Only one being in the house knew her Christian name, and that was Miss Aldclyffe. Cytherea stepped out of bed, went to the door, and whispered back, "Yes?"
"Let me come in, darling."
The young woman paused in a conflict between judgment and emotion. It was now mistress and maid no longer; woman and woman only. Yes; she must let her come in, poor thing.
She got a light in an instant, opened the door, and raising her eyes and the candle, saw Miss Aldclyffe standing outside in her dressing-gown.
"Now you see that it is really myself; put out the light," said the visitor. "I want to stay here with you, Cythie. I came to ask you to come down into my bed, but it is snugger here. But remember that you are mistress in this room, and that I have no business here, and that you may send me away if you choose. Shall I go?"
"O no; you shan"t indeed if you don"t want to," said Cythie generously.
The instant they were in bed Miss Aldclyffe freed herself from the last remnant of restraint. She flung her arms round the young girl, and pressed her gently to her heart.
"Now kiss me," she said.
Cytherea, upon the whole, was rather discomposed at this change of treatment; and, discomposed or no, her pa.s.sions were not so impetuous as Miss Aldclyffe"s. She could not bring her soul to her lips for a moment, try how she would.
"Come, kiss me," repeated Miss Aldclyffe.
Cytherea gave her a very small one, as soft in touch and in sound as the bursting of a bubble.
"More earnestly than that--come."
She gave another, a little but not much more expressively.
"I don"t deserve a more feeling one, I suppose," said Miss Aldclyffe, with an emphasis of sad bitterness in her tone. "I am an ill-tempered woman, you think; half out of my mind. Well, perhaps I am; but I have had grief more than you can think or dream of. But I can"t help loving you--your name is the same as mine--isn"t it strange?"
Cytherea was inclined to say no, but remained silent.
"Now, don"t you think I must love you?" continued the other.
"Yes," said Cytherea absently. She was still thinking whether duty to Owen and her father, which asked for silence on her knowledge of her father"s unfortunate love, or duty to the woman embracing her, which seemed to ask for confidence, ought to predominate. Here was a solution.
She would wait till Miss Aldclyffe referred to her acquaintanceship and attachment to Cytherea"s father in past times: then she would tell her all she knew: that would be honour.
"Why can"t you kiss me as I can kiss you? Why can"t you!" She impressed upon Cytherea"s lips a warm motherly salute, given as if in the outburst of strong feeling, long checked, and yearning for something to love and be loved by in return.
"Do you think badly of me for my behaviour this evening, child? I don"t know why I am so foolish as to speak to you in this way. I am a very fool, I believe. Yes. How old are you?"
"Eighteen."
"Eighteen!... Well, why don"t you ask me how old I am?"
"Because I don"t want to know."
"Never mind if you don"t. I am forty-six; and it gives me greater pleasure to tell you this than it does to you to listen. I have not told my age truly for the last twenty years till now."
"Why haven"t you?"
"I have met deceit by deceit, till I am weary of it--weary, weary--and I long to be what I shall never be again--artless and innocent, like you.
But I suppose that you, too, will, prove to be not worth a thought, as every new friend does on more intimate knowledge. Come, why don"t you talk to me, child? Have you said your prayers?"
"Yes--no! I forgot them to-night."
"I suppose you say them every night as a rule?"
"Yes."
"Why do you do that?"
"Because I have always done so, and it would seem strange if I were not to. Do you?"
"I? A wicked old sinner like me! No, I never do. I have thought all such matters humbug for years--thought so so long that I should be glad to think otherwise from very weariness; and yet, such is the code of the polite world, that I subscribe regularly to Missionary Societies and others of the sort.... Well, say your prayers, dear--you won"t omit them now you recollect it. I should like to hear you very much. Will you?"
"It seems hardly--"
"It would seem so like old times to me--when I was young, and nearer--far nearer Heaven than I am now. Do, sweet one,"
Cytherea was embarra.s.sed, and her embarra.s.sment arose from the following conjuncture of affairs. Since she had loved Edward Springrove, she had linked his name with her brother Owen"s in her nightly supplications to the Almighty. She wished to keep her love for him a secret, and, above all, a secret from a woman like Miss Aldclyffe; yet her conscience and the honesty of her love would not for an instant allow her to think of omitting his dear name, and so endanger the efficacy of all her previous prayers for his success by an unworthy shame now: it would be wicked of her, she thought, and a grievous wrong to him. Under any worldly circ.u.mstances she might have thought the position justified a little finesse, and have skipped him for once; but prayer was too solemn a thing for such trifling.
"I would rather not say them," she murmured first. It struck her then that this declining altogether was the same cowardice in another dress, and was delivering her poor Edward over to Satan just as unceremoniously as before. "Yes; I will say my prayers, and you shall hear me," she added firmly.
She turned her face to the pillow and repeated in low soft tones the simple words she had used from childhood on such occasions. Owen"s name was mentioned without faltering, but in the other case, maidenly shyness was too strong even for religion, and that when supported by excellent intentions. At the name of Edward she stammered, and her voice sank to the faintest whisper in spite of her.
"Thank you, dearest," said Miss Aldclyffe. "I have prayed too, I verily believe. You are a good girl, I think." Then the expected question came.
""Bless Owen," and whom, did you say?"
There was no help for it now, and out it came. "Owen and Edward," said Cytherea.
"Who are Owen and Edward?"
"Owen is my brother, madam," faltered the maid.
"Ah, I remember. Who is Edward?"
A silence.
"Your brother, too?" continued Miss Aldclyffe.
"No."
Miss Aldclyffe reflected a moment. "Don"t you want to tell me who Edward is?" she said at last, in a tone of meaning.
"I don"t mind telling; only...."
"You would rather not, I suppose?"
"Yes."