They stayed but a few minutes, and going down those dimly lighted stairs again, Sylvia remarked:
"How prettily she said good-bye--as if she were putting up her face to be kissed! I think she"s lovely. So does that young man. They go well together."
Rather abruptly Lennan answered:
"Ah! I suppose they do."
VI
She came to them often after that, sometimes alone, twice with Johnny Dromore, sometimes with young Oliver, who, under Sylvia"s spell, soon lost his stand-off air. And the statuette was begun. Then came Spring in earnest, and that real business of life--the racing of horses "on the flat," when Johnny Dromore"s genius was no longer hampered by the illegitimate risks of "jumpin"." He came to dine with them the day before the first Newmarket meeting. He had a soft spot for Sylvia, always saying to Lennan as he went away: "Charmin" woman--your wife!" She, too, had a soft spot for him, having fathomed the utter helplessness of this worldling"s wisdom, and thinking him pathetic.
After he was gone that evening, she said:
"Ought we to have Nell to stay with us while you"re finishing her? She must be very lonely now her father"s so much away."
It was like Sylvia to think of that; but would it be pleasure or vexation to have in the house this child with her quaint grown-upness, her confiding ways, and those "Perdita" eyes? In truth he did not know.
She came to them with touching alacrity--very like a dog, who, left at home when the family goes for a holiday, takes at once to those who make much of it.
And she was no trouble, too well accustomed to amuse herself; and always quaint to watch, with her continual changes from child to woman of the world. A new sensation, this--of a young creature in the house. Both he and Sylvia had wanted children, without luck. Twice illness had stood in the way. Was it, perhaps, just that little lack in her--that lack of poignancy, which had prevented her from becoming a mother? An only child herself, she had no nieces or nephews; Cicely"s boys had always been at school, and now were out in the world. Yes, a new sensation, and one in which Lennan"s restless feelings seemed to merge and vanish.
Outside the hours when Nell sat to him, he purposely saw but little of her, leaving her to nestle under Sylvia"s wing; and this she did, as if she never wanted to come out. Thus he preserved his amus.e.m.e.nt at her quaint warmths, and quainter calmness, his aesthetic pleasure in watching her, whose strange, half-hypnotized, half-hypnotic gaze, had a sort of dreamy and pathetic lovingness, as if she were brimful of affections that had no outlet.
Every morning after "sitting" she would stay an hour bent over her own drawing, which made practically no progress; and he would often catch her following his movements with those great eyes of hers, while the sheep-dogs would lie perfectly still at her feet, blinking horribly--such was her attraction. His birds also, a jackdaw and an owl, who had the run of the studio, tolerated her as they tolerated no other female, save the housekeeper. The jackdaw would perch on her and peck her dress; but the owl merely engaged her in combats of mesmeric gazing, which never ended in victory for either.
Now that she was with them, Oliver Dromore began to haunt the house, coming at all hours, on very transparent excuses. She behaved to him with extreme capriciousness, sometimes hardly speaking, sometimes treating him like a brother; and in spite of all his nonchalance, the poor youth would just sit glowering, or gazing out his adoration, according to her mood.
One of these July evenings Lennan remembered beyond all others. He had come, after a hard day"s work, out from his studio into the courtyard garden to smoke a cigarette and feel the sun on his cheek before it sank behind the wall. A piano-organ far away was grinding out a waltz; and on an hydrangea tub, under the drawing-room window, he sat down to listen.
Nothing was visible from there, save just the square patch of a quite blue sky, and one soft plume of smoke from his own kitchen chimney; nothing audible save that tune, and the never-ending street murmur.
Twice birds flew across--starlings. It was very peaceful, and his thoughts went floating like the smoke of his cigarette, to meet who-knew-what other thoughts--for thoughts, no doubt, had little swift lives of their own; desired, found their mates, and, lightly blending, sent forth offspring. Why not? All things were possible in this wonder-house of a world. Even that waltz tune, floating away, would find some melody to wed, and twine with, and produce a fresh chord that might float in turn to catch the hum of a gnat or fly, and breed again.
Queer--how everything sought to entwine with something else! On one of the pinkish blooms of the hydrangea he noted a bee--of all things, in this hidden-away garden of tiles and gravel and plants in tubs! The little furry, lonely thing was drowsily clinging there, as if it had forgotten what it had come for--seduced, maybe, like himself, from labour by these last rays of the sun. Its wings, close-furled, were glistening; its eyes seemed closed. And the piano-organ played on, a tune of yearning, waiting, yearning....
Then, through the window above his head, he heard Oliver Dromore--a voice one could always tell, pitched high, with its slight drawl--pleading, very softly at first, then insistent, imperious; and suddenly Nell"s answering voice:
"I won"t, Oliver! I won"t! I won"t!"
He rose to go out of earshot. Then a door slammed, and he saw her at the window above him, her waist on a level with his head; flushed, with her grey eyes ominously bright, her full lips parted. And he said:
"What is it, Nell?"
She leaned down and caught his hand; her touch was fiery hot.
"He kissed me! I won"t let him--I won"t kiss him!"
Through his head went a medley of sayings to soothe children that are hurt; but he felt unsteady, unlike himself. And suddenly she knelt, and put her hot forehead against his lips.
It was as if she had really been a little child, wanting the place kissed to make it well.
VII
After that strange outburst, Lennan considered long whether he should speak to Oliver. But what could he say, from what standpoint say it, and--with that feeling? Or should he speak to Dromore? Not very easy to speak on such a subject to one off whose turf all spiritual matters were so permanently warned. Nor somehow could he bring himself to tell Sylvia; it would be like violating a confidence to speak of the child"s outburst and that quivering moment, when she had kneeled and put her hot forehead to his lips for comfort. Such a disclosure was for Nell herself to make, if she so wished.
And then young Oliver solved the difficulty by coming to the studio himself next day. He entered with "Dromore" composure, very well groomed, in a silk hat, a cut-away black coat and charming lemon-coloured gloves; what, indeed, the youth did, besides belonging to the Yeomanry and hunting all the winter, seemed known only to himself.
He made no excuse for interrupting Lennan, and for some time sat silently smoking his cigarette, and pulling the ears of the dogs. And Lennan worked on, waiting. There was always something attractive to him in this young man"s broad, good-looking face, with its crisp dark hair, and half-insolent good humour, now so clouded.
At last Oliver got up, and went over to the unfinished "Girl on the Magpie Horse." Turning to it so that his face could not be seen, he said:
"You and Mrs. Lennan have been awfully kind to me; I behaved rather like a cad yesterday. I thought I"d better tell you. I want to marry Nell, you know."
Lennan was glad that the young man"s face was so religiously averted.
He let his hands come to anchor on what he was working at before he answered: "She"s only a child, Oliver;" and then, watching his fingers making an inept movement with the clay, was astonished at himself.
"She"ll be eighteen this month," he heard Oliver say. "If she once gets out--amongst people--I don"t know what I shall do. Old Johnny"s no good to look after her."
The young man"s face was very red; he was forgetting to hide it now.
Then it went white, and he said through clenched teeth: "She sends me mad! I don"t know how not to--If I don"t get her, I shall shoot myself.
I shall, you know--I"m that sort. It"s her eyes. They draw you right out of yourself--and leave you--" And from his gloved hand the smoked-out cigarette-end fell to the floor. "They say her mother was like that.
Poor old Johnny! D"you think I"ve got a chance, Mr. Lennan? I don"t mean now, this minute; I know she"s too young."
Lennan forced himself to answer.
"I dare say, my dear fellow, I dare say. Have you talked with my wife?"
Oliver shook his head.
"She"s so good--I don"t think she"d quite understand my sort of feeling."
A queer little smile came up on Lennan"s lips.
"Ah, well!" he said, "you must give the child time. Perhaps when she comes back from Ireland, after the summer."
The young man answered moodily:
"Yes. I"ve got the run of that, you know. And I shan"t be able to keep away." He took up his hat. "I suppose I oughtn"t to have come and bored you about this, but Nell thinks such a lot of you; and, you being different to most people--I thought you wouldn"t mind." He turned again at the door. "It wasn"t gas what I said just now--about not getting her.
Fellows say that sort of thing, but I mean it."
He put on that shining hat and went.
And Lennan stood, staring at the statuette. So! Pa.s.sion broke down even the defences of Dromoredom. Pa.s.sion! Strange hearts it chose to bloom in!
"Being different to most people--I thought you wouldn"t mind"! How had this youth known that Sylvia would not understand pa.s.sion so out of hand as this? And what had made it clear that he (Lennan) would? Was there, then, something in his face? There must be! Even Johnny Dromore--most reticent of creatures--had confided to him that one hour of his astute existence, when the wind had swept him out to sea!
Yes! And that statuette would never be any good, try as he might. Oliver was right--it was her eyes! How they had smoked--in their childish anger--if eyes could be said to smoke, and how they had drawn and pleaded when she put her face to his in her still more childish entreaty! If they were like this now, what would they be when the woman in her woke? Just as well not to think of her too much! Just as well to work, and take heed that he would soon be forty-seven! Just as well that next week she would be gone to Ireland!