door.
"Ah, Hannah! they little think that when next I come to Brudenell it will be in my own carriage, which will draw up at the main entrance,"
said Nora, with exultant pride, as she blew her cold fingers while they waited to be admitted.
The door was opened by Jovial, who started back at the sight of the sisters and exclaimed:
"Hi, Miss Hannah, and Miss Nora, you here? Loramity sake come in and lemme shet the door. Dere, go to de fire, chillern! Name o" de law what fetch you out dis bitter night? Wind sharp nuff to peel de skin right offen your faces!"
"Your mistress sent word that she wished to see Nora this evening, Jovial. Will you please to let her know that we are here?" asked Hannah, as she and her sister seated themselves beside the roaring hickory fire in the ample kitchen fireplace.
"Sartain, Miss Hannah! Anything to obligate the ladies," said Jovial, as he left the kitchen to do his errand.
Before the sisters had time to thaw, their messenger re-entered, saying:
"Mistess will "ceive Miss Nora into de drawing-room."
Nora arose in trepidation to obey the summons.
Jovial led her along a s.p.a.cious, well-lighted pa.s.sage, through an open door, on the left side of which she saw the dining-room and the dinner-table, at which Mr. Brudenell and his gentlemen guests still sat lingering over their wine. His back was towards the door, so that he could not see her, or know who was at that time pa.s.sing. But as her eyes fell upon him, a glow of love and pride warmed and strengthened her heart, and she said:
"After all, he is my husband and this is my house! Why should I be afraid to meet the lady mother?"
And with a firm, elastic step Nora entered the drawing-room. At first she was dazzled and bewildered by its splendor and luxury. It was fitted up with almost Oriental magnificence. Her feet seemed to sink among blooming flowers in the soft rich texture of the carpet. Her eyes fell upon crimson velvet curtains that swept in ma.s.sive folds from ceiling to floor; upon rare full-length pictures that filled up the recesses between the gorgeously draped windows; broad crystal mirrors above the marble mantel-shelves; marble statuettes wherever there was a corner to hold one; soft crimson velvet sofas, chairs, ottomans and stools; inlaid tables; papier-mache stands; and all the thousand miscellaneous vanities of a modern drawing-room.
"And to think that all this is mine! and how little she dreams of it!"
said Nora, in an awe-struck whisper to her own heart, as she gazed around upon all this wealth until at last her eye fell upon the stately form of the lady as she sat alone upon a sofa at the back of the room.
"Come here, my girl, if you please," said Mrs. Brudenell.
Nora advanced timidly until she had reached to within a yard of the lady, when she stopped, courtesied, and stood with folded hands waiting, pretty much as a child would stand when called up before its betters for examination.
"Your name is Nora Worth, I believe," said the lady.
"My name is Nora, madam," answered the girl.
"You are Hannah Worth"s younger sister?"
"Yes, madam."
"Now, then, my girl, do you know why I have sent for you here to-night?"
"No, madam."
"Are you quite sure that your conscience does not warn you?"
Nora was silent.
"Ah, I have my answer!" remarked the lady in a low voice; then raising her tone she said:
"I believe that my son, Mr. Herman Brudenell, is in the habit of daily visiting your house; is it not so?"
Nora looked up at the lady for an instant and then dropped her eyes.
"Quite sufficient! Now, my girl, as by your silence you have admitted all my suppositions, I must speak to you very seriously. And in the first place I would ask you, if you do not know, that when a gentleman of Mr. Brudenell"s high position takes notice of a girl of your low rank, he does so with but one purpose? Answer me!"
"I do not understand you, madam."
"Very well, then, I will speak more plainly! Are you not aware, I would say, that when Herman Brudenell visits Nora Worth daily for months he means her no good?"
Nora paused for a moment to turn this question over in her mind before replying.
"I cannot think, madam, that Mr. Herman Brudenell could mean anything but good to any creature, however humble, whom he deigned to notice!"
"You are a natural fool or a very artful girl, one or the other!" said the lady, who was not very choice in her language when speaking in anger to her inferiors.
"You admit by your silence that Mr. Brudenell has been visiting you daily for months; and yet you imply that in doing so he means you no harm! I should think he meant your utter ruin!"
"Mrs. Brudenell!" exclaimed Nora, in a surprise so sorrowful and indignant that it made her forget herself and her fears, "you are speaking of your own son, your only son; you are his mother, how can you accuse him of a base crime?"
"Recollect yourself, my girl! You surely forget the presence in which you stand! Baseness, crime, can never be connected with the name of Brudenell. But young gentlemen will be young gentlemen, and amuse themselves with just such credulous fools as you!" said the lady haughtily.
"Although their amus.e.m.e.nt ends in the utter ruin of its subject? Do you not call that a crime?"
"Girl, keep your place, if you please! Twice you have ventured to call me Mrs. Brudenell. To you I am madam. Twice you have asked me questions.
You are here to answer, not to ask!"
"Pardon me, madam, if I have offended you through my ignorance of forms," said Nora, bowing with gentle dignity; for somehow or other she was gaining self-possession every moment.
"Will you answer my questions then; or continue to evade them?"
"I can answer you so far, madam--Mr. Brudenell has never attempted to amuse himself at the expense of Nora Worth; nor is she one to permit herself to become the subject of any man"s amus.e.m.e.nt, whether he be gentle or simple!"
"And yet he visits you daily, and you permit his visits! And this has gone on for months! You cannot deny it--you do not attempt to deny it!"
She paused, as if waiting some reply; but Nora kept silence.
"And yet you say he is not amusing himself at your expense!"
"He is not, madam; nor would I permit anyone to do so!"
"I do not understand this! Girl! answer me! What are you to my son?"
Nora was silent.
"Answer me!" said the lady severely.
"I cannot, madam! Oh, forgive me, but I cannot answer you!" said Nora.
The lady looked fixedly at her for a few seconds; something in the girl"s appearance startled her; rising, she advanced and pulled the heavy shawl from Nora"s shoulders, and regarded her with an expression of mingled hauteur, anger, and scorn.