The song went on. It was a sorrowful strain of parting, and the fresh young voice was very plaintive and tender. As Jasper watched the pretty lips, and ever and again hinted the one note, as though it were a low whisper from himself, the voice became less steady, until all at once the singer broke into a burst of tears, and shrieked out, with her hands over her eyes: "I can"t bear this! I am frightened! Take me away!"
With one swift turn of her lithe figures Helena laid the little beauty on a sofa, as if she had never caught her up. Then, on one knee beside her, and with one hand upon her rosy mouth, while with the other she appealed to all the rest, Helena said to them: "It"s nothing; it"s all over; don"t speak to her for one minute, and she is well!"
Jasper"s hands had, in the same instant, lifted themselves from the keys, and were now poised above them, as though he waited to resume. In that att.i.tude he yet sat quiet: not even looking round, when all the rest had changed their places and were rea.s.suring one another.
"p.u.s.s.y"s not used to an audience; that"s the fact," said Edwin Drood. "She got nervous, and couldn"t hold out. Besides, Jack, you are such a conscientious master, and require so much, that I believe you make her afraid of you. No wonder."
"No wonder," repeated Helena.
"There, Jack, you hear! You would be afraid of him, under similar circ.u.mstances, wouldn"t you, Miss Landless?"
"Not under any circ.u.mstances," returned Helena.
Jasper brought down his hands, looked over his shoulder, and begged to thank Miss Landless for her vindication of his character. Then he fell to dumbly playing, without striking the notes, while his little pupil was taken to an open window for air, and was otherwise petted and restored. When she was brought back, his place was empty. "Jack"s gone, p.u.s.s.y," Edwin told her. "I am more than half afraid he didn"t like to be charged with being the Monster who had frightened you." But she answered never a word, and shivered, as if they had made her a little too cold.
Miss Twinkleton now opining that indeed these were late hours, Mrs. Crisparkle, for finding ourselves outside the walls of the Nuns" House, and that we who undertook the formation of the future wives and mothers of England (the last words in a lower voice, as requiring to be communicated in confidence) were really bound (voice coming up again) to set a better example than one of rakish habits, wrappers were put in requisition, and the two young cavaliers volunteered to see the ladies home. It was soon done, and the gate of the Nuns" House closed upon them.
The boarders had retired, and only Mrs. Tisher in solitary vigil awaited the new pupil. Her bedroom being within Rosa"s, very little introduction or explanation was necessary, before she was placed in charge of her new friend, and left for the night.
"This is a blessed relief, my dear," said Helena. "I have been dreading all day, that I should be brought to bay at this time."
"There are not many of us," returned Rosa, "and we are good-natured girls; at least the others are; I can answer for them."
"I can answer for you," laughed Helena, searching the lovely little face with her dark, fiery eyes, and tenderly caressing the small figure. "You will be a friend to me, won"t you?"
"I hope so. But the idea of my being a friend to you seems too absurd, though."
"Why?"
"O, I am such a mite of a thing, and you are so womanly and handsome. You seem to have resolution and power enough to crush me. I shrink into nothing by the side of your presence even."
"I am a neglected creature, my dear, unacquainted with all accomplishments, sensitively conscious that I have everything to learn, and deeply ashamed to own my ignorance."
"And yet you acknowledge everything to me!" said Rosa.
"My pretty one, can I help it? There is a fascination in you."
"O! is there though?" pouted Rosa, half in jest and half in earnest. "What a pity Master Eddy doesn"t feel it more!"
Of course her relations towards that young gentleman had been already imparted in Minor Canon Corner.
"Why, surely he must love you with all his heart!" cried Helena, with an earnestness that threatened to blaze into ferocity if he didn"t.
"Eh? O, well, I suppose he does," said Rosa, pouting again; "I am sure I have no right to say he doesn"t. Perhaps it"s my fault. Perhaps I am not as nice to him as I ought to be. I don"t think I am. But it is so ridiculous!"
Helena"s eyes demanded what was.
"We are," said Rosa, answering as if she had spoken. "We are such a ridiculous couple. And we are always quarrelling."
"Why?"
"Because we both know we are ridiculous, my dear!" Rosa gave that answer as if it were the most conclusive answer in the world.
Helena"s masterful look was intent upon her face for a few moments, and then she impulsively put out both her hands and said:
"You will be my friend and help me?"
"Indeed, my dear, I will," replied Rosa, in a tone of affectionate childishness that went straight and true to her heart; "I will be as good a friend as such a mite of a thing can be to such a n.o.ble creature as you. And be a friend to me, please; I don"t understand myself: and I want a friend who can understand me, very much indeed."
Helena Landless kissed her, and retaining both her hands said:
"Who is Mr. Jasper?"
Rosa turned aside her head in answering: "Eddy"s uncle, and my music-master."
"You do not love him?"
"Ugh!" She put her hands up to her face, and shook with fear or horror.
"You know that he loves you?"
"O, don"t, don"t, don"t!" cried Rosa, dropping on her knees, and clinging to her new resource. "Don"t tell me of it! He terrifies me. He haunts my thoughts, like a dreadful ghost. I feel that I am never safe from him. I feel as if he could pa.s.s in through the wall when he is spoken of." She actually did look round, as if she dreaded to see him standing in the shadow behind her.
"Try to tell me more about it, darling."
"Yes, I will, I will. Because you are so strong. But hold me the while, and stay with me afterwards."
"My child! You speak as if he had threatened you in some dark way."
"He has never spoken to me about-that. Never."
"What has he done?"
"He has made a slave of me with his looks. He has forced me to understand him, without his saying a word; and he has forced me to keep silence, without his uttering a threat. When I play, he never moves his eyes from my hands. When I sing, he never moves his eyes from my lips. When he corrects me, and strikes a note, or a chord, or plays a pa.s.sage, he himself is in the sounds, whispering that he pursues me as a lover, and commanding me to keep his secret. I avoid his eyes, but he forces me to see them without looking at them. Even when a glaze comes over them (which is sometimes the case), and he seems to wander away into a frightful sort of dream in which he threatens most, he obliges me to know it, and to know that he is sitting close at my side, more terrible to me than ever."
"What is this imagined threatening, pretty one? What is threatened?"
"I don"t know. I have never even dared to think or wonder what it is."
"And was this all, to-night?"
"This was all; except that to-night when he watched my lips so closely as I was singing, besides feeling terrified I felt ashamed and pa.s.sionately hurt. It was as if he kissed me, and I couldn"t bear it, but cried out. You must never breathe this to any one. Eddy is devoted to him. But you said to-night that you would not be afraid of him, under any circ.u.mstances, and that gives me-who am so much afraid of him-courage to tell only you. Hold me! Stay with me! I am too frightened to be left by myself."
The l.u.s.trous gipsy-face drooped over the clinging arms and bosom, and the wild black hair fell down protectingly over the childish form. There was a slumbering gleam of fire in the intense dark eyes, though they were then softened with compa.s.sion and admiration. Let whomsoever it most concerned look well to it!