The Count had been deeply shocked by the discovery that d.i.c.k Butler was Lady O"Moy"s brother, and a little confused that he himself in his ignorance should have been the means of bringing to her knowledge a painful matter that touched her so closely and that hitherto had been so carefully concealed from her by her husband. He was thankful that she should take so optimistic a view, and quick to perceive O"Moy"s charitable desire to leave her optimism undispelled. But he was no less quick to perceive the opportunities which the circ.u.mstances afforded him to further a certain deep intrigue upon which he was engaged.
Therefore he did not take his leave just yet. He sauntered with Lady O"Moy on the terrace above the wooded slopes that screened the village of Alcantara, and there discovered her mind to be even more frivolous and unstable than his perspicuity had hitherto suspected. Under stress Lady O"Moy could convey the sense that she felt deeply. She could be almost theatrical in her displays of emotion. But these were as transient as they were intense. Nothing that was not immediately present to her senses was ever capable of a deep impression upon her spirit, and she had the facility characteristic of the self-loving and self-indulgent of putting aside any matter that was unpleasant. Thus, easily self-persuaded, as we have seen, that this escapade of Richard"s was not to be regarded too seriously, and that its consequences were not likely to be grave, she chattered with gay inconsequence of other things--of the dinner-party last week at the house of the Marquis of Minas, that prominent member of the council of Regency, of the forthcoming ball to be given by the Count of Redondo, of the latest news from home, the latest fashion and the latest scandal, the amours of the Duke of York and the shortcomings of Mr. Perceval.
Samoval, however, did not intend that the matter of her brother should be so entirely forgotten, so lightly treated. Deliberately at last he revived it.
Considering her as she leant upon the granite bal.u.s.trade, her pink sunshade aslant over her shoulder, her flimsy lace shawl festooned from the crook of either arm and floating behind her, a wisp of cloudy vapour, Samoval permitted himself a sigh.
She flashed him a sidelong glance, arch and rallying.
"You are melancholy, sir--a poor compliment," she told him.
But do not misunderstand her. Hers was an almost childish coquetry, inevitable fruit of her intense femininity, craving ever the worship of the sterner s.e.x and the incense of its flattery. And Samoval, after all, young, n.o.ble, handsome, with a half-sinister reputation, was something of a figure of romance, as a good many women had discovered to their cost.
He fingered his snowy stock, and bent upon her eyes of glowing adoration. "Dear Lady O"Moy," his tenor voice was soft and soothing as a caress, "I sigh to think that one so adorable, so entirely made for life"s sunshine and gladness, should have cause for a moment"s uneasiness, perhaps for secret grief, at the thought of the peril of her brother."
Her glance clouded under this reminder. Then she pouted and made a little gesture of impatience. "d.i.c.k is not in peril," she answered. "He is foolish to remain so long in hiding, and of course he will have to face unpleasantness when he is found. But to say that he is in peril is... just nonsense. Terence said nothing of peril. He agreed with me that d.i.c.k will probably be sent home. Surely you don"t think--"
"No, no." He looked down, studying his hessians for a moment, then his dark eyes returned to meet her own. "I shall see to it that he is in no danger. You may depend upon me, who ask but the happy chance to serve you. Should there be any trouble, let me know at once, and I will see to it that all is well. Your brother must not suffer, since he is your brother. He is very blessed and enviable in that."
She stared at him, her brows knitting. "But I don"t understand."
"Is it not plain? Whatever happens, you must not suffer, Lady O"Moy. No man of feeling, and I least of any, could endure it. And since if your brother were to suffer that must bring suffering to you, you may count upon me to shield him."
"You are very good, Count. But shield him from what?"
"From whatever may threaten. The Portuguese Government may demand in self-protection, to appease the clamour of the people stupidly outraged by this affair, that an example shall be made of the offender."
"Oh, but how could they? With what reason?" She displayed a vague alarm, and a less vague impatience of such hypotheses.
He shrugged. "The people are like that--a fierce, vengeful G.o.d to whom appeasing sacrifices must be offered from time to time. If the people demand a scapegoat, governments usually provide one. But be comforted."
In his eagerness of rea.s.surance he caught her delicate mittened hand in his own, and her anxiety rendering her heedless, she allowed it to lie there gently imprisoned. "Be comforted. I shall be here to guard him.
There is much that I can do and you may depend upon me to do it--for your sake, dear lady. The Government will listen to me. I would not have you imagine me capable of boasting. I have influence with the Government, that is all; and I give you my word that so far as the Portuguese Government is concerned your brother shall take no harm."
She looked at him for a long moment with moist eyes, moved and flattered by his earnestness and intensity of homage. "I take this very kindly in you, sir. I have no thanks that are worthy," she said, her voice trembling a little. "I have no means of repaying you. You have made me very happy, Count."
He bent low over the frail hand he was holding.
"Your a.s.surance that I have made you happy repays me very fully, since your happiness is my tenderest concern. Believe me, dear lady, you may ever count Jeronymo de Samoval your most devoted and obedient slave."
He bore the hand to his lips and held it to them for a long moment, whilst with heightened colour and eyes that sparkled, more, be it confessed, from excitement than from grat.i.tude, she stood pa.s.sively considering his bowed dark head.
As he came erect again a movement under the archway caught his eye, and turning he found himself confronting Sir Terence and Miss Armytage, who were approaching. If it vexed him to have been caught by a husband notoriously jealous in an att.i.tude not altogether uncompromising, Samoval betrayed no sign of it.
With smooth self-possession he hailed O"Moy:
"General, you come in time to enable me to take my leave of you. I was on the point of going."
"So I perceived," said O"Moy tartly. He had almost said: "So I had hoped."
His frosty manner would have imposed constraint upon any man less master of himself than Samoval. But the Count ignored it, and ignoring it delayed a moment to exchange amiabilities politely with Miss Armytage, before taking at last an unhurried and unperturbed departure.
But no sooner was he gone than O"Moy expressed himself full frankly to his wife.
"I think Samoval is becoming too attentive and too a.s.siduous."
"He is a dear," said Lady O"Moy.
"That is what I mean," replied Sir Terence grimly.
"He has undertaken that if there should be any trouble with the Portuguese Government about d.i.c.k"s silly affair he will put it right."
"Oh!" said O"Moy, "that was it?" And out of his tender consideration for her said no more.
But Sylvia Armytage, knowing what she knew from Captain Tremayne, was not content to leave the matter there. She reverted to it presently as she was going indoors alone with her cousin.
"Una," she said gently, "I should not place too much faith in Count Samoval and his promises."
"What do you mean?" Lady O"Moy was never very tolerant of advice, especially from an inexperienced young girl.
"I do not altogether trust him. Nor does Terence."
"Pooh! Terence mistrusts every man who looks at me. My dear, never marry a jealous man," she added with her inevitable inconsequence.
"He is the last man--the Count, I mean--to whom, in your place, I should go for a.s.sistance if there is trouble about d.i.c.k." She was thinking of what Tremayne had told her of the att.i.tude of the Portuguese Government, and her clear-sighted mind perceived an obvious peril in permitting Count Samoval to become aware of d.i.c.k"s whereabouts should they ever be discovered.
"What nonsense, Sylvia! You conceive the oddest and most foolish notions sometimes. But of course you have no experience of the world." And beyond that she refused to discuss the matter, nor did the wise Sylvia insist.
CHAPTER V. THE FUGITIVE
Although d.i.c.k Butler might continue missing in the flesh, in the spirit he and his miserable affair seem to have been ever present and ubiquitous, and a most fruitful source of trouble.
It would be at about this time that there befell in Lisbon the deplorable event that nipped in the bud the career of that most promising young officer, Major Berkeley of the famous Die-Hards, the 29th Foot.
Coming into Lisbon on leave from his regiment, which was stationed at Abrantes, and formed part of the division under Sir Rowland Hill, the major happened into a company that contained at least one member who was hostile to Lord Wellington"s conduct of the campaign, or rather to the measures which it entailed. As in the case of the Princ.i.p.al Souza, prejudice drove him to take up any weapon that came to his hand by means of which he could strike a blow at a system he deplored.
Since we are concerned only indirectly with the affair, it may be stated very briefly. The young gentleman in question was a Portuguese officer and a nephew of the Patriarch of Lisbon, and the particular criticism to which Major Berkeley took such just exception concerned the very troublesome d.i.c.k Butler. Our patrician ventured to comment with sneers and innuendoes upon the fact that the lieutenant of dragoons continued missing, and he went so far as to indulge in a sarcastic prophecy that he never would be found.
Major Berkeley, stung by the slur thus slyly cast upon British honour, invited the young gentleman to make himself more explicit.
"I had thought that I was explicit enough," says young impudence, leering at the stalwart red-coat. "But if you want it more clearly still, then I mean that the undertaking to punish this ravisher of nunneries is one that you English have never intended to carry out. To save your faces you will take good care that Lieutenant Butler is never found. Indeed I doubt if he was ever really missing."
Major Berkeley was quite uncompromising and downright. I am afraid he had none of the graces that can exalt one of these affairs.
"Ye"re just a very foolish liar, sir, and you deserve a good caning," was all he said, but the way in which he took his cane from under his arm was so suggestive of more to follow there and then that several of the company laid preventive hands upon him instantly.