Mrs. Willoughby at this turned away in despair.
Minnie"s very peculiar situation was certainly one which required a speedy change. The forced entrance of the Baron had thrown consternation into the family. Ethel herself had been roused, and took a part in the debate. She began to see Minnie in a new light, and Hawbury"s attention to her began to a.s.sume the appearance of a very mournful joke. To her mind Minnie was now the subject of desperate attention from five men.
Thus:
1. Lord Hawbury.
2. Count Girasole.
3. Scone Dacres.
4. Baron Atramonte.
5. Captain Kirby, of whom Mrs. Willoughby had just told her.
And of these, four had saved her life, and consequently had the strongest possible claims on her.
And the only satisfaction which Ethel could gain out of this was the thought that Hawbury, at least, had not saved Minnie"s life.
And now to proceed.
The Baron called, as has been said, on the following day. This time he did not bring the Reverend Saul with him. He wished to see Minnie alone, and felt the presence of third persons to be rather unpleasant.
On reaching the place he was told, as before, that the ladies were not at home.
Now the Baron remembered that on the preceding day the servant had said the same, while all the time the ladies were home. He was charitably inclined to suppose that it was a mistake, and not a deliberate lie; and, as he was in a frame of good-will to mankind, he adopted this first theory.
"All right, young man," said he; "but as you lied yesterday--under a mistake--I prefer seeing for myself to-day."
So the Baron brushed by the servant, and went in. He entered the room.
No one was there. He waited a little while, and thought. He was too impatient to wait long. He could not trust these lying servants. So he determined to try for himself. Her room was up stairs, somewhere in the story above.
So he went out of the room, and up the stairs, until his head was on a level with the floor of the story above. Then he called:
"_Min!_"
No answer.
"MIN!" in a louder voice.
No answer.
"MIN! it"s ME!" still louder.
No answer.
"_MIN!_" a perfect yell.
At this last shout there was a response. One of the doors opened, and a lady made her appearance, while at two other doors appeared two maids. The lady was young and beautiful, and her face was stern, and her dark eyes looked indignantly toward the Baron.
"Who are you?" she asked, abruptly; "and what do you want?"
"Me? I"m the Baron Atramonte; and I want Min. Don"t you know where she is?"
"Who?"
"Min."
"Min?" asked the other, in amazement.
"Yes. My Min--Minnie, you know. Minnie Fay."
At this the lady looked at the Baron with utter horror.
"I want her."
"She"s not at home," said the lady.
"Well, really, it"s too bad. I must see her. Is she out?"
"Yes."
"Really? Honor bright now?"
The lady retired and shut the door.
"Well, darn it all, you needn"t be so peppery," muttered the Baron. "I didn"t say any thing. I only asked a civil question. Out, hey? Well, she must be this time. If she"d been in, she"d have made her appearance. Well, I"d best go out and hunt her up. They don"t seem to me altogether so cordial as I"d like to have them. They"re just a leetle too "ristocratic."
With these observations to himself, the Baron descended the stairs, and made his way to the door. Here he threw an engaging smile upon the servant, and made a remark which set the other on the broad grin for the remainder of the day. After this the Baron took his departure.
The Baron this time went to some stables, and reappeared in a short time mounted upon a gallant steed, and careering down the Corso. In due time he reached the Piazza del Popolo, and then he ascended the Pincian Hill. Here he rode about for some time, and finally his perseverance was rewarded. He was looking down from the summit of the hill upon the Piazza below, when he caught sight of a barouche, in which were three ladies. One of these sat on the front seat, and her white face and short golden hair seemed to indicate to him the one he sought.
In an instant he put spurs to his horse, and rode down the hill as quick as possible, to the great alarm of the crowds who were going up and down. In a short time he had caught up with the carriage. He was right. It was the right one, and Minnie was there, together with Lady Dalrymple and Mrs. Willoughby. The ladies, on learning of his approach, exhibited no emotion. They were prepared for this, and resigned. They had determined that Minnie should have no more interviews with him indoors; and since they could not imprison her altogether, they would have to submit for the present to his advances.
But they were rapidly becoming desperate.
Lord Hawbury was riding by the carriage as the Baron came up.
"Hallo!" said he to the former. "How do? and _how_ are you all? Why, I"ve been hunting all over creation. Well, Minnie, how goes it? Feel lively? That"s right. Keep out in the open air. Take all the exercise you can, and eat as hard as you can. You live too quiet as a general thing, and want to knock around more. But we"ll fix all that, won"t we, Min, before a month of Sundays?"
The advent of the Baron in this manner, and his familiar address to Minnie, filled Hawbury with amazement. He had been surprised at finding him with the ladies on the previous day, but there was nothing in his demeanor which was at all remarkable. Now, however, he noticed the very great familiarity of his tone and manner toward Minnie, and was naturally amazed. The Baron had not confided to him his secret, and he could not understand the cause of such intimacy between the representatives of such different cla.s.ses. He therefore listened with inexpressible astonishment to the Baron"s language, and to Minnie"s artless replies.
Minnie was sitting on the front seat of the barouche, and was alone in that seat. As the gentlemen rode on each side of the carriage her face was turned toward them. Hawbury rode back, so that he was beside Lady Dalrymple; but the Baron rode forward, on the other side, so as to bring himself as near to Minnie as possible. The Baron was exceedingly happy. His happiness showed itself in the flush of his face, in the glow of his eyes, and in the general exuberance and all-embracing swell of his manner. His voice was loud, his gestures demonstrative, and his remarks were addressed by turns to each one in the company.
The others soon gave up the attempt to talk, and left it all to the Baron. Lady Dalrymple and Mrs. Willoughby exchanged glances of despair. Hawbury still looked on in surprise, while Minnie remained perfectly calm, perfectly self-possessed, and conversed with her usual simplicity.
As the party thus rode on they met a horseman, who threw a rapid glance over all of them. It was Girasole. The ladies bowed, and Mrs.
Willoughby wished that he had come a little before, so that he could have taken the place beside the carriage where the Baron now was. But the place was now appropriated, and there was no chance for the Count.
Girasole threw a dark look over them, which rested more particularly on Hawbury. Hawbury nodded lightly at the Count, and didn"t appear to take any further notice of him. All this took up but a few moments, and the Count pa.s.sed on.
Shortly after they met another horseman. He sat erect, pale, sad, with a solemn, earnest glow in his melancholy eyes. Minnie"s back was turned toward him, so that she could not see his face, but his eyes were fixed upon Mrs. Willoughby. She looked back at him and bowed, as did also Lady Dalrymple. He took off his hat, and the carriage rolled past. Then he turned and looked after it, bareheaded, and Minnie caught sight of him, and smiled and bowed. And then in a few moments more the crowd swallowed up Scone Dacres.