A Double Knot Part 40

"No, no, of course not. You know what I mean. I tipped him a sov., and the fellow seemed to think I had gone mad; then he thought I meant to have given him a shilling, and told me so. I don't believe he hardly knew what a sov. was, and he'd do anything for me now. He'll take letters, or messages, or anything; and he says that I was right."

"What about?"

"What about? Why, those two ancient patriarchs; and that he is sure the old women are going to make up a match and regularly sell the girls.

Glen, old fellow, this must be stopped."

"How?"

"By proper advances first, and if diplomacy fails, by a dashing charge-- an elopement."

"Humph!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Marcus. "Should you inform Lady Millet, your mamma, before you took such a step?"

"I should take the lady I had chosen for my wife straight home."

"And a very good place, too," said Glen, who remained very thoughtful, saying little till they reached Lady Littletown's gates.

"Are you going to call here?"

"To be sure. Come with me?" replied Glen; and receiving an answer in the affirmative to the inquiry as to whether Lady Littletown was at home, they were shown in, to find to their great delight that her ladyship had been over to the Palace that afternoon, and had brought back Clotilde and Marie to dine with her and spend the evening.

"It will help to form their minds, my dears," her ladyship had said to the Honourable Misses Dymc.o.x; "and really, now that we have this project in hand, I feel towards them as if they were my own children."

This was while the young ladies had gone up to dress and frighten Ruth by their exigencies and sharp ways, after which they had an airing in Lady Littletown's carriage, and, when the young officers were announced, were sipping their five o'clock tea.

"Now, now, now," cried Lady Littletown in tones of playful menace, as she gave her fingers to the officers in turn, "I shall not allow this sort of thing. You soldiers are such dreadful men. You knew my poor children here had come over to cheer my solitude, and you mount your chargers and gallop over at once."

"I can a.s.sure your ladyship that my visit was frankly intended to yourself, and that I was in utter ignorance of your having company; but of course I am the more delighted."

Glen had never delivered so courtly a speech before, and he felt uncomfortable when he had said it; but he recovered directly as he met Clotilde's eyes, which were fixed earnestly upon his, and her hand spoke very plainly as they exchanged salutations; Marie, on the contrary, seeming as cold as her sister was warm.

"Then that dreadful little Don Juan knew of it," cried her ladyship sharply. "I shall forbid him the house."

"I a.s.sure your ladyship"--began d.i.c.k.

"Eh? What, Edward?" said Lady Littletown, as a servant made a communication to her in a low, respectful tone. "Dear me, how tiresome!

My dears, pray excuse me a minute, I'm called away. You can give these dreadful men a cup of tea each if they will condescend to drink it;" and she rustled out of the room.

"I did not think to have seen you again so soon," said d.i.c.k, crossing to where Marie sat, looking pale and troubled, while Clotilde rose from her seat, looking fixedly at Glen, and walked out into the great conservatory, where, of course, he followed.

Marie turned paler and her breath came faster as she made as if to rise and follow them; but d.i.c.k set down the emotion as being caused by his presence, and catching her hand in both of his, he repeated his words, "I did not expect to see you again so soon."

"Let us go," replied Marie hoa.r.s.ely. "My sister; do you not see?"

"Yes," whispered d.i.c.k, full of boyish ardour. "But don't--pray don't go."

Lady Littletown was very proud of her conservatory, which was kept lavishly filled with the choicest flowers and foliage plants. Following on the example of Hampton Court, there were oranges of goodly size, with their bright-green leaves, yellow fruit, green fruit, and delicious blossoms all growing at the same time.

It was into this semi-tropical region, where the atmosphere was redolent of sweet and cloying perfume, that Clotilde had slowly walked, her eyes dreamy and downcast, and her fingers idling amongst the beautiful blossoms on either side.

As Glen followed, and noted her soft undulating form, her bent head with ma.s.ses of dark hair cl.u.s.tering about her neck, he felt his heart go throb, throb, heavily and slowly, while his blood seemed to bound through his veins.

Clotilde went on down the central path of the great gla.s.s-house, and then, without glancing back, she turned off at the bottom, where she was completely hidden from the drawing-room windows, and it was here that Glen overtook her.

"Miss Riversley! Clotilde!" he said softly.

She did not speak, but he saw her shudder, as if a tremor had run through her frame.

"Have I offended you?" he whispered, holding out his hands.

"Oh no," she cried, starting round with her face flushed; and placing her hands in his, she looked up full in his eyes for a moment, and then let them fall.

It was very shocking, very unusual, and it was all entirely opposed to the etiquette of such matters, but there was a something in Clotilde's looks and ways that made Glen turn giddy; and he behaved giddily. Some people will say it was his fault, some others may blame the lady for her want of reserve, but the fact remains the same, that, forgetting everything in the moment but the look that had spoken so much to his eyes, the young officer pressed his lips to the hand that not only seemed to, but did invite the caress; but just then there was a sharp "Oh!" and in an instant Clotilde and Glen were admiring the beauty of the colours in some caladiums of which Lady Littletown was very proud.

The e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n was not uttered by that lady, however, but by Marie, who, closely followed by d.i.c.k Millet, had come down the conservatory tiles silent as a cat and seen all.

"Clotilde!" she exclaimed in a low, angry voice, and then she darted an imperious look at Glen.

"Well, Marie?" said Clotilde coolly, as the rich red slowly died out of her cheeks, "did you find the drawing-room too warm, love? Look, Captain Glen, this one is lovely."

"Lovely indeed!" cried Marcus, giving a beseeching glance at Marie; but she turned from him scornfully, only to look back at him with a fierce, pa.s.sionate gaze which startled and surprised him, for he did not then realise the truth.

There was nothing to be done then but to go on admiring the flowers, and as they went from group to group, Glen's feelings were a strange contradiction. His pulse throbbed with pleasure, but this was marred by the bitterly reproachful look he had received from Marie; while upon catching d.i.c.k's eyes fixed upon him, and receiving a half-droll, half-reproving shake of the head from that young gentleman, he felt so angry and annoyed at his having witnessed the scene, that he could have freely kicked him out of the conservatory.

A gorgeous display of blossoms cultivated to the highest pitch of perfection Lady Littletown had gathered together in her conservatory, but these n.o.bles of Flora's train might well have felt offence at the treatment they received, for, though the occupants of the gla.s.s-house babbled and talked flowers, any disinterested listener would have been astonished at the rubbish that was said.

"Ah, you are admiring my pets," cried Lady Littletown, returning hastily; "I'm so sorry to have had to leave you, my dears. One of my old pensioners was ill, and had sent on for some wine I promised. Yes, those are my gloxinias, Captain Glen. Delightful, are they not? Did you have some tea? No! Ah, I see how it is. Next time I receive a call at this hour from you military gentlemen, I shall have a pot with two teaspoonfuls of soda in it, and then fill it up with brandy. You would be happy then."

They stayed very little longer, and when at parting, after receiving a long, earnest pressure from Clotilde's hand, Glen turned to Marie and took hers, most grudgingly held out, he found time to whisper:

"Don't be angry with me; surely we ought to be the best of friends."

Marie's heart gave a great throb as she felt the warm pressure of his hand, and in spite of herself she could not help her eyes lifting to meet his in a gaze that was full of sadness and reproach.

"Oh, come, I say, Glen, old fellow," cried d.i.c.k as soon as they were well outside the gates. "You do go it, you do! Only just known her."

"Hold your tongue, do! Hang it, Millet, there are things a man ought not to see."

"Oh, very well, then, I'm as blind as a beetle and as quiet as a fish.

I didn't see anything; but, I say, didn't it make Marie cross!"

"Oh, of course. She was surprised."

"I tried to keep her in the drawing-room, but she was nervous and frightened--poor little darling!--at being alone with me, and I was obliged to let her come at last, or there would have been a scene."

There was something very suggestive of a dapper little bantam paying his addresses to a handsome young pullet in the boy's remarks anent the "poor little darling"; but Glen was too much troubled just then to pay much heed, so his companion prattled on.

For Glen was not satisfied: he wished that Clotilde had not been so yielding.

Then he excused her. She was so sweet and innocent. She had been so restrained and kept down; all was so fresh to her, that her young love, he told himself, was like Haidee's, and like some bird she had flown unhesitatingly to his breast.