"And you," he said, gloomily--"what are you going to do?"
"To enjoy myself," she replied; and, from the manner in which her face brightened when he left her, the captain feared she was pleased to be quit of him.
CHAPTER XVII.
PAULINE"S BRIGHT FANCIES.
The ball at Darrell Court was a brilliant success. Sir Oswald was delighted, Lady Hampton complimented him so highly.
"This is just as it ought to be, Sir Oswald," she said. "One who can give such entertainments as this should not think of retiring from a world he is so well qualified to adorn. Confess, now, that under the influence of that music you could dance yourself."
Sir Oswald laughed.
"I must plead guilty," he said. "How beautiful Miss Rocheford looks to-night!"
"It is well for you, Sir Oswald, that you have not heard all the compliments that the dear child has lavished on you; they would have made you vain."
Sir Oswald"s face brightened with pleasure.
"Is your niece pleased? I am very glad indeed. It was more to give her pleasure than from any other motive that I gave the ball."
"Then you have succeeded perfectly. Now, Sir Oswald, do you not see that what I said was true--that an establishment like this requires a mistress? Darrell Court always led the hospitalities of the county. It is only since no lady has lived here that it has fallen into the background."
"It shall be in the background no longer," said Sir Oswald. "I think my first ball is a very successful one. How happy everybody looks!"
But of all that brilliant company, Pauline Darrell was queen. There were men present who would have given anything for one smile from her lips.
They admired her, they thought her beautiful beyond comparison, but they did not feel quite at ease with her. She was somewhat beyond them; they did not understand her. She did not blush, and glow, and smile when they said pretty things to her. When they gave her their most brilliant small-talk, she had nothing to give them in return. A soul quite different from theirs looked at them out of her dark, proud eyes. They said to themselves that she was very beautiful, but that she required softening, and that something lovable and tender was wanting in her. She was a queen to be worshiped, an empress to receive all homage, but not a woman to be loved. So they thought who were not even capable of judging such capacity for love as hers.
She was also not popular with the ladies. They thought her very superb; they admired her magnificent dress; but they p.r.o.nounced her proud and reserved. They said she gave herself airs, that she took no pains to make friends; and they did not antic.i.p.ate any very great rejoicings when Darrell Court should belong to her. The elder ladies p.r.o.nounced that judgment on her; the younger ones shrank abashed, and were slightly timid in her presence.
Sir Oswald, it was noticed, led Miss Rocheford in to supper, and seemed to pay her very great attention. Some of the ladies made observations, but others said it was all nonsense; if Sir Oswald had ever intended to marry, he would have married years ago, and his choice would have fallen on a lady of mature age, not on a slight, slender girl. Besides--and who could find an answer to such an argument?--was it not settled that Miss Darrell was to be his heiress? There was no doubt about that.
The baronet"s great affection for Aubrey Langton was also known. More than one of the guests present guessed at the arrangement made, and said that in all probability Miss Darrell would marry the captain, and that they would have the Court after Sir Oswald"s death.
The banquet was certainly a magnificent one. The guests did full justice to the costly wines, the rare and beautiful fruits, the _recherche_ dishes prepared with so much skill and labor. When supper was ended, the dancers returned to the ball-room, but Miss Darrell was already rather weary of it all.
She stole away during the first dance after supper. The lamps were lighted in the conservatory, and shed a soft, pearly light over the fragrant flowers; the great gla.s.s doors at the end were open, and beyond lay the moonlight, soft, sweet, and silvery, steeping the flowers, the trees, and the long gra.s.s in its mild light. Without, all was so calm, so still; there was the evening sky with its myriad stars, so calm and so serene; close to the doors stood great sheaves of white lilies, and just inside was a nest of fragrant daphnes and jessamines.
Pauline stood lost in delight; the perfume seemed to float in from the moonlight and infold her. This quiet, holy, tranquil beauty touched her heart as the splendor of the ball-room could not; her soul grew calm and still; she seemed nearer happiness than she had ever been before.
"How beautiful the world is!" she thought. She raised her face, so serenely placid and fair in the moonlight; the silver radiance fell upon it, adding all that was needed to make it perfect, a blended softness and tenderness. The gorgeous, golden-hued dress falling around her, glistened, gleamed, and glowed; her diamonds shone like flames. No artist ever dreamed of a fairer picture than this girl in the midst of the moonlight and the flowers.
Bright fancies thronged her mind. She thought of the time when she should be mistress of that rich domain. No mercenary delight made her heart thrill; it was not the prospect of being rich that delighted her; it was a n.o.bler pride--delight in the grand old home where heroes had lived and died, earnest thoughts of how she would care for it, how she would love it as some living thing when it should be her own.
Her own! Verily her lines were cast in pleasant places! She dreamed great things--of the worthy deeds she would do, of the n.o.ble charities she would carry out, the magnificent designs she would bring to maturity when Darrell Court should be hers.
It was not that she wished for it at once. She did not love Sir Oswald--their natures were too antagonistic for that; but she did not wish--indeed, she was incapable of wishing--that his life should be shortened even for one hour. She only remembered that in the course of time this grand inheritance must be hers. How she would help those artist-friends of her father"s! What orders she would give them, what pictures she would buy, what encouragement she would give to art and literature! How she would foster genius! How she would befriend the clever and gifted poor ones of the earth!
The beautiful moonlight seemed to grow fairer, the blue, starry heavens nearer, as the grand and gracious possibilities of her life revealed themselves to her. Her heart grew warm, her soul trembled with delight.
And then--then there would be something dearer and fairer than all this--something that comes to every woman--her birthright--something that would complete her life, that would change it, that would make music of every word, and harmony of every action. The time would come when love would find her out, when the fairy prince would wake her from her magic sleep. She was pure and spotless as the white lilies standing near her; the breath of love had never pa.s.sed over her. There had been no long, idle conversations with young girls on the subject of love and lovers; her heart was a blank page. But there came to her that night, as she stood dreaming her maiden dreams among the flowers, an idea of how she could love, and of what manner of man he would be who should win her love.
Was she like Undine? Were there depths in her heart and soul which could not be reached until love had brought them to light? She felt in herself great capabilities that had never yet been exercised or called into action. Love would complete her life; it would be the sun endowing the flowers with life, warmth, and fragrance.
What manner of man must he be who would wake this soul of hers to perfect life? She had seen no one yet capable of doing so. The mind that mastered hers must be a master-mind; the soul that could bring her soul into subjection must be a grand soul, a just soul, n.o.ble and generous.
Ah, well, the moonlight was fair, and the flowers were fair. Soon, perhaps, this fair dream of hers might be realized, and then----
CHAPTER XVIII.
REJECTED.
A shadow came between Pauline and the moonlight, and a quiet voice said:
"Miss Darrell, I am so glad to find you here, and alone!"
Looking up, she saw Aubrey Langton standing by her side. Aubrey"s fair, handsome face was flushed, and there was the fragrance of the wine-cup about him, for the gallant captain"s courage had failed him, and he had to fortify himself.
He had seen Miss Darrell go into the conservatory, and he understood her well enough to be sure that she had gone thither in search of quiet.
Here was his opportunity. He had been saying to himself all day that he must watch for his opportunity. Here it was; yet his courage failed him, and his heart sank; he would have given anything to any one who would have undertaken the task that lay before him. There was so much at stake--not only love, but wealth, fortune, even freedom--there was so much to be won or lost, that he was frightened.
However, as he said to himself, it had to be done. He went back to the dining-room and poured out for himself a tumbler of the baronet"s generous old wine, which made his heart glow, and diffused warmth through his whole frame, and then he went on his difficult errand. He walked quietly through the conservatory, and saw Pauline standing at the doors.
He was not an artist, he had nothing of the poet about him, but the solemn beauty of that picture did touch him--the soft, sweet moonlight, the sheaves of white lilies, the nest of daphnes, and that most beautiful face raised to the starry sky.
He stood for some minutes in silence; a dim perception of his own unworthiness came over him. Pauline looked as though she stood in a charmed circle, which he almost feared to enter.
Then he went up to her and spoke. She was startled; she had been so completely absorbed in her dreams, and he was the last person on earth with whom she could identify them.
"I hope I have not startled you," he said. "I am so glad to find you here, Miss Darrell. There is something I wish to say to you."
Perhaps that beautiful, calm night-scene had softened her; she turned to him with a smile more gentle than he had ever seen on her face before.
"You want to tell me something--I am ready to listen, Captain Langton.
What is it?"
He came nearer to her. The sweet, subtle perfume from the flowers at her breast reached him, the proud face that had always looked proudly on him, was near his own.
He came one step nearer still, and then Pauline drew back with a haughty gesture that seemed to scatter the light in her jewels.
"I can hear perfectly well," she said, coldly. "What is it you have to tell me?"