Philippa grew impatient on finding his attention turned, even for a few moments, from herself.
"Talk to me, Norman," she said; "tell me of your travels--of what you have seen and done--of the new friends you have made."
"I have made no new friends, Philippa," he said; "I love the old ones best."
He did not understand the triumphant expression of the dark eyes as they glanced at Lady Peters. He told her briefly of the chief places that he had visited, and then he said:
"What a quant.i.ty of flowers you have, Philippa! You still retain your old love."
She took a spray of lilac from one of the vases and held it before him.
Again Lady Peters noted confusion on his face.
"Do you remember the lilac, and what you said about it?" she asked.
"Yes," he replied, "I was in Florence last year when they were in flower, and I never looked at the beautiful blooming trees without fancying that I saw my cousin"s face among the blossoms."
"Why do you call me "cousin?"" she asked, impatiently.
He looked up in surprise.
"You are my cousin, are you not, Philippa?"
"I am only your second cousin," she said; "and you have never called me so before."
"I have always called you "cousin" in my thoughts," he declared. "How remiss I am!" he exclaimed, suddenly. "You will think that I have forgotten what little manners I had. I never congratulated you on your success."
"What success?" she asked, half impatiently.
"I have not been twenty-four hours in London, yet I have heard on all sides of your charms and conquests. I hear that you are the belle of the season--that you have slain dukes, earls, marquises, and baronets indiscriminately. I hear that no one has ever been more popular or more admired that Philippa L"Estrange. Is it all true?"
"You must find out for yourself," she said, laughingly, half disappointed that he had laid the spray of lilac down without any further remark, half disappointed that he should speak in that light, unconcerned fashion about her conquests; he ought to be jealous, but evidently he was not.
Then, to her delight, came a summons for Mrs. Peters; she was wanted in the housekeeper"s room.
"Now we are alone," thought Philippa, "he will tell me that he is pleased to see me. He will remember that he called me his little wife."
But, as Lady Peters closed the door, he took a book from the table, and asked her what she had been reading lately--which was the book of that season. She replied to his questions, and to the remarks that followed; but they were not what she wanted to hear.
"Do not talk to me about books, Norman," she cried at last. "Tell me more about yourself; I want to hear more about you."
She did not notice the slight flush that spread over his face.
"If we are to talk about ourselves," he said, "I should prefer you to be the subject. You have grown very beautiful, Philippa."
His eyes took in every detail of the rich amber costume--the waving ma.s.s of dark hair--the splendid face, with its scarlet lips and glorious eyes--the white hands that moved so incessantly. He owned to himself that in all his travels he had seen nothing like the imperial loveliness of this dark-eyed girl.
"Does it please you to find me what you call beautiful?" she asked, shyly.
"Of course it does. I am very proud of you--proud to be known as the cousin of Philippa L"Estrange."
Nothing more! Had he nothing more than this to be proud of? Was he so blind that he could not see love in the girl"s face--so deaf that he could not hear it in the modulations of her musical voice? She bent her beautiful face nearer him.
"We were always good friends, Norman," she said, simply, "you and I?"
"Yes, we were like brother and sister," he responded, "How we quarreled and made friends! Do you remember?"
"Yes--but we were not like brother and sister, Norman. We did not call each other by such names in those days, did we?"
"I never could find names pretty enough for you," he replied laughingly.
She raised her eyes suddenly to his.
"You cared for me a great deal in those days, Norman," she said, gently.
"Tell me the truth--in your travels have you ever met any one for whom you care more?"
He was perfectly calm and unembarra.s.sed.
"No, cousin, I have not. As I told you before, I have really made no friends abroad for whom I care much--a few pleasant acquaintances, nothing more."
"Then I am content," she said.
But he was deaf to the pa.s.sionate music of her voice. Then the distance between them seemed to grow less. They talked of her home, Verdun Royal; they talked of Beechgrove, and his plans for living there. Their conversation was the intimate exchange of thought of old friends; but there was nothing of love. If she had expected that he would avail himself of Lady Peters" absence to speak of it, she was mistaken. He talked of old times, of friendship, of childhood"s days, of great hopes and plans for the future--of anything but love. It seemed to be and perhaps was the farthest from his thoughts.
"I am going to Beechgrove in a week," he said; "you will give me permission to call and see you every day, Philippa?"
"I shall be pleased to see you--my time is yours," she answered but he did not understand the full meaning of the words.
Then Lady Peters came in and asked if he would join them at dinner.
"Philippa likes gayety," she said; "we have never had one quiet evening since the season began; she has a ball for to-night."
"Yes," laughed the heiress; "the world is very sweet to me just now, Norman; but I will give up my ball and stay at home purposely to sing to you, if you will dine with us."
"That is a temptation I cannot resist," he returned. "I will come. All your disappointed partners will, however, vent their wrath on me, Philippa."
"I can bear it," she said, "and so can you. Now I can let you go more willingly, seeing that I shall soon see you again."
And then he went away. After he had gone she spoke but little; once she clasped her arms round Lady Peters" neck and kissed the kindly face.
"Do not speak to me," she said, "lest I should lose the echo of his voice;" and Lady Peters watched her anxiously, as she stood with a rapt smile on her face, as of one who has heard celestial music in a dream.
The Arleighs of Beechgrove had for many generations been one of the wealthiest as well as one of the n.o.blest families in England. To Norman, Lord Arleigh, who had succeeded his father at the early age of twenty, all this good gift of fame, fortune, and wealth had now fallen. He had inherited also the far-famed Arleigh beauty. He had clear-cut features, a fair skin, a fine manly frame, a broad chest, and erect, military bearing; he had dark hair and eyes, with straight, clear brows, and a fine, handsome mouth, shaded by a dark mustache Looking at him it was easy to understand his character. There was pride in the dark eyes, in the handsome face, in the high-bred manner and bearing, but not of a common kind.
In accordance with his late father"s wish, he had gone through the usual course of studies. He had been to Eton and to Oxford; he had made the usual continental tour; and now he had returned to live as the Arleighs had done before him--a king on his own estate. There was just one thing in his life that had not pleased him. His mother, Lady Arleigh, had always evinced the greatest affection for her cousin, the gentle Lady L"Estrange. She had paid long visits to Verdun Royal, always taking her son with her; and his earliest recollection was of his mother and Lady L"Estrange sitting side by side planning the marriage of their two children, Philippa and Norman. He could remember many of his mother"s pet phrases--"So suitable," "A perfect marriage," "The desire of my heart." All his mother"s thoughts and ideas seemed to begin and end there. He had been taught, half seriously, half in jest, to call Philippa his little wife, to pay her every attention, to present her with jewels and with flowers, to make her his chief study. While be was still a boy he had only laughed at it.
Philippa was a beautiful, high-sprited girl. Her vivacity and animation amused him. He had spoken the truth in saying that he had met no one he liked better than his old friend. He had seen beautiful girls, lovely women, but he had not fallen in love. Indeed, love with the Arleighs was a serious matter. They did not look lightly upon it. Norman. Lord Arleigh, had not fallen; in love, but he had begun to think very seriously about Philippa L"Estrange. He had been fond of her as a child, with the kind of affection that often exists between children. He had called her his "little wife" in jest, not in earnest. He had listened to the discussions between the two ladies as he would have listened had they been talking about adding a new wing to the house. It was not until he came to the years of manhood that he began to see how serious the whole matter was. Then he remembered with infinite satisfaction that there had been nothing binding, that he had never even mentioned the word "love" to Philippa L"Estrange, that he had never made love to her, that the whole matter was merely a something that had arisen in the imagination of two ladies.