Lordblessyou!whenIgotobidhergood-night,she’llgivemeabigkiss,poordear——andsay,Nurse,Ididn’tmeanit!
Aboutthismoney,MasterHenry?IfIwasyoungerIshouldspenditindressandjewellery。ButI’mtoooldforthat。
WhatshallIdowithmylegacywhenIhavegotit?’
’Putitoutatinterest,’Henrysuggested。’Getsomuchayearforit,youknow。’’HowmuchshallIget?’thenurseasked。
’IfyouputyourhundredpoundsintotheFunds,youwillgetbetweenthreeandfourpoundsayear。’
Thenurseshookherhead。’Threeorfourpoundsayear?Thatwon’tdo!
Iwantmorethanthat。Lookhere,MasterHenry。Idon’tcareaboutthisbitofmoney——Ineverdidlikethemanwhohasleftittome,thoughhewasyourbrother。IfIlostitallto-morrow,Ishouldn’tbreakmyheart;I’mwellenoughoff,asitis,fortherestofmydays。
Theysayyou’reaspeculator。Putmeinforagoodthing,there’sadear!Neck-or-nothing——andthatfortheFunds!’
Shesnappedherfingerstoexpresshercontemptforsecurityofinvestmentatthreepercent。
HenryproducedtheprospectusoftheVenetianHotelCompany。
’You’reafunnyoldwoman,’hesaid。’There,youdashingspeculator——
thereisneck-or-nothingforyou!YoumustkeepitasecretfromMissAgnes,mind。I’mnotatallsurethatshewouldapproveofmyhelpingyoutothisinvestment。’
Thenursetookoutherspectacles。’Sixpercent。guaranteed,’sheread;
’andtheDirectorshaveeveryreasontobelievethattenpercent。,ormore,willbeultimatelyrealisedtotheshareholdersbythehotel。’
’Putmeintothat,MasterHenry!And,whereveryougo,forHeaven’ssakerecommendthehoteltoyourfriends!’
Sothenurse,followingHenry’smercenaryexample,hadherpecuniaryinterest,too,inthehouseinwhichLordMontbarryhaddied。
ThreedayspassedbeforeHenrywasabletovisitAgnesagain。
Inthattime,thelittlecloudbetweenthemhadentirelypassedaway。
Agnesreceivedhimwithevenmorethanhercustomarykindness。
Shewasinbetterspiritsthanusual。HerlettertoMrs。StephenWestwickhadbeenansweredbyreturnofpost;andherproposalhadbeenjoyfullyaccepted,withonemodification。ShewastovisittheWestwicksforamonth——and,ifshereallylikedteachingthechildren,shewasthentobegoverness,aunt,andcousin,allinone——
andwasonlytogoawayinaneventwhichherfriendsinIrelandpersistedincontemplating,theeventofhermarriage。
’YouseeIwasright,’shesaidtoHenry。
Hewasstillincredulous。’Areyoureallygoing?’heasked。
’Iamgoingnextweek。’
’WhenshallIseeyouagain?’
’Youknowyouarealwayswelcomeatyourbrother’shouse。
Youcanseemewhenyoulike。’Sheheldoutherhand。’Pardonmeforleavingyou——Iambeginningtopackupalready。’
Henrytriedtokissheratparting。Shedrewbackdirectly。
’Whynot?Iamyourcousin,’hesaid。
’Idon’tlikeit,’sheanswered。
Henrylookedather,andsubmitted。Herrefusaltogranthimhisprivilegeasacousinwasagoodsign——itwasindirectlyanactofencouragementtohiminthecharacterofherlover。
Onthefirstdayinthenewweek,AgnesleftLondononherwaytoIreland。
Astheeventproved,thiswasnotdestinedtobetheendofherjourney。
ThewaytoIrelandwasonlythefirststageonaroundaboutroad——
theroadthatledtothepalaceatVenice。
THETHIRDPART
CHAPTERXIII
Inthespringoftheyear1861,Agneswasestablishedatthecountry-seatofhertwofriends——nowpromoted(onthedeathofthefirstlord,withoutoffspring)tobethenewLordandLadyMontbarry。
Theoldnursewasnotseparatedfromhermistress。Aplace,suitedtohertimeoflife,hadbeenfoundforherinthepleasantIrishhousehold。Shewasperfectlyhappyinhernewsphere;
andshespentherfirsthalf-year’sdividendfromtheVeniceHotelCompany,withcharacteristicprodigality,inpresentsforthechildren。
Earlyintheyear,also,theDirectorsofthelifeinsuranceofficessubmittedtocircumstances,andpaidthetenthousandpounds。
Immediatelyafterwards,thewidowofthefirstLordMontbarry(otherwise,thedowagerLadyMontbarry)leftEngland,withBaronRivar,fortheUnitedStates。TheBaron’sobjectwasannounced,inthescientificcolumnsofthenewspapers,tobeinvestigationintothepresentstateofexperimentalchemistryinthegreatAmericanrepublic。
Hissisterinformedinquiringfriendsthatsheaccompaniedhim,inthehopeoffindingconsolationinchangeofsceneafterthebereavementthathadfallenonher。HearingthisnewsfromHenryWestwick(thenpayingavisitathisbrother’shouse),Agneswasconsciousofacertainsenseofrelief。’WiththeAtlanticbetweenus,’
shesaid,’surelyIhavedonewiththatterriblewomannow!’
Barelyaweekpassedafterthosewordshadbeenspoken,beforeaneventhappenedwhichremindedAgnesof’theterriblewoman’
oncemore。
Onthatday,Henry’sengagementshadobligedhimtoreturntoLondon。
Hehadventured,onthemorningofhisdeparture,topresshissuitoncemoreonAgnes;andthechildren,ashehadanticipated,provedtobeinnocentobstaclesinthewayofhissuccess。
Ontheotherhand,hehadprivatelysecuredafirmallyinhissister-in-law。’Havealittlepatience,’thenewLadyMontbarryhadsaid,’andleavemetoturntheinfluenceofthechildrenintherightdirection。Iftheycanpersuadehertolistentoyou——
theyshall!’
ThetwoladieshadaccompaniedHenry,andsomeotherguestswhowentawayatthesametime,totherailwaystation,andhadjustdrivenbacktothehouse,whentheservantannouncedthat’apersonofthenameofRollandwaswaitingtoseeherladyship。’
’Isitawoman?’
’Yes,mylady。’
YoungLadyMontbarryturnedtoAgnes。
’Thisistheveryperson,’shesaid,’whomyourlawyerthoughtlikelytohelphim,whenhewastryingtotracethelostcourier。’
’Youdon’tmeantheEnglishmaidwhowaswithLadyMontbarryatVenice?’
’Mydear!don’tspeakofMontbarry’shorridwidowbythenamewhichismynamenow。StephenandIhavearrangedtocallherbyherforeigntitle,beforeshewasmarried。Iam\"LadyMontbarry,\"
andsheis\"theCountess。\"Inthatwaytherewillbenoconfusion。——
Yes,Mrs。RollandwasinmyservicebeforeshebecametheCountess’smaid。
Shewasaperfectlytrustworthyperson,withonedefectthatobligedmetosendheraway——asullentemperwhichledtoperpetualcomplaintsofherintheservants’hall。Wouldyouliketoseeher?’
Agnesacceptedtheproposal,inthefainthopeofgettingsomeinformationforthecourier’swife。ThecompletedefeatofeveryattempttotracethelostmanhadbeenacceptedasfinalbyMrs。Ferrari。
Shehaddeliberatelyarrayedherselfinwidow’smourning;
andwasearningherlivelihoodinanemploymentwhichtheunweariedkindnessofAgneshadprocuredforherinLondon。ThelastchanceofpenetratingthemysteryofFerrari’sdisappearanceseemedtorestnowonwhatFerrari’sformerfellow-servantmightbeabletotell。
Withhighly-wroughtexpectations,AgnesfollowedherfriendintotheroominwhichMrs。Rollandwaswaiting。
Atallbonywoman,intheautumnoflife,withsunkeneyesandiron-greyhair,rosestifflyfromherchair,andsalutedtheladieswithsternsubmissionastheyopenedthedoor。Apersonofunblemishedcharacter,evidently——butnotwithoutvisibledrawbacks。
Bigbushyeyebrows,anawfullydeepandsolemnvoice,aharshunbendingmanner,acompleteabsenceinherfigureoftheundulatinglinescharacteristicofthesex,presentedVirtueinthisexcellentpersonunderitsleastalluringaspect。Strangers,onafirstintroductiontoher,wereaccustomedtowonderwhyshewasnotaman。
’Areyouprettywell,Mrs。Rolland?’
’IamaswellasIcanexpecttobe,mylady,atmytimeoflife。’
’IsthereanythingIcandoforyou?’
’Yourladyshipcandomeagreatfavour,ifyouwillpleasespeaktomycharacterwhileIwasinyourservice。Iamofferedaplace,towaitonaninvalidladywhohaslatelycometoliveinthisneighbourhood。’
’Ah,yes——Ihaveheardofher。AMrs。Carbury,withaveryprettynieceIamtold。But,Mrs。Rolland,youleftmyservicesometimeago。
Mrs。Carburywillsurelyexpectyoutorefertothelastmistressbywhomyouwereemployed。’
AflashofvirtuousindignationirradiatedMrs。Rolland’ssunkeneyes。
Shecoughedbeforesheanswered,asifher’lastmistress’
stuckinherthroat。
’IhaveexplainedtoMrs。Carbury,mylady,thatthepersonIlastserved——
Ireallycannotgiveherhertitleinyourladyship’spresence!——
hasleftEnglandforAmerica。Mrs。CarburyknowsthatIquittedthepersonofmyownfreewill,andknowswhy,andapprovesofmyconductsofar。Awordfromyourladyshipwillbeamplysufficienttogetmethesituation。’
’Verywell,Mrs。Rolland,Ihavenoobjectiontobeyourreference,underthecircumstances。Mrs。Carburywillfindmeathometo-morrowuntiltwoo’clock。’
’Mrs。Carburyisnotwellenoughtoleavethehouse,mylady。
Herniece,MissHaldane,willcallandmaketheinquiries,ifyourladyshiphasnoobjection。’
’Ihavenottheleastobjection。Theprettyniececarriesherownwelcomewithher。Waitaminute,Mrs。Rolland。
ThisladyisMissLockwood——myhusband’scousin,andmyfriend。
SheisanxioustospeaktoyouaboutthecourierwhowasinthelateLordMontbarry’sserviceatVenice。’
Mrs。Rolland’sbushyeyebrowsfrownedinsterndisapprovalofthenewtopicofconversation。’Iregrettohearit,mylady,’
wasallshesaid。
’PerhapsyouhavenotbeeninformedofwhathappenedafteryouleftVenice?’Agnesventuredtoadd。’Ferrarileftthepalacesecretly;
andhehasneverbeenheardofsince。’
Mrs。Rollandmysteriouslyclosedhereyes——asiftoexcludesomevisionofthelostcourierwhichwasofanaturetodisturbarespectablewoman。
’NothingthatMr。Ferraricoulddowouldsurpriseme,’sherepliedinherdeepestbasstones。
’Youspeakratherharshlyofhim,’saidAgnes。
Mrs。Rollandsuddenlyopenedhereyesagain。’Ispeakharshlyofnobodywithoutreason,’shesaid。’Mr。Ferraribehavedtome,MissLockwood,asnomanlivinghaseverbehaved——beforeorsince。’
’Whatdidhedo?’
Mrs。Rollandanswered,withastonystareofhorror:——
’Hetooklibertieswithme。’
YoungLadyMontbarrysuddenlyturnedaside,andputherhandkerchiefoverhermouthinconvulsionsofsuppressedlaughter。
Mrs。Rollandwenton,withagrimenjoymentofthebewildermentwhichherreplyhadproducedinAgnes:’AndwhenIinsistedonanapology,Miss,hehadtheaudacitytosaythatthelifeatthepalacewasdull,andhedidn’tknowhowelsetoamusehimself!’
’IamafraidIhavehardlymademyselfunderstood,’saidAgnes。
’IamnotspeakingtoyououtofanyinterestinFerrari。
Areyouawarethatheismarried?’
’Ipityhiswife,’saidMrs。Rolland。
’Sheisnaturallyingreatgriefabouthim,’Agnesproceeded。
’SheoughttothankGodsheisridofhim,’Mrs。Rollandinterposed。
Agnesstillpersisted。’IhaveknownMrs。Ferrarifromherchildhood,andIamsincerelyanxioustohelpherinthismatter。Didyounoticeanything,whileyouwereatVenice,thatwouldaccountforherhusband’sextraordinarydisappearance?Onwhatsortofterms,forinstance,didhelivewithhismasterandmistress?’
’Ontermsoffamiliaritywithhismistress,’saidMrs。Rolland,’whichweresimplysickeningtoarespectableEnglishservant。
Sheusedtoencouragehimtotalktoheraboutallhisaffairs——
howhegotonwithhiswife,andhowpressedhewasformoney,andsuchlike——justasiftheywereequals。Contemptible——that’swhatI
callit。’
’Andhismaster?’Agnescontinued。’HowdidFerrarigetonwithLordMontbarry?’
’Mylordusedtoliveshutupwithhisstudiesandhissorrows,’
Mrs。Rollandanswered,withahardsolemnityexpressiveofrespectforhislordship’smemory。Mr。Ferrarigothismoneywhenitwasdue;
andhecaredfornothingelse。\"IfIcouldaffordit,Iwouldleavetheplacetoo;butIcan’taffordit。\"Thosewerethelastwordshesaidtome,onthemorningwhenIleftthepalace。
Imadenoreply。Afterwhathadhappened(onthatotheroccasion)
IwasnaturallynotonspeakingtermswithMr。Ferrari。’
’Canyoureallytellmenothingwhichwillthrowanylightonthismatter?’
’Nothing,’saidMrs。Rolland,withanundisguisedrelishofthedisappointmentthatshewasinflicting。
’TherewasanothermemberofthefamilyatVenice,’Agnesresumed,determinedtosiftthequestiontothebottomwhileshehadthechance。
’TherewasBaronRivar。’
Mrs。Rollandliftedherlargehands,coveredwithrustyblackgloves,inmuteprotestagainsttheintroductionofBaronRivarasasubjectofinquiry。’Areyouaware,Miss,’shebegan,’thatIleftmyplaceinconsequenceofwhatIobserved——?’
Agnesstoppedherthere。’Ionlywantedtoask,’sheexplained,’ifanythingwassaidordonebyBaronRivarwhichmightaccountforFerrari’sstrangeconduct。’
’NothingthatIknowof,’saidMrs。Rolland。’TheBaronandMr。Ferrari(ifImayusesuchanexpression)were\"birdsofafeather,\"
sofarasIcouldsee——Imean,onewasasunprincipledastheother。
Iamajustwoman;andIwillgiveyouanexample。OnlythedaybeforeIleft,IheardtheBaronsay(throughtheopendoorofhisroomwhileIwaspassingalongthecorridor),\"Ferrari,Iwantathousandpounds。Whatwouldyoudoforathousandpounds?\"AndIheardMr。Ferrarianswer,\"Anything,sir,aslongasIwasnotfoundout。\"
Andthentheybothburstoutlaughing。Iheardnomorethanthat。
Judgeforyourself,Miss。’
Agnesreflectedforamoment。AthousandpoundswasthesumthathadbeensenttoMrs。Ferrariintheanonymousletter。
Wasthatenclosureinanywayconnected,asaresult,withtheconversationbetweentheBaronandFerrari?ItwasuselesstopressanymoreinquiriesonMrs。Rolland。Shecouldgivenofurtherinformationwhichwasoftheslightestimportancetotheobjectinview。Therewasnoalternativebuttograntherdismissal。
Onemoreefforthadbeenmadetofindatraceofthelostman,andonceagaintheefforthadfailed。
Theywereafamilypartyatthedinner-tablethatday。TheonlyguestleftinthehousewasanephewofthenewLordMontbarry——
theeldestsonofhissister,LadyBarrville。LadyMontbarrycouldnotresisttellingthestoryofthefirst(andlast)attackmadeonthevirtueofMrs。Rolland,withacomically-exactimitationofMrs。Rolland’sdeepanddismalvoice。Beingaskedbyherhusbandwhatwastheobjectwhichhadbroughtthatformidablepersontothehouse,shenaturallymentionedtheexpectedvisitofMissHaldane。
ArthurBarville,unusuallysilentandpre-occupiedsofar,suddenlystruckintotheconversationwithaburstofenthusiasm。
’MissHaldaneisthemostcharminggirlinallIreland!’hesaid。
’Icaughtsightofheryesterday,overthewallofhergarden,asIwasridingby。Whattimeisshecomingto-morrow?Beforetwo?
I’lllookintothedrawing-roombyaccident——Iamdyingtobeintroducedtoher!’
Agneswasamusedbyhisenthusiasm。’AreyouinlovewithMissHaldanealready?’sheasked。
Arthuransweredgravely,’It’snojokingmatter。Ihavebeenalldayatthegardenwall,waitingtoseeheragain!ItdependsonMissHaldanetomakemethehappiestorthewretchedestmanliving。’
’Youfoolishboy!Howcanyoutalksuchnonsense?’
Hewastalkingnonsenseundoubtedly。But,ifAgneshadonlyknownit,hewasdoingsomethingmorethanthat。HewasinnocentlyleadingheranotherstageneareronthewaytoVenice。
CHAPTERXIV
Asthesummermonthsadvanced,thetransformationoftheVenetianpalaceintothemodernhotelproceededrapidlytowardscompletion。
Theoutsideofthebuilding,withitsfinePalladianfrontlookingonthecanal,waswiselyleftunaltered。Inside,asamatterofnecessity,theroomswerealmostrebuilt——sofaratleastasthesizeandthearrangementofthemwereconcerned。
Thevastsaloonswerepartitionedoffinto’apartments’containingthreeorfourroomseach。Thebroadcorridorsintheupperregionsaffordedsparespaceenoughforrowsoflittlebedchambers,devotedtoservantsandtotravellerswithlimitedmeans。
Nothingwassparedbutthesolidfloorsandthefinely-carvedceilings。
Theselast,inexcellentpreservationastoworkmanship,merelyrequiredcleaning,andregildinghereandthere,toaddgreatlytothebeautyandimportanceofthebestroomsinthehotel。
Theonlyexceptiontothecompletere-organizationoftheinteriorwasatoneextremityoftheedifice,onthefirstandsecondfloors。
Heretherehappened,ineachcase,toberoomsofsuchcomparativelymoderatesize,andsoattractivelydecorated,thatthearchitectsuggestedleavingthemastheywere。ItwasafterwardsdiscoveredthatthesewerenootherthantheapartmentsformerlyoccupiedbyLordMontbarry(onthefirstfloor),andbyBaronRivar(onthesecond)。TheroominwhichMontbarryhaddiedwasstillfittedupasabedroom,andwasnowdistinguishedasNumberFourteen。
Theroomaboveit,inwhichtheBaronhadslept,tookitsplaceonthehotel-registerasNumberThirty-Eight。Withtheornamentsonthewallsandceilingscleanedandbrightenedup,andwiththeheavyold-fashionedbeds,chairs,andtablesreplacedbybright,pretty,andluxuriousmodernfurniture,thesetwopromisedtobeatoncethemostattractiveandthemostcomfortablebedchambersinthehotel。
Asfortheonce-desolateanddisusedgroundfloorofthebuilding,itwasnowtransformed,bymeansofsplendiddining-rooms,reception-rooms,billiard-rooms,andsmoking-rooms,intoapalacebyitself。
Eventhedungeon-likevaultsbeneath,nowlightedandventilatedonthemostapprovedmodernplan,hadbeenturnedasifbymagicintokitchens,servants’offices,ice-rooms,andwinecellars,worthyofthesplendourofthegrandesthotelinItaly,inthenowbygoneperiodofseventeenyearssince。
PassingfromthelapseofthesummermonthsatVenice,tothelapseofthesummermonthsinIreland,itisnexttoberecordedthatMrs。RollandobtainedthesituationofattendantontheinvalidMrs。Carbury;
andthatthefairMissHaldane,likeafemaleCaesar,came,saw,andconquered,onherfirstday’svisittothenewLordMontbarry’shouse。
TheladieswereasloudinherpraisesasArthurBarvillehimself。
LordMontbarrydeclaredthatshewastheonlyperfectlyprettywomanhehadeverseen,whowasreallyunconsciousofherownattractions。
Theoldnursesaidshelookedasifshehadjuststeppedoutofapicture,andwantednothingbutagiltframeroundhertomakehercomplete。
MissHaldane,onherside,returnedfromherfirstvisittotheMontbarryscharmedwithhernewacquaintances。Lateronthesameday,ArthurcalledwithanofferingoffruitandflowersforMrs。Carbury,andwithinstructionstoaskifshewaswellenoughtoreceiveLordandLadyMontbarryandMissLockwoodonthemorrow。
Inaweek’stime,thetwohouseholdswereonthefriendliestterms。
Mrs。Carbury,confinedtothesofabyaspinalmalady,hadbeenhithertodependentonhernieceforoneofthefewpleasuresshecouldenjoy,thepleasureofhavingthebestnewnovelsreadtoherastheycameout。Discoveringthis,ArthurvolunteeredtorelieveMissHaldane,atintervals,intheofficeofreader。
Hewascleveratmechanicalcontrivancesofallsorts,andheintroducedimprovementsinMrs。Carbury’scouch,andinthemeansofconveyingherfromthebedchambertothedrawing-room,whichalleviatedthepoorlady’ssufferingsandbrightenedhergloomylife。Withtheseclaimsonthegratitudeoftheaunt,aidedbythepersonaladvantageswhichheunquestionablypossessed,Arthuradvancedrapidlyinthefavourofthecharmingniece。
Shewas,itisneedlesstosay,perfectlywellawarethathewasinlovewithher,whilehewashimselfmodestlyreticentonthesubject——
sofaraswordswent。ButshewasnotequallyquickinpenetratingthenatureofherownfeelingstowardsArthur。Watchingthetwoyoungpeoplewithkeenpowersofobservation,necessarilyconcentratedonthembythecompleteseclusionofherlife,theinvalidladydiscoveredsignsofrousedsensibilityinMissHaldane,whenArthurwaspresent,whichhadneveryetshownthemselvesinhersocialrelationswithotheradmirerseagertopaytheiraddressestoher。
Havingdrawnherownconclusionsinprivate,Mrs。Carburytookthefirstfavourableopportunity(inArthur’sinterests)ofputtingthemtothetest。
’Idon’tknowwhatIshalldo,’shesaidoneday,’whenArthurgoesaway。’
MissHaldanelookedupquicklyfromherwork。’Surelyheisnotgoingtoleaveus!’sheexclaimed。
’Mydear!hehasalreadystayedathisuncle’shouseamonthlongerthanheintended。Hisfatherandmothernaturallyexpecttoseehimathomeagain。’
MissHaldanemetthisdifficultywithasuggestion,whichcouldonlyhaveproceededfromajudgmentalreadydisturbedbytheravagesofthetenderpassion。’Whycan’thisfatherandmothergoandseehimatLordMontbarry’s?’sheasked。’SirTheodore’splaceisonlythirtymilesaway,andLadyBarvilleisLordMontbarry’ssister。
Theyneedn’tstandonceremony。’
’Theymayhaveotherengagements,’Mrs。Carburyremarked。
’Mydearaunt,wedon’tknowthat!SupposeyouaskArthur?’
’Supposeyouaskhim?’
MissHaldanebentherheadagainoverherwork。Suddenlyasitwasdone,heraunthadseenherface——andherfacebetrayedher。
WhenArthurcamethenextday,Mrs。Carburysaidawordtohiminprivate,whileherniecewasinthegarden。Thelastnewnovellayneglectedonthetable。ArthurfollowedMissHaldaneintothegarden。Thenextdayhewrotehome,enclosinginhisletteraphotographofMissHaldane。Beforetheendoftheweek,SirTheodoreandLadyBarvillearrivedatLordMontbarry’s,andformedtheirownjudgmentofthefidelityoftheportrait。
Theyhadthemselvesmarriedearlyinlife——and,strangetosay,theydidnotobjectonprincipletotheearlymarriagesofotherpeople。Thequestionofagebeingthusdisposedof,thecourseoftruelovehadnootherobstaclestoencounter。
MissHaldanewasanonlychild,andwaspossessedofanamplefortune。
Arthur’scareerattheuniversityhadbeencreditable,butcertainlynotbrilliantenoughtopresenthiswithdrawalinthelightofadisaster。
AsSirTheodore’seldestson,hispositionwasalreadymadeforhim。
Hewastwo-and-twentyyearsofage;andtheyoungladywaseighteen。
Therewasreallynoproduciblereasonforkeepingtheloverswaiting,andnoexcusefordeferringthewedding-daybeyondthefirstweekinSeptember。Intheinterval,whilethebrideandbridegroomwouldbenecessarilyabsentontheinevitabletourabroad,asisterofMrs。Carburyvolunteeredtostaywithherduringthetemporaryseparationfromherniece。Ontheconclusionofthehoneymoon,theyoungcoupleweretoreturntoIreland,andweretoestablishthemselvesinMrs。Carbury’sspaciousandcomfortablehouse。
ThesearrangementsweredecideduponearlyinthemonthofAugust。
Aboutthesamedate,thelastalterationsintheoldpalaceatVenicewerecompleted。Theroomsweredriedbysteam;thecellarswerestocked;
themanagercollectedroundhimhisarmyofskilledservants;
andthenewhotelwasadvertisedalloverEuropetoopeninOctober。
CHAPTERXV
(MISSAGNESLOCKWOODTOMRS。FERRARI)
’Ipromisedtogiveyousomeaccount,dearEmily,ofthemarriageofMr。ArthurBarvilleandMissHaldane。Ittookplacetendayssince。
ButIhavehadsomanythingstolookafterintheabsenceofthemasterandmistressofthishouse,thatIamonlyabletowritetoyouto-day。
’Theinvitationstotheweddingwerelimitedtomembersofthefamiliesoneitherside,inconsiderationoftheillhealthofMissHaldane’saunt。
OnthesideoftheMontbarryfamily,therewerepresent,besidesLordandLadyMontbarry,SirTheodoreandLadyBarville;
Mrs。Norbury(whomyoumayrememberashislordship’ssecondsister);
andMr。FrancisWestwick,andMr。HenryWestwick。ThethreechildrenandIattendedtheceremonyasbridesmaids。Wewerejoinedbytwoyoungladies,cousinsofthebrideandveryagreeablegirls。
Ourdresseswerewhite,trimmedwithgreeninhonourofIreland;
andweeachhadahandsomegoldbraceletgiventousasapresentfromthebridegroom。IfyouaddtothepersonswhomIhavealreadymentioned,theeldermembersofMrs。Carbury’sfamily,andtheoldservantsinbothhouses——privilegedtodrinkthehealthsofthemarriedpairatthelowerendoftheroom——youwillhavethelistofthecompanyatthewedding-breakfastcomplete。
’Theweatherwasperfect,andtheceremony(withmusic)
wasbeautifullyperformed。Asforthebride,nowordscandescribehowlovelyshelooked,orhowwellshewentthroughitall。
Wewereverymerryatthebreakfast,andthespeecheswentoffonthewholequitewellenough。Thelastspeech,beforethepartybrokeup,wasmadebyMr。HenryWestwick,andwasthebestofall。
Heofferedahappysuggestion,attheend,whichhasproducedaveryunexpectedchangeinmylifehere。
’AswellasIremember,heconcludedinthesewords:——\"Ononepoint,weareallagreed——wearesorrythatthepartinghourisnear,andweshouldbegladtomeetagain。Whyshouldwenotmeetagain?
Thisistheautumntimeoftheyear;wearemostofusleavinghomefortheholidays。Whatdoyousay(ifyouhavenoengagementsthatwillpreventit)tojoiningouryoungmarriedfriendsbeforethecloseoftheirtour,andrenewingthesocialsuccessofthisdelightfulbreakfastbyanotherfestivalinhonourofthehoneymoon?
ThebrideandbridegroomaregoingtoGermanyandtheTyrol,ontheirwaytoItaly。Iproposethatweallowthemamonthtothemselves,andthatwearrangetomeetthemafterwardsintheNorthofItaly——
sayatVenice。\"
’Thisproposalwasreceivedwithgreatapplause,whichwaschangedintoshoutsoflaughterbynolessapersonthanmydearoldnurse。
ThemomentMr。Westwickpronouncedtheword\"Venice,\"shestartedupamongtheservantsatthelowerendoftheroom,andcalledoutatthetopofhervoice,\"Gotoourhotel,ladiesandgentlemen!Wegetsixpercent。onourmoneyalready;
andifyouwillonlycrowdtheplaceandcallforthebestofeverything,itwillbetenpercentinourpocketsinnotime。
AskMasterHenry!\"
’Appealedtointhisirresistiblemanner,Mr。WestwickhadnochoicebuttoexplainthathewasconcernedasashareholderinanewHotelCompanyatVenice,andthathehadinvestedasmallsumofmoneyforthenurse(notveryconsiderately,asIthink)inthespeculation。
Hearingthis,thecompany,bywayofhumouringthejoke,drankanewtoast:——Successtothenurse’shotel,andaspeedyriseinthedividend!
’WhentheconversationreturnedinduetimetothemoreseriousquestionoftheproposedmeetingatVenice,difficultiesbegantopresentthemselves,causedofcoursebyinvitationsfortheautumnwhichmanyoftheguestshadalreadyaccepted。OnlytwomembersofMrs。Carbury’sfamilywereatlibertytokeeptheproposedappointment。
Onoursideweweremoreatleisuretodoaswepleased。
Mr。HenryWestwickdecidedtogotoVeniceinadvanceoftherest,totesttheaccommodationofthenewhotelontheopeningday。
Mrs。NorburyandMr。FrancisWestwickvolunteeredtofollowhim;
and,aftersomepersuasion,LordandLadyMontbarryconsentedtoaspeciesofcompromise。HislordshipcouldnotconvenientlysparetimeenoughforthejourneytoVenice,butheandLadyMontbarryarrangedtoaccompanyMrs。NorburyandMr。FrancisWestwickasfarontheirwaytoItalyasParis。Fivedayssince,theytooktheirdeparturetomeettheirtravellingcompanionsinLondon;leavingmehereinchargeofthethreedearchildren。
Theybeggedhard,ofcourse,tobetakenwithpapaandmamma。
Butitwasthoughtbetternottointerrupttheprogressoftheireducation,andnottoexposethem(especiallythetwoyoungergirls)tothefatiguesoftravelling。
’Ihavehadacharmingletterfromthebride,thismorning,datedCologne。Youcannotthinkhowartlesslyandprettilysheassuresmeofherhappiness。Somepeople,astheysayinIreland,areborntogoodluck——andIthinkArthurBarvilleisoneofthem。
’Whenyounextwrite,Ihopetohearthatyouareinbetterhealthandspirits,andthatyoucontinuetolikeyouremployment。
Believeme,sincerelyyourfriend,——A。L。’
Agneshadjustclosedanddirectedherletter,whentheeldestofherthreepupilsenteredtheroomwiththestartlingannouncementthatLordMontbarry’stravelling-servanthadarrivedfromParis!
Alarmedbytheideathatsomemisfortunehadhappened,sheranouttomeetthemaninthehall。Herfacetoldhimhowseriouslyhehadfrightenedher,beforeshecouldspeak。’There’snothingwrong,Miss,’
hehastenedtosay。’MylordandmyladyareenjoyingthemselvesatParis。Theyonlywantyouandtheyoungladiestobewiththem。’
Sayingtheseamazingwords,hehandedtoAgnesaletterfromLadyMontbarry。
’DearestAgnes,’(sheread),’Iamsocharmedwiththedelightfulchangeinmylife——itissixyears,remember,sinceIlasttravelledontheContinent——thatIhaveexertedallmyfascinationstopersuadeLordMontbarrytogoontoVenice。And,whatismoretothepurpose,Ihaveactuallysucceeded!HehasjustgonetohisroomtowritethenecessarylettersofexcuseintimefortheposttoEngland。
Mayyouhaveasgoodahusband,mydear,whenyourtimecomes!
Inthemeanwhile,theonethingwantingnowtomakemyhappinesscomplete,istohaveyouandthedarlingchildrenwithus。
MontbarryisjustasmiserablewithoutthemasIam——thoughhedoesn’tconfessitsofreely。Youwillhavenodifficultiestotroubleyou。
Louiswilldeliverthesehurriedlines,andwilltakecareofyouonthejourneytoParis。Kissthechildrenformeathousandtimes——
andnevermindtheireducationforthepresent!Packupinstantly,mydear,andIwillbefonderofyouthanever。Youraffectionatefriend,AdelaMontbarry。’
Agnesfoldeduptheletter;and,feelingtheneedofcomposingherself,tookrefugeforafewminutesinherownroom。
HerfirstnaturalsensationsofsurpriseandexcitementattheprospectofgoingtoVeniceweresucceededbyimpressionsofalessagreeablekind。
WiththerecoveryofhercustomarycomposurecametheunwelcomeremembranceofthepartingwordsspokentoherbyMontbarry’swidow:——’Weshallmeetagain——hereinEngland,orthereinVenicewheremyhusbanddied——andmeetforthelasttime。’
Itwasanoddcoincidence,tosaytheleastofit,thatthemarchofeventsshouldbeunexpectedlytakingAgnestoVenice,afterthosewordshadbeenspoken!WasthewomanofthemysteriouswarningsandthewildblackeyesstillthousandsofmilesawayinAmerica?
Orwasthemarchofeventstakingherunexpectedly,too,onthejourneytoVenice?Agnesstartedoutofherchair,ashamedofeventhemomentaryconcessiontosuperstitionwhichwasimpliedbythemerepresenceofsuchquestionsastheseinhermind。
Sherangthebell,andsentforherlittlepupils,andannouncedtheirapproachingdeparturetothehousehold。Thenoisydelightofthechildren,theinspiritingeffortofpackingupinahurry,rousedallherenergies。Shedismissedherownabsurdmisgivingsfromconsideration,withthecontemptthattheydeserved。Sheworkedasonlywomencanwork,whentheirheartsareinwhattheydo。
ThetravellersreachedDublinthatday,intimefortheboattoEngland。Twodayslater,theywerewithLordandLadyMontbarryatParis。
THEFOURTHPART
CHAPTERXVI
ItwasonlythetwentiethofSeptember,whenAgnesandthechildrenreachedParis。Mrs。NorburyandherbrotherFrancishadthenalreadystartedontheirjourneytoItaly——atleastthreeweeksbeforethedateatwhichthenewhotelwastoopenforthereceptionoftravellers。
ThepersonanswerableforthisprematuredeparturewasFrancisWestwick。
LikehisyoungerbrotherHenry,hehadincreasedhispecuniaryresourcesbyhisownenterpriseandingenuity;withthisdifference,thathisspeculationswereconnectedwiththeArts。
Hehadmademoney,inthefirstinstance,byaweeklynewspaper;
andhehadtheninvestedhisprofitsinaLondontheatre。
Thislatterenterprise,admirablyconducted,hadbeenrewardedbythepublicwithsteadyandliberalencouragement。Ponderingoveranewformoftheatricalattractionforthecomingwinterseason,Francishaddeterminedtorevivethelanguidpublictastefortheballetbymeansofanentertainmentofhisowninvention,combiningdramaticinterestwithdancing。Hewasnow,accordingly,insearchofthebestdancer(possessedoftheindispensablepersonalattractions)
whowastobefoundinthetheatresoftheContinent。
Hearingfromhisforeigncorrespondentsoftwowomenwhohadmadesuccessfulfirstappearances,oneatMilanandoneatFlorence,hehadarrangedtovisitthosecities,andtojudgeofthemeritsofthedancersforhimself,beforehejoinedthebrideandbridegroom。
Hiswidowedsister,havingfriendsatFlorencewhomshewasanxioustosee,readilyaccompaniedhim。TheMontbarrysremainedatParis,untilitwastimetopresentthemselvesatthefamilymeetinginVenice。
HenryfoundthemstillintheFrenchcapital,whenhearrivedfromLondononhiswaytotheopeningofthenewhotel。
AgainstLadyMontbarry’sadvice,hetooktheopportunityofrenewinghisaddressestoAgnes。Hecouldhardlyhavechosenamoreunpropitioustimeforpleadinghiscausewithher。
ThegaietiesofParis(quiteincomprehensiblytoherselfaswellastoeveryoneabouther)hadadepressingeffectonherspirits。
Shehadnoillnesstocomplainof;shesharedwillinglyintheever-varyingsuccessionofamusementsofferedtostrangersbytheingenuityoftheliveliestpeopleintheworld——butnothingrousedher:
sheremainedpersistentlydullandwearythroughitall。
Inthisframeofmindandbody,shewasinnohumourtoreceiveHenry’sill-timedaddresseswithfavour,orevenwithpatience:
sheplainlyandpositivelyrefusedtolistentohim。’WhydoyouremindmeofwhatIhavesuffered?’sheaskedpetulantly。’Don’tyouseethatithasleftitsmarkonmeforlife?’
’IthoughtIknewsomethingofwomenbythistime,’Henrysaid,appealingprivatelytoLadyMontbarryforconsolation。’ButAgnescompletelypuzzlesme。ItisayearsinceMontbarry’sdeath;andsheremainsasdevotedtohismemoryasifhehaddiedfaithfultoher——
shestillfeelsthelossofhim,asnoneofusfeelit!’
’Sheisthetruestwomanthateverbreathedthebreathoflife,’
LadyMontbarryanswered。’Rememberthat,andyouwillunderstandher。
CansuchawomanasAgnesgiveherloveorrefuseit,accordingtocircumstances?Becausethemanwasunworthyofher,washelessthemanofherchoice?Thetruestandbestfriendtohim(littleashedeservedit)inhislifetime,shenaturallyremainsthetruestandbestfriendtohismemorynow。
Ifyoureallyloveher,wait;andtrusttoyourtwobestfriends——
totimeandtome。Thereismyadvice;letyourownexperiencedecidewhetheritisnotthebestadvicethatIcanoffer。
ResumeyourjourneytoVeniceto-morrow;andwhenyoutakeleaveofAgnes,speaktoherascordiallyasifnothinghadhappened。’
Henrywiselyfollowedthisadvice。Thoroughlyunderstandinghim,Agnesmadetheleave-takingfriendlyandpleasantonherside。
Whenhestoppedatthedoorforalastlookather,shehurriedlyturnedherheadsothatherfacewashiddenfromhim。Wasthatagoodsign?
LadyMontbarry,accompanyingHenrydownthestairs,said,’Yes,decidedly!
WritewhenyougettoVenice。WeshallwaitheretoreceivelettersfromArthurandhiswife,andweshalltimeourdepartureforItalyaccordingly。’
Aweekpassed,andnolettercamefromHenry。Somedayslater,atelegramwasreceivedfromhim。ItwasdespatchedfromMilan,insteadoffromVenice;anditbroughtthisstrangemessage:——’Ihaveleftthehotel。WillreturnonthearrivalofArthurandhiswife。
Address,meanwhile,AlbergoReale,Milan。’
PreferringVenicebeforeallothercitiesofEurope,andhavingarrangedtoremainthereuntilthefamilymeetingtookplace,whatunexpectedeventhadledHenrytoalterhisplans?andwhydidhestatethebarefact,withoutaddingawordofexplanation?
Letthenarrativefollowhim——andfindtheanswertothosequestionsatVenice。
CHAPTERXVII
ThePalaceHotel,appealingforencouragementmainlytoEnglishandAmericantravellers,celebratedtheopeningofitsdoors,asamatterofcourse,bythegivingofagrandbanquet,andthedeliveryofalongsuccessionofspeeches。
Delayedonhisjourney,HenryWestwickonlyreachedVeniceintimetojointheguestsovertheircoffeeandcigars。
Observingthesplendourofthereceptionrooms,andtakingnoteespeciallyoftheartfulmixtureofcomfortandluxuryinthebedchambers,hebegantosharetheoldnurse’sviewofthefuture,andtocontemplateseriouslythecomingdividendoftenpercent。
Thehotelwasbeginningwell,atallevents。Somuchinterestintheenterprisehadbeenaroused,athomeandabroad,byprofuseadvertising,thatthewholeaccommodationofthebuildinghadbeensecuredbytravellersofallnationsfortheopeningnight。