He turned to the Aunt Caroline now and addressed her exclusively and Stella rebelliously moved her seat back a few inches and looked across the room; and at that moment the tall, odd-looking Russian came in, and retired to a seat far on the other side, exactly opposite them. Here he ordered a hock and seltzer with perfect unconcern, and smoked his cigarette. Miss Rawson could hardly bear it.
"There is that extraordinary man again, Stella," Mrs. Ebley turned to her and said. "I thought he had gone as he was not at luncheon to-day.
I am sure your fiance will agree with me that such an appearance is sacrilegious--he must know he looks like a saint--and I am quite sure, from what I have heard from Martha, he is not one at all. He lives in the greatest luxury, Eustace," she continued, turning to the Rev. Mr.
Medlicott, "and probably does no good to anyone in the world."
"How can you suppose that, Aunt Caroline," Stella answered with some spirit, "it is surely very uncharitable to judge of people by their appearances and--and what Martha repeats to you."
Mrs. Ebley gasped--never in her whole life had her niece spoken to her in this tone. She to be rebuked! It was unspeakable. She could only glare behind her gla.s.ses. What had come to the girl in the last two days--if this manner was the result of travel, far better to have stayed at home!
Here Canon Ebley joined in, hoping to bring peace:
"You have told Eustace what is in store for him to-night, have you not, Caroline, my dear?" he asked. "We have to put on our best and take our ladies to the Emba.s.sy to a rout, Eustace," he went on, genially. "There are a Russian Grand Duke and d.u.c.h.ess pa.s.sing through, it appears, who are going to be entertained."
"There will be no dancing, I suppose," said Mr. Medlicott primly, "because, if so, I am sorry, but I cannot accompany you--it is not that I disapprove of dancing for others," he hastened to add, "but I do not care to watch it myself. And I do not think it wise for Stella to grow to care for it, either."
"It is merely a reception," Mrs. Ebley said, "and it will be a very interesting sight."
Stella sat silent; she was overcome with the whole situation; and her fiance grew more distasteful to her every moment--how had she ever been persuaded to be engaged to such a person!--while the attraction of the strange-looking Russian seemed to increase. In spite of the grotesque hair and unusual beard, there was an air of great distinction about him. His complete unconsciousness and calm were so remarkable. You might take him for an eccentric person, but certainly a gentleman, and with an extraordinary magnetism, she felt. When once you had talked to him, he seemed to cast a spell over you. But, beyond this, she only knew that she was growing more unhappy every moment, and that by her side one man represented everything that was tied and bound in sentiment and feeling and existence, and that across the hall another opened the windows of her reason and imagination, and exhorted her to be free, and herself.
Presently she could bear it no more. She got up rather suddenly, and, saying she was very tired and had letters to write, she left them and went toward the lift.
"Stella is not at all like herself," Mr. Medlicott said, when she had disappeared from view. "I trust she is not sickening with Roman fever."
Meanwhile, Miss Rawson had reached her room and pulled her writing case in front of her. There were one or two girl friends who ought to be written to, but the sheets remained blank--and in about ten minutes there was a gentle knock at the door, and, on opening it, she saw Count Roumovski"s discreet-looking servant, who handed her a note respectfully, and then went on his way without a word.
How agreeable it must be to have well-trained servants to do one"s bidding like that! she thought, and then went back eagerly to her window to read the missive. It had no beginning or date, and was just a few lines.
I have observed the whole situation, and judged of the character of your fiance. I know how you feel. Do not be depressed--remain calm and trust me, circ.u.mstances can always be directed in the hands of a strong man. I will have the honor to be presented to you and to your family soon after you arrive at the Emba.s.sy to-night. All is well.
There was no signature, and the writing was rather large and unlike any she had seen before.
Suddenly her feeling of unrest left her, and a lightness of heart took its place. She was living, at all events, and the horizon was not all gray. It seemed almost delightful to be putting on a real evening dress presently, even though it was a rather homely white thing with a pink sash, and to be going down to the restaurant in it with Aunt Caroline in front in her best black velvet and point lace.
That lady"s desire to be in time at the party alone determined her to this breach of the rules--and there were Eustace and Uncle Erasmus in their stiff clerical evening coats awaiting them in the corridor--while, as luck would have it, the lift stopped at the second floor to admit the Russian. He got in with his usual air of being unaware that he was not alone--though Stella could feel that he was touching her hand--perhaps unconsciously. He seemed to radiate some kind of joy for her always, and the pink grew to that of a June rose in her cheeks, and her brown eyes shone like two stars.
"That was the man you spoke of in the hall, Mrs. Ebley, was it not?"
Eustace Medlicott"s intoning voice said, as they went along to the restaurant. "He certainly is a most remarkable person to look at close--but I do not dislike his face, it has n.o.ble lines."
"Really, how condescending of you!" Stella almost said aloud. But the Aunt Caroline answered serenely:
"Perhaps I am prejudiced, Eustace, but want of convention always shocks me to such a degree that I cannot appreciate anything else."
Stella almost enjoyed her dinner, she was so excited with the prospect of some unknown coming events, and she had the satisfaction of observing that once Count Roumovski actually turned his head in their direction and met her eyes. His were full of a whimsical smile for the instant he looked, and then he relapsed into his habitual indifference.
The crowd had begun to thicken when they got to the Emba.s.sy, and they waited among them for the Royalties" arrival; Stella looking at everything with fresh, interested eyes. When this ceremony was over people began to disperse about the large rooms, and Miss Rawson was conscious that her strange secret acquaintance was in conversation with the Grand Duke and d.u.c.h.ess; she had not seen him come in. The Aunt Caroline noticed this, too, and drew her attention to the fact.
"Look, Stella, that dreadful man is talking to Royalty!" she said. "I suppose he must be a gentleman, after all--one never can tell with foreigners, as their t.i.tles mean nothing, and half of them are a.s.sumed.
Your Uncle Carford had a valet once who afterward was arrested for posing as a Polish count."
"I should think anyone could see this man was a gentleman, Aunt Caroline," Stella answered, "even without his talking to Royalties."
They were soon joined by the secretary cousin, who was charmed to welcome so pretty a relation to Rome, and was profuse in his apologies for not having been able to do more than leave cards upon them as yet.
"We should so like to know the names of the celebrities," Mrs. Ebley said, "especially can you tell us about the very curious-looking person now conversing with her Imperial Highness; he is at our hotel."
"That--Oh! that is by far the most interesting man here--it is the famous Count Roumovski. He is a most celebrated traveler; he has been all over the world and Africa and Asia in unaccessible places. He is a fabulously rich Russian--a real Muscovite from near Moscow, and he does everything and anything he pleases; he gives enormous sums for the encouragement of science. He is immensely intelligent--he lunched at the Emba.s.sy to-day."
"Really!" said the Aunt Caroline, somewhat impressed. "His appearance is greatly against him."
"Oh, do you think so?" said the cousin. "I think it adds to his attraction, it is such superlative audacity. No Englishman would have the nerve to cut his hair like that."
"I should hope not," said Mrs. Ebley severely, and dropped the subject.
"To think of this charming rosebud of a girl going to marry Eustace Medlicott--insufferable, conceited prig, I remember him at Oxford," the cousin was musing to himself. "Lord Carford is an old stick-in-the-mud, or he would have prevented that. She is his own niece, and one can see by her frock that the poor child never even goes to London."
At this moment they saw the Russian Count putting his heels together and bowing himself out of the circle of his Royalties; and straight as a dart he came over to where their group was standing, and whispered in the cousin"s--Mr. Deanwood"s ear--who then asked if he might present Count Roumovski to the Aunt Caroline and the rest.
When this ceremony was over Mrs. Ebley found herself conversing with her whilom object of contempt, and coming gradually under the influence of his wonderful charm, while Stella stood there trembling with the wildest excitement she had yet known. The words of Eustace, her betrothed, talking to her, carried no meaning to her brain, her whole intelligence was strung up to catch what the others were saying.
With great dexterity the Russian presently made the conversation general, and drew her into it, and then he said with composure that the Gardens were illuminated--and, as it was such a very hot night, would mademoiselle like to take a turn that way, to have some refreshment? At the same moment, Mr. Deanwood gave Mrs. Ebley his arm, and they all moved forward--followed by Canon Ebley and the Rev. Eustace Medlicott, with no great joy upon his face.
Stella, meanwhile, felt herself being drawn rapidly ahead, and so maneuvered that in a moment or two they had completely lost sight of the rest of the relations, and were practically alone in a crowd.
"At last!" Count Roumovski whispered, "even I, who am generally calm, was beginning to feel I should rush over, throw prudence to the winds and--" then he stopped abruptly, and Stella felt her heart thump in her throat, while her little hand on his arm was pressed against his side.
They made the pretense of taking some refreshment at the buffet, and then went toward the open doors of the garden. The part all round the house was illuminated, and numbers of people strolled about, the night was deliciously warm. Count Roumovski seemed to know the paths, for he drew his companion to a seat just beyond the radius of the lights, and they sat down upon a bench under a giant tree. He had not spoken a word, but now he leaned back and deliberately looked into her eyes, while his voice, with vibrations of feeling in it which thrilled Stella, whispered in her ear:
"It cannot go on, of course--you agree with me about that, do you not?"
"What cannot go on?" she asked, to gain time to recover her composure.
"This situation," he answered. "I am sure now that I love you--and I want to teach you a number of things, first in importance being that you shall love me."
"Oh, you must not say this," Stella protested feebly.
"Yes, I must, and you will listen to me, little star."
He drew nearer to her, and the amazing power of propinquity began to a.s.sert itself. She felt as if the force to resist him were leaving her, she was trembling all over with delicious thrills.
"I made up my mind almost immediately I saw you, sweet child," he went on, "that you were what I have been waiting for all my life. You are good and true--and balanced--or you will be that when I have made your love education. Stella, look at me with those soft eyes, and tell me that I mean something to you already, and that the worthy Mr. Medlicott does not exist any more."
"I--I--but I have only known you for two days," Stella answered confusedly: she was so full of emotion that she dared not trust herself further.
"Does time count, then, so much with conventional people?" he demanded.
"For me it has no significance in relation to feeling. If you would only look at me instead of down at those small hands, then you would not be able to tell me these foolish things!"
This was so true that Stella could not deny it, her breath came rather fast; it was the supreme moment her life had yet known.