"Oh I know, and become in every respect a little civilised. My poor dear cousin, what a mission you have undertaken among the savages. Own it honestly, you never guessed the task that was before you when you came here."
"Oh, it"s very nice savagery, all the same," said the other, smiling pleasantly.
"There now!" cried Kate, as she threw her hat to one side, and stood arranging her hair before the gla.s.s. "I make this toilet under protest, for we are going in to luncheon, not dinner, and all the world knows, and all the ill.u.s.trated newspapers show, that people do not dress for lunch. And, by the way, that is something you have not got in Italy. All the women gathering together in their garden-bonnets and their morning-muslins, and the men in their knickerbockers and their coa.r.s.e tweed coats."
"I declare I think you are in better spirits since you see these people are not coming."
"It is true. You have guessed it, dearest. The thought of anything grand--as a visitor; anything that would for a moment suggest the unpleasant question, Is this right? or, Is that usual? makes me downright irritable. Come, are you ready? May I offer you my arm?"
And now they were at table, Kate rattling away in unwonted gaiety, and trying to rally Nina out of her disappointment.
"I declare Nina, everything is so pretty I am ashamed to eat. Those chickens near you are the least ornamental things I see. Cut me off a wing.
Oh, I forgot, you never acquired the barbarous art of carving."
"I can cut this," said Nina, drawing a dish of tongue towards her.
"What! that marvellous production like a parterre of flowers? It would be downright profanation to destroy it."
"Then shall I give you some of this, Kate?"
"Why, child, that is strawberry-cream. But I cannot eat all alone; do help yourself."
"I shall take something by-and-by."
"What do young ladies in Italy eat when they are--no, I don"t mean in love--I shall call it--in despair?"
"Give me some of that white wine beside you. There! don"t you hear a noise?
I"m certain I heard the sound of wheels."
"Most sincerely I trust not. I wouldn"t for anything these people should break in upon us now. If my brother d.i.c.k should drop in I"d welcome him, and he would make our little party perfect. Do you know, Nina, d.i.c.k can be so jolly. What"s that? there are voices there without."
As she spoke the door was opened, and Walpole entered. The young girls had but time to rise from their seats, when--they never could exactly say how--they found themselves shaking hands with him in great cordiality.
"And your friend--where is he?"
"Nursing a sore throat, or a sprained ankle, or a something or other. Shall I confess it--as only a suspicion on my part, however--that I do believe he was too much shocked at the outrageous liberty I took in asking to be admitted here to accept any partnership in the impertinence?"
"We expected you at two or three o"clock," said Nina.
"And shall I tell you why I was not here before? Perhaps you"ll scarcely credit me when I say I have been five hours on the road."
"Five hours! How did you manage that?"
"In this way. I started a few minutes after twelve from the inn--I on foot, the car to overtake me." And he went on to give a narrative of his wanderings over the bog, imitating, as well as he could, the driver"s conversations with him, and the reproaches he vented on his inattention to the road. Kate enjoyed the story with all the humoristic fun of one who knew thoroughly how the peasant had been playing with the gentleman, just for the indulgence of that strange, sarcastic temper that underlies the Irish nature; and she could fancy how much more droll it would have been to have heard the narrative as told by the driver of the car.
"And don"t you like his song, Mr. Walpole!"
"What, "The Wearing of the Green"? It was the dreariest dirge I ever listened to."
"Come, you shall not say so. When we go into the drawing-room, Nina shall sing it for you, and I"ll wager you recant your opinion."
"And do you sing rebel canticles, Mademoiselle Kostalergi?"
"Yes, I do all my cousin bids me. I wear a red cloak. How is it called?"
"Connemara?"
Nina nodded.
"That"s the name, but I"m not going to say it; and when we go abroad--that is, on the bog there, for a walk--we dress in green petticoats and wear very thick shoes."
"And, in a word, are very generally barbarous."
"Well, if you be really barbarians," said Walpole, filling his gla.s.s, "I wonder what I would not give to be allowed to join the tribe."
"Oh, you"d want to be a sachem, or a chief, or a mystery-man at least; and we couldn"t permit that," cried Kate.
"No; I crave admission as the humblest of your followers."
"Shall we put him to the test, Nina?"
"How do you mean?" cried the other.
"Make him take a Ribbon oath, or the pledge of a United Irishman. I"ve copies of both in papa"s study."
"I should like to see these immensely," said Walpole.
"I"ll see if I can"t find them," cried Kate, rising and hastening away.
For some seconds after she left the room there was perfect silence. Walpole tried to catch Nina"s eye before he spoke, but she continued steadily to look down, and did not once raise her lids.
"Is she not very nice--is she not very beautiful?" asked she, in a low voice.
"It is of _you_ I want to speak."
And he drew his chair closer to her, and tried to take her hand, but she withdrew it quickly, and moved slightly away.
"If you knew the delight it is to me to see you again, Nina--well, Mademoiselle Kostalergi. Must it be Mademoiselle?"
"I don"t remember it was ever "Nina,"" said she coldly.
"Perhaps only in my thoughts. To my heart, I can swear, you were Nina. But tell me how you came here, and when, and for how long, for I want to know all. Speak to me, I beseech you. She"ll be back in a moment, and when shall I have another instant alone with you like this? Tell me how you came amongst them, and are they really all rebels?"
Kate entered at the instant, saying, "I can"t find it, but I"ll have a good search to-morrow, for I know it"s there."
"Do, by all means, Kate, for Mr. Walpole is very anxious to learn if he be admitted legitimately into this brotherhood--whatever it be; he has just asked me if we were really all rebels here."
"I trust he does not suppose I would deceive him," said Kate gravely. "And when he hears you sing "The blackened hearth--the fallen roof," he"ll not question _you_, Nina.--Do you know that song, Mr. Walpole?"