"Jealous? And why?"
With an impatient twitch at her petticoat she made answer, not looking at him.
"Oh, I do not know! Nor he! Take me back to the ball-room."
"Certainly, my dear." He rose and led her out. "I shall do myself the honour of waiting on youto-morrow."
"Yes? How delightful "twill be! Come to dine, Tracy! Richard is promised to the Fortescues."
"In that case, I have much pleasure in accepting your invitation. . . . In heaven"s name, who is this?"
Lovelace was bearing down upon them.
"Lavinia! I have been seeking you everywhere!ahyour servant, sir!" He bowed to his Grace, and took Lavinia"s hand.
"Ohoh, Harold!you remember Tracy?" she said nervously.
"Tracy! I did not know you masked! I saw you last in Paris."
"Really? I regret I was not aware of your presence. It is a good many years since I had the honour of seeing you."
"Five," nodded Lovelace, and sent a smiling, amorous glance at Lavinia.
"Exactly," bowed his Grace. "You have, I perceive, renewed your acquaintance with my sister."
When they were gone he caressed his chin, thoughtfully.
"Lovelace . . . and Richard is so jealous, so unreasonable. Now I do hope Lavinia will do nothing indiscreetYes, Frank, I was talking to myself; a bad habit."
Fortescue, who had come up behind him, took his arm.
"A sign of lunacy, my dear. Jim Cavendish demands you."
"Does he? May I ask why?"
"He is in the card-room. There is some bet on, I believe."
"In that case I shall have to go. You had best accompany me, Frank."
"Very well. You have seen Lady Lavinia?"
Beneath the mask his Grace"s eyes narrowed.
"I have seen Lavinia. Also I have seen an old friendLovelace by name."
"The captain with the full-bottomed wig? Your friend, you say?"
"Did I say so? I should correct myself: a friend of my sister"s."
"Indeed? Yes, I believe I have seen him in her company."
Tracy smiled enigmatically.
"I daresay."
"And what of you, Tracy?"
"Well? What of me?"
"You told me this morning that you had at last fallen in love. It is true? You are honestly in love?"
"Honestly? How do I know? I only know that I have felt this pa.s.sion for four months, and now it is stronger than ever. It sounds like love."
"Then, an she is a good woman, I hope she will consent to take you, such as you are, and make of you such as she can!"
"Now that is very neat, Frank. I congratulate you. Of course she will take me; as to the restI think not."
"Tare an" ouns, Tracy! but an that is the tone you take with her, she"ll have none of you!"
"I have never found it unsuccessful."
"With your common trollops, no! But if your Diana is a lady, she will dispatch you about your business! Woo her, man! Forget your own d.a.m.ned importance, for I think you will need to humble yourself to the dust if all that you tell me has pa.s.sed between you is true!"
They had paused outside the card-room. A curtain shut it off from the ball-room, and with his hand on it, Tracy stared arrogantly down at his friend.
"Humble myself? "Fore Gad, you must be mad!"
"Belike I am; but I tell you, Tracy, that if your pa.s.sion is love, "tis a strange one that puts yourself first. I would not give the snap of a finger for it! You want this girl, not for her happiness, but for your own pleasure. That is not the love I once told you would save you from yourself. When it comes, you will count yourself as nought; you will realise your own insignificance, and above all, be ready to make any sacrifice for her sake. Yes, even to the point of losing her!"
His Grace"s lips sneered.
"Your eloquence is marvellous," he remarked. "I have not been so amused since I left Paris."
CHAPTER XX.
HIS GRACE OF ANDOVER TAKES A HAND IN THE GAME.
WHEN the Duke of Andover dined next day at Grosvenor Square, he contrived, by subtle means, to make his sister feel inexplicably ill at ease. He let fall pleasant little remarks concerning her friendship with Captain Lovelace, in which she read disapproval and a sinister warning. She was afraid of him, as she was not of her husband, and she knew that if he ever guessed at the depths of her affection for the old flame, he would take very effective measures towards stopping her intercourse with him. It was, then, entirely owing to his return that she told Lovelace that he must not so palpably adore her. Neither must he visit her so frequently. They were both in her boudoir at the time, one morning, and no doubt Lavinia looked very lovely and very tempting in her wrapper, with her golden curls free from powder and loosely dressed beneath her escalloped lace ruffle. At all events, Lovelace abandoned his daintily bantering pose and seized her in his arms, nearly smothering her with fierce, pa.s.sionate caresses.
Her ladyship struggled, gave a faint shriek, and started to cry. As his kisses seemed to aggravate her tears, he picked her up, and carrying her to a chair, lowered her gently into it. Then, having first dusted the floor with his handkerchief, he knelt down beside her and possessed himself of both her hands.
"Lavinia! G.o.ddess! I adore you!"
Bethinking herself that tears were ruinous to her complexion, Lady Lavinia pulled her hands away and dabbed at her eyes.
"Oh, Harold!" she reproached him.
"I have offended you! Wretch that I am-"
"Oh, no, no!" Lady Lavinia gave him her hand again. "But "twas wicked of you, Harry!
You must never, never do it again!"
His arm crept round her waist.
"But I love you, sweetheart!"
"Oh! Oh! Think of d.i.c.ky!"
He released her at that, and sprang to his feet.
"Why should I think of him? "Tis of you and myself I think! Only a week ago you vowed he was unkind-"
"You are monstrous wicked to remind me of that! We were both crossand then we were both sorry. I am very fond of poor d.i.c.ky."
"Fond of him! Ay, so you may be, but you do not love him! Not as a woman loves a mando you?"
"Harold!"
"Of course you do not! You used to love meno, do not shake your head, "tis true! You would have married me had it not been for Tracy."
"Oh, Harry! How can you say so? What had he to do with it?"
"What, indeed! Whose fault was it that I was time after time refused admittance at Andover? Whose fault was it that you were induced to marry Carstares?"
"Not Tracy"s. "Twas my own wish."
"Fostered by his influence?"
"Oh, no!"
"You never loved Carstares-"
"I did! I do!"
"You may think so, but I know better. Why, he is not even suited to you! You were made for life and pleasure and hazard! With me you would have had all that; with him-"
She had risen to her feet and drawn nearer to him, her eyes sparkling, but now she covered her ears with her hands and stamped pettishly.
"I will not listen! I will not, I tell you! Oh, you are unkind to plague me so!"
Lovelace took her into his arms once more, and drawing down her hands, kissed her again and again. She resisted, trying to thrust him off, but she was crushed against him, and he would have kissed her again, had not there come an interruption.
A knock fell on the door, and the footman announced: "His Grace of Andover, m"lady!"
The guilty pair sprang apart in the nick of time, she fiery red, he pale, but composed.
His Grace stood in the doorway, his quizzing gla.s.s raised inquiringly. His eyes went swiftly from one to the other and widened. He bowed elaborately.
"My dear Lavinia! Captain Lovelace, your very obedient!"
Lovelace returned the bow with much flourish.
"Your Grace!"
"Dear me, Tracy!" cried Lavinia, advancing. "What an unexpected visit!"
"I trust I have not arrived at an inopportune moment, my dear?"
"Oh, no!" she a.s.sured him. "I am quite charmed to see you! But at such an early hour!
I confess, it quite astonishes me!" She brought him to a chair, chattering like a child, and so innocent was his expression, so smiling his att.i.tude towards the Captain, that she imagined that he suspected nothing, and had not noticed her blushes.
It was only when Lovelace had departed that she was undeceived. Then, when his Grace moved to a chair opposite her, she saw that he was frowning slightly.
"Youyou are put out over something, Tracy?" she asked nervously.
The frown deepened.
"N-no. I am not "put out." I merely antic.i.p.ate the sensation."
"II don"t understand. What mean you?"
"At present, nothing."
"Tracy, please do not be mysterious! Are you like to be put out?"
"I trust not, Lavinia."
"But what annoys you?"
Instead of answering, he put a question: "I hope you amused yourself welllast night, my dear sister?"
She flushed. Last night had been Lady Davenant"s masquerade, to which Lord Robert had conducted her. She had danced almost exclusively with Lovelace the whole evening, but as they were both masked, she was rather surprised at the question.
"I enjoyed myself quite tolerably, thank you. You were there?"
"No, Lavinia, I was not there."
"Then how do you kn-" She stopped in confusion, biting her lips. For an instant she caught a glimpse of his eyes, piercing and cold.