Her knees would hardly support her, she trembled so, until she was safe in the big blue motor, which moved off at once. For an awful moment a hideous sense of terror overcame her, making her cold. What lay in front of her? What new fate?--and then joy and life came back. She was going to freedom and love-away from Exminster and dreary duties--away from Eustace Medlicott, for ever! For, of course, her uncle and aunt would come round in time, and they could be happy again with her some day.
When Mrs. Ebley had collected her scattered senses and followed down the pa.s.sage only to find Stella out of sight, she was obliged to retrace her steps and rejoin her husband and Mr. Medlicott, who were awaiting her at the lift on the other side, the restaurant end, which was the one they were accustomed to descend by.
"She ran away from me, Erasmus!" the agitated lady cried, "pa.s.sed me without a word, and I suppose has gone down the stairs--if we hasten in the lift we shall catch her yet."
But as they frantically rang the bell and the lift boy did not come, Eustace Medlicott, with a most unsaintly exclamation, hastened off by that staircase and arrived in the hall to see the hated Russian calmly smoking his cigarette and reading an English paper.
He advanced upon him regardless of the numbers of people beginning to a.s.semble for tea.
"What have you done with Miss Rawson?" he asked furiously. "She has this moment run away from her aunt."
"I have nothing to converse with you about," Count Roumovski returned, with mild surprise. "And, as I see it is four o"clock, I must wish you a good-day, as I have an appointment," with which he rose quietly before the other could prevent him, and crossed the broad path of carpet which separates the groups of chairs, and there was seen to enter into earnest conversation with a Russian-looking individual who had just entered.
The Reverend Mr. Medlicott was nonplussed, and hurried into the front vestibule, where he made rapid inquiries of the hall-porter.
Yes--the young lady, he believed, had walked out of the hotel not two minutes before. Monsieur would overtake her certainly, if he hastened.
And the frantic young man rushed from the door, through the porte cochere, and so to the street, but all he saw in the far distance was a retreating large, blue automobile--and this conveyed among all the rest of the traffic no impression whatever.
To search for Stella was hopeless; the only thing to do was to return to the Ebleys, and with them go to the Emba.s.sy. There they could, perhaps, get advice and help how to communicate with the police.
But what an ignominious position for a Bishop"s junior chaplain to be placed in, a humiliation in every way!
CHAPTER VII
When Stella found the automobile drawing up at a strange hotel"s doors her tremors broke out afresh, until she saw the face of Ivan, who, with the porter, came forward to meet her, saying respectfully in French, would mademoiselle be pleased to mount directly to the rooms reserved for the Princess Urazov? And soon, without anyone questioning her, she found herself being taken up in the lift, and finally ushered into a charming sitting-room full of flowers.
Here she sat down and trembled again. The wildest excitement filled her veins. Would Sasha never come! She could not sit still, she walked from bouquet to bouquet of roses and carnations, sniffing the scent, and at last subsided into a big armchair, as the waiters brought in some tea.
He thought of everything for her, then--her lover. But oh, why did he not come!
She had finished her tea and had begun her restless pacing again, when, with a gentle tap, the door opened, and Count Roumovski appeared.
"Sasha!" she cried, and advanced toward him like a frightened child.
His usually calm blue eyes were blazing with some emotion which disturbed her greatly, she knew not why, and his voice seemed to have taken a tone of extra deepness, as he said:
"Stella! My little star! And so you are really here--and my own!"
He put his strong hands down and held on to the back of a chair, and simple as she was she knew very well that otherwise he would have taken her into his arms, which was where she was longing to be, if she had known.
"Yes, I have come," she whispered, "I have left them all--for you. Oh!
when will your sister be here?"
"Not until six o"clock, darling," he answered, while his eyes melted upon her with pa.s.sionate love. "There is an hour yet to wait. I had hoped you would not have been forced to leave your aunt"s care until then."
"Oh! I am delighted to have come away," Stella answered, regaining some of her composure. "I was shut into my room and watched by a servant. It was awful! But do--you know what has happened now? since I left? Are they tearing about after me, or what?"
Count Roumovski still held on to the back of the chair, and his voice was still deep, as he said:
"I believe they have gone to your Emba.s.sy in a band--and much good may they get there. You are of age, you see. Besides, I have taken care that no one at the Grand Hotel knows where we have gone, and it will take them quite an hour or two to telephone about and find out--and by that time my sister will have arrived, and we can defy them."
"Yes," said Stella, and then, nervously, "won"t you have some tea?"
He sat down, still constrainedly and clasped his hands, and womanlike, when she saw his agitation, her own lessened, and she a.s.sumed command, while she asked almost archly if he took cream and sugar.
He liked neither, he said, and with the air of a little hostess she handed him the cup. Then she smiled softly and stood quite near him.
He drew himself together and his face looked almost stern as he took the tea, and over Stella there crept a chill--and the gay little speech that had been bubbling to her lips died there, and a silence fell upon them for a few moments. Then he put down his cup and crossed to the stiff sofa where she was, and sat down beside her.
"Sweetheart," he said, looking deeply into her eyes, "it is a colossal temptation, you know, to me to make love to you. But I am not going to permit myself that happiness yet. I want to tell you all about what we shall do presently, and see if it pleases you." He did not even take her hand, and Stella felt rather aggrieved and wounded. "I propose that as soon as the formalities can be got through, and the wedding can take place, that we go straight to Paris--because you will want to get all kinds of clothes. And it will be such a delight to me to give you everything you wish for."
Stella smiled shyly. It seemed suddenly to bring realities of things before her with keen force. He would have the right to give her everything in the world--this man whom she did not really know, but whom she felt she loved very much. She clasped her hands and a thrill ran through her. What, what did it all mean? The idea of her marriage with Eustace Medlicott had always appeared as an ugly vision, an end to everything, a curtain which was yet drawn over a view which could only be all dusk and gray shadows, and which she would rather not contemplate. But now the thought of going away and beginning a new existence with Sasha Roumovski was something so glorious and delicious that she quivered with joy at any reference to it.
Her little movement and the clasping of her hands affected him profoundly. He, too, quivered, but with the stern effort to control himself. It was part of his code of honor. Not the slightest advantage must be taken of the situation while Stella was alone and unchaperoned, although the very fact of their propinquity and the knowledge of their solitude were extremely exciting to him, who knew the meaning of every emotion. He drew a little away from her, and said in a voice that sounded cold:
"I have seen the consul this afternoon. It will take three weeks, I am afraid, before we can be legally married here in Rome. It seems an eternity to me."
"Yes," agreed Stella, and suddenly looked down. She wished intensely that he would caress her a little--although she was unaware of the desire. She wondered vaguely--was it then very wicked to make love, since Sasha, too, like Eustace, seemed as if he were resisting something with all his strength? And unconsciously she pouted her red underlip, and Count Roumovski moved convulsively.
"My sister"s room is next to this," he said, "and yours is beyond. I have had only roses put there, because you are like a sweet June rose."
"Am I?" said Miss Rawson, and raised her head. She had grown extremely excited and disappointed, and, she knew not what, only that she did not like this new lover of hers to be sitting there constrained and aloof, talking in a stiff voice unlike his usual easy grace. It was perfectly ridiculous to have run away with some one with whom she was pa.s.sionately in love, if he were going to remain as cold as ice!
She got up and took a rose from a vase and fastened it in her dress.
The whole movement and action had the unconscious coquetry of a woman"s methods to gain her end. Totally unaccustomed as Stella was to all artifices, instinct was her teacher.
Sasha Roumovski rose suddenly.
"Come and sit here beside me again, heart of mine," he commanded with imperious love, and indicated the stiff Louis XIV sofa. "I must explain everything to you, it would seem."
Stella had never heard this tone in his voice before; it caused her strange delight, and she shyly took her seat at one end of the sofa, and then, as he flung himself down beside her, she looked up at him.
"What must you explain?" she asked.
"First, that I love you madly, that it is sickening temptation to be with you now every instant without holding you in my arms," and his voice trembled, while his blue eyes glowed. "That I do not know how to resist the wild pa.s.sion which is overcoming me. I want to kiss you so terribly, more than I have ever wanted anything in my life."
"We-ll?" said Stella, with a quiver of exquisite joy. "And--" she had almost spoken her thought of, "Why do you not do so, then?"--but the burning pa.s.sion she read in his made her drop her eyes. This was too much for him. He understood perfectly, and, with a little cry, he drew her to him, and his lips had almost touched her red, young, pouting lips when he suddenly controlled himself and put her from him.
"No, sweetheart," he said hoa.r.s.ely, "you would never respect me any more if I took advantage of your tenderness now. As soon--as soon as I really may, I will teach you every shade of love and its meanings. I will kiss those lips and unloosen that hair; I will suffocate you with caresses and make you thrill as I shall thrill until we both forget everything in the intoxication of bliss," and he half-closed his eyes, and his face grew pale again with suppressed emotion.
"Oh, I do not understand at all," Stella said, in a disappointed and perplexed voice. "Since we are going to be married, why would it be so very wrong for you to kiss me? I--I--" her small rueful face, with its sweet childlike irregular curves, looked almost pathetically comic, and Sasha leaned forward and covered his eyes with his hands. And then he mastered himself and laughed softly.
"Oh, you adorable one!" he said. "It is not wrong--not the least wrong.
Only presently, when you do understand, you will realize how very much I loved you to-day."