CHAPTER x.x.xV.
FACE TO FACE.
"Madame, permit me to present to you Count de Volaski, of St.
Petersburg--Count, the d.u.c.h.ess of Hereward," said Lord C., with old-time courtesy and formality.
The gentleman bowed low; the lady courtesied; nothing but the close compression of his lips beneath the golden mustache, and the paler shade on her pale cheeks, betrayed the "whirlwind of emotion" which swept through both their hearts; and these indications of disturbance were too slight to attract any attention.
Neither spoke, neither dared to speak. It was as much as each could do to maintain a conventional calmness through the terrible ordeal of such an introduction.
Lord C., happily unconscious of anything wrong, did the very best thing he could have done under the circ.u.mstances. Scarcely allowing the count and the d.u.c.h.ess time to exchange their bow and courtesy, he turned to her companion and said:
"Duke, the Count de Volaski. Count, the Duke of Hereward."
Both gentlemen bowed; but _one_, the count, quivered from head to foot in the presence of his unconscious but successful rival.
"By the way, Count," said the duke, pleasantly, "the d.u.c.h.ess, when Mademoiselle de la Motte, pa.s.sed a year at the court of St. Petersburg with her parents. It is a wonder that you have not met before. Although, indeed, you may have done so," he added, as with an after-thought.
"We have met before," replied the Count de Volaski, in a low and measured tone.
"Of course! Of course! You are quite old friends," said the duke, gayly.
Fortunately, then a diversion was made. The heavy, purple satin curtains vailing the arch between the drawing-rooms and dining saloon were drawn aside by invisible hands, and a very dignified and officer-looking personage, in a powdered wig, clerical black suit, and gold chain, appeared, and with a low bow and with low tones, said:
"My lord and lady are served."
"Count, will you take the d.u.c.h.ess in to dinner?--Duke, Lady C. will thank you for your arm," said the host, as, with a nod and a smile, he moved off in search of that particular amba.s.sadress whom custom, or etiquette, or policy, required him to escort to the dining-room.
The Duke of Hereward with a polite wave of the hand, left his d.u.c.h.ess in the charge of her appointed attendant, and went to meet Lady C., who was advancing toward him.
Count Volaski bowed, and silently offered his arm to the young d.u.c.h.ess.
She did not take it; she could not; she stood as one paralyzed.
He was stronger, firmer, calmer; perhaps because he really felt less than she did. He took her hand and drew it within his own, and led her to her place in the little procession that was going to the dining-room.
He placed her in her chair at the table, and took his seat at her side.
Then the self-control of their order, the self-control instilled as a virtue by their education, and standing now in the place of all virtues, enabled them to maintain a superficial calmness that conducted them safely through the trying ordeal of this dinner-table.
Count de Volaski entered freely into the conversation of the guests. The d.u.c.h.ess of Hereward spoke but little; hers was a pa.s.sive self-control, not an active one; she could force herself to be, or seem, composed; she could not force herself to talk; but her deep mourning dress was a good excuse for her extreme quietness, which was naturally ascribed to her recent and double bereavement.
The dinner was a long, long agony to her; the courses seemed almost endless in duration and numberless in succession; but at length the hostess arose and gave the signal for the ladies to retire and leave the gentlemen to their wine and politics.
The gentlemen all stood up while the ladies pa.s.sed out to the drawing-room.
Valerie would willingly have gone off to hide herself in some bay-window or other nook or corner of the vast drawing-room, and taken up a book or a piece of music as an excuse for her reserve; but as they pa.s.sed through the curtained archway leading from the dining-saloon to the drawing-room, Lady C., with the kindest intentions toward the supposed mourner, and with the motherly grace for which her ladyship was noted, drew Valerie"s arm within her own and began a conversation, to draw her mind from the contemplation of her bereavements.
"What do you think of the young Russian count who brought you in to dinner, my dear?" inquired Lady C.
"I--he is a Pole," answered Valerie, in a low voice.
"Yes, I am aware that he is a Pole by birth; but he is a thorough Russian in politics and principles; has been in the service of the Czar since the age of fifteen.--Here, my love, sit beside me," added her ladyship, as she sank gracefully down upon a sofa and drew her young guest to her side.
Valerie submitted in silence.
"Oh, by the way, however, I think I heard some one say that you had met the count at the court of St. Petersburg?" pursued Lady C.
"I--have met him," answered Valerie, in the same level tone.
"I am boring you, I fear, with this young Russian, my dear, but--"
"Oh no," softly interrupted Valerie.
"I was about to explain that I feel some interest in him from the fact that he is betrothed to my niece--"
"Betrothed! Your niece!" exclaimed Valerie, surprised out of the apathy of her despair.
"Yes, my love. Is there anything wonderful in that? It is a way these continental people have of doing things, you see. The Count Waldemar and my niece were betrothed to each other in their childhood. There is a very great attachment between them--at least on her part. The child seems to think that there is but one man in the world and his name is Waldemar de Volaski."
"But--I did not know--I thought--I did not think--the count had ever been in England," incoherently murmured Valerie.
"Nor has he; but what has that to do with it?" smiled her ladyship.
"Your niece--"
"Oh, I see! Because I am an Englishwoman my niece must be one, you think. You are mistaken, dear; she is French. My sister Anne married a Frenchman, the Marquis de St. Cyr. They had two children--Alphouse, a colonel in the Cha.s.seurs d"Afrique, now in Algiers; and Aimee, now in the Convent of St. Rosalie. It was when the late Count de Volaski was here as the minister from Russia, that the acquaintance between the two families commenced and ripened into intimacy and the intimacy into friendship. Then Waldemar and Aimee were betrothed."
"How many years ago was that?" faintly inquired Valerie.
"Oh, about six--the young man was then about fifteen; the girl not more than twelve."
"They could not have known their own minds at that age," murmured Valerie.
"Oh, that was not at all necessary in a French betrothal," laughed the lady; "but, however, Aimee, child as she was, certainly knew her mind.
The love of her betrothed husband was, and is, the religion of her life.
I presume that Count Waldemar is equally constant; and that he will now press for a speedy marriage. My brother-in-law is down on his estates in Provence, just now; but I shall write and ask his permission to withdraw Aimee from her convent, in antic.i.p.ation of her marriage, for of course she will be married from this house."
"But--her mother?"
"Oh! I should have told you; her mother, my dear sister Anne, pa.s.sed away about a year after the betrothal of her daughter. The marquis took her loss very much to heart, and has never married again. The motherless girl has pa.s.sed her life in a convent; but I hope to have her out soon.
Here, my love, is an alb.u.m containing portraits of my sister and brother-in-law and their children, taken at various times. You cannot mistake them, and they may interest you," said Lady C., taking a photographic volume from a gilded stand near, and laying it upon her guest"s lap.
Valerie received it with a nod of thanks, and the lady glided away to give some of her attention to her other guests.
"The young English d.u.c.h.ess is lovely, but too sad," said an emba.s.sadress, as the hostess joined her.