor. Then, as she came slowly down the stairs, she reflected howshe would receive him. He had stayed away from her, and she wouldbe cold to him,--cold and formal as she had been on the railwayplatform. She knew well how to play that part. Yes; it was his turnnow to show some eagerness of friendship, if there was ever to beanything more than friendship between them. But she changed all thisas she put her hand upon the lock of the door. She would be honestto him,--honest and true. She was in truth glad to see him, and heshould know it. What cared she now for the common ways of women andthe usual coynesses of feminine coquetry? She told herself also, inlanguage somewhat differing from that which Doodles had used, thather filly days were gone by, and that she was now a trained mare. Allthis passed through her mind as her hand was on the door; and thenshe opened it, with a smiling face and ready hand, to find herself inthe presence of--Captain Archie Clavering.
The captain was sharp-sighted enough to observe the change in hermanner. The change, indeed, was visible enough, and was such that itat once knocked out of Archie's breast some portion of the couragewith which his friend's lessons had inspired him. The outstretchedhand fell slowly to her side, the smile gave place to a look ofcomposed dignity which made Archie at once feel that the fate whichcalled upon him to woo a countess was in itself hard. And she walkedslowly into the room before she spoke to him, or he to her.
"Captain Clavering!" she said at last, and there was much more ofsurprise than of welcome in her words as she uttered them.
"Yes, Lady On--, Julia, that is; I thought I might as well come andcall, as I found we weren't to see you at Clavering when we were allthere at Easter." When she had been living in his brother's houseas one of the family he had called her Julia, as Hugh had done. Theconnection between them had been close, and it had come naturally tohim to do so. He had thought much of this since his present projecthad been initiated, and had strongly resolved not to lose theadvantage of his former familiarity. He had very nearly broken downat the onset, but, as the reader will have observed, had recoveredhimself.
"You are very good," she said; and then as he had been some timestanding with his right hand presented to her, she just touched itwith her own.
"There's nothing I hate so much as stuff and nonsense," said Archie.To this remark she simply bowed, remaining awfully quiet. CaptainClavering felt that her silence was in truth awful. She had alwaysbeen good at talking, and he had paused for her to say something; butwhen she bowed to him in that stiff manner,--"doosed stiff she was;doosed stiff, and impudent too," he told Doodles afterwards;--he knewthat he must go on himself. "Stuff and nonsense is the mischief, youknow." Then she bowed again. "There's been something the matter withthem all down at Clavering since you came home, Julia; but hang me ifI can find out what it is!" Still she was silent. "It ain't Hermy;that I must say. Hermy always speaks of you as though there had neverbeen anything wrong." This assurance, we may say, must have beenflattering to the lady whom he was about to court.
"Hermy was always too good to me," said Lady Ongar, smiling.
"By George, she always does. If there's anything wrong it's been withHugh; and, by George, I don't know what it is he was up to when youfirst came home. It wasn't my doing;--of course you know that."
"I never thought that anything was your doing, Captain Clavering."
"I think Hugh had been losing money; I do indeed. He was like a bearwith a sore head just at that time. There was no living in the housewith him. I daresay Hermy may have told you all about that."
"Hermione is not by nature so communicative as you are, CaptainClavering."
"Isn't she? I should have thought between sisters--; but of coursethat's no business of mine." Again she was silent, awfully silent,and he became aware that he must either get up and go away or carryon the conversation himself. To do either seemed to be equallydifficult, and for a while he sat there almost gasping in his misery.He was quite aware that as yet he had not made her know that he wasthere. He was not there, as he well knew, in his friend Doodles'sense of the word. "At any rate there isn't any good in quarrelling,is there, Julia?" he said at last. Now that he had asked a question,surely she must speak.
"There is great good sometimes I think," said she, "in peopleremaining apart and not seeing each other. Sir Hugh Clavering has notquarrelled with me, that I am aware. Indeed, since my marriage therehave been no means of quarrelling between us. But I think it quite aswell that he and I should not come together."
"But he particularly wants you to go to Clavering."
"Has he sent you here as his messenger?"
"Sent me! oh dear no; nothing of that sort. I have come altogether onmy own hook. If Hugh wants a messenger he must find some one else.But you a
nd I were always friends you know,"--at this assertion sheopened her large eyes widely, and simply smiled;--"and I thought thatperhaps you might be glad to see me if I called. That was all."
"You are very good, Captain Clavering."
"I couldn't bear to think that you should be here in London, and thatone shouldn't see anything of you or know anything about you. Tellme now; is there anything I can do for you? Do you want anybody tosettle anything for you in the city?"
"I think not, Captain Clavering; thank you very much."
"Because I should be so happy; I should indeed. There's nothing Ishould like so much as to make myself useful in some way. Isn't thereanything now? There must be so much to be looked after,--about moneyand all that."
"My lawyer does all that, Captain Clavering."
"Those fellows are such harpies. There is no end to their charges;and all for doing things that would only be a pleasure to me."
"I'm afraid I can't employ you in any matter that would suit yourtastes."
"Can't you indeed, now?" Then again there was a silence, and CaptainClavering was beginning to think that he must go. He was willingto work hard at talking or anything else; but he could not workif no ground for starting were allowed to him. He thought he mustgo, though he was aware that he had not made even the slightestpreparation for future obedience to his friend's precepts. He beganto feel that he had commenced wrongly. He should have made her knowthat he was there from the first moment of her entrance into theroom. He must retreat now in order that he might advance with moreforce on the next occasion. He had just made up his mind to this andwas doubting how he might best get himself out of his chair with thepurpose of going, when sudden relief came in the shape of anothervisitor. The door was thrown open and Madam Gordeloup was announced.
"Well, my angel," said the little woman, running up to her friendand kissing her on either side of her face. Then she turned round asthough she had only just seen the strange gentleman, and curtseyed tohim. Captain Clavering holding his hat in both his hands bowed to thelittle woman.
Captain Clavering makes his first attempt.]
"My sister's brother-in-law, Captain Clavering," said Lady Ongar."Madam Gordeloup."
Captain Clavering bowed again. "Ah, Sir Oo's brother," said MadamGordeloup. "I am very glad to see Captain Clavering; and is yoursister come?"
"No; my sister is not come."
"Lady Clavering is not in town this spring," said the captain.
"Ah, not in town! Then I do pity her. There is only de one place tolive in, and that is London, for April, May, and June. Lady Claveringis not coming to London?"
"Her little boy isn't quite the thing," said the captain.
"Not quite de ting?" said the Franco-Pole in an inquiring voice, notexactly understanding the gentleman's language.
"My little nephew is ill, and my sister does not think it wise tobring him to London."
"Ah; that is a pity. And Sir Oo? Sir Oo is in London?"
"Yes," said the captain; "my brother has been up some time."
"And his lady left alone in the country? Poor lady! But your Englishladies like the country. They are fond of the fields and the daisies.So they say; but I think often they lie. Me; I like the houses,and the people, and the pave. The fields are damp, and I love notrheumatism at all." Then the little woman shrugged her shoulders andshook herself. "Tell us the truth, Julie; which do you like best, thetown or the country?"
"Whichever I'm not in, I think."
"Ah, just so. Whichever you are not in at present. That is becauseyou are still idle. You have not settled yourself!" At this referenceto the possibility of Lady Ongar settling herself, Captain Claveringpricked up his ears, and listened eagerly for what might come next.He only knew of one way in which a young woman without a husbandcould settle herself. "You must wait, my dear, a little longer, justa little longer, till the time of your trouble has passed by."
"Don't talk such nonsense, Sophie," said the countess.
"Ah, my dear, it is no nonsense. I am always telling her, CaptainClavering, that she must go through this black, troublesome time asquick as she can; and then nobody will enjoy the town so much as derich and beautiful Lady Ongar. Is it not so, Captain Clavering?"
Archie thought that the time had now come for him to say somethingpretty, so that his love might begin to know that he was there. "ByGeorge, yes, there'll be nobody so much admired when she comes outagain. There never was anybody so much admired before,--before,--thatis, when you were Julia Brabazon, you know; and I shouldn't wonder ifyou didn't come out quite as strong as ever."
"As strong!" said the Franco-Pole. "A woman that has been married isalways more admired than a meess."
"Sophie, might I ask you and Captain Clavering to be a little lesspersonal?"
"There is noting I hate so much as your meesses," continued MadameGordeloup; "noting! Your English meesses give themselves such airs.Now in Paris, or in dear Vienna, or in St. Petersburg, they are notlike that at all. There they are nobodies--they are nobodies; butthen they will be something very soon, which is to be better. YourEnglish meess is so much and so grand; she never can be greater andgrander. So when she is a mamma, she lives down in the country byherself, and looks after de pills and de powders. I don't like that.I don't like that at all. No; if my husband had put me into thecountry to look after de pills and de powders, he should have hadthem all, all--himself, when he came to see me." As she said thiswith great energy, she opened her eyes wide, and looked full intoArchie's face.
Captain Clavering, who was sitting with his hat in his two handsbetween his knees, stared at the little foreigner. He had heardbefore of women poisoning their husbands, but never had heard a womanadvocate the system as expedient. Nor had he often heard a womanadvocate any system with the vehemence which Madame Gordeloup nowdisplayed on this matter, and with an allusion which was so verypointed to the special position of his own sister-in-law. Did LadyOngar agree with her? He felt as though he should like to know hisJulia's opinions on that matter.
"Sophie, Captain Clavering will think you are in earnest," said thecountess, laughing.
"So I am--in earnest. It is all wrong. You boil all the water out ofde pot before you put the gigot into it. So the gigot is no good, istough and dry, and you shut it up in an old house in the country.Then, to make matters pretty, you talk about de fields and dedaisies. I know. 'Thank you,' I should say. 'De fields and de daisiesare so nice and so good! Suppose you go down, my love, and walk in defields, and pick de daisies, and send them up to me by de railway!'Yes, that is what I would say."
Captain Clavering was now quite in the dark, and began to regard thelittle woman as a lunatic. When she spoke of the pot and the gigothe vainly endeavoured to follow her; and now that she had got amongthe daisies he was more at a loss than ever. Fruit, vegetables, andcut flowers came up, he knew, to London regularly from Clavering,when the family was in town;--but no daisies. In France it must, hesupposed, be different. He was aware, however, of his ignorance, andsaid nothing.
"No one ever did try to shut you up, Sophie!"
"No, indeed; M. Gordeloup knew better. What would he do if I wereshut up? And no one will ever shut you up, my dear. If I were you,I would give no one a chance."
"Don't say that," said the captain, almost passionately; "don't saythat."
"Ha, ha! but I do say it. Why should a woman who has got everythingmarry again? If she wants de fields and de daisies she has got themof her own--yes, of her own. If she wants de town, she has gotthat too. Jewels,--she can go and buy them. Coaches,--there theyare. Parties,--one, two, three, every night, as many as she please.Gentlemen who will be her humble slaves; such a plenty,--all London.Or, if she want to be alone, no one can come near her. Why should shemarry? No."
"But she might be in love with somebody," said the captain, in asurprised but humble tone.
"Love! Bah! Be in love, so that she may be shut up in an old barrackwith de powders!" The way in which that word barrack was pronounced,and the
middle letters sounded, almost lifted the captain off hisseat. "Love is very pretty at seventeen, when the imagination istelling a parcel of lies, and when life is one dream. To likepeople,--oh, yes; to be very fond of your friends,--oh, yes; to bemost attached,--as I am to my Julie,"--here she got hold of LadyOngar's hand,--"it is the salt of life! But what you call love,booing and cooing, with rhymes and verses about de moon, it is to goback to pap and panade, and what you call bibs. No; if a woman wantsa house, and de something to live on, let her marry a husband; or ifa man want to have children, let him marry a wife. But to be shut upin a country house, when everything you have got of your own,--I sayit is bad."
Captain Clavering was heartily sorry that he had mentioned the factof his sister-in-law being left at home at Clavering Park. It wasmost unfortunate. How could he make it understood that if he weremarried he would not think of shutting his wife up at Ongar Park?"Lady Clavering, you know, does come to London generally," he said.
"Bah!" exclaimed the little Franco-Pole.
"And as for me, I never should be happy, if I were married, unless Ihad my wife with me everywhere," said Captain Clavering.
"Bah-ah-ah!" ejaculated the lady.
Captain Clavering could not endure this any longer. He felt that themanner of the lady was, to say the least of it, unpleasant, and heperceived that he was doing no good to his own cause. So he rose fromhis chair and muttered some words with the intention of showing hispurpose of departure.
"Good-by, Captain Clavering," said Lady Ongar. "My love to my sisterwhen you see her."
Archie shook hands with her and then made his bow to MadameGordeloup.
"Au revoir, my friend," she said, "and you remember all I say. It isnot good for de wife to be all alone in the country, while de husbandwalk about in the town and make an eye to every lady he see." Archiewould not trust himself to renew the argument, but bowing again, madehis way off.
"He was come for one admirer," said Sophie, as soon as the door wasclosed.
"An admirer of whom?"
"Not of me;--oh, no; I was not in danger at all."
"Of me? Captain Clavering! Sophie, you get your head full of thestrangest nonsense."
"Ah; very well. You see. What will you give me if I am right? Willyou bet? Why had he got on his new gloves, and had his head allsmelling with stuff from de hairdresser? Does he come always perfumedlike that? Does he wear shiny little boots to walk about in demorning, and make an eye always? Perhaps yes."
"I never saw his boots or his eyes."
"But I see them. I see many things. He come to have Ongere Park forhis own. I tell you, yes. Ten thousand will come to have Ongere Park.Why not? To have Ongere Park and all de money a man will make himselfsmell a great deal."
"You think much more about all that than is necessary."
"Do I, my dear? Very well. There are three already. There is Edouard,and there is this Clavering who you say is a captain; and thereis the other Clavering who goes with his nose in the air, and whothink himself a clever fellow because he learned his lesson atschool and did not get himself whipped. He will be whipped yet someday,--perhaps."
"Sophie, hold your tongue. Captain Clavering is my sister'sbrother-in-law, and Harry Clavering is my friend."
"Ah, friend! I know what sort of friend he wants to be. How muchbetter to have a park and plenty of money than to work in a ditch andmake a railway! But he do not know the way with a woman. Perhaps hemay be more at home, as you say, in the ditch. I should say to him,'My friend, you will do well in de ditch if you work hard;--supposeyou stay there.'"
"You don't seem to like my cousin, and if you please, we will talk nomore about him."
"Why should I not like him? He don't want to get any money from me."
"That will do, Sophie."
"Very well; it shall do for me. But this other man that come hereto-day. He is a fool."
"Very likely."
"He did not learn his lesson without whipping."
"Nor with whipping either."
"No; he have learned nothing. He does not know what to do with hishat. He is a fool. Come, Julie, will you take me out for a drive. Itis melancholy for you to go alone; I came to ask you for a drive.Shall we go?" And they did go, Lady Ongar and Sophie Gordelouptogether. Lady Ongar, as she submitted, despised herself for hersubmission; but what was she to do? It is sometimes very difficult toescape from the meshes of friendship.
Captain Clavering, when he left Bolton Street, went down to hisclub, having first got rid of his shining boots and new gloves. Hesauntered up into the billiard-room knowing that his friend would bethere, and there he found Doodles with his coat off, the sleeves ofhis shirt turned back, and armed with his cue. His brother captain,the moment that he saw him, presented the cue at his breast. "Doesshe know you're there, old fellow; I say, does she know you'rethere?" The room was full of men, and the whole thing was done sopublicly that Captain Clavering was almost offended.
"Come, Doodles, you go on with your game," said he; "it's you toplay." Doodles turned to the table, and scientifically pocketed theball on which he played; then he laid his own ball close under thecushion, picked up a shilling and put it into his waistcoat pocket,holding a lighted cigar in his mouth the while, and then he came backto his friend. "Well, Clavvy, how has it been?"
"Oh, nothing as yet, you know."
"Haven't you seen her?"
"Yes, I've seen her, of course. I'm not the fellow to let the grassgrow under my feet. I've only just come from her house."
"Well, well?"
"That's nothing much to tell the first day, you know."
"Did you let her know you were there? That's the chat. Damme, did youlet her know you were there?"
In answer to this Archie attempted to explain that he was not as yetquite sure that he had been successful in that particular; but inthe middle of his story Captain Doodles was called off to exercisehis skill again, and on this occasion to pick up two shillings. "I'msorry for you, Griggs," he said, as a very young lieutenant, whoselast life he had taken, put up his cue with a look of ineffabledisgust, and whose shilling Doodles had pocketed; "I'm sorry for you,very; but a fellow must play the game, you know." Whereupon Griggswalked out of the room with a gait that seemed to show that he hadhis own ideas upon that matter, though he did not choose to divulgethem. Doodles instantly returned to his friend. "With cattle of thatkind it's no use trying the waiting dodge," said he. "You should makeyour running at once, and trust to bottom to carry you through."
"But there was a horrid little Frenchwoman came in!"
"What; a servant?"
"No; a friend. Such a creature! You should have heard her talk. Akind of confidential friend she seemed, who called her Julie. I hadto go away and leave her there, of course."
"Ah! you'll have to tip that woman."
"What, with money?"
"I shouldn't wonder."
"It would come very expensive."
"A tenner now and then, you know. She would do your business for you.Give her a brooch first, and then offer to lend her the money. You'dfind she'll rise fast enough, if you're any hand for throwing a fly."
"Oh! I could do it, you know."
"Do it then, and let 'em both know that you're there. Yes, Parkyns,I'll divide. And, Clavvy, you can come in now in Griggs' place." ThenCaptain Clavering stripped himself for the battle.