"The knight is the difficulty," laughed Lionel.
"Why should we not go out on the lake now?" said Gaspar; "I will row."
"I have been wishing for the last ten minutes," replied Beatrice, "to be upon the lake. I want to put my hand in the water and see what comes."
Gaspar was not long in getting a pleasure boat out of the boat house.
Lionel managed to secure a seat near his Undine, and Lord Airlie by his Beatrice.
It was even more pleasant on the water than on the land; the boat moved easily along, the fresh, clear breeze helping it.
"Steer for those pretty water lilies," said Beatrice, "they look so fresh and shining in the sun."
And as they floated over the water, her thoughts went back to that May morning when Lillian sat upon the cliffs and sketched the white far-off sails. How distant it seemed! She longed then for life. Now every sweet gift which life could bestow was here, crowned with love. Yet she sighed as Hugh Fernely"s face rose before her. If she could but forget it! After all it had been on her side but a mockery of love.
Yet another sigh broke from her lips, and then Lord Airlie looked anxiously at her.
"Does anything trouble you, Miss Earle?" he asked. "I never remember to have seen you so serious before."
She looked for a moment wistfully into his face. Ah, if he could help her, if he could drive this haunting memory from her, if ever it could be that she might tell him of this her trouble and ask him to save her from Hugh Fernely! But that was impossible. Almost as though in answer to her thought, Gaspar Laurence began to tell them of an incident that had impressed him. A gentleman, a friend of his, after making unheard-of sacrifices to marry a lady who was both beautiful and accomplished, left her suddenly, and never saw her again, the reason being that he discovered that she had deceived him by telling him a willful lie before her marriage. Gaspar seemed to think she had been hardly used. Lord Airlie and Lionel differed from him.
"I am quite sure," said Lord Airlie, "that I could pardon anything sooner than a lie; all that is mean, despicable, and revolting to me is expressed in the one word, "liar." Sudden anger, pa.s.sion, hot revenge--anything is more easily forgiven. When once I discover that a man or woman has told me a lie, I never care to see their face again."
"I agree with you," said Lionel; "perhaps I even go further. I would never pardon an air of deceit; those I love must be straightforward, honest, and sincere always."
"Such a weight of truth might sink the boat," said Beatrice, carelessly; but Lord Airlie"s words had gone straight to her heart. If he only knew. But he never would. And again she wished that in reply to her father"s question she had answered truthfully.
The time came when Lillian remembered Mr. Dacre"s words, and knew they had not been spoken in vain.
Beatrice had taken off her glove, and drew her hand trough the cool, deep water; thinking intently of the story she had just heard--of Undine and the water-sprites--she leaned over the boat"s side and gazed into the depths. The blue sky and white fleecy clouds, the tall green trees and broad leaves, were all reflected there. There was a strange, weird fascination in the placid water--what went on in the depths beneath? What lay beneath the ripples? Suddenly she drew back with a startled cry a cry that rang out in the clear summer air, and haunted Lord Airlie while he lived. He looked at her; her face had grown white, even to the very lips, and a nameless, awful dread lay in her dark eyes.
"What is it?" he asked, breathlessly. She recovered herself with a violent effort, and tried to smile.
"How foolish I am!" she said; "and what is worse you will all laugh at me. It was sheer fancy and nonsense, I know; but I declare that looking down into the water, I saw my own face there with such a wicked, mocking smile that it frightened me."
"It was the simple reflection," said Lionel Dacre. "I can see mine.
Look again, Miss Earle."
"No," she replied, with a shudder; "it is only nonsense, I know, but it startled me. The face seemed to rise from the depths and smile--oh, oh, such a smile! When shall I forget it?"
"It was only the rippling of the water which distorted the reflection,"
said Lord Airlie.
Beatrice made no reply, but drew her lace shawl around her as though she were cold.
"I do not like the water," she said presently; "it always frightens me.
Let us land, Mr. Laurence, please. I will never go on the lake again."
Gaspar laughed, and Mr. Dacre declared Beatrice had had too strong a dose of Undine and the water-sprites. Lord Airlie felt her hand tremble as he helped her to leave the boat. He tried to make her forget the incident by talking of the ball and the pleasure it would bring. She talked gayly, but every now and then he saw that she shuddered as though icily cold.
When they were entering the house she turned round, and, in her charming, imperious way, said:
"None of you must tell papa about my fright. I should not like him to think that an Earle could be either fanciful or a coward. I am brave enough on land."
The heat had tried both girls, and Lady Helena said they must rest before dinner. She made Beatrice lie down upon the cosy little couch in her dressing room. She watched the dark eyes close, and thought how beautiful the young face looked in repose.
But the girl"s sleep was troubled. Lady Earle, bending over her, heard her sigh deeply and murmur something about the "deep water." She awoke, crying out that she saw her own face, and Lady Earle saw great drops of perspiration standing in beads upon her brow.
"What have you been dreaming of, child?" she asked. "Young girls like you ought to sleep like flowers."
"Flowers never quite close their eyes," said Beatrice, with a smile.
"I shut mine, but my brain is active, it seems, even in sleep. I was dreaming of the lake, Lady Helena. Dreams are very wonderful; do they ever come true?"
"I knew one that did," replied Lady Earle. "When I was young, I had a friend whom I loved very dearly--Laura Reardon. A gentleman, a Captain Lemuel, paid great attention to her. She loved him--my poor Laura--as I hope few people love. For many months he did everything but make an offer--saw her ever day, sent her flowers, books, and music, won her heart by a thousand sweet words and gentle deeds. She believed he was in earnest, and never suspected him of being a male flirt. He left London, suddenly, saying goodbye to her in the ordinary way, and speaking of his return in a few weeks.
"She came to me one morning and told me a strange dream. She dreamed she was dead, and lay buried in the center aisle of an old country church. At the same time, and in the usual vague manner of dreams, she was conscious of an unusual stir. She heard carriages drive up to the church door; she heard the rustling of dresses, the sound of footsteps above her head, the confused murmur of a crowd of people; then she became aware that a marriage was going on. She heard the minister ask:
""George Victor Lemuel, will you have this woman for your lawful wedded wife?"
"The voice she knew and loved best in the world replied:
""I will."
""Alice Ferrars, will you take this man for your lawful wedded husband?"
""I will," replied the clear, low voice.
"She heard the service finished, the wedding bells peal, the carriages drive away. I laughed at her, Beatrice; but the strange thing is, Captain George Lemuel was married on the very day Laura dreamed the dream. He married a young lady, Alice Ferrars, and Laura had never heard of the name before she dreamed it. The marriage took place in an old country church. That dream came true, Beatrice; I never heard of another dream like it."
"Did your friend die?" she asked.
"No," replied Lady Helena; "she did not die, but her life was spoiled by her unhappy love."
"I should have died had it been my disappointment," said Beatrice; "the loss of what one loves must be more bitter than death."
Far and near nothing was spoken of but the ball at Earlescourt.
Anything so brilliant or on so grand a scale had not been given in the county for many years.
Lord Earle felt proud of the arrangements as he looked through the ball room and saw the gorgeous array of flowers, tier upon tier of magnificent bloom, a sight well worth coming many miles to see. Here and there a marble statue stood amid the flowers. Little fountains of scented water rippled musically. He stopped for a few moments looking at the blossoms and thinking of his beautiful child.
"How she loves everything bright and gay!" he said to himself. "She will be queen of the ball tonight."
As Lord Earle stood alone in his library that evening, where he had been reading, stealing a quiet half hour, there came a gentle knock at the door.
"Come in," he said, and there stood before him something that he thought must be a vision.
"Grandmamma sent me," said Beatrice, blushing, "to see if I should do.
You are to notice my diamonds, papa, and tell me if you approve of the setting."