CHAPTER XV
(MISS AGNES LOCKWOOD TO MRS. FERRARI)
'I promised to give you some account, dear Emily, of the marriage ofMr. Arthur Barville and Miss Haldane. It took place ten days since.But I have had so many things to look after in the absence of themaster and mistress of this house, that I am only able to write to youto-day.
'The invitations to the wedding were limited to members of the familieson either side, in consideration of the ill health of Miss Haldane'saunt. On the side of the Montbarry family, there were present, besidesLord and Lady Montbarry, Sir Theodore and Lady Barville; Mrs. Norbury(whom you may remember as his lordship's second sister); and Mr.Francis Westwick, and Mr. Henry Westwick. The three children and Iattended the ceremony as bridesmaids. We were joined by two youngladies, cousins of the bride and very agreeable girls. Our dresseswere white, trimmed with green in honour of Ireland; and we each had ahandsome gold bracelet given to us as a present from the bridegroom.If you add to the persons whom I have already mentioned, the eldermembers of Mrs. Carbury's family, and the old servants in bothhouses--privileged to drink the healths of the married pair at thelower end of the room--you will have the list of the company at thewedding-breakfast complete.
'The weather was perfect, and the ceremony (with music) was beautifullyperformed. As for the bride, no words can describe how lovely shelooked, or how well she went through it all. We were very merry at thebreakfast, and the speeches went off on the whole quite well enough.The last speech, before the party broke up, was made by Mr. HenryWestwick, and was the best of all. He offered a happy suggestion, atthe end, which has produced a very unexpected change in my life here.
'As well as I remember, he concluded in these words:--"On one point, weare all agreed--we are sorry that the parting hour is near, and weshould be glad to meet again. Why should we not meet again? This isthe autumn time of the year; we are most of us leaving home for theholidays. What do you say (if you have no engagements that willprevent it) to joining our young married friends before the close oftheir tour, and renewing the social success of this delightfulbreakfast by another festival in honour of the honeymoon? The brideand bridegroom are going to Germany and the Tyrol, on their way toItaly. I propose that we allow them a month to themselves, and that wearrange to meet them afterwards in the North of Italy--say at Venice."
'This proposal was received with great applause, which was changed intoshouts of laughter by no less a person than my dear old nurse. Themoment Mr. Westwick pronounced the word "Venice," she started up amongthe servants at the lower end of the room, and called out at the top ofher voice, "Go to our hotel, ladies and gentlemen! We get six percent. on our money already; and if you will only crowd the place andcall for the best of everything, it will be ten per cent. in our pocketsin no time. Ask Master Henry!"
'Appealed to in this irresistible manner, Mr. Westwick had no choicebut to explain that he was concerned as a shareholder in a new HotelCompany at Venice, and that he had invested a small sum of money forthe nurse (not very considerately, as I think) in the speculation.Hearing this, the company, by way of humouring the joke, drank a newtoast:--Success to the nurse's hotel, and a speedy rise in the dividend!
'When the conversation returned in due time to the more seriousquestion of the proposed meeting at Venice, difficulties began topresent themselves, caused of course by invitations for the autumnwhich many of the guests had already accepted. Only two members ofMrs. Carbury's family were at liberty to keep the proposed appointment.On our side we were more at leisure to do as we pleased. Mr. HenryWestwick decided to go to Venice in advance of the rest, to test theaccommodation of the new hotel on the opening day. Mrs. Norbury andMr. Francis Westwick volunteered to follow him; and, after somepersuasion, Lord and Lady Montbarry consented to a species ofcompromise. His lordship could not conveniently spare time enough forthe journey to Venice, but he and Lady Montbarry arranged to accompanyMrs. Norbury and Mr. Francis Westwick as far on their way to Italy asParis. Five days since, they took their departure to meet theirtravelling companions in London; leaving me here in charge of the threedear children. They begged hard, of course, to be taken with papa andmamma. But it was thought better not to interrupt the progress oftheir education, and not to expose them (especially the two youngergirls) to the fatigues of travelling.
'I have had a charming letter from the bride, this morning, datedCologne. You cannot think how artlessly and prettily she assures me ofher happiness. Some people, as they say in Ireland, are born to goodluck--and I think Arthur Barville is one of them.
'When you next write, I hope to hear that you are in better health andspirits, and that you continue to like your employment. Believe me,sincerely your friend,--A. L.'
Agnes had just closed and directed her letter, when the eldest of herthree pupils entered the room with the startling announcement that LordMontbarry's travelling-servant had arrived from Paris! Alarmed by theidea that some misfortune had happened, she ran out to meet the man inthe hall. Her face told him how seriously he had frightened her,before she could speak. 'There's nothing wrong, Miss,' he hastened tosay. 'My lord and my lady are enjoying themselves at Paris. They onlywant you and the young ladies to be with them.' Saying these amazingwords, he handed to Agnes a letter from Lady Montbarry.
'Dearest Agnes,' (she read), 'I am so charmed with the delightfulchange in my life--it is six years, remember, since I last travelled onthe Continent--that I have exerted all my fascinations to persuade LordMontbarry to go on to Venice. And, what is more to the purpose, I haveactually succeeded! He has just gone to his room to write thenecessary letters of excuse in time for the post to England. May youhave as good a husband, my dear, when your time comes! In the meanwhile, the one thing wanting now to make my happiness complete, is tohave you and the darling children with us. Montbarry is just asmiserable without them as I am--though he doesn't confess it so freely.You will have no difficulties to trouble you. Louis will deliver thesehurried lines, and will take care of you on the journey to Paris. Kissthe children for me a thousand times--and never mind their educationfor the present! Pack up instantly, my dear, and I will be fonder ofyou than ever. Your affectionate friend, Adela Montbarry.'
Agnes folded up the letter; and, feeling the need of composing herself,took refuge for a few minutes in her own room.
Her first natural sensations of surprise and excitement at the prospectof going to Venice were succeeded by impressions of a less agreeablekind. With the recovery of her customary composure came the unwelcomeremembrance of the parting words spoken to her by Montbarry'swidow:--'We shall meet again--here in England, or there in Venice wheremy husband died--and meet for the last time.'
It was an odd coincidence, to say the least of it, that the march ofevents should be unexpectedly taking Agnes to Venice, after those wordshad been spoken! Was the woman of the mysterious warnings and the wildblack eyes still thousands of miles away in America? Or was the marchof events taking her unexpectedly, too, on the journey to Venice?Agnes started out of her chair, ashamed of even the momentaryconcession to superstition which was implied by the mere presence ofsuch questions as these in her mind.
She rang the bell, and sent for her little pupils, and announced theirapproaching departure to the household. The noisy delight of thechildren, the inspiriting effort of packing up in a hurry, roused allher energies. She dismissed her own absurd misgivings fromconsideration, with the contempt that they deserved. She worked asonly women can work, when their hearts are in what they do. Thetravellers reached Dublin that day, in time for the boat to England.Two days later, they were with Lord and Lady Montbarry at Paris.
THE FOURTH PART