CHAPTER II
I DISCOVER A NEW INTEREST IN LIFE
On my way back to Soho I turned over matters with interest. I hadbut little difficulty in placing the Vicomte; he was one of thoseclear, simple souls, very charming at times in woman, but lessacceptable in the man of the world.
No one can admire purity of mind in a woman more than myself, butI have no hesitation in stating that at times I find it positivelydisconcerting when displayed in too obvious a degree by a man. Inwoman, it is to be desired above all things, and woman is so farsuperior to man in the manipulation of the more delicate qualities,that she seldom errs in her concealments, and when she reveals,she does so at the most opportune moment, and so effectively that,though it be no more than a glimpse, it suffices.
And these reflections brought me naturally to Miss Grey; indeed,in fancy I had never been away from her since we met. The Vicomte'smanner absolutely confirmed me in my belief that the name wasassumed.
Now if a man does not wish to tell you the truth, and the occasionbe important, he has just one of two alternatives: the one, is totell a lie with such assurance and bearing that it carries convictionwith it; but, egad! if he won't do that, then the only other is torun you through.
The Vicomte not having been ready for either, I was so far in hisconfidence that I knew "Miss Grey" was an assumed name; and Ishrewdly suspected, from the familiarity of her manner with him,that their mutual relation might be closer than he cared to admit--asuspicion I resolved to put to the touch. Accordingly, the nextday I made as careful a toilet as my cursed disguise would admitof, and took my way to Essex Street.
Giving my name to the man at the door, for the lodgings were genteelbeyond the ordinary, which advanced me in my surmise as to the fairone's condition, I was ushered into a drawing-room which would havebeen much better for a little more light than was permitted toenter through the drawn curtains.
In a few moments the door opened and an elderly lady entered, whomI conjectured to be the aunt.
"Madam," I said, bowing low, "it was my good fortune to be of someslight service to your niece yesterday, and I have ventured to calland inquire if the shock has proved at all serious. My name, madam,is--"
"Tut, tut, boy! None of your airs and graces with me! Your name isHughie Maxwell, and many's the time I've skelped you into goodmanners. Come here and kiss your old cousin, you scamp!" And withoutwaiting for me to comply with her invitation, she threw her armsabout me and discomposed me sadly enough with an unexpected outburstof weeping.
When she had recovered somewhat we settled down to explanations;questionings from her and answers from me, until at length she wassatisfied on all my movements. Then came my turn, and I began witha definite object in view, but carefully guarding my advances, whenshe cut my finessing short:
"Now, Hughie, stop your fiddle-faddle, and ask me who 'my niece'is. You stupid blockhead, don't you know your curiosity is peekingout at every corner of your eyes? 'My niece' is Margaret Nairn."
"A relation of Lord Nairne?"
"No one would count her so save a Highlander; they are from thefar North, not the Perth people; but don't interrupt! Her motherand I were school-mates and friends somewhat more than a hundredyears ago. I have had the girl with me in Edinburgh and Paris, andwhen I found she was doomed to be buried alive with her father intheir lonely old house in the Highlands, and neither woman norprotector about, I took her, the child of my oldest friend, to mycare, and at no time have I been more thankful than now, when thewhole country is set by the ears. We are in London masquerading as'Mistress Grey and her niece,' as her only brother, Archie, anofficer in the French service, is mixed up in this unfortunateaffair, and it is probably only a matter of time until he gets intotrouble and will need every effort I may be able to put forth inhis behalf. No, you have not come across him, for he was on somesecret mission; and it is possible he may not have set foot inScotland at all. We can but wait and see. Now that your curiosityis satisfied, doubtless you are longing to see the young ladyherself; but let me warn you, Master Hughie, I will have none ofyour philandering. Margaret is as dear to me as if she were my owndaughter born, and I may as well tell you at once I have plans forher future with which I will brook no interference."
"May I ask, cousin, if your plans include M. de Trincardel?"
"My certes! But it is like your impudence to know my mind quickerthan I tell it. Yes, since you must know, a marriage is arrangedbetween them, and I have pledged myself for Margaret's fittingestablishment. There it is all, in two words; and now I am goingfor the young lady herself. See that you congratulate her."
Do not imagine that her conditions cost me a second thought, northe declaration of her future intentions a pang. My cousin was awoman, and as such was privileged to change her mind as often asshe chose, and I was still young enough not to be worried by thethought that some day I might not be the one called upon to stepinto her comfortable shoes. As for the Vicomte, he must play forhis own hand. So I awaited with impatience the appearance of myfair supplanter.
She was much younger than I had supposed, not more than sixteen;but if I had been mistaken in her age, I had not over-estimatedher beauty. Her hair was really the same rich amber-colour thathad awakened my admiration; her forehead was broad and low; hereyes between hazel and gray, with clear, well-marked brows; hernose straight and regular; and her mouth, though not small, wasbeautifully shaped, with the least droop at the corners, which madeher expression winsome in the extreme. Her face was a little angularas yet, but the lines were good, and her slightly pointed chin wasbroken by the merest shadow of a dimple. She was taller than mostwomen, and if her figure had not rounded out to its full proportion,her bearing was noble and her carriage graceful.
Difficult as it is for me to give even this cold inventory of hercharms, the sweet witchery of her manner, the fall of her voice,the winning grace that shone in her every look, are beyond my poorpowers of description. I felt them to my very heart, which lay insurrender at her feet long before I realized it was even in danger.
Our friendship began without the usual preliminaries of acquaintance.My sacrifices in the Prince's cause were known to her through LadyJane; indeed, when I saw her noble enthusiasm, it fired me till Ihalf forgot my disappointments, and was once more so fierce aJacobite that I satisfied even her sweeping enthusiasm.
If anything further was needed to heighten our mutual interest, itwas forthcoming in the discovery that I had been aide-de-camp toLord George Murray, whom she rightly enough regarded as the mainspringof the enterprise, and to whom she may, in Highland fashion, havebeen in some degree akin.
Naught would satisfy her but that I should tell the story of myadventures, should describe the Prince a thousand times--which Idid with every variation I could think of to engage heradmiration--should relate every incident and conversation with LordGeorge, which I did the more willingly that I loved him from myheart, and it required but little effort to speak of a man who hadplayed his part so gallantly.
With Lady Jane as moved as Margaret herself, we sat till late, and,like Othello, I told to the most sympathising ears in the worldthe story of my life. They forgot the hour, the place, and all butthe moving recital; and I saw only the glistening eyes, sometimeswide with horror, sometimes welling over with tears, and sometimessparkling with humour, until, like the Moor, I could almost persuademyself that
"She lov'd me for the dangers I had pass'd, And I lov'd her that she did pity them."
"Come, come, Hughie! We'll have no more of this! The child willnever close her eyes this night, and you should be ashamed, makingan exhibition of an old fool of a woman!" suddenly cried Lady Jane,rising and wiping her eyes when I had finished telling of the deathof young Glengarry at Falkirk. And half laughing, half crying, shekissed me and pushed me out of the room, before I had opportunityto take a fitting farewell of Margaret, Pearl of all Women.
"If the Vicomte can make any running that will count against this,I'll be much surprised," I thought to myself as
I picked my wayhome under a warm drizzle through the dirty, ill-lighted streets.But outward discomforts mattered not a whit to me, for I had eatenof the fruit of the gods, and that night I journeyed in the sunlightof the Pays-du-Tendre, bearing in my heart the idol to which mysoul did homage, as I hummed over the song of some dead and forgottenbut valiant-hearted lady of my own house:
"When day was deid I met my Dear On fair Kirkconnel Lea, Though fause een spied, I knew no fear, His love was over me. He kissed me fu' upon the mou', He looked me in the ee, An' whispered low, 'Nor life nor death Shall part my Love frae me!'
"The span o' Life's nae lang eneugh, Nor deep eneugh the sea, Nor braid eneugh this weary warld To part my Love frae me!
"Though mony an' mony a day hath died On fair Kirkconnel Lea Sin' I stood by my True Love's side An' melted 'neath his ee, Yet ilka wind that fans my cheek Kissed his in Germanie, An' bids me bide; for what shall make To part my Love frae me?
"The span o' Life's nae lang eneugh, Nor deep eneugh the sea, Nor braid eneugh this weary warld To part my Love frae me!"
Do I need to relate the story of the next day, or of each one whichsucceeded? Dear as it is to me, clearly as every fond remembrancestands out before me, it might but weary a reader to whom I cannotpossibly convey even a conception of the sweet witchery of myMargaret's engaging manner. Mine, though I might never possess her,for I was too sincerely attached to Lady Jane to think of standingin the way of her plans should she finally determine against me;mine most of all, when I saw how eagerly the dear girl turned tome whenever I appeared.
The Vicomte often formed one of our party, and it was with somedistress that I saw he was inclined to interfere with the friendshipso happily begun. I have a natural inclination against giving pain;there is already so much in this world which we cannot prevent, itseems cruel to add to it intentionally, and it was not withoutregret that I saw my innocent endeavours towards the entertainmentof Margaret caused him grave uneasiness. Still, as a man of breedinghe could not admit that his position in her affections was endangered,and so kept on his way, though his evident disturbance told againstthe effectiveness of his advances towards her, and at times renderedhis attack on me singularly unskilful. _Exempli gratia:_ Margaretwas so visibly moved one day by the effect of my singing, for Ithen possessed a voice justly admired by those best qualified tojudge, that he was indiscreet enough to remark on my choice of asong, which was Jacobite to an extreme.
"Chevalier, only an artist could act a part so thoroughly."
It was embarrassing, but I was saved all necessity of a reply byMargaret's generous outburst:
"Oh, Gaston, for shame! You can never understand what it means tohave lost all for your Prince!"
A somewhat more forceful rejoinder than I should have been able tomake, seeing I had so unguardedly revealed my sentiments on thisvery subject to him at our first meeting. Therefore I at onceaccepted her defence in the same spirit as it was given; indeed,I had almost forgotten I had any rancour against the unfortunateCharles, so completely was I dominated by her enthusiasm.
"Let me sing you another," I exclaimed, "written when our hopeswere still high."
"Yes, yes," she cried, eagerly, clapping her hands. "Let us forgetit has all passed."
And I sang:
"In far Touraine I'd watched each lagging day Drag on to weary night, I'd broke my heart when homing birds Winged o'er me in their flight; But a Blackbird came one golden eve And rested on the wing, And these were the heartsome words I heard The bonnie Blackbird sing:
"'Go bid your love bind in her hair The blue of Scotland's Kings, Go bid her don her bravest gown And all her gauds and rings, And bid her shine all maids above As she can shine alone; For the news was whispered in the night, And the night hath told the day, And the cry hath gone across the land From Lochaber to the Tay! From Lochaber far beyond the Tay The glorious news hath flown-- So bid her don her best array, For the King shall have his own Once more! The King shall have his own!"
"Beyond the Tweed I know each bonnie bird That lilts the greenwood through, I know each note from the mavis sweet To the crooning cushie-doo; But I ne'er had heard a song that gar'd My very heart-strings ring Till I heard that eve in far Touraine The bonnie Blackbird sing:
"'Go bid your love bind in her hair The blue of Scotland's Kings, Go bid her don her bravest gown And all her gauds and rings, And bid her shine all maids above, As she can shine alone;-- For the news was whispered in the night, And the night hath told the day, And the cry hath gone across the land From Lochaber to the Tay! From Lochaber far beyond the Tay The glorious news hath flown-- So bid her don her best array, For the King shall have his own Once more! The King shall have his own!'"
Lady Jane was in tears, and my Margaret was little better, thoughsmiling at me from the spinet, while the Vicomte sat the onlycomposed one in the room--I being affected, as I always am when Ihear a fine effort, whether by myself or another--when Mr. Colvill,who was Lady Jane's man of business, entered to us, and withoutany preamble began:
"Mr. Maxwell, I have certain information that your lodgings willbe searched to-night, and I have a suspicion that you are the personsought for."
My poor Margaret cried out and nearly swooned with terror, but LadyJane was herself at once. "Give over your nonsense, Peggy, thisinstant! Hughie is not a mewling baby to be frightened, with awarning before him! Colvill, you have acted with the discretion Ishould have expected in you, and I thank you in my cousin's nameand my own. Hughie, do you find out some new place at once; I markeda little sempstress who has a shop in Wych Street only the otherday, and I would apply there if you know of no other. Do not goback to your old lodgings on any account. When I hear where youare, I will supply you with everything needful."
The Vicomte very obligingly offered me the shelter of his roof forthe night, but I answered I could not think of exposing him, whenon diplomatic business, to the charge of sheltering a rebel, andwas pleased to have so handsome an excuse to cover my unwillingnessto lie under an obligation towards him.
In a moment the whole aspect of our little party was changed, andI took my way to seek for a new shelter, leaving anxious heartsbehind me.