CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.
How frail, how cowardly is woman's mind! Yet when strong jealousy inflames the soul, The weak will roar, and calms to tempests roll. LEE'S RIVAL QUEENS.
But we must now follow up the motions of Mr Rainscourt, who quitted thecastle, and travelling with great diligence, once more trod the pavementof the metropolis, which he had quitted in equal haste, but under verydifferent circumstances. The news of his good fortune had preceded him,and he received all that homage which is invariably shown to a man whohas many creditors, and the means of satisfying all their demands. Ashe had prophesied, the little gentleman in black was as obsequious ascould be desired, and threw out many indirect hints of the pleasure heshould have in superintending Mr Rainscourt's future arrangements; andby way of reinstating himself in his good graces, acquainted him with aplan for reducing the amount of the demands that were made upon him.Rainscourt, who never forgave, so far acceded to the lawyer's wishes, asto permit him to take that part of the arrangements into his hands; andafter Mr J--- had succeeded in bringing the usurers to reasonableterms--when all had been duly signed and sealed, not only were hisservices declined for the future, but the servants were desired to showhim the street-door.
As his wife had remarked, Rainscourt found no difficulty in makingfriends of all sorts, and of both sexes--and he had launched into aroutine of gaiety and dissipation, in which he continued for severalmonths, without allowing his wife and daughter to interrupt hisamusements, or to enter his thoughts. He had enclosed an order upon thebanker at --- soon after his arrival in London, and he considered thathe had done all that was requisite. Such was not, however, the opinionof his wife--to be immured in a lonely castle in Ireland, was neitherher intention nor her taste. Finding that repeated letters wereunanswered, in which she requested permission to join him, and pointedout the necessity that Emily, who was now nearly twelve years old,should have the advantages of tuition which his fortune could command,she packed up a slender wardrobe, and in a week arrived in London withEmily, and drove up to the door of the hotel, to which Rainscourt haddirected that his letters should be addressed.
Rainscourt was not at home when she arrived; announcing herself as hiswife, she was shown upstairs into his apartments, a minute survey ofwhich, with their contents, was immediately made; and the notes andletters, which were carelessly strewed upon the tables, and all of whichshe took the liberty to peruse, had the effect of throwing MrsRainscourt into a transport of jealousy and indignation. The minutesappeared hours, and the hours months, until he made his appearance,which he at last did, accompanied by two fashionable _roues_ with whomhe associated.
The waiters, who happened not to be in the way as he ascended thestairs, had not announced to him the arrival of his wife, who wassitting on the sofa in her bonnet and shawl, one hand full of notes andletters, the superscriptions of which were evidently in a female hand--and the other holding her handkerchief, as if prepared for a scene. Oneleg was crossed over the other, and the foot of the one that was aboveworked in the air, up and down, with the force of a piston of asteam-engine, indicative of the propelling power within--whenRainscourt, whose voice was heard all the way upstairs, arrived at thelanding-place, and, in answer to a question of one of his companions,replied--
"Go and see her! Not I--I'm quite tired of her--By Jove, I'd as soonsee my wife;" and as he finished the sentence, entered the apartment,where the unexpected appearance of Mrs Rainscourt made himinvoluntarily exclaim, "Talk of the devil--"
"And she appears, sir," replied the lady, rising, and making a profoundcourtesy.
"Pooh, my dear," replied Rainscourt, embarrassed, and unwilling that ascene should take place before his companions--"I was only joking."
"Good morning, Rainscourt," said one of his friends--"I'm afraid that Ishall be _de trop_."
"And I'm off too, my dear fellow, for there's no saying how the joke maybe taken," added the other, following his companion out of the room.
Emily ran up to her father, and took his hand; and Rainscourt, who wasas much attached to his daughter as his selfish character would permit,kissed her forehead. Both parties were for a short time silent. Bothpreferred to await the attack, rather than commence it; but in a trialof forbearance of this description, it may easily be supposed that thegentleman gained the victory. Mrs Rainscourt waited until she foundthat she must either give vent to her feelings by words, or that herwhole frame would explode; and the action commenced on her side with ashower of tears, which ended in violent hysterics. The first wereunheeded by her husband, who always considered them as a kind of scalingher guns previous to an engagement; but the hysterics rather baffledhim. In his own house, he would have rung for the servants and leftthem to repair damages; but at an hotel, an eclat was to be avoided, ifpossible.
"Emily, my dear, go to your mother--you know how to help her."
"No, I do not, papa," said the child, crying; "but Norah used to openher hands."
Rainscourt's eyes were naturally directed to the fingers of his wife, inwhich he perceived a collection of notes and letters. He thought itmight be advisable to open her hand, if it were only to recover theseout of her possession. What affection would not have induced him to do,interest accomplished. He advanced to the sofa, and attempted to openher clenched hands; but whether Mrs Rainscourt's hysterics were onlyfeigned, or of such violence as to defy the strength of her husband, allhis efforts to extract the letters proved ineffectual, and, afterseveral unavailing attempts, he desisted from his exertions.
"What else is good for her, Emily?"
"Water, papa, thrown in her face--shall I ring for some?"
"No, my dear--is there nothing else we can do?"
"Oh, yes, papa, unlace her stays."
Rainscourt, who was not very expert as a lady's maid, had somedifficulty in arriving at the stays through the folds of the gown, _etcetera_, the more so as Mrs Rainscourt was very violent in hermovements, and he was not a little irritated by sundry pricks which hereceived from those indispensable articles of dress, which the fair sexare necessitated to use, pointing out to us that there are no roseswithout thorns. When he did arrive at the desired encasement, he wasjust as much puzzled to find an end to what appeared, like the Gordianknot, to have neither beginning nor end. Giving way to the naturalimpatience of his temper, he seized a penknife from the table, to divideit _a l'Alexandre_. Unfortunately, in his hurry, instead of insertingthe knife on the inside of the lace, so as to cut _to_ him, he cut downupon it, and not meeting with the resistance which he expected, thepoint of the knife entered with no trifling force into the back of MrsRainscourt, who, to his astonishment, immediately started on her legs,crying, "Would you murder me, Mr Rainscourt?--help, help!"
"It was quite accidental, my dear," said Rainscourt, in a soothing tone,for he was afraid of her bringing the whole house about her ears. "Ireally am quite shocked at my own awkwardness."
"It quite recovered you though, mamma," observed Emily, with greatsimplicity, and for which remark, to her astonishment, she was salutedwith a smart box on the ear.
"Why should you be shocked, Mr Rainscourt?" said the lady, who, as herdaughter had remarked, seemed wonderfully recovered from thephle-_back_-omy which had been administered,--"why should you be shockedat stabbing me in the back? Have I not wherewithal in my hand to stabme a thousand times in the heart? Look at these letters, all of which Ihave read! You had, indeed, reason to leave me in Galway; but I willsubmit to it no longer. Mr Rainscourt, I insist upon an immediateseparation."
"Why should we quarrel, then, my dear, when we are both of one mind?Now do me the favour to sit down, and talk the matter over quietly.What is it that you require?"
"First, then, Mr Rainscourt, an acknowledgment on your part, that I ama most injured, and most ill-treated woman."
"Granted, my dear, if that will add to your happiness; I certainly havenever known your value."
"Don't sneer, sir, if you please. Secondly, a handsome allowance,c
ommensurate with your fortune."
"Granted, with pleasure, Mrs Rainscourt."
"Thirdly, Mr Rainscourt, an extra allowance for the education andexpenses of my daughter, who will remain under my care."
"Granted, also."
"Further, Mr Rainscourt, to keep up appearances, I wish one of themansions on your different estates in England to be appropriated for ouruse. Your daughter ought to be known, and reside on the property ofwhich she is the future heiress."
"A reasonable demand, which I accede to. Is there anything further?"
"Nothing of moment; but, for Emily's sake, I should wish that you shouldpay us an occasional visit, and, generally speaking, keep up appearancesbefore the world."
"That I shall be most happy to do, my dear, and shall always speak ofyou, as I feel, with respect and esteem. Is there anything more, MrsRainscourt?"
"There is not; but I believe that if I had been ten times moreexorbitant in my demands," replied the lady, with pique, "that you wouldhave granted them--for the pleasure of getting rid of me."
"I would, indeed, my dear," replied Rainscourt; "you may command me inanything, except my own person."
"I require no _other_ partition, sir, than that of your fortune."
"And of that, my dear, you shall, as I have declared, have a liberalshare. So now, Mrs Rainscourt, I think we can have no further occasionfor disagreement. The property in Norfolk, where Admiral De Courcyresided, is a beautiful spot, and I request you will consider it as yourhead-quarters. Of course you will be your own mistress when you feelinclined to change the scene. And now, as all may be considered assettled, let us shake hands, and henceforward be good friends."
Mrs Rainscourt gave her hand and sealed the new contract, but,ill-treated as she had been,--at variance with her husband for years,--and now convinced that she had been outraged in the tenderest point,still her heart leaned towards the father of her child. The hand thatnow was extended in earnest of future separation, reminded her of theday when she had offered it in pledge of future fidelity and love, andhad listened with rapture to his reciprocal obligation. She covered herface with her handkerchief, which was soon moistened with her tears.
Such is woman! To the last moment she cherishes her love, pure as anemanation from the Deity. In the happy days of confidence and truth, itsheds a halo round her existence;--in those of sorrow and desertion,memory, guided by its resistless power, like the gnomon of the dial,marks but those hours which were sunny and serene.
However, Mrs Rainscourt soon found out that an unlimited credit uponthe banker was no bad substitute for a worthless husband; and, assistedby her pride, she enjoyed more real happiness and peace of mind than shehad done for many years. During her stay in London, Rainscourtoccasionally paid his respects, behaved with great kindness andpropriety, and appeared not a little proud of the expanding beauty ofhis daughter. Mrs Rainscourt not only recovered her spirits, but herpersonal attractions; and their numerous acquaintance wondered whatcould possess Mr Rainscourt to be indifferent to so lively and socharming a woman. In a few weeks the mansion was ready to receive them,and Mrs Rainscourt, with Emily, and a numerous establishment, quittedthe metropolis, to take up their abode in it for the ensuing summer.