BOOK THE FIFTH. DE STANCY AND PAULA.
I.
Miss Power was reclining on a red velvet couch in the bedroom of anold-fashioned red hotel at Strassburg, and her friend Miss De Stancy wassitting by a window of the same apartment. They were both rather weariedby a long journey of the previous day. The hotel overlooked the largeopen Kleber Platz, erect in the midst of which the bronze statue ofGeneral Kleber received the rays of a warm sun that was powerless tobrighten him. The whole square, with its people and vehicles going toand fro as if they had plenty of time, was visible to Charlotte in herchair; but Paula from her horizontal position could see nothing belowthe level of the many dormered house-tops on the opposite side of thePlatz. After watching this upper storey of the city for some time insilence, she asked Charlotte to hand her a binocular lying on the table,through which instrument she quietly regarded the distant roofs.
'What strange and philosophical creatures storks are,' she said. 'Theygive a taciturn, ghostly character to the whole town.'
The birds were crossing and recrossing the field of the glass in theirflight hither and thither between the Strassburg chimneys, their sadgrey forms sharply outlined against the sky, and their skinny legsshowing beneath like the limbs of dead martyrs in Crivelli's emaciatedimaginings. The indifference of these birds to all that was going onbeneath them impressed her: to harmonize with their solemn and silentmovements the houses beneath should have been deserted, and grassgrowing in the streets.
Behind the long roofs thus visible to Paula over the window-sill,with their tiers of dormer-windows, rose the cathedral spire inairy openwork, forming the highest object in the scene; it suggestedsomething which for a long time she appeared unwilling to utter; butnatural instinct had its way.
'A place like this,' she said, 'where he can study Gothic architecture,would, I should have thought, be a spot more congenial to him thanMonaco.'
The person referred to was the misrepresented Somerset, whom the two hadbeen gingerly discussing from time to time, allowing any casual subject,such as that of the storks, to interrupt the personal one at every twoor three sentences.
'It would be more like him to be here,' replied Miss De Stancy, trustingher tongue with only the barest generalities on this matter.
Somerset was again dismissed for the stork topic, but Paula couldnot let him alone; and she presently resumed, as if an irresistiblefascination compelled what judgment had forbidden: 'The strongest-mindedpersons are sometimes caught unawares at that place, if they once thinkthey will retrieve their first losses; and I am not aware that he isparticularly strong-minded.'
For a moment Charlotte looked at her with a mixed expression, in whichthere was deprecation that a woman with any feeling should criticizeSomerset so frigidly, and relief that it was Paula who did so. For,notwithstanding her assumption that Somerset could never be anythingmore to her than he was already, Charlotte's heart would occasionallystep down and trouble her views so expressed.
Whether looking through a glass at distant objects enabled Paula tobottle up her affection for the absent one, or whether her friendCharlotte had so little personality in Paula's regard that she couldcommune with her as with a lay figure, it was certain that she evincedremarkable ease in speaking of Somerset, resuming her words about him inthe tone of one to whom he was at most an ordinary professional adviser.'It would be very awkward for the works at the castle if he has gotinto a scrape. I suppose the builders were well posted with instructionsbefore he left: but he ought certainly to return soon. Why did he leaveEngland at all just now?'
'Perhaps it was to see you.'
'He should have waited; it would not have been so dreadfully long to Mayor June. Charlotte, how can a man who does such a hare-brained thing asthis be deemed trustworthy in an important work like that of rebuildingStancy Castle?'
There was such stress in the inquiry that, whatever factitiousness hadgone before, Charlotte perceived Paula to be at last speaking her mind;and it seemed as if Somerset must have considerably lost ground in heropinion, or she would not have criticized him thus.
'My brother will tell us full particulars when he comes: perhaps it isnot at all as we suppose,' said Charlotte. She strained her eyes acrossthe Platz and added, 'He ought to have been here before this time.'
While they waited and talked, Paula still observing the storks, thehotel omnibus came round the corner from the station. 'I believe he hasarrived,' resumed Miss De Stancy; 'I see something that looks like hisportmanteau on the top of the omnibus.... Yes; it is his baggage. I'llrun down to him.'
De Stancy had obtained six weeks' additional leave on account of hishealth, which had somewhat suffered in India. The first use he made ofhis extra time was in hastening back to meet the travelling ladies hereat Strassburg. Mr. Power and Mrs. Goodman were also at the hotel, andwhen Charlotte got downstairs, the former was welcoming De Stancy at thedoor.
Paula had not seen him since he set out from Genoa for Nice,commissioned by her to deliver the hundred pounds to Somerset. His note,stating that he had failed to meet Somerset, contained no details,and she guessed that he would soon appear before her now to answer anyquestion about that peculiar errand.
Her anticipations were justified by the event; she had no sooner goneinto the next sitting-room than Charlotte De Stancy appeared and askedif her brother might come up. The closest observer would have been indoubt whether Paula's ready reply in the affirmative was prompted bypersonal consideration for De Stancy, or by a hope to hear more of hismission to Nice. As soon as she had welcomed him she reverted at once tothe subject.
'Yes, as I told you, he was not at the place of meeting,' De Stancyreplied. And taking from his pocket the bag of ready money he placed itintact upon the table.
De Stancy did this with a hand that shook somewhat more than a longrailway journey was adequate to account for; and in truth it was thevision of Dare's position which agitated the unhappy captain: for hadthat young man, as De Stancy feared, been tampering with Somerset'sname, his fate now trembled in the balance; Paula would unquestionablyand naturally invoke the aid of the law against him if she discoveredsuch an imposition.
'Were you punctual to the time mentioned?' she asked curiously.
De Stancy replied in the affirmative.
'Did you wait long?' she continued.
'Not very long,' he answered, his instinct to screen the possibly guiltyone confining him to guarded statements, while still adhering to theliteral truth.
'Why was that?'
'Somebody came and told me that he would not appear.'
'Who?'
'A young man who has been acting as his clerk. His name is Dare. Heinformed me that Mr. Somerset could not keep the appointment.'
'Why?'
'He had gone on to San Remo.'
'Has he been travelling with Mr. Somerset?'
'He had been with him. They know each other very well. But as youcommissioned me to deliver the money into no hands but Mr. Somerset's, Iadhered strictly to your instructions.'
'But perhaps my instructions were not wise. Should it in your opinionhave been sent by this young man? Was he commissioned to ask you forit?'
De Stancy murmured that Dare was not commissioned to ask for it; thatupon the whole he deemed her instructions wise; and was still of opinionthat the best thing had been done.
Although De Stancy was distracted between his desire to preserve Darefrom the consequences of folly, and a gentlemanly wish to keep as closeto the truth as was compatible with that condition, his answers had notappeared to Paula to be particularly evasive, the conjuncture being onein which a handsome heiress's shrewdness was prone to overleap itselfby setting down embarrassment on the part of the man she questioned to amere lover's difficulty in steering between honour and rivalry.
She put but one other question. 'Did it appear as if he, Mr. Somerset,after telegraphing, had--had--regretted doing so, and evaded the resultby not keeping the appointment?'
'That's just how it appears.' Th
e words, which saved Dare from ignominy,cost De Stancy a good deal. He was sorry for Somerset, sorry forhimself, and very sorry for Paula. But Dare was to De Stancy whatSomerset could never be: and 'for his kin that is near unto him shall aman be defiled.'
After that interview Charlotte saw with warring impulses that Somersetslowly diminished in Paula's estimate; slowly as the moon wanes, but ascertainly. Charlotte's own love was of a clinging, uncritical sort, andthough the shadowy intelligence of Somerset's doings weighed down hersoul with regret, it seemed to make not the least difference in heraffection for him.
In the afternoon the whole party, including De Stancy, drove about thestreets. Here they looked at the house in which Goethe had lived, andafterwards entered the cathedral. Observing in the south transepta crowd of people waiting patiently, they were reminded that theyunwittingly stood in the presence of the popular clock-work ofSchwilgue.
Mr. Power and Mrs. Goodman decided that they would wait with the rest ofthe idlers and see the puppets perform at the striking. Charlotte alsowaited with them; but as it wanted eight minutes to the hour, and asPaula had seen the show before, she moved on into the nave.
Presently she found that De Stancy had followed. He did not come closetill she, seeing him stand silent, said, 'If it were not for thiscathedral, I should not like the city at all; and I have even seencathedrals I like better. Luckily we are going on to Baden to-morrow.'
'Your uncle has just told me. He has asked me to keep you company.'
'Are you intending to?' said Paula, probing the base-moulding of a pierwith her parasol.
'I have nothing better to do, nor indeed half so good,' said De Stancy.'I am abroad for my health, you know, and what's like the Rhine and itsneighbourhood in early summer, before the crowd comes? It is delightfulto wander about there, or anywhere, like a child, influenced by no fixedmotive more than that of keeping near some friend, or friends, includingthe one we most admire in the world.'
'That sounds perilously like love-making.'
''Tis love indeed.'
'Well, love is natural to men, I suppose,' rejoined the young lady. 'Butyou must love within bounds; or you will be enervated, and cease to beuseful as a heavy arm of the service.'
'My dear Miss Power, your didactic and respectable rules won't do forme. If you expect straws to stop currents, you are sadly mistaken! Butno--let matters be: I am a happy contented mortal at present, say whatyou will.... You don't ask why? Perhaps you know. It is because all Icare for in the world is near me, and that I shall never be more than ahundred yards from her as long as the present arrangement continues.'
'We are in a cathedral, remember, Captain De Stancy, and should not keepup a secular conversation.'
'If I had never said worse in a cathedral than what I have said here,I should be content to meet my eternal judge without absolution. Youruncle asked me this morning how I liked you.'
'Well, there was no harm in that.'
'How I like you! Harm, no; but you should have seen how silly I looked.Fancy the inadequacy of the expression when my whole sense is absorbedby you.'
'Men allow themselves to be made ridiculous by their own feelings in aninconceivable way.'
'True, I am a fool; but forgive me,' he rejoined, observing her gaze,which wandered critically from roof to clerestory, and then to thepillars, without once lighting on him. 'Don't mind saying Yes.--You lookat this thing and that thing, but you never look at me, though I standhere and see nothing but you.'
'There, the clock is striking--and the cock crows. Please go across tothe transept and tell them to come out this way.'
De Stancy went. When he had gone a few steps he turned his head. Shehad at last ceased to study the architecture, and was looking at him.Perhaps his words had struck her, for it seemed at that moment as if heread in her bright eyes a genuine interest in him and his fortunes.