The complete reconciliation between the two girls was thus peacefully effected; and then Isaura had to listen, at no small length, to the confidences poured into her ears by Valerie, who was fortunately too engrossed by her own hopes and doubts to exact confidences in return.
Valerie"s was one of those impulsive eager natures that longs for a confidante. Not so Isaura"s. Only when Valerie had unburthened her heart, and been soothed and caressed into happy trust in the future, did she recall Isaura"s explanatory words, and said, archly: "And your absent friend? Tell me about him. Is he as handsome as Alain?"
"Nay," said Isaura, rising to take up the mantle and hat she had laid aside on entering, "they say that the colour of a flower is in our vision, not in the leaves." Then with a grave melancholy in the look she fixed upon Valerie, she added: "Rather than distrust of me should occasion you pain, I have pained myself, in making clear to you the reason why I felt interest in M. de Rochebriant"s conversation. In turn, I ask of you a favour--do not on this point question me farther. There are some things in our past which influence the present, but to which we dare not a.s.sign a future--on which we cannot talk to another. What soothsayer can tell us if the dream of a yesterday will be renewed on the night of a morrow? All is said--we trust one another, dearest."
CHAPTER II.
That evening the Morleys looked in at Isaura"s on their way to a crowded a.s.sembly at the house of one of those rich Americans, who were then outvying the English residents at Paris in the good graces of Parisian society. I think the Americans get on better with the French than the English do--I mean the higher cla.s.s of Americans. They spend more money; their men speak French better; the women are better dressed, and, as a general rule, have read more largely, and converse more frankly. Mrs.
Morley"s affection for Isaura had increased during the last few months.
As so notable an advocate of the ascendancy of her s.e.x, she felt a sort of grateful pride in the accomplishments and growing renown of so youthful a member of the oppressed sisterhood. But, apart from that sentiment, she had conceived a tender mother-like interest for the girl who stood in the world so utterly devoid of family ties, so dest.i.tute of that household guardianship and protection which, with all her a.s.sertion of the strength and dignity of woman, and all her opinions as to woman"s right of absolute emanc.i.p.ation from the conventions fabricated by the selfishness of man, Mrs. Morley was too sensible not to value for the individual, though she deemed it not needed for the ma.s.s. Her great desire was that Isaura should marry well, and soon. American women usually marry so young that it seemed to Mrs. Morley an anomaly in social life, that one so gifted in mind and person as Isaura should already have pa.s.sed the age in which the belles of the great Republic are enthroned as wives and consecrated as mothers. We have seen that in the past year she had selected from our unworthy but necessary s.e.x, Graham Vane as a suitable spouse to her young friend. She had divined the state of his heart--she had more than suspicions of the state of Isaura"s. She was exceedingly perplexed and exceedingly chafed at the Englishman"s strange disregard to his happiness and her own projects.
She had counted, all this past winter, on his return to Paris; and she became convinced that some misunderstanding, possibly some lover"s quarrel, was the cause of his protracted absence, and a cause that, if ascertained, could be removed. A good opportunity now presented itself--Colonel Morley was going to London the next day. He had business there which would detain him at least a week. He would see Graham; and as she considered her husband the shrewdest and wisest person in the world--I mean of the male s.e.x--she had no doubt of his being able to turn Graham"s mind thoroughly inside out, and ascertain his exact feelings and intentions. If the Englishman, thus a.s.sayed, were found of base metal, then, at least, Mrs. Morley would be free to cast him altogether aside, and coin for the uses of the matrimonial market some n.o.bler effigy in purer gold.
"My dear child," said Mrs. Morley, in a low voice, nestling herself close to Isaura, while the Colonel, duly instructed, drew off the Venosta, "have you heard anything lately of our pleasant friend Mr.
Vane?"
You can guess with what artful design Mrs. Morley put that question point-blank, fixing keen eyes on Isaura while she put it. She saw the heightened colour, the quivering lip of the girl thus abruptly appealed to, and she said inly: "I was right--she loves him!"
"I heard of Mr. Vane last night--accidentally."
"Is he coming to Paris soon?"
"Not that I know of. How charmingly that wreath becomes you! it suits the earrings so well, too."
"Frank chose it; he has good taste for a man. I trust him with my commissions to Hunt and Roskell"s but I limit him as to price, he is so extravagant--men are, when they make presents. They seem to think we value things according to their cost. They would gorge us with jewels, and let us starve for want of a smile. Not that Frank is so bad as the rest of them. But a propos of Mr. Vane--Frank will be sure to see him, and scold him well for deserting us all. I should not be surprised if he brought the deserter back with him, for I send a little note by Frank, inviting him to pay us a visit. We have spare rooms in our apartments."
Isaura"s heart heaved beneath her robe, but she replied in a tone of astonishing indifference: "I believe this is the height of the London season, and Mr. Vane would probably be too engaged to profit even by an invitation so tempting."
"Nous verrons. How pleased he will be to hear of your triumphs! He admired you so much before you were famous: what will be his admiration now! men are so vain--they care for us so much more when people praise us. But till we have put the creatures in their proper place, we must take them for what they are."
Here the Venosta, with whom the poor Colonel had exhausted all the arts at his command for chaining her attention, could be no longer withheld from approaching Mrs. Morley, and venting her admiration of that lady"s wreath, earrings, robes, flounces. This dazzling apparition had on her the effect which a candle has on a moth--she fluttered round it, and longed to absorb herself in its blaze. But the wreath especially fascinated her--a wreath which no prudent lady with colourings less pure, and features less exquisitely delicate than the pretty champion of the rights of women, could have fancied on her own brows without a shudder. But the Venosta in such matters was not prudent. "It can"t be dear," she cried piteously, extending her arms towards Isaura. "I must have one exactly like. Who made it? Cara signora, give me the address."
"Ask the Colonel, dear Madame; he chose and bought it," and Mrs. Morley glanced significantly at her well-tutored Frank.
"Madame," said the Colonel, speaking in English, which he usually did with the Venosta--who valued herself on knowing that language and was flattered to be addressed in it--while he amused himself by introducing into its forms the dainty Americanisms with which he puzzled the Britisher--he might well puzzle the Florentine,--"Madame, I am too anxious for the appearance of my wife to submit to the test of a rival schemer like yourself in the same apparel. With all the homage due to a s.e.x of which I am enthused dreadful, I decline to designate the florist from whom I purchased Mrs. Morley"s head-fixings."
"Wicked man!" cried the Venosta, shaking her finger at him coquettishly.
"You are jealous! Fie! a man should never be jealous of a woman"s rivalry with women;" and then, with a cynicism that might have become a greybeard, she added, "but of his own s.e.x every man should be jealous--though of his dearest friend. Isn"t it so, Colonello?"
The Colonel looked puzzled, bowed, and made no reply. "That only shows,"
said Mrs. Morley, rising, "what villains the Colonel has the misfortune to call friends and fellow-men."
"I fear it is time to go," said Frank, glancing at the clock.
In theory the most rebellious, in practice the most obedient, of wives, Mrs. Morley here kissed Isaura, resettled her crinoline, and shaking hands with the Venosta, retreated to the door.
"I shall have the wreath yet," cried the Venosta, impishly. "La speranza e fenamina" (Hope is female).
"Alas!" said Isaura, half mournfully, half smiling, "alas! do you not remember what the poet replied when asked what disease was most mortal?--"the hectic fever caught from the chill of hope.""
CHAPTER III.
Graham Vane was musing very gloomily in his solitary apartment one morning, when his servant announced Colonel Morley.
He received his visitor with more than the cordiality with which every English politician receives an American citizen. Graham liked the Colonel too well for what he was in himself to need any national t.i.tle to his esteem. After some preliminary questions and answers as to the health of Mrs. Morley, the length of the Colonel"s stay in London, what day he could dine with Graham at Richmond or Gravesend, the Colonel took up the ball. "We have been reckoning to see you at Paris, sir, for the last six months."
"I am very much flattered to hear that you have thought of me at all; but I am not aware of having warranted the expectation you so kindly express."
"I guess you must have said something to my wife which led her to do more than expect--to reckon on your return. And, by the way, sir, I am charged to deliver to you this note from her, and to back the request it contains that you will avail yourself of the offer. Without summarising the points I do so."
Graham glanced over the note addressed to him
"DEAR MR. VANE,--Do you forget how beautiful the environs of Paris are in May and June? how charming it was last year at the lake of Enghien? how gay were our little dinners out of doors in the garden arbours, with the Savarins and the fair Italian, and her incomparably amusing chaperon? Frank has my orders to bring you back to renew these happy days, while the birds are in their first song, and the leaves are in their youngest green. I have prepared your rooms chez nous--a chamber that looks out on the Champs Elysees, and a quiet cabinet de travail at the back, in which you can read, write, or sulk undisturbed. Come, and we will again visit Enghien and Montmorency. Don"t talk of engagements. If man proposes, woman disposes. Hesitate not--obey. Your sincere little friend, Lizzy."
"My dear Morley," said Graham, with emotion, "I cannot find words to thank your wife sufficiently for an invitation so graciously conveyed.
Alas! I cannot accept it."
"Why?" asked the Colonel, drily.
"I have too much to do in London."
"Is that the true reason, or am I to suspicion that there is anything, sir, which makes you dislike a visit to Paris?"
The Americans enjoy the reputation of being the frankest putters of questions whom liberty of speech has yet educated into la recherche de la verite, and certainly Colonel Morley in this instance did not impair the national reputation.
Graham Vane"s brow slightly contracted, and he bit his lip as if stung by a sudden pang; but after a moment"s pause, he answered with a good-humoured smile:
"No man who has taste enough to admire the most beautiful city, and appreciate the charms of the most brilliant society in the world, can dislike Paris."
"My dear sir, I did not ask you if you disliked Paris, but if there were anything that made you dislike coming back to it on a visit."
"What a notion! and what a cross-examiner you would have made if you had been called to the bar! Surely, my dear friend, you can understand that when a man has in one place business which he cannot neglect, he may decline going to another place, whatever pleasure it would give him to do so. By the way, there is a great ball at one of the Ministers"
to-night; you should go there, and I will point out to you all those English notabilities in whom Americans naturally take interest. I will call for you at eleven o"clock. Lord ------, who is a connection of mine, would be charmed to know you."
Morley hesitated; but when Graham said, "How your wife will scold you if you lose such an opportunity of telling her whether the d.u.c.h.ess of ---- is as beautiful as report says, and whether Gladstone or Disraeli seems to your phrenological science to have the finer head!" the Colonel gave in, and it was settled that Graham should call for him at the Langham Hotel.
That matter arranged, Graham probably hoped that his inquisitive visitor would take leave for the present, but the Colonel evinced no such intention. On the contrary, settling himself more at ease in his arm-chair, he said, "if I remember aright, you do not object to the odour of tobacco?"
Graham rose and presented to his visitor a cigar-box which he took from the mantelpiece.
The Colonel shook his head, and withdrew from his breast pocket a leather case, from which he extracted a gigantic regalia; this he lighted from a gold match-box in the shape of a locket attached to his watch-chain, and took two or three preliminary puffs, with his head thrown back and his eyes meditatively intent upon the ceiling.
We know already that strange whim of the Colonel"s (than whom, if he so pleased, no man could speak purer English as spoken by the Britisher) to a.s.sert the dignity of the American citizen by copious use of expressions and phrases familiar to the lips of the governing cla.s.s of the great Republic--delicacies of speech which he would have carefully shunned in the polite circles of the Fifth Avenue in New York. Now the Colonel was much too experienced a man of the world not to be aware that the commission with which his Lizzy had charged him was an exceedingly delicate one; and it occurred to his mother wit that the best way to acquit himself of it, so as to avoid the risk of giving or of receiving serious affront, would be to push that whim of his into more than wonted exaggeration. Thus he could more decidedly and briefly come to the point; and should he, in doing so, appear too meddlesome, rather provoke a laugh than a frown-retiring from the ground with the honours due to a humorist. Accordingly, in his deepest nasal intonation, and withdrawing his eyes from the ceiling, he began:
"You have not asked, sir, after the signorina, or as we popularly call her, Mademoiselle Cicogna?"