Georgia was standing before them, and now Miss Freddy, with her silkiest smile, put out her hand--a limp, moist, sallow little member--and gave her a slight push saying:
"Will you be kind enough, Georgia" (she had called her by her Christian name from the first, as if she had been a maid-of-all-work), "and let us pa.s.s. I see Mrs. Colonel Gleason over there, and Mrs. Wildair wants to join her."
Richmond, standing over Miss Harper, who was deafening the company with one of those dreadful overtures from "Il Trovatore," had not witnessed this little scene. Indeed, had he, it is probable he would have observed nothing wrong about it; but the gesture, the tone, and the insolent look--half supercilious, half contemptuous--that accompanied it, sent a shock through Miss Arlingford, brought a flush to her brother"s cheek, and even made Master Henry mutter that it was a "regular jolly shame."
They brushed past Georgia as if she had been the housemaid, and she was left standing there before those who had witnessed the direct insult.
Her head was throbbing, her face crimson, and her breath came so quick and stifled that she laid her hand on her chest, feeling as though she should suffocate. She forgot the curious eyes bent upon her--some in compa.s.sion, some in gratified malice--she forgot everything but the insult offered her by the worm she despised. With one hand resting on the table to steady herself, for her brain was whirling, and with the other pressed hard on her bosom, she stood where they had left her, until Miss Arlingford arose, and taking her arm, said, kindly:
"The heat has made you ill, Mrs. Wildair; allow me to lead you to a seat."
She did not resist, and Miss Arlingford conducted her to a remote seat somewhat in the shadow, if such a thing as shade it could be called in that brilliantly lighted room. And then the young lady began talking carelessly about the music, without looking at her, until Georgia"s emotion had time to subside and, outwardly at least, she grew calm.
Outwardly--but, oh! the bitterness that swelled and throbbed in that proud heart until it seemed ready to burst, that left her white even to the very lips, that sent such a dreadful fire into her dusky eyes as if all the life in her heart had fled and concentrated there.
She did not hear a word Miss Arlingford was saying, she scarcely knew she was beside her; she did not know what was going on around her for a moment, until, with one grand crash that might have smashed a more firm instrument, Miss Harper arose from the piano and sailed over to where the young captain and Henry Gleason were talking, and made herself quite at home with them at once. And then Georgia, whose eyes were fixed in a sort of terrible fascination on Miss Richmond, saw her led to the piano by her husband, and heard her singing, or rather _screeching_ some terrific Italian song, and all the time she was combating a fierce, mad impulse to spring upon her and do--she did not know what--strangle her, perhaps. And then her song was ended--the final unearthly shriek was given, like to nothing earthly but the squeal of a steamboat, and she saw her approach, and, with her small, glittering, snaky eyes fixed upon her, in a voice audible to all, ask her--their hostess--to favor them next. Now she, as well as most there, knew Georgia could not play; but, wishing to have a little pleasure quizzing the "country girl," they came crowding around, and it was:
"Oh, _pray_ do, Mrs. Wildair."
"_Don"t_ refuse us now."
"_Do_ favor us, Mrs. Wildair; I am sure you sing beautifully."
"Of course Georgia will play; she knows it"s not polite to refuse her guests," said Miss Richmond, winding up the chant and smiling insolently up in her face as she laid her hand on her arm.
Georgia started as if a viper had stung her, and, striking off the hand, arose white with concentrated pa.s.sion.
Richmond, coming up at the moment, had just heard his cousin"s silvery-toned request, and the startling way in which it had been received.
Miss Richmond and Miss Harper started back with two simultaneous little shrieks, and looked at Georgia as they would at a Shawnee savage, had one suddenly appeared before them, and a profound silence fell on all around.
Richmond"s brow for one moment grew dark as night, and he caught and transfixed Georgia with a look that made her start as if she had received a galvanic shock. The next, with his strong self-command, his brow cleared, and, making his way through the startled group, he said, smiling:
"My wife does not play, Freddy. You forgot music teachers are not so easily obtained in Burnfield as in New York city. Why, Georgia, you are looking quite pale. Are you ill?"
She did not speak; she only lifted her eyes to his face with a look of such utter anguish that his anger gave way to a mingled feeling of compa.s.sion and annoyance.
"I am afraid Mrs. Wildair _is_ indisposed," said Miss Arlingford. "We will leave her to your care, Mr. Wildair, while, if my poor efforts will be accepted, I will endeavor to take her place at the instrument."
As Miss Arlingford was known to be a beautiful singer, the offer was instantly accepted, and the kind-hearted young lady was followed to the piano by all present, who seated themselves near, while Richmond, Freddy, and Mrs. Wildair, who, with a frown on her brow, had just come up, gathered round Georgia.
"Really, Richmond, your wife has made a most extraordinary exhibition of herself this evening," said his mother, in a tone of withering contempt.
"Are you quite sure she is perfectly sane? I do not ask from curiosity, but because Mrs. Gleason has been quite terrified."
Georgia started as if she would have sprung from the sofa, but Richmond held her down, while he said, coldly:
"You can tell Mrs. Gleason she need not alarm herself on the subject; the unusual excitement has been too much for her, that is all."
"The _unusual excitement_! Oh, I perceive," said Mrs. Wildair, with a smile more cutting than any words could have been. "Perhaps she had better retire to her room altogether, and I will endeavor to play the hostess to your guests."
"My dear Georgia," said Freddy, laying her hateful hand on Georgia"s, and looking up in her face with a hateful smile, "I am afraid my request offended you. I am sure I quite forgot you could not play, and never thought you would have resented being asked; it is so common for people to play nowadays that one cannot realize another is ignorant of what every child understands. I really cannot leave you until you say you forgive me."
Georgia shuddered at the hateful touch, and her hands clinched as she listened, but Richmond"s eye was upon her, and she only shook off the hand, and was silent.
"Do say you forgive me, Georgia, _do_, please, I am _so_ sorry," fawned Freddy, with one arm around her neck.
"Oh, Richmond, take her away! Oh, Richmond, _do_!" she cried out, shrinking in loathing from her.
Freddy, with the sigh of deeply injured but forgiving spirit, got up and stood meekly before her.
"Really," began Mrs. Wildair, with haughty anger; but her son, with a darkened brow, said, hastily:
"Mother, leave her to me. Freddy, go; she does not know what she is saying; she will regret this by and by, and be the first to apologize.
She is excited now; to-morrow you will see her in a very different frame of mind."
"I hope so, I am sure; it is very much needed, I must say," observed Mrs. Wildair, coldly, as, with a frown on her face, she drew Freddy"s arm within hers and led her away.
"Oh, Richmond!" began Georgia, pa.s.sionately lifting her eyes to his face.
And there she stopped, the words frozen on her lips. He did not speak, but catching her wrists in a steady grasp, he looked sternly and steadily in her eyes, until she sat shivering and trembling before him.
And then he dropped her hands, and without a word drew her arm within his and led her down to where the rest were, and seated her on a sofa between Colonel Gleason and himself.
The song was finished, and amid a murmur of applause Miss Arlingford rose from the piano and came over to where Georgia sat, to inquire if she felt better. And then Captain Arlingford and Henry Gleason came, too, and Georgia was soon the center of a gay, laughing group, who strove to dissipate her gloom and restore the disturbed harmony of the evening. And Georgia, now that her evil genius was gone, remembering her husband"s look, tried to smile and talk cheerfully with the rest, but, as she said herself, she had not yet learned to dissimulate. And the wild glitter of her eye and her marble-like face told a far different story, and her efforts to be at ease were so evident and so painful, that all felt it a relief when the hour came for retiring and they could seek their own rooms.
Mr. and Mrs. Wildair bade their last guest good-night, and then they were alone in the drawing-room.
Georgia sank down on a sofa, dreading even to look at him; and Richmond, his courteous smile totally gone and his face grave and stern, stood with his elbow leaning on the marble mantel, looking down on her with a stern, steady gaze.
"Mrs. Wildair!" he said, coldly.
"Oh, Richmond!" she cried, pa.s.sionately.
"Well, this a delightful beginning, I must say," he observed, calmly.
"Are you aware, madam, that you made both yourself and me ridiculous to-night?"
"Oh, Richmond, I could not help it! Oh, Richmond, I felt as if I should go mad!"
"It would not take much to convince our friends that you are that already, my dear. May I ask if it was Fredrica"s simple and natural request that you would play for the company, that came so near driving you mad? I saw you drop her hand as if there were contamination in the touch."
"Oh, so there is! so there is!" she cried, in frenzied tones.
"Really, madam," said Mr. Wildair, in a tone of marked displeasure, "this is carrying your absurdity too far. Take care that _I_ do not begin to believe you mad, as well as the rest. Are you aware that you grossly insulted my cousin before my guests this evening?"
"She insulted me!--the low, fawning hypocrite! Oh, that I should be obliged to live under the same roof with that _thing_!" exclaimed Georgia, wildly, wringing her hands.
There was a dead pause. It had more effect on Georgia than any words he could have uttered. She looked up, and saw him standing calm, stern, and deeply displeased, with his large, strong eyes fixed upon her in sorrow, surprise, and grave anger.
"Oh, Richmond! what shall I do? I am going crazy, I think. Oh, Richmond!
I tried to do well, and not displease you, but she---- Oh! everything that is bad in my nature she rouses when she comes near me! Richmond!
Richmond! I cannot _bear_ to have you angry with me. Tell me--_do_ tell me--what I shall do?"