CHAPTER XI
A MASTERFUL OLD MAID
No contrary advice having reached Pulwick since Miss O'Donoghue's_letter of invoice_, as Mr. Landale facetiously described it, he droveover to Lancaster on the day appointed to meet the party.
And thus it came to pass that through the irresistible management ofMiss O'Donoghue, who put into the promotion of her scheme all theenergy belonging to her branch of the family, together with the longhabit of authority of the _Tante a heritage_, the daughters of Cecilede Savenaye returned to that first home of theirs, of which they hadforgotten even the name.
Mr. Landale had not set eyes on his valuable relative for many years,but her greeting, at the first renewal of intercourse which took placein the principal parlour of the Lancaster Inn, was as easily detachedin manner as though they had just met again after a trifling absenceand she was bringing her charges to his house in accordance with amutual agreement.
"My dear Rupert," cried she, "I am glad to see you again. I need notask you how you are, you look so extremely sleek and prosperous.Adrian's wide acres are succulent, hey? I should have known youanywhere; though to be sure, you are hardly large enough for thebreed, you have the true Landale stamp on you, the unmistakableLandale style of feature. _Semper eadem._ In that sense, at least, onecan apply your ancient and once worthy motto to you; and you know,nephew, since you have conveniently changed your faith, both to Godand king, this sentiment strikes one as a sarcasm amidst theachievements of Landale, you backsliders! Ah, we O'Donoghues havebetter maintained our device, _sans changier_."
Rupert, to whom the well-known volubility of his aunt was mostparticularly disagreeable, but who had nevertheless saluted thestalwart old lady's cheek with much affection, here bent his suppleback with a sort of mocking gallantry.
"You maintain your _device_, permit me to say, my dear aunt, asostentatiously in your person as we renegade Landales ourselves."
"Pooh, pooh! I am too old a bird to be caught by such chaff, nephew;it is pearls before.... I mean it is too late in the day, my dear.Keep it for the young things. And indeed I see the sheep's eyes youhave been casting in their direction. Come nearer, young ladies, andmake your cousin's acquaintance," beckoning to her nieces, who,arrayed in warm travelling pelisses and beaver bonnets of fashionableappearance, stood in the background near the fireplace.
"They are very like, are they not?" she continued. "Twins always are;as like as two peas. And yet these are as different as day and nightwhen you come to know them. Madeleine is the eldest; that is she inthe beaver fur; Molly prefers bear. Without their bonnets you willdistinguish them by their complexion. Molly has raven hair (she is thetruest O'Donoghue), whilst Madeleine is fair, _blonde_, like herBreton father."
The sisters greeted their new-found guardian, each in her own way.And, in spite of the disguising bonnets and their surprisingsimilarity of voice, height, and build, the difference was more markedthan that of beaver and bear.
Madeleine acknowledged her kinsman's greeting with a dainty curtseyand little half-shy smile, marked by that air of distinction andbreeding which was her peculiar characteristic. Molly, however, whothought she had reasonable cause for feeling generally exasperated,and who did not see in Mr. Rupert Landale, despite his good looks andhis good manner, a very promising substitute for her Bath admirers(nor in the prospect of Pulwick a profitable exchange for Bath), cameforward with her bolder grace to flounce him a saucy "reverence,"measuring him the while with a certain air of mockery which histhin-skinned susceptibility was quick to seize.
He looked back at her down the long tunnel of her bonnet, appraisingthe bloom and beauty within with cold and curious gaze, and then heturned to Madeleine and made to her his courteous speech of welcome.
This was sufficient for Miss Molly, who, for six months alreadyaccustomed to compel admiration at first sight from all specimens ofthe male sex that came across her path, instantly vowed a deadlyhatred to her cousin, and followed the party into the Landale familycoach--Rupert preceding, with a lady on each arm--in a temper as blackas her own locks.
It fell to her lot to sit beside the objectionable relative on theback seat, while, by the right of her minute's seniority, Madeleinesat beside Tanty in the front. The projecting wings of her headgeareffectively prevented her from watching his demeanour, unless, indeed,she had turned to him, which was, of course, out of the question; butcertain fugitive conscious blushes upon the young face in front ofher, certain castings down of long lashes and timid upward glances,made Molly shrewdly conjecture that Mr. Landale, through all theapparent devotion with which he listened to Tanty's continuous flow ofobservations, was able to bestow a certain amount of attention uponher pretty neighbour.
Tanty herself conducted the conversation with her usual high hand,feigning utter oblivion of the thundercloud on Molly's countenance;and, if somewhat rambling in her discourse, nevertheless contriving toplant her points where she chose.
Thus the long drive wore to its end. The sun was golden upon Pulwickwhen the carriage at length drew up before the portico. Miss Sophiareceived them in the hall, in a state of painful flutter and timidity.She had a constitutional terror of her aunt's sharp eyes, and, thoughshe examined her young cousins wistfully, Madeleine's unconscious airof dignity repelled her as much as Molly's deliberate pertness.
Rupert conducted his aunt upstairs, and down the long echoing corridortowards her apartment.
"Ha, my old quarters," quoth Tanty, disengaging herself briskly fromher escort to enter the room and look round approvingly, "and verycomfortable they are. And my two nieces are next door, I see, as gayas chintz can make them. Thank you, nephew, I shall keep you nolonger. We shall dine shortly, I feel sure. Well, well, I do notpretend I am not quite ready to do justice to your excellentfare--beyond doubt, it will be excellent! Go to your room, girls, yourbaggage is coming up, you see; I shall send Dempsey to assist youpresently. No, not you, Sophia, I was speaking to the young ones. Ishould like to have a little chat with you, my dear, if you have noobjection."
One door closed upon Rupert as he smiled and bowed himself out, theother upon Molly hustling her sister before her.
Tanty in the highest good humour, having accomplished her desire, andsuccessfully "established a lodgment" (to use a military term notinappropriate to such a martial spirit) for her troublesome nieces inthe stronghold of Pulwick, once more surveyed her surroundings: thedim old walls, the great four-post bed, consecrated, of course, bytradition to the memory of some royal slumberer, the damask hangings,and the uncomfortable chairs, with the utmost favour, ending up with ahumorous examination of the elongated figure hesitating on thehearthrug.
"Be seated, Sophia. I am glad to stretch my old limbs after thatterrible drive. So here we are together again. What are you sighingfor? Upon my soul, you are the same as ever, I see, the same tombstoneon your chest, and blowing yourself out with sighs, just as you used.That will never give you a figure, my poor girl; it is no wonder youare but skin and bones. Ah, can't you let the poor fellow rest in hisgrave Sophia? it is flying in the face of Providence, I call it, to goon perpetually stirring up his ashes like that. I hope you mean to tryand be a little more cheerful with those poor girls. But, there, Ibelieve you are never so happy as when you are miserable. And it's apoor creature you would be at any time," added the old lady toherself, after a second thoughtful investigation of Miss Landale'scountenance, which had assumed an expression of mulishness in additionto an increase of dolefulness during this homily.
Here, to Miss Landale's great relief, the dying sunset, wavering intocrimson and purple, from its first glory of liquid gold, attracted heraunt's attention, and Miss O'Donoghue went over to the window.
Beneath her spread the quaint garden, with its clipped box edges, andbeyond the now leafless belt of trees, upon the glimmer of the bay,the outline of Scarthey, a dark silhouette rose fantastically againstthe vivid sky. Even as she gazed, there leapt upon its fairy turret aminute point of white.
The jovial old counte
nance changed and darkened.
"And Adrian is still at his fool's game over there, I suppose," shesaid irately turning upon Sophia. "When have you seen him last? Howoften does he come here? I gather Master Rupert is nothing if not themaster. Why don't you answer me, Sophia?"
* * * * *
The dinner was as well cooked and served a meal as any under Rupert'srule, which is saying a good deal, and if the young ladies failed toappreciate the "floating island," the "golden nests," and "silverweb," so thoughtfully provided for them, Tanty did ample justice tothe venison.
Indeed the cloud which had been visible upon her countenance at thebeginning of dinner, and which according to that downright habit ofmind, which rendered her so terrible or so delightful a companion, shemade no attempt to conceal, began to lift towards the first remove,and altogether vanished over her final glass of port.
After dinner she peremptorily ordered her grand-nieces into theretirement of their bedchambers, unblushingly alleging their exhaustedcondition in front of the perfect bloom of their beautiful youngvigour.
She then, over a cup of tea, luxuriously stretching her thin frame inthe best arm-chair the drawing-room could afford, gave Rupert a briefcode of directions as to the special attentions and care she desiredto be bestowed upon her wards, during their residence at Pulwick,descanting generously upon their various perfections, glidingdexterously over her reasons for wishing to be rid of them herself,and concluding with the hint--either pregnant or barren of meaning ashe chose to take it--that if he made their stay pleasant to them, shewould not forget the service.
Then, as Mr. Landale began, with apparent guilelessness, to put a fewlittle telling questions to her anent the episodes which had made Bathundesirable as a residence for these young paragons, the old ladysuddenly became overwhelmed with fatigue and sleepiness, and professedherself ready to be conducted to her bower immediately.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, despite the _moue de circonstance_ which Molly thought itincumbent on her to assume, neither she nor Madeleine regretted theircompulsory withdrawal from the social circle downstairs.
Madeleine had her own thoughts to follow up, and that these were bothengrossing and pleasant was easily evident; and Molly, bursting with asense of injury arising from many causes, desired a specialexplanation with her sister, which the presence in and out upon themof Tanty's woman had prevented her from indulging in before dinner.
"So here we are at last," cried she, indignantly, after she had walkedround and severely inspected her quarters, pausing to "pull a lip" ofextreme disfavour at the handsome portrait of Mr. Landale that hungbetween the windows, "we are, Madeleine, at last, kidnapped,imprisoned, successfully disposed of, in fact."
"Yes, here we are at last," echoed Madeleine, abstractedly, warmingher slender ankles by the fire.
"Have you made out yet what particular kind of new frenzy it was thatseized chere Tante?" asked Miss Molly, with great emphasis, as she satdown at her toilet-table. "You are the cause of it all, my dear, andso you ought to know. It is all very well for Tanty to pretend that Ihave brought it on myself by not coming home till three o'clock (as ifthat was _my_ fault). She cannot blink the fact that her Dempseycreature had orders to pack my boxes before bedtime. Your Smith mustbe a desperately dangerous individual. Well," she continued, lookinground over her shoulder, "why don't you say something, youlackadaisical thing?"
But Madeleine answered nought and continued gazing, while only thelittle smile, tilting the corners of her lips, betrayed that she hadheard the petulant speech.
The smile put the finishing touch to Molly's righteous anger.Brandishing a hairbrush threateningly, she marched over to her sisterand looked down upon the slender figure, in its clinging white dress,with blazing eyes.
"Look here," she cried, "there must be an end of this. I can put upwith your slyness no longer. How _dare_ you have secrets from me,miss?--your own twin sister! You and I, who used never to have athought we did not share. How dare you have a lover, and not tell meall about him? What was the meaning of your weeping like a fountainall the way from Bath to Shrewsbury, and then, without rhyme or reasonapparently, smiling to yourself all the way from there to Lancaster.You have had a letter, don't attempt to deny it, it is of no use....Oh, it is base of you, it is indeed! And to think that it is allthrough you that I am forced into this exile, through your _airspenches_, and your sighing and dreaming, and your mysterous_Smith_.... To think that to-night, this very night, is the ball ofthe season, and we are going to bed! Oh, and to-morrow and to-morrow,and to-morrow, with nothing but a knave and a fool to keep uscompany--for I don't think much of your female cousin, Madeleine, and,as for your male cousin, I perfectly detest him--and all the tabbiesof the country-side for diversion, with perhaps a country buck on highdays and holidays for a relish! Pah!"
Molly had almost talked her ill-humour away. Her energetic naturecould throw off most unpleasant emotions easily enough so long as itmight have an outlet for them; she now laid down the threateningbrush, and, kneeling beside her, flung both her arms round Madeleine'sshoulders.
"Ma petite Madeleine," she coaxed, in the mother tongue, "tell thylittle sister thy secrets."
A faint flush crept to Madeleine's usually creamy cheeks, a light intoher eyes. She turned impulsively to the face near hers, then, as ifbethinking herself, pursed her lips together and shook her headslightly.
"Do you remember, ma cherie," she said, at last, "that French taleMrs. Hambledon lent us in which it is said _'Qui fuit l'amour, l'amoursuit.'_"
"Well?" asked Molly, eagerly, her lips parted as if to drink in theexpected confidence.
"Well," replied the other, "well, perhaps things may not be so badafter all. Perhaps," rising from her seat, and looking at her sisterwith a little gentle malice, while she, too, began to disrobe herfairer beauty for the night, "some of your many lovers may come afteryou from Bath! Oh, Molly!" with a little scream, for Molly, with eyesflashing once more, had sprung up from her knees to inflict a viciouspinch upon the equivocator's arm.
"Yes, miss, you shall be pinched till you confess." Then flouting herwith a sudden change of mood, "I am sure I don't want to know yourwonderful secret,"--seizing her comb and passing it crackling throughher hair with quite unnecessary energy--"Mademoiselle la Cachotiere.Anyhow, it cannot be very interesting.... _Mrs. Smith!_ Fancy caringfor a man called Smith! If you smile again like that, Madeleine, Ishall beat you."
The two sisters looked at each other for a second as if hesitating onthe brink of anger, and then both laughed.
"Never mind, I shall pay you out yet," quoth Molly, tugging at herblack mane. "So our lovers are to come after us, is _that_ it? Do youknow, Madeleine," she went on, calming down, "I almost regret now thatI would not listen to young Lord Dereham, simpleton though he be. Helooked such a dreadful little fright that I only laughed at him.... Ishould have laughed at him all my life. But it would perhaps have beenbetter than this dependence on Tanty, with her sudden whims andscampers and whisking of us away into the wilderness. Then I shouldhave had my own way always. Now it's too late. Tanty told me yesterdaythat she sees he is a dissolute young man, and that his dukedom isonly a Charles II. creation, and 'We know what that means,' she added,and shook her head. I am sure I had not a notion, but I shook my headtoo, and said, 'Of course, that made it impossible.' I was reallyafraid she would want me to marry him. She was dreadfully pleased andsaid I was a true O'Donoghue. Oh, dear! I don't know _anything_ aboutlove. I can't imagine being in love; but one thing is certain, I couldnever, never, never allow a horrid little rat like Lord Dereham tomake love to me, to kiss me, nor, indeed, any man--oh, horror! How youare blushing, my dear! Come here into the light. It would be good foryour soul, indeed it would, to confess!"
But Madeleine, burying her hot cheeks in her sister's neck andclasping her with gentle caresses, was not to be drawn from herreticence. Molly pushed her off at last, and gave a hard littlegood-night kiss
like a bird-peck.
"Very well; but you might as well have confessed, for I shall find outin the long run. And who knows, perhaps you may be sorry one day thatyou did not tell me of your own accord."