Venetia

  CHAPTER XVI.

  Venetia stopped for a moment to collect herself before she joinedher aunt, but it was impossible to conceal her agitation from theCountess. They had not, however, been long together before theyobserved their friends in the distance, who had now quitted thepalace. Venetia made the utmost efforts to compose herself, and notunsuccessful ones. She was sufficiently calm on their arrival, tolisten, if not to converse. The Countess, with all the tact of awoman, covered her niece's confusion by her animated description oftheir agreeable ride, and their still more pleasant promenade; and ina few minutes the whole party were walking back to their carriages.When they had arrived at the inn, they found Lord Cadurcis, towhose temporary absence the Countess had alluded with some casualobservation which she flattered herself was very satisfactory.Cadurcis appeared rather sullen, and the Countess, with femininequickness, suddenly discovered that both herself and her niece wereextremely fatigued, and that they had better return in the carriages.There was one vacant place, and some of the gentlemen must rideoutside. Lord Cadurcis, however, said that he should return as hecame, and the grooms might lead back the ladies' horses; and so in afew minutes the carriages had driven off.

  Our solitary equestrian, however, was no sooner mounted than he puthis horse to its speed, and never drew in his rein until he reachedHyde Park Corner. The rapid motion accorded with his tumultuous mood.He was soon at home, gave his horse to a servant, for he had lefthis groom behind, rushed into his library, tore up a letter of LadyMonteagle's with a demoniac glance, and rang his bell with such forcethat it broke. His valet, not unused to such ebullitions, immediatelyappeared.

  'Has anything happened, Spalding?' said his lordship.

  'Nothing particular, my lord. Her ladyship sent every day, and calledherself twice, but I told her your lordship was in Yorkshire.'

  'That was right; I saw a letter from her. When did it come?'

  'It has been here several days, my lord.'

  'Mind, I am at home to nobody; I am not in town.'

  The valet bowed and disappeared. Cadurcis threw himself into an easychair, stretched his legs, sighed, and then swore; then suddenlystarting up, he seized a mass of letters that were lying on the table,and hurled them to the other end of the apartment, dashed severalbooks to the ground, kicked down several chairs that were in his way,and began pacing the room with his usual troubled step; and so hecontinued until the shades of twilight entered his apartment. Then hepulled down the other bell-rope, and Mr. Spalding again appeared.

  'Order posthorses for to-morrow,' said his lordship.

  'Where to, my lord?'

  'I don't know; order the horses.'

  Mr. Spalding again bowed and disappeared.

  In a few minutes he heard a great stamping and confusion in hismaster's apartment, and presently the door opened and his master'svoice was heard calling him repeatedly in a very irritable tone.

  'Why are there no bells in this cursed room?' inquired Lord Cadurcis.

  'The ropes are broken, my lord.'

  'Why are they broken?'

  'I can't say, my lord,'

  'I cannot leave this house for a day but I find everything inconfusion. Bring me some Burgundy.'

  'Yes, my lord. There is a young lad, my lord, called a few minutesback, and asked for your lordship. He says he has something veryparticular to say to your lordship. I told him your lordship was outof town. He said your lordship would wish very much to see him, andthat he had come from the Abbey.'

  'The Abbey!' said Cadurcis, in a tone of curiosity. 'Why did you notshow him in?'

  'Your lordship said you were not at home to anybody.'

  'Idiot! Is this anybody? Of course I would have seen him. What thedevil do I keep you for, sir? You seem to me to have lost your head.'

  Mr. Spalding retired.

  'The Abbey! that is droll,' said Cadurcis. 'I owe some duties to thepoor Abbey. I should not like to quit England, and leave anybody introuble at the Abbey. I wish I had seen the lad. Some son of a tenantwho has written to me, and I have never opened his letters. I amsorry.'

  In a few minutes Mr. Spalding again entered the room. 'The young ladhas called again, my lord. He says he thinks your lordship has come totown, and he wishes to see your lordship very much.'

  'Bring lights and show him up. Show him up first.'

  Accordingly, a country lad was ushered into the room, although it wasso dusky that Cadurcis could only observe his figure standing at thedoor.

  'Well, my good fellow,' said Cadurcis; 'what do you want? Are you inany trouble?'

  The boy hesitated.

  'Speak out, my good fellow; do not be alarmed. If I can serve you, orany one at the Abbey, I will do it.'

  Here Mr. Spalding entered with the lights. The lad held a cottonhandkerchief to his face; he appeared to be weeping; all that wasseen of his head were his locks of red hair. He seemed a country lad,dressed in a long green coat with silver buttons, and he twirled inhis disengaged hand a peasant's white hat.

  'That will do, Spalding,' said Lord Cadurcis. 'Leave the room. Now,my good fellow, my time is precious; but speak out, and do not beafraid.'

  'Cadurcis!' said the lad in a sweet and trembling voice.

  'Gertrude, by G--d!' exclaimed Lord Cadurcis, starting. 'What infernalmasquerade is this?'

  'Is it a greater disguise than I have to bear every hour of my life?'exclaimed Lady Monteagle, advancing. 'Have I not to bear a smilingface with a breaking heart?'

  'By Jove! a scene,' exclaimed Cadurcis in a piteous tone.

  'A scene!' exclaimed Lady Monteagle, bursting into a flood ofindignant tears. 'Is this the way the expression of my feelings isever to be stigmatised? Barbarous man!'

  Cadurcis stood with his back to the fireplace, with his lipscompressed, and his hands under his coat-tails. He was resolved thatnothing should induce him to utter a word. He looked the picture ofdogged indifference.

  'I know where you have been,' continued Lady Monteagle. 'You have beento Richmond; you have been with Miss Herbert. Yes! I know all. I am avictim, but I will not be a dupe. Yorkshire indeed! Paltry coward!'

  Cadurcis hummed an air.

  'And this is Lord Cadurcis!' continued the lady. 'The sublime,ethereal Lord Cadurcis, condescending to the last refuge of themeanest, most commonplace mind, a vulgar, wretched lie! What couldhave been expected from such a mind? You may delude the world, but Iknow you. Yes, sir! I know you. And I will let everybody know you. Iwill tear away the veil of charlatanism with which you have envelopedyourself. The world shall at length discover the nature of the idolthey have worshipped. All your meanness, all your falsehood, all yourselfishness, all your baseness, shall be revealed. I may be spurned,but at any rate I will be revenged!'

  Lord Cadurcis yawned.

  'Insulting, pitiful wretch!' continued the lady. 'And you think thatI wish to hear you speak! You think the sound of that deceitful voicehas any charm for me! You are mistaken, sir! I have listened to youtoo long. It was not to remonstrate with you that I resolved to seeyou. The tones of your voice can only excite my disgust. I am here tospeak myself; to express to you the contempt, the detestation, theaversion, the scorn, the hatred, which I entertain for you!'

  Lord Cadurcis whistled.

  The lady paused; she had effected the professed purport of her visit;she ought now to have retired, and Cadurcis would most willingly haveopened the door for her, and bowed her out of his apartment. But herconduct did not exactly accord with her speech. She intimated nointention of moving. Her courteous friend retained his position, andadhered to his policy of silence. There was a dead pause, and thenLady Monteagle, throwing herself into a chair, went into hysterics.

  Lord Cadurcis, following her example, also seated himself, took up abook, and began to read.

  The hysterics became fainter and fainter; they experienced all thosegradations of convulsive noise with which Lord Cadurcis was so wellacquainted; at length they subsided into sobs and sighs. Finally,there was again silence, now only
disturbed by the sound of a pageturned by Lord Cadurcis.

  Suddenly the lady sprang from her seat, and firmly grasping the arm ofCadurcis, threw herself on her knees at his side.

  'Cadurcis!' she exclaimed, in a tender tone, 'do you love me?'

  'My dear Gertrude,' said Lord Cadurcis, coolly, but rather regrettinghe had quitted his original and less assailable posture, 'you know Ilike quiet women.'

  'Cadurcis, forgive me!' murmured the lady. 'Pity me! Think only howmiserable I am!'

  'Your misery is of your own making,' said Lord Cadurcis. 'Whatoccasion is there for any of these extraordinary proceedings? I havetold you a thousand times that I cannot endure scenes. Female societyis a relaxation to me; you convert it into torture. I like to sailupon a summer sea; and you always will insist upon a white squall.'

  'But you have deserted me!'

  'I never desert any one,' replied Cadurcis calmly, raising her fromher supplicating attitude, and leading her to a seat. 'The last timewe met, you banished me your presence, and told me never to speak toyou again. Well, I obeyed your orders, as I always do.'

  'But I did not mean what I said,' said Lady Monteagle.

  'How should I know that?' said Lord Cadurcis.

  'Your heart ought to have assured you,' said the lady.

  'The tongue is a less deceptive organ than the heart,' replied hercompanion.

  'Cadurcis,' said the lady, looking at her strange disguise, 'what doyou advise me to do?'

  'To go home; and if you like I will order my vis-a-vis for youdirectly,' and he rose from his seat to give the order.

  'Ah!' you are sighing to get rid of me!' said the lady, in areproachful, but still subdued tone.

  'Why, the fact is, Gertrude, I prefer calling upon you, to yourcalling upon me. When I am fitted for your society, I seek it; and,when you are good-tempered, always with pleasure; when I am not in themood for it, I stay away. And when I am at home, I wish to see no one.I have business now, and not very agreeable business. I am disturbedby many causes, and you could not have taken a step which could havegiven me greater annoyance than the strange one you have adopted thisevening.'

  'I am sorry for it now,' said the lady, weeping. 'When shall I see youagain?'

  'I will call upon you to-morrow, and pray receive me with smiles.'

  'I ever will,' said the lady, weeping plenteously. 'It is all myfault; you are ever too good. There is not in the world a kinder andmore gentle being than yourself. I shall never forgive myself for thisexposure.

  'Would you like to take anything?' said Lord Cadurcis: 'I am sure youmust feel exhausted. You see I am drinking wine; it is my only dinnerto-day, but I dare say there is some salvolatile in the house; I daresay, when my maids go into hysterics, they have it!'

  'Ah, mocker!' said Lady Monteagle; 'but I can pardon everything, ifyou will only let me see you.'

  'Au revoir! then,' said his lordship; 'I am sure the carriage must beready. I hear it. Come, Mr. Gertrude, settle your wig; it is quiteawry. By Jove! we might as well go to the Pantheon, as you are readydressed. I have a domino.' And so saying, Lord Cadurcis handed thelady to his carriage, and pressed her lightly by the hand, as hereiterated his promise of calling at Monteagle House the next day.