The afternoon was too warm to make bridge a generally popular diversion, and Serena"s party was a comparatively small one. Only one table was incomplete when Francesca made her appearance on the scene; at it was seated Serena herself, confronted by Ada Spelvexit, whom everyone was wont to explain as "one of the Cheshire Spelvexits," as though any other variety would have been intolerable. Ada Spelvexit was one of those naturally stagnant souls who take infinite pleasure in what are called "movements." "Most of the really great lessons I have learned have been taught me by the Poor," was one of her favourite statements. The one great lesson that the Poor in general would have liked to have taught her, that their kitchens and sickrooms were not unreservedly at her disposal as private lecture halls, she had never been able to a.s.similate.
She was ready to give them unlimited advice as to how they should keep the wolf from their doors, but in return she claimed and enforced for herself the penetrating powers of an east wind or a dust storm. Her visits among her wealthier acquaintances were equally extensive and enterprising, and hardly more welcome; in country-house parties, while partaking to the fullest extent of the hospitality offered her, she made a practice of unburdening herself of homilies on the evils of leisure and luxury, which did not particularly endear her to her fellow guests.
Hostesses regarded her philosophically as a form of social measles which everyone had to have once.
The third prospective player, Francesca noted without any special enthusiasm, was Lady Caroline Benaresq. Lady Caroline was far from being a remarkably good bridge player, but she always managed to domineer mercilessly over any table that was favoured with her presence, and generally managed to win. A domineering player usually inflicts the chief damage and demoralisation on his partner; Lady Caroline"s special achievement was to hara.s.s and demoralise partner and opponents alike.
"Weak and weak," she announced in her gentle voice, as she cut her hostess for a partner; "I suppose we had better play only five shillings a hundred."
Francesca wondered at the old woman"s moderate a.s.sessment of the stake, knowing her fondness for highish play and her usual good luck in card holding.
"I don"t mind what we play," said Ada Spelvexit, with an incautious parade of elegant indifference; as a matter of fact she was inwardly relieved and rejoicing at the reasonable figure proposed by Lady Caroline, and she would certainly have demurred if a higher stake had been suggested. She was not as a rule a successful player, and money lost at cards was always a poignant bereavement to her.
"Then as you don"t mind we"ll make it ten shillings a hundred," said Lady Caroline, with the pleased chuckle of one who has spread a net in the sight of a bird and disproved the vanity of the proceeding.
It proved a tiresome ding-dong rubber, with the strength of the cards slightly on Francesca"s side, and the luck of the table going mostly the other way. She was too keen a player not to feel a certain absorption in the game once it had started, but she was conscious to-day of a distracting interest that competed with the momentary importance of leads and discards and declarations. The little acc.u.mulations of talk that were unpent during the dealing of the hands became as noteworthy to her alert attention as the play of the hands themselves.
"Yes, quite a small party this afternoon," said Serena, in reply to a seemingly casual remark on Francesca"s part; "and two or three non-players, which is unusual on a Wednesday. Canon Besomley was here just before you came; you know, the big preaching man."
"I"ve been to hear him scold the human race once or twice," said Francesca.
"A strong man with a wonderfully strong message," said Ada Spelvexit, in an impressive and a.s.sertive tone.
"The sort of popular pulpiteer who spanks the vices of his age and lunches with them afterwards," said Lady Caroline.
"Hardly a fair summary of the man and his work," protested Ada. "I"ve been to hear him many times when I"ve been depressed or discouraged, and I simply can"t tell you the impression his words leave-"
"At least you can tell us what you intend to make trumps," broke in Lady Caroline, gently.
"Diamonds," p.r.o.nounced Ada, after a rather flurried survey of her hand.
"Doubled," said Lady Caroline, with increased gentleness, and a few minutes later she was pencilling an addition of twenty-four to her score.
"I stayed with his people down in Herefordshire last May," said Ada, returning to the unfinished theme of the Canon; "such an exquisite rural retreat, and so restful and healing to the nerves. Real country scenery; apple blossom everywhere."
"Surely only on the apple trees," said Lady Caroline.
Ada Spelvexit gave up the attempt to reproduce the decorative setting of the Canon"s homelife, and fell back on the small but practical consolation of scoring the odd trick in her opponent"s declaration of hearts.
"If you had led your highest club to start with, instead of the nine, we should have saved the trick," remarked Lady Caroline to her partner in a tone of coldly, gentle reproof; "it"s no use, my dear," she continued, as Serena fl.u.s.tered out a halting apology, "no earthly use to attempt to play bridge at one table and try to see and hear what"s going on at two or three other tables."
"I can generally manage to attend to more than one thing at a time," said Serena, rashly; "I think I must have a sort of double brain."
"Much better to economise and have one really good one," observed Lady Caroline.
"_La belle dame sans merci_ scoring a verbal trick or two as usual," said a player at another table in a discreet undertone.
"Did I tell you Sir Edward Roan is coming to my next big evening," said Serena, hurriedly, by way, perhaps, of restoring herself a little in her own esteem.
"Poor dear, good Sir Edward. What have you made trumps?" asked Lady Caroline, in one breath.
"Clubs," said Francesca; "and pray, why these adjectives of commiseration?"
Francesca was a Ministerialist by family interest and allegiance, and was inclined to take up the cudgels at the suggested disparagement aimed at the Foreign Secretary.
"He amuses me so much," purred Lady Caroline. Her amus.e.m.e.nt was usually of the sort that a sporting cat derives from watching the Swedish exercises of a well-spent and carefully thought-out mouse.
"Really? He has been rather a brilliant success at the Foreign Office, you know," said Francesca.
"He reminds one so of a circus elephant-infinitely more intelligent than the people who direct him, but quite content to go on putting his foot down or taking it up as may be required, quite unconcerned whether he steps on a meringue or a hornet"s nest in the process of going where he"s expected to go."
"How can you say such things?" protested Francesca.
"I can"t," said Lady Caroline; "Courtenay Youghal said it in the House last night. Didn"t you read the debate? He was really rather in form.
I disagree entirely with his point of view, of course, but some of the things he says have just enough truth behind them to redeem them from being merely smart; for instance, his summing up of the Government"s att.i.tude towards our embarra.s.sing Colonial Empire in the wistful phrase "happy is the country that has no geography.""
"What an absurdly unjust thing to say," put in Francesca; "I daresay some of our Party at some time have taken up that att.i.tude, but every one knows that Sir Edward is a sound Imperialist at heart."
"Most politicians are something or other at heart, but no one would be rash enough to insure a politician against heart failure. Particularly when he happens to be in office."
"Anyhow, I don"t see that the Opposition leaders would have acted any differently in the present case," said Francesca.
"One should always speak guardedly of the Opposition leaders," said Lady Caroline, in her gentlest voice; "one never knows what a turn in the situation may do for them."
"You mean they may one day be at the head of affairs?" asked Serena, briskly.
"I mean they may one day lead the Opposition. One never knows."
Lady Caroline had just remembered that her hostess was on the Opposition side in politics.
Francesca and her partner scored four tricks in clubs; the game stood irresolutely at twenty-four all.
"If you had followed the excellent lyrical advice given to the Maid of Athens and returned my heart we should have made two more tricks and gone game," said Lady Caroline to her partner.
"Mr. Youghal seems pushing himself to the fore of late," remarked Francesca, as Serena took up the cards to deal. Since the young politician"s name had been introduced into their conversation the opportunity for turning the talk more directly on him and his affairs was too good to be missed.
"I think he"s got a career before him," said Serena; "the House always fills when he"s speaking, and that"s a good sign. And then he"s young and got rather an attractive personality, which is always something in the political world."
"His lack of money will handicap him, unless he can find himself a rich wife or persuade someone to die and leave him a fat legacy," said Francesca; "since M.P."s have become the recipients of a salary rather more is expected and demanded of them in the expenditure line than before."
"Yes, the House of Commons still remains rather at the opposite pole to the Kingdom of Heaven as regards entrance qualifications," observed Lady Caroline.
"There ought to be no difficulty about Youghal picking up a girl with money," said Serena; "with his prospects he would make an excellent husband for any woman with social ambitions."
And she half sighed, as though she almost regretted that a previous matrimonial arrangement precluded her from entering into the compet.i.tion on her own account.
Francesca, under an a.s.sumption of languid interest, was watching Lady Caroline narrowly for some hint of suppressed knowledge of Youghal"s courtship of Miss de Frey.
"Whom are you marrying and giving in marriage?"