"You are very uncharitable."
"Not at all. My opinion is, Vavasour intends getting up a flirtation with Miss Neville, just to pa.s.s the time away; perhaps you had better see to it, Isabella, and try and give her a hint. You could easily do it, without appearing to have noticed his attentions to her."
"The very way to make her fall desperately in love with him; women always do with those they hear abused--our hearts are so pitiful. Much better let her do as she likes, she has plenty of sense."
"As you will, Isabella; but I must not see her feelings trifled with; there is nothing half so sad as to love without return--hopelessly."
And again he turned his face, and looked sorrowfully at his wife, as if expecting or longing for some slight mark of affection; but she gave none, and rising slowly, he went out.
Mrs. Linchmore was once more alone.
The preceding conversation, at least the latter part of it, had been entirely to her satisfaction. It must not be supposed she had been a blind spectator to Vavasour"s attentions to Amy. She had heard of the first walk from Frances, she had seen the second, and imagined that, perhaps, having remarked the looks with which, once or twice, Mr.
Linchmore had watched his attentions to herself, he had had recourse to a ruse-de-guerre, and now flirted with the governess, as the most harmless girl he could pick out, whilst all his looks, all his _pet.i.ts soins_, were directed and given to _her_.
She laughed at the idea of outwitting her husband; not that she cared for Vavasour, but the flirting spirit was strong and powerful within.
Old memories and a.s.sociations, instead of softening had only hardened her present life, and made her look back more regretfully to the past, more hopelessly and bitterly to the future.
"Miss Neville is certainly very beautiful," mused she, "but so quiet, so meek; no animation about her, nothing to charm such a man as Mr.
Vavasour with." Then she wondered if she herself possessed that power.
She rose up, and again stood before the gla.s.s, which reflected back her proud, beautiful face, with the conscious haughty look, that if beauty had the power to charm it was hers, she need fear no rival.
Then she re-arranged the flower which she had previously pinned in her hair, and a smile, sparkling with pleasure, showed that she was satisfied.
Mr. Linchmore judged Robert Vavasour"s character more justly than his wife, although neither quite understood it. The mystery of his birth was the shadow continually haunting Vavasour"s path, and making him thoughtless and trifling towards women. If his mother, as he believed, still lived, where was her gentle, tender love? Why had he never felt it? Why had she so cruelly deserted him, and left him to fight his own way in the world, with no name but a false one? His heart hardened against womankind. If a mother could be false to her child, what woman could be true? What woman worth living or caring for? They were triflers all, and to be trifled with; so he held no reverence in his heart for them, but flirted with his hostess thoughtlessly, and admired her as he would have admired any other beautiful woman; as he admired Amy, and would have flirted with her also if she would have let him.
Would his heart ever be touched by love? ever see reason to regret or recall the rash vow he had made that no woman should ever hold a place in his heart, seeing that in loving her he would have to plead, not only his love, but his nameless birth.
CHAPTER IV.
THE INTERVIEW.
----"Earthly things Are but the transient pageants of an hour; And earthly pride is like the pa.s.sing flower, That springs to fall, and blossoms but to die."
HENRY KIRKE WHITE.
"Whoever looks on life will see How strangely mortals disagree."
CAWTHORNE.
It was almost dusk as Frances Strickland, who had been sitting for the last hour before the gla.s.s trying the effect of a wreath of fuschias she intended wearing at some forthcoming party, laid the flowers on the dressing table with a dissatisfied sigh as her maid entered the room with candles.
"At last!" exclaimed she, impatiently, "what have you been about, Jane?
I thought you would never come; make haste and dress me for dinner, as I wish to try the effect of these flowers in my hair."
Proud and haughty as Frances was to her equals, she seldom or ever showed much pride to her maid, or if it did occasionally peep out, it was instantly checked and controlled.
Jane was useful to her young mistress in more ways than the mere dressing her, and brushing her hair. She was an incessant talker, and found a willing listener in Frances, who silently encouraged her in repeating all the gossip and t.i.ttle-tattle of the servants" hall: as in this way Frances flattered herself she found out with little trouble the character as well as the sayings and doings of those around her.
Jane was perfectly well aware of Frances" failing, consequently indulged her propensity of talking to the utmost, and when she had nothing to relate, drew somehow from her own fertile brain and lively imagination, or added many wonderful improvements to the story already at her fingers" ends. Sometimes Jane was cross, or as she expressed it--"had a bad head-ache," and then it required all Frances" tact and ingenuity to get her to utter a syllable; and cunningly as she thought she cross-questioned her on these occasions, Jane"s cunning equalled if not surpa.s.sed her mistress"s, as she generally contrived to guess at what she was aiming, and either added fuel to the fire already kindled there, or quenched it altogether.
On the present occasion, Jane was especially communicative, and as she smoothed the raven tresses of her hair, talked away to her heart"s content, now of this thing, now of that, until at length she approached the subject nearest her own heart and that of her mistress", namely, Miss Neville.
The loss of the piece of embroidery, and the search that had been made for it, had annoyed and irritated many of the servants, and especially Mason, who had long had a dislike of the governess, though she had not openly expressed it; then, Mr. Linchmore"s apparent partiality for her?
Why should Miss Neville come into the room just as she pleased when Madam was dressing, and give her opinion as to how she looked, and what she wore, even sometimes to the very ornaments themselves, throwing the lady"s maid completely into the shade, where before she had reigned paramount, with no one"s opinion or taste asked but her own. So Mason grew jealous, and took in the end a dislike to her, as servants often foolishly do to governesses; and only waited her time to manifest it.
Mrs. Hopkins" decided tone and speech in Miss Neville"s favour, and the "setdown" she gave Mason, only rooted her dislike the more firmly; if it had not been for the governess she would not have had that; and as birds of a feather flock together, so she had impressed upon Jane, during their many friendly chats, her opinion of Miss Neville: that she was a n.o.body, who gave herself airs, and interfered where she had no business to, and as to the lost piece of work, there was no doubt whatever that she suspected some of the servants, and most likely meanly accused them of taking it; otherwise, why was such a fuss made, and why had they been questioned as to whether they had seen it?
Jane readily believed all that was told her, and determined on shewing Miss Neville on the very first opportunity she had, that she thought her in no way better than herself, so meeting her one day accidentally in the corridor coming upstairs, she tossed her head and pushed rudely past her, allowing the baize door to slam to, without so much as offering to hold it open for her to pa.s.s through.
Amy gently and indignantly remonstrated with her on her rudeness, which she saw at once was intended, and silenced the second impertinent action, namely the answer hovering on Jane"s lips; but though silenced, Jane went away more firmly impressed and convinced that Mason was right, and that Miss Neville was an upstart and a n.o.body.
"The idea," said she, as she recounted the adventure to Mason. "The idea of Miss Neville"s teaching _me_ manners, and ordering _me_ to bridle my tongue; I"d like to see her as could make me do it, that"s all; I"ll teach my lady to bridle _her_ tongue, and keep _her_ sauce to herself."
Mason"s temper was not a pa.s.sionate one; Jane"s was, and vindictive too; she felt convinced, judging from what she should do were she in Miss Neville"s place, that the latter would immediately repeat all that had taken place to her young mistress, so she determined to be beforehand with her, and have, as she called it, the first say; whereas Amy had almost forgotten the circ.u.mstance, and certainly had no wish to recall it.
"Did you give my message to Mrs. Linchmore?" asked Frances, "I almost hope you did not, as I am so much better. I intend after all going down to dinner."
There had been a long silence, uninterrupted save by the noise the brush made as it pa.s.sed through the soft dark hair.
"Yes Miss, I did, and they all said they were sorry to hear you had such a bad head-ache."
"All!" exclaimed Frances, "I desired you to give the message to Mrs.
Linchmore. Why did you disobey me?"
"Well, Miss, I"m sure it was no fault of mine that Miss Neville happened to be in the room."
"Miss Neville!" exclaimed Frances.
"Yes, Miss Frances, I thought it would surprise you, but I know it was her, because I saw her through a c.h.i.n.k of the door as Mason held it open; besides Mason says she is always there, trying to b.u.t.ter her bread, as the saying is; and after I"d given the message, which I should not have given if I"d known she had been there, I heard her and Mrs.
Linchmore say they thought you was a very perverse and disagreeable girl; of course they didn"t know I was so near, or they wouldn"t have spoke so loud."
"And how dare Miss Neville have a word to say in the matter concerning any affairs of mine!" said Frances, thrown off her guard by the suddenness of Jane"s announcement, and drawing her head up proudly, so as to almost drag her hair through Jane"s fingers, and totally disarrange the long silken plait she had just completed.
"Law! Miss! I"m sure I can"t say," replied Jane somewhat surprised in her turn at the extraordinary emotion she witnessed, and delighted that so far she had succeeded beyond her hopes.
"Then you ought to know; I don"t believe one word of it."
"It"s true all the same, Miss, whether you believe it or no, and I"m sure there"s some people as is always picking other people to pieces, and more especially those as is much above them in station; and if I don"t mistake Miss Neville thinks herself a mighty fine lady, and as Mason says tries--though she doesn"t say she manages it--to turn Mrs.
Linchmore round her thumb."
A gentle tap at the door here interrupted Jane, and she hastened to open it, but before she could do so the imperious "come in," of Frances was answered by the door softly opening and shutting; a light footstep crossed the room, and Amy Neville herself stood by the table.
Frances looked surprised.