Poor Franceska! First she encountered Cousin Marilda's wonder anddispleasure, and the declaration that Uncle Lance went absolutely crazyover his musical mania. She had seen it before in poor Edgar, and knewwhat it came to. She wanted to telegraph at once to Alda to ask herconsent or refusal to Franceska's appearance; but Sir Ferdinand stoppedthis on the ground that the circumstances could not be explained, andtold her to content herself with Clement's opinion.
This she sent Sophy and Emilia to ascertain, before she would let themand the boys escort Francie to her destination. Clement, not yet up, hadto hold a lit de justice, and pronounce that Uncle Lance was to be fullytrusted to ask nothing unbecoming or unnecessary, and that Francie wouldhave nothing to do with any one except him and Gerald.
"Besides," said Emilia, as they walked up, "nobody will find it out. Theposters are all over the town, 'Mona, Miss Ludmilla Schnetterling.'"
So the sisters were received with a murmur on their delay. The prettydress prepared for Mona was found to be too small for the tall shapelyFranceska, and Sophy undertook to alter it, while poor Francie'stroubles began.
Whether it was that Uncle Lance and Gerald were in a secret state ofturmoil, or that their requirements were a good deal higher than for theVale Leston audience, or perhaps that she had no inheritance of actresstraditions, they certainly were a great deal sharper with her than theyhad been ever before or with Ludmilla.
Gerald derided her efforts sarcastically, and Uncle Lance found faultgood-humouredly but seriously, and she was nearly in tears by eleveno'clock, when the procession was to take place. She was quite surprisedwhen Lance turned to her and said--
"Thank you, my dear, you are doing capitally. I shall be proud of mydaughter Mona."
Quite in spirits again, she was sewn by Sophy into her still unfinisheddress, her beautiful light golden flax tresses were snooded, herHighland scarf pinned on her shoulder, and she hurried to her uncle, nowbe-robed and be-wigged, with Gerald in full Highland garb, looking verymuch disgusted, especially when her uncle said--
"Well done, Francie. You'll cut that poor little thing out in looks andvoice, if not in acting."
"Oh, uncle, I sang so horridly."
"You can do better if you try; I wish there was time to train you.We'll do the 'logs duet' once more after this tomfoolery. Ha! CaptainArmytage. You are an awful pirate, and no mistake. Where did you getthat splendid horse-pistol?"
"From my native home, as well as my sword; but I wrote to Willingham forthe rest. This will be an uncommonly pretty march-past. The girls lookso well, and all out of doors too."
This was decidedly a great advantage, the trees, grass, and blue skylending a great grace to the scene. The procession started from thegarden entrance of the hotel, headed by the town band in uniform, andthe fire brigade likewise, very proud of themselves, especially thelittle terrier whom nothing would detach from one of the firemen. Thencame the four seasons belonging to the flower stall, appropriatelydecked with flowers, the Italian peasants with flat veils, brightaprons, and white sleeves, Maura White's beauty conspicuous in themidst, but with unnecessary nods and becks. Then came the "mediaeval"damsels in ruffs and high hats, the Highland maidens, with Valetta andPrimrose giggling unmanageably; and Aunt Jane's troop of the variouscostumes of charity children, from the green frocks, long mittens, andtall white caps, and the Jemima Placid flat hats and long waists, downto the red cloaks, poke straw bonnets, and blue frocks of the LadyBountiful age. These were followed by the merry fairies and elves; thenby the buccaneers and the captive prisoners; and the rear was brought upby MacProspero, as Lord Rotherwood called him, with his niece on his armand his nephew by his side.
When the central stall, or bothie, in the Carrara grounds was reached,after passing in full state and order over two of the bridges, theprocession halted before a group of the Rotherwood family, Sir Jasperand Lady Merrifield, Lady Flight, and other local grandees, with theclergy, who had declined to walk in procession. There the performersspread themselves out, singing Autolycus's song, led of course byMacProspero; Lady Rotherwood, with as much dignity as the occasionpermitted, declared the bazaar open, and the Marquis hoped every one wasgoing to ruin themselves in the cause of Christian education.
The first idea of "every one" was luncheon, except that Lance laid handson his unfortunate Angus and Mona for their duet, in the midst of whichLord Rotherwood made a raid on them.
"There! I'm sure Prospero never was so cruel as to starvewhat's-his-name! Come in and have some food--it is just by."
They found themselves in a dining-room, in the presence of LadyRotherwood, her son and daughter, and a sprinkling of Merrifields andactors, in full swing of joyous chatter; Mysie and Lady Phyllis tellingall that was specially to be admired, and Lord Rotherwood teasing themabout the prices, and their wicked extortions in the name of goodness,Gillian snubbing poor Captain Armytage in his splendid buccaneerdress, Ivinghoe making himself agreeable to Franceska, whose heightenedcarnation tints made her doubly lovely through her shyness. Gerald andDolores in the less lively vicinity of the Marchioness carrying on alow-toned conversation, which, however, enabled Gerald to sustain naturewith food better than he had done at breakfast.
It did not last long. The sellers had to rush off to relieve thosewho had begun the sale, and the performance was to commence at threeo'clock, so that the final preparations had to be hurried through.
Geraldine had made the tour of the stalls on the arm of Anna, to admirethem in their first freshness, and put finishing touches whereversolicited. The Rocca Marina conservatories were in rare glory, orchidsin weird beauty, lovely lilies of all hues, fabulously exquisiteipomoeas, all that heart could wish. Before them a fountain played inthe midst of blue, pink, and white lotus lilies, and in a flower-deckedhouse the Seasons dispensed pot-flowers, bouquets, and button-holes;the Miss Simmondses and their friends with simpering graces, thatmade Geraldine glad to escape and leave them to the young men whowere strolling up. At Carrara was the stall in which she was chieflyinterested, and which had been arranged with a certain likeness toItalian gardens, the statues and other devices disposed among flowers;the Dirty Boy judiciously veiled by the Puzzle Monkey, and the frontof the summer-house prolonged by pillars, sham but artistic. Jasper waszealously photographing group after group, handing his performances overto his assistant for printing off. Kalliope looked in her costume mostbeautiful and dignified. Her sister, grown to almost equal beauty, washurrying off to see the masque, flushed and eager, while Gillian and oneor two others were assisting in sales that would be rather slacktill after the performance. Here Geraldine purchased only a coupleof Mouse-traps, leaving further choice to be made after the strangerpurchasers. Here Sir Jasper and General Mohun came up, and gave hera good deal of curious information about Bernard's bevy of figuresin Indian costumes; and having the offer of such a strong arm as theGeneral's, she dispensed with Anna, who was really wanted to help withthe very popular photographs.
They passed the refreshments, at present chiefly haunted by Mrs. Edgar'sboys, ready to eat at any time of day; they looked civilly at the VarleyElizabethans, and found Lady Merrifield in the midst of her bothie, madecharming with fresh green branches and purple heather, imported by theVanderkists.
"That's Penbeacon ling. I know that red tint in the mauve," saidGeraldine; "I'll give you half-a-crown, if your decorations can sparethat spiring spray!" And she put it in her bosom, after touching it withher lips. "You have a bower for the Lady of the Lake," she added.
"I'm afraid I'm only Roderick Dhu's mother," laughed Lady Merrifield;"but I shall have more ladies when the masque is done. Now I have onlyMysie."
"And oh!" cried Mysie, "please set up the nurse in the nursery gardensright. Wilfred knocked her over, and she won't stand right for me."
"Perverse woman. There! No, I shall not buy anything now, I shallwait for Primrose and the refuse. How pretty it does all look! Ah, Mr.Brownlow," as she shook hands with the curate.
"I left my brother John at your hous
e," he said; "I persuaded him to rundown this morning with my mother and see our doings, and he was glad ofthe opportunity of looking in upon the Vicar."
"How very kind of him. We were wishing to know what he thought!"
"No doubt he will be here presently. My mother is at the masque. Therewas not a seat for us, so I took him down to St. Andrew's Rock."
"Not a seat! The five-shilling seats?"
"Not the fraction of one. Numbers standing outside! Pity there can't bea second performance."
"Four hundred seats! That's a hundred pounds! We shall beat theSchool-board yet!"
So, with the General politely expressing that there was no saying whatRockquay owed to the hearty co-operation of such birds of passage asherself and her brothers, she travelled on to the charity stall, whichMiss Mohun had quaintly dressed in the likeness of an old-fashionedschool, with big alphabet and samplers, flourished copies, and a stuffedfigure of a 'cont-rare-y' naughty boy, with a magnificent fool'scap. She herself sat behind it, the very image of the Shenstoneschool-mistress, with wide white cap, black poke-bonnet, crossedkerchief, red cloak, and formidable rod; and her myrmidons werein costume to match. It was very attractive, and took every one bysurprise, but Geraldine had had enough by this time, and listenedto Miss Mohun's invitation and entreaty that she would preside overtea-cups for the weary, in the drawing-room. The privacy of the houseshad been secured by ropes extending from the stalls to the rails of thegarden, and Geraldine was conducted by her two generals to the verandah,where they installed her, and lingered, as was usual with her squires,always won by her spirited talk, till messages came to each of them frombelow that some grandee was come, who must be talked to and entertained.
Already, however, Armine Brownlow had brought up his brother, thedoctor--John or Jock, an old friend--over, first Clement's district andthen his bed.
"Well, Mrs. Grinstead, I can compliment you much on your brother. He isvery materially better, and his heart is recovering tone."
"I am very glad and thankful! I only wish you had seen him last week. Hewas better then, but he had a worry about our little nephew, which threwhim back."
"So he told me. The more quiescent and amused you can keep him, the morechance of a fair recovery there will be. I am glad he thinks of diningwith the party to-night."
"I am glad he still thinks. I had to come away early, when he had stillleft it doubtful."
"I encouraged the idea with all my might."
"Do you think he will be able to go back to his parish?"
"Most assuredly not while every worry tells on him in this manner. Youmust, if possible, take him abroad for the winter, before he begins tothink about it."
"He has leave of absence for a year."
"Dating from Easter, I think. Keep him in warm climates as long as youcan. Find some country to interest him without over-fatigue, and youwill, I hope, be able to bring him home fit to consider the matter."
"That is all you promise?"
"All I dare--not even to promise--but to let you hope for."
An interruption came; one of the young ladies had had her skirt troddenon, and wanted it to be stitched up. Then came Jane Mohun to deposita handkerchief which some one had dropped. "I can stay a moment," shesaid; "no one will come to buy till the masque is ended. Oh, this redcloak will be the death of me!"
"You look highly respectable without it."
"I shall only put it on for the coup d'oeil at first. Oh, Geraldine,what is to be done with that horrid little Maura?"
"The pretty little Greek girl--Mrs. Henderson's sister?"
"Oh! it is not Mrs. Henderson's fault, nor my sister Ada's either,except that the little wretch must have come round her. I know Ada meantto stay away on that very account."
"What account?"
"Ivinghoe's, to be sure! Oh! I forgot. You are so much one of us thatI did not remember that you did not know how the foolish boy wasattracted--no, that's too strong a word--but she thought he was, whenthey were here to open Rotherwood Park. He did flirt, and Victoria--hismother, I mean--did not like it at all. She would never have come thistime, but that I assured her that Maura was safe at Gastein!"
"Is it so very undesirable?"
"My dear! Their father was old White's brother, a stone-mason. He wasraised from the ranks, but his wife was a Greek peasant--and if you hadseen her, when the Merrifield children called her the Queen of the WhiteAnts! Ivinghoe is naturally as stiff and formal as his mother, I am notmuch afraid for him, except that no one knows what that fever will makeof a young man, and I don't want him to get his father into a scrape.There, I have exhaled it to you, and there is a crowd as if the masquewas done with."
It was, and the four hundred auditors were beginning to throng about thestalls, strays coming up from time to time, and reporting with absoluteenthusiasm on the music and acting. Marilda was one of these.
"Well, Cherry, I saw no great harm in it after all, and Francie lookedsweetly pretty, just as poor Alda did when she first came to us. Lancemust make his own excuses to Alda. But Gerald looked horridly ill!He sang very well, but he had such red spots on his cheeks! I'd getClement's doctor to sound him. Lord Rotherwood was quite complimentary.Now I must go and buy something--I hear there is the Dirty Boy--I thinkI shall get it for Fernan's new baths and wash-houses. Then isn't theresomething of yours, Cherry?"
"Not to compete with the Dirty Boy."
"Ah! now you are laughing at me, Cherry. Quite right, I am glad to hearyou do it again."
The next visitor was Lance.
"Oh, Cherry, how cool you look! Give me a cup of tea--notrefreshment-stall tea. That's right. Little Francie is a perfectgem--looks and voice--not acting--no time for that. Heigh-ho!"
"Where's Gerald?"
"Somewhere about after that Merrifield niece with the doleful name, Ifancy. He did very well when it came to the scratch."
"Have you seen Dr. Brownlow? He has been to see Clement."
"That's first-rate! Where shall I find him?"
"Somewhere about, according to your lucid direction, I suppose."
"What does he think of old Tina?"
Geraldine told him, and was rather surprised, when he whistled as thoughperplexed, and as Fergus rushed in, glorious with the news that SirFerdinand had bought his collection of specimens for the Bexley museum,he rose up, looking perturbed, to find Dr. Brownlow.
Next came Gillian with news that the Dirty Boy was sold to Lady TravisUnderwood.
"And mayn't I stay a moment or two?" said she. "Now the masque is over,that Captain Armytage is besetting me again."
"Poor Captain Armytage."
"Why do you pity him? He is going to join his ship, the Sparrow Hawk,next week, and that ought to content him."
"Ships do not always fill a man's heart."
"Then they ought. I don't like it," she added, in a petulant tone. "Ihave so much to learn and to do, I don't want to be tormented about atiresome man."
"Well, he will be out of your way to-morrow."
"Geraldine, that is a horrid tone."
"If you choose to put meaning in it, I cannot help it."
"And that horrid little Maura! She is in the most awful flutter,standing on tiptoe, and craning out her foolish little neck. I know itis all after Ivinghoe, and he never has come to our counter! Kalliopehas been trying to keep her in order, but I'm sure the Queen of theWhite Ants must have been just like that when she got poor Captain Whiteto marry her. Kalliope is so much vexed, I can see. She never meant tohave her here. And Aunt Ada stayed away on purpose."
"Has she seen much of him?"
"Hardly anything; but he did admire her, and she never was likeKalliope. But what would Aunt Ada do? Oh dear! there's that man! He hasno business at Aunt Jane's charity stall. I shall go and tell him so."
Geraldine had her little private laugh before Adrian came up to her witha great ship in his arms--
"Take care of this, Aunt Cherry. She is going to sail on the Ewe. Ibought her with the sovereign Uncle Fern
an gave me."
Geraldine gave the ship her due admiration, and asked after the masque.
"Oh, that went off pretty well. I wouldn't have been Fely! All theladies went and said 'Pretty dear!' when he sang his song about thebat's back. Disgusting! But then he has not been a fellow at school, sohe made his bow and looked as if he didn't mind it."
"And Francie?"
"Francie looked perfectly stunning. Everybody said so, and shesang--well, she sang better than she did at home; but she was in anawful funk, though I kept on looking at her, and shouting bravo toencourage her; and she must have heard my voice, for I was just infront."
"I hope she was encouraged."
"But she is very stupid. I wanted to take her round to all the stalls,and show her what to buy with the five Jubilee sovereigns Uncle Fernangave her, for you know she has never been anywhere, or seen anything. Ithought she would like it, and besides, all our fellows say they neversaw such an awfully pretty girl, and they can't believe all that hair isher own--she had it all down her back, you know--so I told them I wouldlet them have a pull to try."
"Poor Francie! She declined, I suppose?"
"Well, there was that ridiculous swell, Fergus's cousin, Ivinghoe, andhe has taken her off to see the stupid flowers in the conservatory. Itold Sophy I wondered she permitted such flirting, but of course Francieknew no better."
"Oh! and you couldn't stop it?"
"Not I, though I called her over and over again to look at things, butLord Ivinghoe always hung about and gave one no peace. So I just toldSophy to look after her, and came off to tell you. Oh my! here is oldMiss Mohun coming up. I shall be off. I want some chocolate creams. Mrs.Simmonds has got some splendid ones."
Miss Mohun was coming, in fact.
"Well, Geraldine, the masque was a great success. People beg to have itrepeated, so many could not get in. And it is worth at least a hundredpounds to us. People whose opinion is worth having were quite struck.They say your brother really ought to have been a great composer andsinger."
"I think he might have been if he had not given up his real passion tocome to the help of my dear eldest brother. And he is really happier ashe is."
"I knew there was conquest in his face. And that dear little elf of aboy--what a voice! So bright and so arch too. Then the Miranda--she tookall by surprise. I believe half the spectators took her for the LittleButterfly."
"Ah, the poor Little Butterfly is flown. There was nothing for it but tomake Francie act, as she had taken the part once before."
"Her acting was no great things, they say--ladylike, but frightened. Hervoice is lovely, and as to her looks--people rave about them. Tell me,she is not Lady Travis Underwood's daughter?"
"Oh no; she is Anna's sister, Adrian's sister."
"So I told Lady Rotherwood, I was sure it was so."
"The Travis Underwoods have no children, but they adopted Emilia whenI took Anna, and they have brought three Vanderkists to this affair.Francie has never been from home before, it is all quite new to her."Then recollecting what Adrian had repeated, she thought it fair to add,"My sister was left very badly off, and all these eight girls will havenothing of their own."
"Well, I don't suppose anything will come of it. I hope it will put nofolly into her head; but at any rate it effaces that poor silly littleMaura. I hope too, as you say your niece is so innocent, it will do herno harm."
"I don't suppose any possibilities have occurred to the child."
Lord Rotherwood here came on the scene.
"Jenny, there's an offer for your boy in the fool's cap, and Mysiedoubts if she ought to let him go. Well, Mrs. Grinstead, I think youhave the best of it. Lookers on, etc."
"Looking on has always been my trade."
"You heard the rehearsal of the masque, I believe, but you did not hearthat charming Mona?"
"No; she had to take the part suddenly. Her uncle had to tyrannize overher, to save the whole thing."
"We are much indebted to him, and to her," said Lord Rotherwoodcourteously. "She looked as if she hated it all in the first scene,though she warmed up afterwards. I must say I liked her the better forher shyness."
"Her little brother thinks she recovered in consequence of hisapplause," said Geraldine, smiling.
"Ah! I saw him. And heard. A little square fellow--very sturdy."
"Yes, the Dutchman comes out in him, and he has droll similitudes,very curious in one who never saw his father, nor any but his Underwoodrelations."
"So much the better for him perhaps; I have, and ought to have, greatfaith in uncles' breeding. I am glad to meet Sir Ferdinand TravisUnderwood. I have often come across him about London good works."
"Yes, he is an excellent man."
"Not wholly English is he, judging by the depth of colour in thoseeyes?"
"No; his mother was a Mexican, partly Indian. We used to call him theCacique;" and Geraldine had the pleasure of telling his story to anearnest listener, but interruption came in the shape of Sir Ferdinandhimself who announced that he had hired a steam-yacht wherein to viewthe regatta, and begged Lord Rotherwood to join the party.
This was impossible, as the Marquis was due at an agricultural dinner atClarebridge, but in return, in the openness of his heart, he invited theTravis Underwoods to their dinner that evening at the hotel, where theMerrifields and the Underwoods were already engaged, little boys andall.
"Thank you, my lord, but we are too large a party. We have threeVanderkist girls with us, and Anna and her brother are to join them tobe with their sister."
"Never mind, never mind. The great hall will have room for all."
Still Fernan demurred, knowing that Marilda had ordered dinner at theQuay Hotel, and that even liberal payment would not atone for missingthe feasting of the millionaires; so the matter was compounded by hispromise to bring all his party, who were not ready for bed, up to spendthe evening.
And Geraldine perceived from Lady Rotherwood's ceremonious politenessthat she did not like it at all, though she never said so even to LadyMerrifield.
However, it was a very bright evening. Gerald had sung himself intospirits, and then found Dolores, and retreated into the depths of thegarden with her, explaining to her all about his sister, and declaringthat his first object must be to rescue her; and then, unless his namewas cleared, and he had to resume all his obligations, the new lifewould be open to him, and he had no fear of not succeeding as ajournalist, or if not, a musical career was possible to him, as Doloreshad now the opportunity of fully perceiving. His sweet voice had indeedfilled her with double enthusiasm. She had her plan for lecturing, andthat very morning she had received from her father permission to entera ladies' college, and the wherewithal. She would qualify herself forlecturing by the time he had fixed his career; and they built their airycastles, not on earth, but on railroads and cycles, and revelled onthem as happily as is common to lovers, whether in castle or in cottage.Certainly if the prospect held out to her had been Vale Leston Priory,it would not have had the same zest; and when in the evening theyjoined the dinner-party, there was a wonderful look of purpose and ofbrightness on both their faces. And Emilia, who had been looking forhim all the afternoon to tell him, "Gerald, I am really going to be anurse," only got for answer an absent "Indeed!"
"Yes, at St. Roque's."
"I hope I shall never be a patient there," he said, in his half-mockingtone. "You'll look jolly in the cap and apron."
"I'm to be there all the time they are in America, and--"
"Well, I wonder you don't go and study the institutions."
"But, Gerald--"
His eye was wandering, and he sprang forward to give Dolores a flowerthat she had dropped.
Lancelot, knowing what was before Gerald, and having always regardedVale Leston with something of the honours of Paradise, could notunderstand that joyous look of life, so unlike Gerald's usual weary,passive expression. He himself felt something of the depression that wasapt to follow on musical enjoyment; he saw all the failures d
ecidedlyenough not to be gratified with the compliments he met on all sides, and"he bitterly thought on the morrow," when he saw how Clement was gettinganimated over a discussion on Church matters, and how Geraldine wasenjoying herself. And as to that pretty Franceska, who had blossomedinto the flower of the flock, he foresaw heart-break for her whenhe watched the Marchioness's countenance on hearing that her son hadaccepted Sir Ferdinand's invitation to cruise to-morrow in the yacht.
Vainly was Ivinghoe reminded of the agricultural dinner. He was only tooglad to escape it, and besides, he thought he could be there in time.
Nevertheless, the present was delightful, and after dinner the youngpeople all went off to the great assembly-room, whence Anna came back tocoax Uncle Lance to play for them. All the elders jumped up from theirseveral discussions. Even Lady Rotherwood moved on, looking as benignas her feelings would permit. Jane squeezed Geraldine's arm, exceedinglyamused. Lance struck up, by request, an old-fashioned country dance;Lord Rotherwood insisted that "Lily" should dance with him, as theremnant of forty good years ago or more, and with Sir Roger de Coverleythe day ended.
Poor little Maura, making an excuse to wander about the gardens in themoonlight, saw the golden locks shining through the open windows, andLord Ivinghoe standing over them, went home, and cried herself to sleepover the fickleness of the nobility, when she had better have cried overher own unjustified romance, excited by a few kindly speeches and a cupof tea.
And Emilia! What was Gerald's one laughing turn with her, compared withhis long talk with Dolores in the moonlight?
CHAPTER XXII. -- THE REGATTA