It would be. Your position shall be changed. Theres no one living to whom I could trust her as I could to you. Theres no woman I respect so much. For twenty years you have proved yourself worthy of respectand it shall be paid to you.
His vehemence would brook no opposition.
You said you would do as I wished. I wish you to have a new position in this house. You shall no longer be called a servant; you shall be our housekeeper, and our friend. I will have it, I tell you! he cried angrily. You shall sit at table with us, and live with us. Nancy still has sense enough to acknowledge that this is only your just reward; from her, I know, there wont be a word of objection. What can you have to say against it?
The woman was pale with emotion. Her reserve and sensibility shrank from what seemed to her an invidious honour, yet she durst not irritate the sick man by opposition.
It will make Nancy think, he pursued, with emphasis. It will help her, perhaps, to see the difference between worthless women who put themselves forward, and the women of real value who make no pretences. Perhaps it isnt too late to set good examples before her. Ive never found her ill-natured, though shes wilful; it isnt her heart thats wrongI hope and think notonly her mind, thats got stuffed with foolish ideas. Since her grandmothers death shes had no guidance. You shall talk to her as a woman can; not all at once, but when shes used to thinking of you in this new way.
You are forgetting her friends, Mary said at length, with eyes of earnest appeal.
Her friends? Shes better without such friends. Theres one thing I used to hope, but Ive given it up. I thought once that she might have come to a liking for Samuel Barmby, but now I dont think she ever will, and I believe its her friends that are to blame for it. One thing I know, that shell never meet with any one who will make her so good a husband as he would. We dont think alike in every way; hes a young man, and has the new ideas; but Ive known him since he was a boy, and I respect his character. He has a conscience, which is no common thing now-a-days. He lives a clean, homely lifeand you wont find many of his age who do. Nancy thinks herself a thousand times too good for him; I only hope he maynt prove a great deal too good for her. But Ive given up that thought. Ive never spoken to her about it, and I never shall; no good comes of forcing a girls inclination. I only tell you of it, Mary, because I want you to understand what has been going on.
They heard a bell ring; that of the front door.
Itll be Miss. Nancy, said Mary, rising.
Go to the door then. If its Nancy, tell her I want to speak to her, and come back yourself.
Mr. Lord
Do as I tell youat once!
All the latent force of Stephens character now declared itself. He stood upright, his face stern and dignified. In a few moments, Nancy entered the room, and Mary followed her at a distance.
Nancy, said the father, I want to tell you of a change in the house. You know that Mary has been with us for twenty years. You know that for a long time we havent thought of her as a servant, but as a friend, and one of the best possible. Its time now to show our gratitude. Mary will continue to help us as before, but henceforth she is one of our family. She will eat with us and sit with us; and I look to you, my girl, to make the change an easy and pleasant one for her.
As soon as she understood the drift of her fathers speech, Nancy experienced a shock, and could not conceal it. But when silence came, she had commanded herself. An instants pause; then, with her brightest smile, she turned to Mary and spoke in a voice of kindness.
Father is quite right. Your place is with us. I am glad, very glad.
Mary looked from Mr. Lord to his daughter, tried vainly to speak, and left the room.
CHAPTER 2
His fathers contemptuous wrath had an ill effect upon Horace. Of an amiable disposition, and without independence of character, he might have been guided by a judicious parent through all the perils of his calf-love for Fanny French; thrown upon his own feeble resources, he regarded himself as a victim of the traditional struggle between prosaic age and nobly passionate youth, and resolved at all hazards to follow the heroic coursewhich meant, first of all, a cold taciturnity towards his father, and, as to his future conduct, a total disregard of the domestic restraints which he had hitherto accepted. In a day or two he sat down and wrote his father a long letter, of small merit as a composition, and otherwise illustrating the profitless nature of the education for which Stephen Lord had hopefully paid. It began with a declaration of rights. He was a man; he could no longer submit to childish trammels. A man must not be put to inconvenience by the necessity of coming home at early hours. A man could not brook cross-examination on the subject of his intimacies, his expenditure, and so forth. Above all, a man was answerable to no one but himself for his relations with the other sex, for the sacred hopes he cherished, for his emotions and aspirations which transcended even a mans vocabulary.With much more of like tenor.
To this epistle, delivered by post, Mr. Lord made no answer.
Horace flattered himself that he had gained a victory. There was nothing like firmness, and that evening, about nine, he went to De Crespigny Park. As usual, he had to ring the bell two or three times before any one came; the lively notes of a piano sounded from the drawing-room, intimating, no doubt, that Mrs. Peachey had guests. The door at length opened, and he bade the servant let Miss. Fanny know that he was here; he would wait in the dining-room.
It was not yet dark, but objects could only just be distinguished; the gloom supplied Horace with a suggestion at which he laughed to himself. He had laid down his hat and cane, when a voice surprised him.
Whos that? asked some one from the back of the room.
Oh, are you there, Mr. Peachey?Ive come to see Fanny. I didnt care to go among the people.
All right. Wed better light the gas.
With annoyance, Horace saw the master of the house come forward, and strike a match. Remains of dinner were still on the table. The two exchanged glances.
How is your father? Peachey inquired. He had a dull, depressed look, and moved languidly to draw down the blind.
Oh, he isnt quite up to the mark. But its nothing serious, I think.
Miss. Lord quite well?We havent seen much of her lately.
I dont know why, Im sure.Nobody can depend upon her very much.
Well, Ill leave you, said the other, with a dreary look about the room. The table ought to have been cleared by nowbut thats nothing new.
Confounded servants, muttered Horace.
Oh yes, the servants, was Peacheys ironical reply.
As soon as he was left alone, Horace turned out the gas. Then he stood near the door, trembling with amorous anticipation. But minutes went by; his impatience grew intolerable; he stamped, and twisted his fingers together. Then of a sudden the door opened.
Why, its dark, theres nobody here.
Fanny discovered her mistake. She was seized and lifted off her feet.
Oh! Do you want to eat me? Ill hit you as hard as I can, I will! Youre spoiling my dress?
The last remonstrance was in a note that Horace did not venture to disregard.
Strike a light, silly! I know youve done something to my dress.
Strike a light, silly! I know youve done something to my dress.
Horace pleaded abjectly to be forgiven, and that the room might remain shadowed; but Fanny was disturbed in temper.
If you dont light the gas, Ill go at once.
I havent any matches, darling.
Oh, just like you! You never have anything. I thought every man carried matches.
She broke from him, and ran out. Wretched in the fear that she might not return, Horace waited on the threshold. In the drawing-room some one was singing The Maid of the Mill. It came to an end, and there sounded voices, which the tormented listener strove to recognise. For at least ten minutes he waited, and was all but frantic, when the girl made her appearance, coming downstairs.
Never do that again, she said viciously. Ive had to unfasten my things, and put them straight. What a nuisance you are!
He stood cowed before her, limp and tremulous.
There, light the gas. Why couldnt you come into the drawing-room, like other people do?
Who is there? asked the young man, when he had obeyed her.
Go and see for yourself.
Dont be angry, Fanny. He followed her, like a dog, as she walked round the table to look at herself in the mirror over the fireplace. It was only because Im so fond of you.
Oh, what a silly you are! she laughed, seating herself on the arm of an easy-chair. Go ahead! Whats the latest?
Well, for one thing, Ive had a very clear understanding with the govnor about my independence. I showed him that I meant having my own way, and he might bully as much as he liked.
It was not thus that Horace would naturally have spoken, not thus that he thought of his father. Fanny had subdued him to her own level, poisoned him with the desires excited by her presence. And he knew his baseness; he was not ignorant of the girls ignoble nature. Only the fury of a virgin passion enabled him to talk, and sometimes think, as though he were in love with ideal purity.
I didnt think you had the pluck, said Fanny, swinging one of her feet as she tittered.
That shows you havent done me justice.
And youre going to stay out late at night?
As late as I like, Horace answered, crossing his arms.
Then where will you take me to-morrow?
It happened that Horace was in funds just now; he had received his quarters salary. Board and lodging were no expense to him; he provided his own clothing, but, with this exception, had to meet no serious claim. So, in reply to Fannys characteristic question, he jingled coins.
Wherever you like.Dorothy, Ruddigore
Delighted with his assent, she became more gracious, permitted a modest caress, and presently allowed herself to be drawn on to her lovers knee. She was passive, unconcerned; no second year graduate of the pavement could have preserved a completer equanimity; it did not appear that her pulse quickened ever so slightly, nor had her eyelid the suspicion of a droop. She hummed Queen of my Heart, and grew absent in speculative thought, whilst Horace burned and panted at the proximity of her white flesh.
Oh, how I do love you, Fanny!
She trod playfully on his toe.
You havent told the old gentleman yet?
IIm thinking about it. But, Fanny, suppose he was toto refuse to do anything for us. Would it make any difference? There are lots of people who marry on a hundred and fifty a yearoh lots!
The maiden arched her brows, and puckered her lips. Hitherto it had been taken for granted that Mr. Lord would be ready with subsidy; Horace, in a large, vague way, had hinted that assurance long ago. Fannys disinclination to plight her trothshe still deemed herself absolutely freehad alone interfered between the young man and a definite project of marriage.
What kind of people? she asked coldly.
Ohrespectable, educated people, like ourselves.
And live in apartments? Thank you; I dont quite see myself. There isnt a bit of hurry, dear boy. Wait a bit. She began to sing Wait till the clouds roll by.
If you thought as much of me as I do of you
Tired of her position, Fanny jumped up and took a spoonful of sweet jelly from a dish on the table.
Have some?
Come here again. Ive something more to tell you. Something very important.
She could only be prevailed upon to take a seat near him. Horace, beset with doubts as to his prudence, but unable to keep the secret, began to recount the story of his meeting with Mrs. Damerel, whom he had now seen for the second time. Fannys curiosity, instantly awakened, grew eager as he proceeded. She questioned with skill and pertinacity, and elicited many more details than Nancy Lord had been able to gather.
Youll promise me not to say a word to any one? pleaded Horace.
I wont open my lips. But youre quite sure shes as old as you say?
Old enough to be my mother, I assure you.
The girls suspicions were not wholly set at rest, but she made no further display of them.
Now just think what an advantage it might be to you, to know her, Horace pursued. Shed introduce you at once to fashionable society, really tip-top people. How would you like that?
Not bad, was the judicial reply.
She must have no end of money, and who knows what she might do for me!
Its a jolly queer thing, mused the maiden.
Theres no denying that. We must keep it close, whatever we do.
You havent told anybody else?
Not a soul! Horace lied stoutly.
They were surprised by the sudden opening of the door; a servant appeared to clear the table. Fanny reprimanded her for neglecting to knock.
We may as well go into the drawing-room. Theres nobody particular. Only Mrs. Middlemist, and Mr. Crewe, and
In the hall they encountered Crewe himself, who stood there conversing with Beatrice. A few words were exchanged by the two men, and Horace followed his enchantress into the drawing-room, where he found, seated in conversation with Mrs. Peachey, two persons whom he had occasionally met here. One of them, Mrs. Middlemist, was a stout, coarse, high-coloured woman, with fingers much bejewelled. Until a year or two ago she had adorned the private bar of a public-house kept by her husband; retired from this honourable post, she now devoted herself to society and the domestic virtues. The other guest, Mrs. Murch by name, proclaimed herself, at a glance, of less prosperous condition, though no less sumptuously arrayed. Her face had a hungry, spiteful, leering expression; she spoke in a shrill, peevish tone, and wriggled nervously on her chair. In eleven years of married life, Mrs. Murch had borne six children, all of whom died before they were six months old. She lived apart from her husband, who had something to do with the manufacture of an Infants Food.
Fanny was requested to sing. She sat down at the piano, rattled a prelude, and gave forth an echo of the music-halls:
Its all up with poor Tommy now. I shall never more be happy, I vow. Its just a week to-day Since my Sairey went away, And its all up with poor Tommy now.
Mrs. Middlemist, who prided herself upon serious vocal powers, remarked that comic singing should be confined to men.
You havent a bad voice, my dear, if you would only take pains with it. Now sing us For Ever and for Ever.
This song being the speakers peculiar glory, she was of course requested to sing it herself, and, after entreaty, consented. Her eyes turned upward, her fat figure rolling from side to side, her mouth very wide open, Mrs. Middlemist did full justice to the erotic passion of this great lyric: