CHAPTER XXI
MOLLY'S SECOND APPEARANCE
Molly's first appearance was at the assembly of Tuesday; her second onthat of Friday. Between these two days, as you have seen, a good manythings happened, not the least important of which was Lady Anastasia's"adoption," so to speak, of Molly.
On Tuesday she came with the captain, whose appearance betrayed theold sailor, followed by the young sailor, transformed, for one nightonly, into a fine gentleman. On that occasion she was dressed with anextravagant display of jewels which might have suited an aged duchessat court, but was entirely unfitting to a young girl in the assemblyof a watering place; she then danced as if every step had beenrecently taught her (which was indeed the case) and as if everyposture was fresh from the hands of the dancing-master.
This evening she came in the company and under the protection of theLady Anastasia herself, whose acceptance of her right to appear couldnot be questioned, save in whispers and behind the fan. The formerpartner in the minuet, he who sprawled and trod the boards like anelephant; the sailor who would pass for a gentleman--in a word, herold friend, Jack Pentecrosse (myself)--was not present.
I had proposed to accompany her, but in the morning I received amessage from Lady Anastasia, "Would Mr. Pentecrosse be so very good asto call upon her immediately?"
I went. I found her the most charming lady, with the most graciousmanner, that I had ever seen. She was, indeed, the only lady ofquality with whom I have ever conversed. It seemed as if sheunderstood perfectly my mind as regards Molly, because while shehumiliated me, at the same time she made me feel that the humiliationwas necessary in the interests of Molly herself. In a word, she askedme not to accompany Molly again to the assembly, nor to present myselfthere; and, therefore, not to remind the company that Molly's friendswere young men who were not gentlemen. "You have the face and theheart, Mr. Pentecrosse," she said, laying her white hand on my arm,"of a man of honour. With such a man as yourself, one does not ask fora shield and a pedigree. But where women are concerned some things arenecessary. You love our Molly"--she said "our" Molly, and yet she wasin league with the arch villain, the earl among lost souls. "You loveher. I read it in your betraying blush and in your humid eyes.Therefore you will consent to this sacrifice with a cheerful heart.And, Mr. Pentecrosse--I would willingly call you Jack, after Molly'ssisterly fashion--come to see me again. It does me good--a woman offashion, which too often means of hollow hearts--to converse with ayoung man so honest and so simple. Come again, Jack. I am here nearlyevery morning after prayers."
I obeyed, of course. Who could resist such a woman? Well, Mollyappeared under her protection. She was now dressed with the simplicitythat belongs to youth, yet with a simplicity only apparent and notreal. For the cloth of gold and the embroidery had vanished; thebracelets, heavy with rubies and emeralds, had disappeared; the goldencestus, the diamonds, the gold chains, all were gone. But the pinksilk gown and the white silk petticoat which she wore were costly; theneck and the sleeves were edged and adorned with lace such as no otherlady in the room could show; round her neck lay a necklace of pearlsas big as cobnuts; on her wrists hung a fan whose handle was set withsapphires; and in her hair, such was the simplicity of the maiden, wasplaced a white rose. Her head was not built after the former manner,but was covered now with natural curls, only kept in place by the artof the friseur. In a word, it was Molly herself, not an artificialMolly; Molly herself, just adorned with the feminine taste whichraised the Lady Anastasia above the blind laws of mere fashion who nowentered the room. She proclaimed herself once more as the heiress witha more certain note and with less ostentation.
"With her ladyship! With the Lady Anastasia!" they whispered behindtheir fans. "What next? Are there no ladies in the room but she mustpick up this girl out of the gutter?" But they did not say thesethings aloud; on the contrary they pressed around her ladyship, gazingrudely and curiously upon the intruder.
"Ladies," said Lady Anastasia, "let me present my young friend, MissMolly, the heiress of Lynn. I entreat your favour towards Miss Molly,who deserves all the favours you can afford, being at once modest, asyet little acquainted with the world of fashion, and endowed byfortune with gifts which are indeed precious."
They began with awkwardness and some constraint to express cold wordsof welcome; but they could not conceal their chagrin, and two or threeof them withdrew from the throng and abstained altogether after thatevening from the society of her ladyship, and, as they were but plainwives of country gentlemen, this abstention cost them many pangs. Formy own part, now that I know more about the opinions of gentlefolk, Iconfess that I think they were right. If there is an impassable gulf,as they pretend, between the gentleman and the mere citizen or theclown, then they stood up for their principles and their order. Whythere should be this impassable gulf I know not; nor do I know who dugit out and set one class on one side and one on the other; whereas itis most true that there are many noble families whose ancestors wereeither merchants or were enriched by marriages with the daughters ofmerchants. Of such there are many witnesses. If, on the other hand, agirl can be received and welcomed among the Quality simply because shehas a great fortune, there can be no such gulf, and the passage fromone class to the other is matter of worldly goods only. There are alsocases in which the sons of noble and gentle houses have entered intothe service of merchants, and have themselves either succeeded andmade themselves rich, or have sunk down to the levels of retail tradeand of the crafts.
Another humiliation was in store for these ladies. When LordFylingdale entered the assembly he walked across the room, salutedLady Anastasia, and bowed low to Molly, who blushed and was greatlyconfused at this public honour.
"Miss Molly," he said, "permit me to salute the town of Lynn itself inyour fair person. The town of Lynn is our hostess; you are the queenof Lynn; let me invite your Majesty to open the ball with me."
So saying, he took her hand and led her out to the middle of the room,while the music struck up and the company formed a ring.
As for me, you have seen that I made a promise. I kept it in thespirit but not in the letter. That is to say, I went in my ordinarySunday clothes, and stood at the door with the crowd and looked in atthe gay scene. Molly danced with his lordship. My heart sank when Isaw the ease and dignity of his steps, and the corresponding grace ofhers. There was neither sliding nor sprawling. Then after the dance Isaw her standing beside the Lady Anastasia, her eyes sparkling, hercheek flushed, smiling and laughing, while a whole troop of gentlemensurrounded her with compliments. She seemed quite happy with them. Asfor me, I felt that I was no longer of any use to her; she was flyingfar above me; my place was at the door with those who had no right toenter. So I stole away out of the gardens and into the silent streets,while the music followed me, seeming to laugh and to mock me as Icrept along with unwilling feet and sinking heart. "Go home! Go home!"it said. "Go home to your cabin and your bunk! This place is not foryou. Go home to your tarpaulin and your salt junk and your rum!"
I did not obey immediately. I went to the captain's. Molly's motherwas sitting there alone. Nigra was at the assembly to look after hermistress; the captain was there also, looking on from a corner;Molly's mother was alone in the parlour, her work in her hands,stitching by the light of a single tallow candle; and while shestitched her lips moved.
She looked up. "Jack," she cried, "where is Molly?"
"She is enjoying herself with her new friends. I am no longer wanted.So I came away."
"My poor Jack!" She laid down her needlework and looked at me. "Youcan't make up your mind to lose her. What do you think I feel aboutit, then? Sure, a mother feels more than a lover. If she goes, Jack,she will never come back again. We shall lose her altogether. She willnever come back." With this the tears rolled down her cheek.
"We ought not to grumble and to grutch," she went on. "Why, it is forher own good. The captain has told us all along that she was too greata catch for any of the folk about here. There is never a day but hetells me
this, again and again. Not a man, he says, is worthy of sucha fortune! Jack, when I think of the days when my man and me weremarried; he never wanted me to know how rich he was. What did I wantwith the money? I wanted the man, not his fortune. The jewels and thechains lay in the cupboard--the foolish glittering things! He followedsimple ways, and lived like his neighbours. And as for Molly, I'vebrought her up as her poor father would have had it; there is nobetter housewife anywhere than Molly; no lighter hand with the crust;no surer hand with the home-brewed; no safer hand with the poultry.And all to be thrown away because she's got such a fortune as would bewasted on an honest lad like you, Jack, or some good gentleman fromthe country side."
"We can do nothing, mother--except to wish her happiness."
"Nothing; not even to find out the kind of man she is to marry. Thecaptain is all for taking this Lord Fylingdale's advice. Why hislordship should take to the captain I cannot understand. Sammy Semplewas here to-day--a worm, a wriggling worm--saying how soft andvirtuous his lordship is. Well, Jack, I thought--if he has nomasterfulness in him he isn't any kind of man to advise about a woman.Now, Molly's father had a fine quick temper of his own, and Mollyneeds a master. Then this lady Anastasia, who seems kindly, offers totake her to town, where she will learn cards and wickedness. But Idoubt, Jack--I doubt. My mind is full of trouble. It is a dreadfulthing to have a rich daughter."
"Would to God," I said, "she had nothing."
"For the men they will come around her; and the women they will hateher--and she will be too good for her own folk, and too low for thefolks above, and they will all want her money, and they will all scornher."
"Nay," I said, "she is too beautiful."
"Beauty! Much women care about beauty! I have dreams at night, and Iwake up terrified and the dreams remain with me still in the waste ofthe night like ghosts. Oh, Jack, Jack, I am a miserable woman!"
I left her. I rowed off to the ship and sought my cabin.
After dancing with his lordship, who then offered his hand to a ladyof the county, Molly stood up with the young man called Tom Rising,who was by this time as sober as could be expected after such a night.He, in the hearing of everybody, loaded her with compliments of thecommon kind, such as would suit a milkmaid, but were not proper for amodest woman to hear. To these, however, Molly returned no reply, anddanced as if she heard them not. She then rejoined Lady Anastasia,and, with her, retired to the card room, whither many of the young menfollowed her. She stood beside her ladyship, and obliged the young menby choosing cards for them, which they lost or won. Tom Risingfollowed her, and stood beside her with flushed face and tremblinghands. It was remarked afterwards that he seemed to assume the care ofher. He kept gazing upon Molly with fierce and ravenous looks, like awolf who hungers after his prey and lives to wait for it. He playedthe while, however, and lost during the evening, I believe, somehundreds of pounds; but, for reasons which you will presently hear, henever paid that money.
When the country dances began Lord Fylingdale led out Molly once more,and placed her at the head.
It was too much. Some of the ladies refused to dance at all. Those whodid were constrained and cold. But Molly was triumphant. She was notan angel. One could not blame her for resenting the flouts and scornwith which she had been treated. Now, however, she was the first ladyof the company next to Lady Anastasia, because she had been taken outboth for the minuet and the country dance by the first gentlemanpresent.
I do not think that his lordship paid her any compliments. He dancedas he moved, and spoke with a cold dignity which stiffened his joints.Now, in a country dance, Molly, for her part, danced all over, herfeet and her body moving together, her hands and arms dancing, hereyes dancing, her hair dancing. They danced quite down the lines untilevery couple had had their turn.
"Miss Molly," said her partner, "you dance with the animation of awood nymph, or, perhaps, a nymph of the ocean. I would that the ladiesof London possessed half the vivacity of the Lady of Lynn."
He offered her the refreshment of wine or chocolate, but she declined,saying that the captain now would be wishing her to go home, and thather chair would be waiting.
So his lordship led her to the door, where, indeed, her chair waswaiting but no captain, and, bowing low, he handed her in and shut thedoor, and he returned to the assembly, and Molly's chair wasimmediately lifted up and borne rapidly away, she sitting alone,thinking of the evening and of her great triumph, suspecting no eviland thinking of no danger.
A minute later the captain came to the door. There he saw Molly'schairmen, waiting with her chair. He looked about him. Where wasMolly? He returned to the assembly. The girl was not there. He lookedinto the card room. His lordship was standing at the table looking on."My lord," said the captain, in confusion, "where is my ward?"
"Miss Molly? Why, captain, I put her into her chair five minutes ago.She is gone."
"Her chair?" The captain turned pale. "Her chair is now at the doorwith her chairmen."
"What devilry is forward?" cried Lord Fylingdale. "Come with me,captain. Come with me!"