"It is an ignominious way out of the difficulty," said the other: but he consented; and yard after yard of the thread-like chain was unrolled.
When allowed to drop together, it seemed to go into no compa.s.s at all.
They went outside.
"What are you going to do now, Brand?"
The other was looking cheerless enough.
"I?" he said, with the slightest possible shrug. "I suppose I must go down to the club, and yawn away the time till dinner."
"Then why not come with me? I have a commission or two from my sisters--one as far out as Notting Hill; but after that we can drive back through the Park and call on the Linds. I dare say Lind will be home by that time."
Lord Evelyn"s friend was more than delighted. As they drove from place to place he was a good deal more talkative than was his wont; and, among other things, confessed his belief that Ferdinand Lind seemed much too hard-headed a man to be engaged in mere visionary enterprises. But somehow the conversation generally came round to Mr. Lind"s daughter; and Brand seemed very anxious to find out to what degree she was cognizant of her father"s schemes. On this point Lord Evelyn knew nothing.
At last they arrived at the house in Curzon Street, and found Mr. Lind just on the point of entering. He stayed to receive them; went up-stairs with them to the drawing-room, and then begged them to excuse him for a few minutes. Presently Natalie Lind appeared.
How this man envied his friend Evelyn the frank, sister-like way in which she took the little present, and thanked him, for that and his kind wishes!
"Ah, do you know," she said, "what a strange birthday gift I had given me this morning? See!"
She brought over the old-fashioned silver locket, and told them the whole story.
"Is it not strange?" she said. ""_From Natalie to Natalushka_:" that is, from myself to myself. What can it mean?"
"Have you not asked your father, then, about his mysterious messenger?"
Brand said. He was always glad to ask this girl a question, for she looked him so straight in the face with her soft, dark eyes, as she answered,
"He has only now come home. I will directly."
"But why does your father call you Natalushka, Natalie?" asked Lord Evelyn.
There was the slightest blush on the pale, clear face.
"It was a nickname they gave me, I am told, when I was child. They used to make me angry."
"And now, if one were to call you Natalushka?"
"My anger would be too terrible," she said, with a smile. "Papa alone dares to do that."
Presently her father came into the room.
"Oh, papa," said she, "I have discovered who the lady is whom you got to bring me the flowers. And see! she has given me this strange little locket. Look at the inscription--"_From Natalie to Natalushka_.""
Lind only glanced at the locket. His eyes were fixed on the girl.
"Where did you see the--the lady?" he asked, coldly.
"In the Park. But she did not stay a moment, or speak; she hurried on, and Anneli thought she was crying. I almost think so too. Who was it, papa? May I speak to her, if I see her again?"
Mr. Lind turned aside for a moment. Brand, who was narrowly watching him, was convinced that the man was in a pa.s.sion of rage. But when he turned again he was outwardly calm.
"You will do nothing of the kind, Natalie," he said in measured tones.
"I have warned you before against making indiscriminate acquaintances; and Anneli, if she is constantly getting such stupidities into her head, must be sent about her business. I do not wish to hear anything more about it. Will you ring and ask why tea has not been sent up?"
The girl silently obeyed. Her father had never spoken to her in this cold, austere tone before. She sat down at a small table, apart.
Mr. Lind talked for a minute or two with his guests; then he said,
"Natalie, you have the zither there; why do you not play us something?"
She turned to the small instrument, and, after a second or two, played a few notes: that was all. She rose and said, "I don"t think I can play this afternoon, papa;" and then she left the room.
Mr. Lind pretended to converse with his guests as before; and tea came in; but presently he begged to be excused for a moment, and left the room. George Brand rose, and took a turn or two up and down.
"It would take very little," he muttered--for his teeth were set--"to make me throw that fellow out of the window!"
"What do you mean?" Lord Evelyn said, in great surprise.
"Didn"t you see? She left the room to keep from crying. That miserable Polish cutthroat--I should like to kick him down-stairs!"
But at this moment the door opened, and father and daughter entered, arm-in-arm. Natalie"s face was a little bit flushed, but she was very gentle and affectionate; they had made up that brief misunderstanding, obviously. And she had brought in her hand a mob-cap of black satin: would Lord Evelyn allow her to try the effect of twisting those beautiful golden threads through it?
"Natalushka," said her father, with great good-humor, "it is your birthday. Do you think you could persuade Lord Evelyn and Mr. Brand to come to your dinner-party?"
It was then explained to the two gentlemen that on this great anniversary it was the custom of Mr. Lind, when in London, to take his daughter to dine at some French or Italian restaurant in Regent Street or thereabouts. In fact, she liked to play at being abroad for an hour or two; to see around her foreign faces, and hear foreign tongues.
"I am afraid you will say that it is very easy to remind yourself of the Continent," said Mr. Lind, smiling--"that you have only to go to a place where they give you oily food and bad wine."
"On the contrary," said Brand, "I should thing it very difficult in London to imagine yourself in a foreign town; for London is drained.
However, I accept the invitation with pleasure."
"And I," said Lord Evelyn. "Now, must we be off to dress?"
"Not at all," said Natalie. "Do you not understand that you are abroad, and walking into a restaurant to dine? And now I will play you a little invitation--not to dinner; for you must suppose you have dined--and you come out on the stairs of the hotel, and step into the black gondola."
She went along to the small table, and sat down to the zither. There were a few notes of prelude; and then they heard the beautiful low voice added to the soft tinkling sounds. What did they vaguely make out from that melodious murmur of Italian?
Behold the beautiful night--the wind sleeps drowsily--the silent sh.o.r.es slumber in the dark:
"Sul placido elemento Vien meco a navigar!"
The soft wind moves--as it stirs among the leaves--it moves and dies--among the murmur of the water:
"Lascia l"amico tetto Vien meco a navigar!"
Now on the s.p.a.cious mantle--of the already darkening heavens--see, oh, the shining wonder--how the white stars tremble:
"Ai raggi della luna Vien meco a navigar!"