CHAPTER VII.
ROSALIND. Sir, you have wrestled well, and overthrown more than your enemies.--_As You Like It._
In the few weeks following the entertainment of the Dusenalls, Hampsteadhad not seen Nina. He felt he had been doing harm. The memory of thatwhich had occurred and a twinge or two at his unfaithfulness to hisfriend Jack had made him avoid seeing her. But afterward, as fancy forseeing her again came to him more persistently, he gradually revertedto the old method of self-persuasion, that if she preferred Jack shemight have him. He said he did not intend to show "any just cause orimpediment" when Jack's marriage bans were published, and what the girlmight now take it into her head to do was no subject of anxiety to him.
She, in the mean time, had lost no time in improving her acquaintancewith Margaret after the calls had been exchanged. Margaret was notpeculiar in finding within her an argument in favor of one who evidentlysought her out, and the small amount of effusion on Nina's part was notwithout some of its desired effect. Nina wished to be her particularfriend. She had perceived that a difference existed between them--asomething that Geoffrey seemed to admire; and she had the vague impulseto form herself upon her.
Huxley explained table-turning by a simple experiment. He placed cardsunderneath the hands of the people forming the charmed circle round thetable, and when they all "willed" that the table should move in aparticular direction the cards and hands moved in that direction, whilethe table resisted the spirits and remained firm on its feet. In asimilar way, Nina's impulse to know Margaret and frame herself upon herwere all a process of unconscious self-deception which resembled theillusions of unrecognized muscular movements. She had no fixed ideasregarding Hampstead. Her actions were simply the result of his presencein her thoughts. She moved toward him, distantly and vaguely, butsurely--somewhat as the card of a ship-compass, when it is spinning,seems to have no fixed destination, though its ultimate direction iscertain.
She found it easy to bring the Dusenall girls to regard Margaret assomebody worth cultivating. The family tree of the Dusenall's commencedwith the grandfather of the Misses Dusenall, who had got rich "outWest." On inquiry they found that Margaret's family tree dwarfed that ofany purely Canadian family into a mere shrub by comparison; and onknowing her better they found her brightness and vivacity a greataddition to little dinners and lunches where conversational powers areat a premium.
With plenty of money, no work, an army of servants, a large house andgrounds, a stable full of horses, and a good yacht, three or four youngpeople can with the assistance of their friends support life fairlywell. Lawn-tennis was their chief resource. Nina, being rather of theDudu type, was not wiry enough to play well, and Margaret had notlearned. She was strong and could run well, but this was not of much useto her. When the ball came toward her through the air she seemed tobecome more or less paralyzed. Between nervous anxiety to hit the balland inability to judge its distance, she usually ended in doing nothing,and felt as if incurring contempt when involuntarily turning her backupon it. If she did manage to make a hit, the ball generally had to befound in the flower-beds far away on either side of the courts. Incricketing parlance, she played to "cover point" or "square leg" withmuch impartiality.
So these two generally looked on and made up for their want of skill indignity and in conversation among themselves and with the men toolanguid to play. The wonder was that the marriageable young women likedMargaret so well. With her long, symmetrical dress rustling over thelawn and her lace-covered parasol occasionally hiding her dainty bonnetand well-poised head, Margaret might have been regarded as an enemy andlabeled "dangerous," but the girls trusted her with their particularyoung men, with a sort of knowledge that she did not want any of them,even if the men themselves should prove volatile and recreant. Afterall, what young girls chiefly seek "when all the world is young, lad,and all the trees are green," is to have a good time and not beinterrupted in their whims. So Margaret, who was launching out into agayer life than she had led before, got on well enough, and the wonderas to what girls who did nothing found to talk about was wearing off. Ifshe was not much improved in circles where general advantages seemed topromise originality, it was no bad recreation sometimes to study theexact minimum of intelligence that general advantages produced, and thedrives in the carriages and Nina's village-cart were agreeable. She waspartial to "hen-parties." Nina had one of these exclusive feasts whereperhaps the success of many a persistent climber of the social ladderhas been annihilated. It was a luncheon party. Of course the Dusenallgirls were there, and a number of others. Mrs. Lindon did not appear.Nina was asked where she was, but she said she did not know. As shenever did seem to know, this was not considered peculiar.
On this day Margaret was evidently the particular guest, and she wasmade much of by several girls whom she had not met before. It was worththeir while, for she was Nina's friend and Nina had such deliciousthings--such a "perfect love" of a boudoir, all dadoes, and that sort ofthing, with high-art furniture for ornament and low-art furniture inhigh-art colors for comfort, articles picked up in her traveling,miniature bronzes of well-known statues, a carved tower of Pisa ofcourse, coral from Naples, mosaics from Florence, fancy glassware fromVenice--in fact a tourist could trace her whole journey on examining thearticles on exhibition. A French cook supplied the table with delectablemorsels which it were an insult to speak of as food. Altogether her homewas a pleasant resort for her acquaintances, and there were thosepresent who thought it not unwise to pay attention to any person whomNina made much of.
There were some who could have been lackadaisical and admiring nothing,if the tone of the feast had been different, but Margaret was foradmiring everything and enjoying everything, and having a generallynoisy time and lots of fun. She was a wild thing when she got off inthis way, as she said, "on a little bend," and carried the others offwith her.
What concerns us was the talk about the bank games. Some difference ofopinion arose as to whether or not these were enjoyable. Not having beensatisfied with attention from the right quarter at previous bank games,several showed aversion to them. Nina was looking forward with interestto the coming events, and Margaret, when she heard that Geoffrey andJack and other friends were to compete in the contests, was keen to be aspectator. Emily Dusenall remarked that Geoffrey Hampstead was said tobe a splendid runner, and that these games were the first he had takenany part in at Toronto, as he had been away during last year's. It wasarranged that Nina and Margaret should go with the Dusenalls to thegames after some discussion as to whose carriage should be used. Ninaasserted that their carriage was brand new from England and entitled toconsideration, but the Dusenalls insisted that theirs was brand new,too, and, more than that, the men had just been put into a new livery.It was left to Margaret, who decided that she could not possibly go inany carriage unless the men were in livery absolutely faultless.
Some days after this the carriage with the men of spotless livery rolledvice-regally and softly into the great lacrosse grounds where the BankAthletic Sports were taking place. The large English carriage horsespranced gently and discreetly as they heard the patter of their feet onthe springy turf, and they champed their shining bits and shook theirchains and threw flakes of foam about their harness as if they also, ifpermitted, would willingly join in the sports. There was Margaret,sitting erect, her eyes luminous with excitement. Inwardly she wasshrinking from the gaze of the spectators who were on every side, and asusual she talked "against time," which was her outlet for nervousness inpublic places. Mrs. Mackintosh had made her get a new dress for theoccasion, which fitted her to perfection, and Nina declared she lookedjust like the Princess of Wales bowing from the carriage in the Row. Thetwo Dusenalls were sitting in the front seat. Nina sat beside Margaret.Nina was looking particularly well. So beautiful they both were! Andsuch different types! Surely, if one did not disable a criticalstranger, the other would finish him.
The whole turn-out gave one a general impression of laces, Frenchgloves, essence of fl
owers, flower bonnets, lace-smothered parasols, andbeautiful women. There was also an air of wealth about it, which tendedto keep away the more reticent of Margaret's admirers. She knew men ofwhose existence Society was not aware--men who were beginning--who livedas they best could, and, as yet, were better provided with brains thandress-coats. Moreover, the Dusenalls had a way of lolling back in theircarriage which they took to be an attitude capable of interpreting thatthey were "to the manor born." There was a supercilious expression aboutthem, totally different from their appearance at Nina's luncheon, andthey had brought to perfection the art of seeing no person but the rightperson. Consequently, it required more than a usual amount of confidencein one's social position to approach their majesties. The wrong manwould get snubbed to a dead certainty.
After passing the long grand stand the carriage drew up in anadvantageous spot where they could see the termination of the milewalking match. The volunteer band had brokenly ceased to play God savethe Queen on discovering that theirs was _not_ the vice-regal carriage,and, in the field, Jack Cresswell was coming round the ring, withseveral others apparently abreast of him, heeling and toeing it in finestyle. As they watched the contest, sympathy with Jack soon becamearoused. Margaret heard somebody say that this was the home-stretch.Several young bank-clerks were standing about within earshot, and shelistened to what they were saying as if all they said was oracular.
"Gad! Jack's forging ahead," said one.
"Yes, but Brownlee of Molson's is after him. Bet you the cigars Brownleewins!"
This was too much for Margaret. She stood up in the carriage and,without knowing it, slightly waved her parasol at Jack, not because hewould see her encouragement, but on general principles, because she feltlike doing so, regardless of what the finer feelings of the Dusenallsmight be. The walkers crossed the winning line, and it was difficult tosee who won. Margaret sat down again, her face lighted with excitement,and said all in a breath:
"Was not that splendid? How they did get over the ground! What a pacethey went at! Poor Jack, how tired he must be! I do hope he won, Nina,"and she laid her hand on Nina's tight-sleeved soft arm with emphasis.
The Dusenalls did not think there was much interest in a stupidwalking-match, and they thought standing up and waving one's parasolrather bad form, so they were not enthusiastic.
Nina said softly: "Indeed, if you take so much interest in Jack I'll getjealous."
While she said this her face began to color, and Margaret's reply wasinterrupted by Geoffrey Hampstead's voice which announced welcome news.He gave them all a sort of collective half-bow and shook hands with Ninain a careless, friendly way.
"I come with glad tidings--as a sort of harbinger of spring, or Noah'sdove with an olive-branch--or something of the kind."
"Is your cigar the olive-branch? To represent the dove you should haveit in your mouth," said Nina. "Stop, I will give you an olive-branch, sothat you may look your part better."
She wished Geoffrey to know that she felt no anger for what had occurredat the ball. Geoffrey saw the idea, and answered it understandingly asshe held out a sprig of mignonette.
"I suppose this token of peace can only be carried in my mouth," saidGeoffrey, throwing away his cigar.
"Certainly," said Nina, and her gloved fingers trembled slightly as sheput the olive-branch between his lips, saying "There! now you lookwonderfully like a dove."
Margaret was smiling at this small trifling, but her anxiety about thewalking-match was quite unabated. She said: "I do not see why you callyourself a harbinger of spring or anything else unless you havesomething to tell us. What is your good news? Has Mr. Cresswell won theprize?"
"By about two inches," said Geoffrey. "I thought I might create anindirect interest in myself, with Miss Lindon at least, by coming totell you of it." He wore a grave smile as he said this, which made Ninablush.
"And so you did create an indirect interest in yourself," said Margaret."Now you can interest us on your own account. What are you going tocompete for to-day?"
Hampstead was clad in cricketing flannels--his coat buttoned up to theneck.
"I entered for a good many things," said he, "in order that I might goin for what I fancied when the time came. They are contesting now forthe high-pole jump. Perhaps we had better watch them, as they havealready begun to compete. I am anxious to see how they do it."
High leaping with the pole is worth watching if it be well done.Margaret's interest increased with every trial of the men who werecompeting, and she almost suffered when a "poler" did his best andfailed. One man incased in "tights" was doing well, and also a smallyoung fellow who had thrown off his coat, apparently in an impromptuway, and was jumping in a pair of black trousers, which looked peculiarand placed him at a disadvantage from their looseness. The others soondropped out of the contest, being unable to clear the long lath that wasalways being put higher. These two had now to fight it out together.They had both cleared the same height, and the next elevation of thelath had caused them both to fail. Margaret was on her feet again in thecarriage, her face glowing as she watched every movement of the"polers." Her sympathies were entirely with the funny little man inblack trousers. The other at length cleared the lath, amid applause. Butthe little hero in black still held on and made his attempts gracefully.
"Oh," said Margaret, gazing straight before her, "I would give anythingin the world to see that circus-man beaten!"
"How much would you give, Miss Mackintosh?" said Geoffrey.
Margaret did not hear him.
"Oh, I want my little flying black angel to win. Is it impossible foranybody to beat the enemy?" Then, turning excitedly to the girls, shesaid hurriedly, "I could just love anybody who could beat the enemy."
"Does 'anybody' include me?" asked Geoffrey, laughing.
"Yes, yes," cried Margaret, catching at the idea. "Can you really defeathim? Yes, indeed, I will devote myself forever to anybody who can beathim. Have you a pole? Borrow one. Hurry away now, while you have achance." In her eagerness her words seemed to chase each other.
"Well--will you all love me?" inquired Geoffrey, with an aggravatingdelay.
There was a shrill chorus of "Until death us do part" from the girls,and Geoffrey skipped over a couple of benches and ran over to the"polers," where he claimed the right to compete, as he had been enteredpreviously in due time for this contest. Strong objection wasimmediately raised by the man in tights. The judges, after somediscussion, allowed Geoffrey to take part amid much protestation fromthe members of the circus-man's bank.
Geoffrey took his pole from Jack Cresswell, who had competed on itwithout success. It was a stout pole of some South American wood, andvery long. He threw off his coat, displaying a magnificent body in ajersey of azure silk. After walking up to look at the lath he graspedhis pole and, making a long run, struck it into the ground and mountedinto the air. He had not risen very high when he saw that he hadmiscalculated the distance; so he slid down his pole to the earth.Derisive coughs were heard from different parts of the field, and"Tights" looked at Geoffrey maliciously and laughed.
At the next rush that Geoffrey made, he sailed up into the air on hispole like a great bird, and as he became almost poised in mid-air, hewent hand over hand up the stout pole. Then, by a trick that can not beeasily described, his legs and body launched out horizontally over thelath, and throwing away his pole he dropped lightly on his feet withoutdisturbing anything.
"Tights" was furious, and he said something hot to Geoffrey, who,however, did not reply.
A difficulty arose here because there were no more holes in the uprightsto place the pegs in to hold up the lath. Geoffrey was now even with theenemy, but not ahead of him. So he asked the judges to place the lathacross the top of the uprights. This raised the lath a good fifteeninches, and nobody supposed that it could be cleared.
There was something stormy about Hampstead when a man provoked him, and"Tights" had been very unpleasant. He pointed to the almost absurdelevation of the lath; his tones
were short and exasperating as headdressed his very savage rival:
"Now, my man, there's your chance to exhibit your form."
"Tights" refused to make any useless trial, but relieved the tension ofhis feelings by forcing a bet of fifty dollars on Geoffrey that he couldnot clear it himself.
The excitement was now considerable. Geoffrey took the offered bet,pleased to be able to punish his antagonist further. But really thewhole thing was like child's-play to him. It seemed as if he could clearanything his pole would reach. His hand-over-hand climbing was likelightning, and he went over the lath, cricket trousers and all, withquite as much ease as when it was in the lower position, and this amid awild burst of applause.
He then grabbed his coat and made for the dressing-room, to prepare forthe hurdle race, for which the bell was ringing.
When he ran out into the field again, after about a moment, he was cladin tights of azure silk with long trunks of azure satin, and his feetwore running shoes that fitted like a glove. No wonder girls raved abouthim. So did the men. He was a grand picture, as beautiful as a god inhis celestial colors.
But there was work for him to do in the hurdle race. The best amateurrunners in Canada were to be with him in this race, and there is a fieldfor choice among Canadian bank athletes. They were to start from adistant part of the grounds, run around the great oval, and finish closeto our carriage, where eager faces were hopeful for his success.Geoffrey made a bad start--not having recovered after being once calledback. The first hurdle saw him over last, but between the jumps hisspeed soon put him in the ruck. There is no race like the hurdle racefor excitement. At the fourth hurdle some one in front struck the bar,which flew up just as Geoffrey rose to it. His legs hit it in the airand he was launched forward, turned around, and sent head downward tothe ground. The thought that he might be killed went through many minds.But those who thought so did not know that he could gallop over thesehurdles like a horse, lighting on his hands. No doubt it was a greatwrench for him, but he lit on his hands and was off again like the wind.
The fall had lost him his chance, he thought, but he went on withdesperation and pain, his head thrown back and his face set to win. Itwas a long race, and five more hurdles had yet to be passed. The firstof these was knocked down so that in merely running through he gainedtime by not having to jump, and he rapidly closed on those before him.His speed between jumps was marvelous. His hair blew back in blondeconfusion, and he might well have been taken to represent some god ofwhirlwinds, or an azure archangel on some flying mission. He hardlyseemed to touch the earth, and Margaret, who delighted in seeing menmanly and strong and fleet, felt her heart go out to him in a burst ofenthusiasm that became almost oppressive as the last hurdle wasapproached.
There were now only two men ahead of him, and Geoffrey was so set onwinning that it seemed with him to be more a matter of mind than body. Ayell suddenly arose from all sides. One of the two first men struck thelast hurdle and went down, and Geoffrey, shooting far into the air in atremendous leap to clear the flying timber, passed the other man in thelast arrow-like rush, and dashed in an undoubted winner.
The enthusiasm for him was now unmingled. The sensation of horror thatmany had felt on seeing him fall head downward during the race had givenway to a keen admiration for his plucky attempt to catch up with suchhopeless odds against him. There were old business men present whosehearts had not moved so briskly since the last financial panic as whenthe handicapped hero in azure leaped the last hurdle into glory. Therewere men looking on whose figures would never be redeemed who, at themoment, felt convinced that with a little training they could once morerun a good race--men whose livers were in a sad state and who certainlyforgot the holy inspiration before rising that night from their latedinners. Surely if these old stagers could be thus moved, femininehearts might be excused. It was not necessary to know Geoffreypersonally to feel the contagious thrill that ran through the multitudeat the vision of his prowess. The impulse and the verdict of the largecrowd were so unanimous that no one could resist them.
As for Margaret, she was, alas, _standing on the seat_ by the time heraced past the carriage--a fair, earnest vision, lost in the excitementof the moment. With her gloved hands tightly closed and her arms bracedas if for running, she appeared from her attitude as if she, too, wouldjoin in the race where her interest lay. The true woman in her was wildfor her friend to win. Geoffrey's appearance appealed to all her senseof the beautiful. Knowledge of art led her to admire him--art of theancient and vigorous type. All the plaudits that moved the multitudewere caught up and echoed even more loudly within her. It was adangerous moment for a virgin heart. As Geoffrey managed to land himselfa winner against such desperate odds, she saw in his face, even beforehe had won, a half supercilious look of triumph and mastery that she hadnever seen there before. In a brief moment she caught a glimpse of theindomitable will that with him knew no obstacles--a will shown in a faceof the ancient type, with gleaming eyes and dilated nostrils, heroic,god-like, possibly cruel, but instinct with victory and resolve.
To her the triumph was undiluted. At the close of the race her lungs hadrefused to work until he passed the winning line, and then her breathcame in a gasp, as she became conscious that her eyes were filled withtears of sympathy.
With Nina it was different. That she was intensely interested is true.Everybody was. But, instead of that whirl of sympathetic admirationwhich Margaret felt, the strongest feeling she had was a desire thatGeoffrey would come to her first, would lay, as it were, his honors ather feet--a wish suggesting the complacency with which the tigressreceives the victor after viewing with interest the combat.
When Geoffrey rejoined them half an hour afterward he was endeavoring toconceal an unmistakable lameness resulting from striking the hurdle inthe race. He had had his leg bathed, which he afterward found had beenbleeding freely during the run, and had got into his flannels again. Inthe mean time a small circle of admirers had grouped themselves aboutthe Dusenalls' carriage.
Jack had been in to see them for a moment with a hymn of praise forGeoffrey on his lips, but Nina made him uncomfortable by treating himdistantly, and, although Margaret beamed on him, he departed soon afterGeoffrey's arrival, making an excuse of his committee-man's duties.
Geoffrey noticed that, on his reappearing among them, Margaret did notaddress him, but left congratulations to Nina and the Dusenalls. In theinterval after the race she had suddenly begun to consider how great herinterest in Geoffrey was. She had known him for over a year. During thattime he had ever appeared at his best before her. It was so natural tobe civilized and gentle in her presence. And Margaret was not devoid ofromance, in spite of her prosaic studies. Her ideality was not checkedby them, but rather diverted into less ordinary channels, and she was aslikely as anybody else to be captivated by somebody who, besides otherqualities, could form a subject for her imaginative powers.Nevertheless, in spite of this sometimes dangerous and always charmingideality, she had acquired the habit of introspection which Mr.Mackintosh had endeavored to cultivate in her. He told her that when shefell in love she "would certainly know it." And it was the remembranceof this sage remark that now caused her to be silent and thoughtful. Shewas wondering whether she was going to fall in love with Geoffrey, andwhat it would be like if she did do so, and if she could know any moreinterest in him if it so turned out that she eventually became engagedto him. Then she looked at Geoffrey, intending to be impartial andjudicial, and thought that his looks were not unpleasing, and that hisbanter with Miss Dusenall was not at all slow to listen to. She waspleased that he did not address her first. She felt that she might havebeen in some way embarrassed. Sometimes he glanced at her, as ifcarelessly, and yet she seemed to know that all his remarks were toamuse her, and that he watched her without looking at her. She had neverthought of his doing this before.
Bad Margaret! Full of guilt!
Geoffrey was endeavoring to make the plainest Miss Dusenall fix the dayfor their wedding, declaring that it
was she who had promised to marryhim if he won at jumping with the pole, and that she alone had nervedhim for the struggle, and he went on arranging the matter with avolubility and assurance which she would have resented in anybody else.She had affected to belittle Geoffrey somewhat, not having been muchtroubled with his attentions, and she was conscious now that this banteron his part was detracting from her dignity. But what was she to do? Theman was the hero of the hour, and cared but little for her dignity andmincing ways. She would have snubbed him, only that he carried all thecompany on his side, and a would-be snub, when one's audience does notappreciate it, returns upon one's self with boomerang violence. Afterall, it was something to monopolize the most admired man in six thousandpeople, even if he did make game of her and treat her, like a child.
As for Nina, she answered feebly the desultory remarks of several youngmen who hung about the carriage, and she listened, while she looked atthe contests, to one sound only--to the sound of Geoffrey's voice. Fromtime to time she put in a word to the other girls which showed that sheheard everything he said. This sort of thing proved unsatisfactory tothe young men who sought to engage her attention. They soon moved off,and then she gave herself up to the luxury of hearing Geoffrey speak. Itmight have been, she thought, that all his gayety was merely to attractMargaret, but none the less was his voice music to her. Poor Nina! Shewould not look at him, for fear of betraying herself. She lay back inthe carriage and vainly tried to think of her duty to Jack. Then shethought herself overtempted, not remembering the words:
The devil tempts us not--'tis we tempt him, Beckoning his skill with opportunity.
This meeting, which to her was all bitter-sweet, to Geoffrey waspiquant. To make an impression on the woman he really respected byaddressing another he cared nothing about was somewhat amusing to him,but to know that every word he said was being drunk in by a third womanwho was as attractive as love itself and who was engaged to be marriedto another man added a flavor to the entertainment which, if notaltogether new, seemed, in the present case, to be mildly pungent.
After this Nina deceived herself less.