CHAPTER XXVI
A NEW ARRIVAL
Thrice had the old nurse, Marie, assisting her mistress that night forthe banquet, sighed; a number of times striven to hold my lady's eyeand attention, but in vain. Only when the adorning process was nearlycompleted and the nurse knelt with a white slipper, did she, by adistinctly detaining pressure, succeed in arresting, momentarily, theother's bright strained glance.
"Is anything the matter?" My lady's absent tone did not inviteconfidences.
"My Lady--" the woman hesitated; yet seemed anxious to speak. "I--myLady," she began again; with sign of encouragement from the Governor'sdaughter, would have gone on; but the latter, after waiting a moment,abruptly withdrew the silken-shod foot.
"The banquet! It is past the hour!"
An instant she stood, not seeing the other or the expression ofdisappointment on the woman's countenance; then quickly walked to thedoor. Nor, as the Governor's daughter moved down the long corridor,with crimson lips set hard, was she cognizant of another face thatlooked out from one of the many passages of the palace after her--theface of a younger woman whose dark, spying eyes glowed and whose handsclosed at sight of the vanishing figure!
The sound of gay voices, however, as she neared the banqueting hall,perforce recalled my lady to a sense of her surroundings; at the sametime a figure in full court dress stepped from the widely opened doors.An adequate degree of expectancy on his handsome countenance, my lord,the Marquis, who had been waiting, lover-fashion, for the first glimpseof his mistress that evening, now gallantly tendered his greetings.
Seldom, perhaps, had the ancient banqueting hall presented a morefestive appearance. Fruits and flowers made bright the tables; bannersmedieval, trophies of many victories, trailed from the ceiling; ahundred lights were reflected from ornaments of crystal and dishes ofgold. On every hand an almost barbaric profusion impressed the guestswith the opulence of the Mount; that few could sit in more state thanthis pale lord of the North, or few queens preside over a scene ofgreater splendor than their fair hostess, his daughter!
With feverish semblance of spirit, she took her place; beneath the keeneyes of his Excellency responded to sallies of wit, and only whenbetween courses the music played, did her manner relax. Then, leaningon her elbow, with cheeks aflame and downcast eyes, she professed tolisten to dainty strains--the sighing of the old troubadours, asimitated by a group of performers in costume on a balcony at one end ofthe hall.
"Charming!" The voice was the Marquis'; she looked at him, though hereyes conveyed but a shadowy impression. "You have quite recovered fromyour trip to the dungeons?"
"Quite!" With a sudden lift of the head.
"The dungeons?" His Excellency's gaze was on them. "I understand,"looking at Elise, "you had a slight adventure?"
The glow on her cheek faded. "Yes." She seemed to speak withdifficulty. "It--was too stupid!"
"To get lost? Say, rather, it was venturesome to have attempted toreturn alone."
"Just what I said to the Lady Elise!" broke in the Marquis. "And tohave left us at a most interesting moment!"
"Interesting?" The Governor's steel-gray eyes regarded the speakerinquiringly.
"We were about to visit the Black Seigneur!"
"Ah!" A look flashed from his Excellency to his daughter; her glancefailed to meet it.
Yet paler, she turned over-hurriedly to the Marquis. "What is that airthey are playing now?" His response she heard not, was only consciousthat, across the board, the eyes of her father still scrutinized;studied!
At length, however, the evening wore away; a signal from hisExcellency, and of one accord they rose and crossed to thestar-illumined cloister adjoining. There at the entrance, my lady, whotoward the last had listened with an air of distraction, hardlyconcealed, to her noble suitor's graceful speeches, held back, and, asthe others went in, quickly effected her escape and hastened to her ownapartments.
"At last!" She threw back her arms; breathed deeper. "Ah, _mon pere_,you are hard--unyielding as the iron doors and bars of your dungeons!"She pressed her hand to her forehead. "And I can do nothing--nothing!"she repeated; stood for a moment motionless and then mechanically movedtoward the bell-rope at the other end of the chamber. But the hand shestarted to raise was arrested; through the slightly opened door to theadjoining apartment, she heard voices; words that caused herinvoluntarily to listen.
"I have made up my mind to tell her ladyship, Nanette!" The old nursewas speaking, in tones that betrayed excitement and anxiety. "It is,to say the least, embarrassing for me--your coming here! You, thedaughter of Pierre Laroche, who emigrated to the English Isles! Whohas always shown disloyalty for the monarchy at home!"
My lady, surprised, drew nearer; caught the answer, which came intones, deep and strong.
"At least, aunt, you are frank!"
"I must be! Under ordinary circumstances, I should be glad; of course,the child of my dead sister ought to be welcome."
"So I thought," dryly, "when I stopped off a few days ago to see you,on my way to Paris."
"If you had let me know, it is I who would have gone somewhere, nearby, to have seen you!" was the troubled reply. "His Excellency--whatwould he say if he knew? Pierre Laroche, who has been called friend ofprivateersmen, perhaps even of the Black Seigneur, himself! I shouldhave gone to his Excellency at once and asked if he objected, only youbegged me not, and--"
"Were you so anxious to be rid of me?" quickly.
"I shouldn't speak as I do now, perhaps, only--"
"Only?"
"Your conduct, since you have been here--"
"What do you mean?" The other's tone had a sudden defiant ring.
"It is not seemly for a girl of your age and condition to be out aloneso late, nights!"
"I just went down into the town to get something," was the carelessresponse, "and the sands looked so attractive--"
"That's no excuse! And now," the old nurse's voice showed a trace ofembarrassment, "we've had our visit, and you had better carry out yourplan of going to Paris."
"You want me to leave here--at once?" The girl drew her breath sharply.
"Perhaps it would be as well."
"You treat me as if--I were a spy!" angrily.
"I don't wish to do that," returned the woman in a constrained tone."But now, after so many years of service with her ladyship! And hermother, the former lady of the Mount! If I should incur the Governor'sdispleasure--" the words died away. "If I can be of any help to you,if you need assistance--money--"
"Money!" Nanette's derisive laugh rang out; was suddenly hushed by thetinkling of a bell!
"Her ladyship!"
For a few moments the Governor's daughter, now standing in the centerof her apartment, heard no sound from the other room; then a timidfootstep approaching the door was followed by an indecisive rap.
"Your Ladyship rang?" inquired Marie, turning a half-guilty glance onher mistress.
"Yes! Did I hear voices, as I came in?"
"Did your Ladyship? I mean, I was going to speak to your Ladyship.It's my niece!" suddenly. "On her way to Paris!"
"Your niece!" The Governor's daughter looked at the other. "Andyou--are pleased?"
"Your Ladyship--" The woman flushed.
"Of course, though, you must be! She is out there? Show her in!"quickly.
"But--"
"At once!"
"Very well, my Lady!" Marie's manner, however, was depressed, as,stepping to the threshold, reluctantly she beckoned.
Erect, with mien almost antagonistic, Nanette entered and stood beforethe Lady Elise. The latter did not at once speak; for a few momentsthe observant brown eyes passed in quick scrutiny over her visitor;noting the aggressive brows; the broad, strong face; the self-assertivepose of the well-developed figure. A woman to do--to dare!--What?
"A woman to do--to dare!"]
"You wished to see me?" Nanette first spoke.
Marie lifted an expostulatory ha
nd. What bad manners, thus to dare!But my lady did not seem to notice. "You are from one of the islands?"she began.
"Yes."
"Say 'my Lady'!" broke in the old nurse. "I trust your Ladyship willpardon--"
"Never mind, Marie!" with a quick gesture. "Your aunt tells me you areon your way to Paris?"
"Yes--my Lady!" with the slightest hesitation before the last twowords. "To seek a situation as lady's maid!"
"When are you leaving?"
"To-morrow morning, your Ladyship!" interposed Marie quickly.
"So soon?" My lady continued to address the girl. "You have hadexperience?"
"No, my Lady!"
"Then how can you secure what you wish?"
"How? At least, I can try!"
"To be sure! You can try." My lady's eyes fell; she seemed to bethinking. "Still, it may be difficult; Paris is far away. And if youshould fail," her fingers tapped nervously on the chair, "we are verybusy at the Mount just now," she added suddenly, directing her glancefull upon the other, "and there may be something here--"
"Here! Your Ladyship will keep me here!"
Marie made a movement as if to speak, but her niece intercepted her.
"I will do my best, my Lady!"
"Very well! Then shall you have a trial!"
"Your Ladyship!" interposed Marie.
The Governor's daughter got up quickly. "I am very tired, Marie, andwish now to be alone! You need not remain--I shall not want you againto-night."
The old nurse murmured a dejected response; turned away.
"I thank your Ladyship!" The girl's last look was one of indubitablesatisfaction ere she followed her aunt from the room.
My lady stared after them. "'Daughter of Pierre Laroche! Friend ofthe Black Seigneur!'" Marie's words continued to ring in her ears.She threw herself into a chair; sat long very still, her eyes bentstraight before her, on either cheek now a bright spot of color.