consent; after my death my creditors cannot take possession of it without reckoning with her."
It struck me that Aunt Sophia had never foreseen this, and the mine she had been digging for Von Zwenken would have blown up Francis in the ruins if things had been allowed to take their course. I had, in fact, at my side, a type of the most refined selfishness, profoundly contemptible, recounting to me his shameful scheming under the cover of a gentlemanlike exterior and a polite friendliness, which might deceive the shrewdest man alive. Could I any longer wonder why Francis had so great an aversion to outward forms and ceremonies.
"But," I resumed, "are you not afraid that after your death your granddaughter will be sadly undeceived, and perhaps cheated out of her all by your negligence."
"What can I say, mon cher? Necessity knows no law; and I still hope to better my fortune before the end comes."
"At his age, by what means?" I asked myself.
Then I thought of the packet he had been to fetch from the post-office. I believed I had seen it contained long lists of numbers; they were certainly the official numbers of some German lottery. The unhappy man evidently rested all his hopes on this expedient for re-establishing order in his affairs; and probably invested every penny he could sc.r.a.pe together in such lotteries. I though him an idiot to trust to any such means.
"Nephew," he exclaimed, briskly, and with vivacity, as if a bright idea had struck him, "if it be true Overberg intends to treat with me about the sale of the Castle, would it not be well for you to break the subject to Francis, just to sound her? It appears to me you have some influence over her; and the greatest obstacle would be removed if you could change her fixed ideas on the point."
"I will do so, uncle."
"You can make use of this argument, that the company of the Captain would become less of a necessity for me if I were in some town where other society is to be found."
Fortunately I did not need to answer him: we were at home, the luncheon bell was ringing, and the Captain came out to meet us, jovial as ever. Francis had not returned, and we took luncheon without waiting for her. Only at dinner-time did she put in an appearance. Her toilette was simply made, but she was dressed in good taste, and her beauty brought out to perfection. I was charmed. She seemed to tell me in a silent way that Major Frank had given place to Miss Mordaunt. She was quiet and thoughtful at dinner, and did not scold the Captain, who watched all her movements with dog-like humility. She paid much attention to the General, who seemed absent and out of sorts, for he only tasted some of the dishes. The dinner itself was a much simpler affair than on the preceding day; yet there was sufficient, and one extra dish had been made specially for Von Zwenken, who did not ask for the finer sorts of wine, but made up for this want by drinking two bottles of the ordinary wine without appearing any the worse for it.
The only difference between him and the Captain was, that unlike the latter, he did not frankly confess that he lived to eat, and that his belly was his G.o.d. I began to feel a most hearty contempt for this grand-uncle of mine, and more especially when I reflected on the conversation we had had during our morning"s walk.
CHAPTER XXII.
Dinner over, I did not hesitate about leaving the gentlemen to themselves. I declined a cigar, and followed Francis to the drawing-room. Rolf soon joined us, and demanded humbly--
"What says my Major--do I not deserve a word of praise?"
"Yes, certainly," she replied, but her face clouded.
Guessing the reason, I whispered to the Captain--
"Don"t you perceive you annoy my cousin by always addressing her by that hateful nickname? Can"t you see by her elegant dress she desires to appear herself--Miss Mordaunt?"
"Indeed I am a blockhead not to pay better attention; but the truth is, Jonker--excuse me, Freule--the custom is such an inveterate one."
"You and I must break with old customs, Captain," she said softly, but with emphasis, "for we have been on the wrong track--have we not, Jonker?"
"May I say one word," interposed the Captain, "before the Freule and the Jonker begin to philosophise; should the General come in I cannot say it. You know the day after to-morrow is the General"s seventy-sixth birthday. I had intended the celebration to be a brilliant affair; but when I hear of wrong tracks, changes, and such farrago, I begin to fear all my plans will fall through."
"Oh! was that the reason you brought in all those dainties this morning?"
"Yes, and I thought the Jonker would be an agreeable addition to our party."
"I give you full leave to arrange it all in your own way, Rolf. Grandfather must be feted."
"Hurrah! of course!" he cried merrily; and off he went to make his arrangements, carefully shutting the folding-doors behind him so as to isolate us from the dining-room.
I was just going to compliment Francis on the change in her style of dressing, when she complained of the closeness of the room, and skipped off into the garden. Left thus to my own resources, I lit a cigar and walked out in front of the house, where I soon espied my lady; and when I joined her she proposed to walk as far as the ruin to see the sun set. Instead of taking the regular path, Francis preferred making direct for the object in view; and we had to trample through the underwood, and were many times tripped by the roots of felled trees. In answer to my remarks on this whim of hers, she replied--
"People say my education was neglected, which is not quite correct. I am not altogether a child of the wilderness. In fact, much trouble was given to my training, only it was not of the right sort. I was brought up as a boy. As you know already, my mother died a few days after my birth, and Rolf"s sister was my nurse. Her own child had died, and I replaced it for her. She had a blind affection for me, almost bordering on fanaticism; she obeyed all my wishes, giving as an excuse to any remonstrances that she was the only person in the world who loved me. This was an exaggeration, for my grandfather, who lived in the same house with us, made much of me, though it is true Sir John Mordaunt took little notice of his child. He had previously had a son called Francis, like myself, on whom all his hopes were fixed during the six months the child lived. I was a disappointment, as he wished to have a son to take the place of the lost infant; and he received me with so little welcome that I have heard the last hours of my poor mother"s life were embittered by this knowledge. My nurse, who could no longer bear the indifference with which he treated me, one day took me into his room, to show him what a healthy, strong child I was. "Indeed," she said, "it might have been a boy."
"Rolf has since told me that my father seemed suddenly struck by an idea. From that day forth he devoted much attention to my training, and this has made me what I am. Under pretext of hygiene and English custom, I was dressed in a loose costume, "a boy"s suit," as my nurse called it, and I was taught all kinds of gymnastic exercises. They hardened me against heat and cold like a young Spartan. Rolf taught me the military exercise, and made me quite an adept at fencing, and all the young officers who dined with us were invited to have a bout with me. Out of complaisance to papa, they allowed me to come off victor; and Sir John was sure to reward me splendidly for any praise I won. At this time grandfather held the rank of Major, and I suppose it was an idea of Rolf"s to give me the t.i.tle of "Little Major," with which my father was so pleased that he often addressed me by this sobriquet, and so gave it the stamp of his authority. I well remember, on one occasion, an officer, evidently a stranger, addressed me as Miss Francis, which so much surprised me that I uttered a good round oath in English--it was Sir John"s favourite expression; whereupon my father took me in his arms and kissed me, so far as I can recollect for the first time in my life."
"It is less to be wondered at that the bad habit has clung to you even to this day."
"My nurse of course told me it was wrong, and tried to break me of it; but in my childish way I was a match for her, replying, "But papa does so--is it a sin, then?"
""Oh, for gentlemen it is different."
""Very well, I will be a gentleman; I won"t be a girl."
"Indeed, my childhood was embittered by the idea that I was a girl and could never become a man. I never went to children"s parties; I was always with grown-up people, officers, and lovers of the chase, and at eight years of age I was no bad match for some of them on horseback. When my nurse acknowledged she had lost all control over me, a tutor was engaged--yes, a tutor: don"t be surprised. Sir John had never either announced the death of his son or the birth of a daughter to his relations in England. For this reason I was isolated from my own s.e.x, and even learned to regard it with somewhat of an aversion, owing to the conversation of Sir John and Dr. Darkins. I profited by such training, though perhaps not exactly as they desired, for I hated a lie, and my chief desire was to show myself such as I was, proud and frank in all my dealings with men. I am convinced grandfather had no hand in this plot, but he was too weak to speak out and set his face against it. Sometimes, however, he gave me needlework to do, and he had a strong aversion to Dr. Darkins. Disputes arose between him and Sir John, and he shortly after moved to another garrison, taking Rolf with him. When I was close upon my fourteenth year, Dr. Darkins was suddenly cashiered, and it was announced to me that I should be sent to an aristocratic ladies" boarding-school. There I played all sorts of pranks, smoked like a grenadier, and had always a supply of extra-fine cigarettes wherewith to tempt my schoolfellows.
"The cause of this great change in my life was brought about in this way. Aunt Ellen, a sister of my father"s, had come over to Scheveningen with her husband for the bathing season, and thence she made a flying visit to see her brother, taking everybody by surprise--n.o.body more so than Sir John himself.
""Francis must be a big boy now; what are you going to make of him?" I heard her ask my father.
""There"s nothing to be made of him," my father answered angrily in his embarra.s.sment, "for Francis is only a girl. The eldest child, a son, is dead. I have only this one."
""John, John," cried the lady reproachfully, "the whole family believed you had a son, and you have done nothing to undeceive us; and the old baronet, who pays you the yearly income set apart for his heir, is expecting to see you both in England very soon. What do you mean by it? Have you acted like a gentleman?"
"Papa lisped something about "absolute necessity," and seemed anxious to induce her to co-operate in his schemes. The proud lady burst forth in indignation--
""Can you imagine I would become a party to such deception?"
"Sir John, to relieve his disappointment, uttered his usual oath, and ordered me out of the room, as he now perceived I was listening with all my ears.
"I obeyed very unwillingly, and not until I had spoken to Aunt Ellen. He ordered me to hold my tongue, and there was a mingling of menace, of anxiety, and embarra.s.sment in his looks which drove me sheer out of the room. I had never seen him look like that before. What pa.s.sed between them I cannot say. Aunt Ellen afterwards gave me fifty pounds, and promised to make me that yearly allowance if my conduct was satisfactory at school. I told her I hated girls" schools, and that I should much prefer going to England with Dr. Darkins, as had been promised me.
""That"s out of the question, my child." More she did not say, and I knew better than to ask Sir John any questions.
"Well, as you may imagine, I did not stay a whole year at school. In some things I had the advantage of the eldest girls, whilst in others I was more stupid and ignorant than the children in the lowest cla.s.s. My knitting was always in confusion; I broke my needles in my impatience; I spoilt the silk and sampler if I had any marking to do; and, to make matters worse, if any one laughed at me for my awkwardness, or punished me for my carelessness, I flew into the most violent pa.s.sion. I fought with the a.s.sistant-mistress, and boxed the ears of any girl who called me Major Frank--a girl from the same town as myself having betrayed me. Before I had been there six weeks I ran away, and had to be taken back by Sir John himself; but six months later I was dismissed as an untractable, incorrigible creature, whose conduct was pernicious in its effect on the rest of the school. The dismissal, however, was an injustice to me. Music was the only thing I liked at school, and the music master was the only teacher who had never had reason to complain of me; on the contrary, he praised me, he flattered me, and one day he even gave me a kiss."
"The wretch!"
"Yes, this liberty aroused all my feelings of feminine dignity, and I boxed his ears for him."
"That was just like you!"
"The other girls rushed into the room; the headmistress followed to inquire into the cause of the disturbance. Of course the master had the first word, and he was base enough to say I had become so violent on account of his correcting my fingering. When asked for my explanation, I answered that I would not contradict a liar--it was beneath my dignity.
"I declined to apologize, and was threatened with the severest punishments known in the school. They shut me up in a room and fed me on bread and water, but all in vain; the mistress was obliged to write for my father.