Lady Maude's Mania Part 23

LADY MAUDE'S HAIR COMES OFF.

It was very singular, and showed weakness, but Maude Diphoos, who had hitherto looked with contempt upon her ladyship's dealings with Monsieur Hector, laughing at the idea of using washes, powder, and the like, as pure water made her beautiful fair hair cl.u.s.ter about her clear white temples, and hang round a neck whose skin put the most cleverly concocted pearl powder in the shade, now seemed to become somewhat of a convert to his powers.

Justine confided to her mistress that Miladi Maude's hair was coming off in great patches, horrifying her ladyship so that she gave Lord Barmouth no sleep all one night, and the next morning when she drilled the servants, and inspected them as to smartness of livery, amount of hairpowder used, and the rest, they confided to one another that the old girl's temper was not to be borne.

"What would dear Sir Grantley say if he knew?" she exclaimed; and hurrying to her secret chamber, she rang for Justine, when a long consultation ensued.

"Cer-tainly, milady, if you like," said the dark Frenchwoman; "but that is the way to make the servants in the hall talk--they are so low--and do tattle so. Then it come to Sir Grantley's groom's ears, and Sir Grantley's groom tell Sir Vilter, and ze mischief is all made."

"Yes, Justine; but what can I do, my good soul? I would not care if they were married; it would not matter a bit. Now, don't exaggerate, Justine--great patches do you say?"

Justine tightened her lips and plunged one hand into the pocket of her ap.r.o.n to draw forth a tuft of soft fair hair and hold it up before her ladyship.

"Oh, Justine!" she half shrieked, sighing and heaving billowy, "this is dreadful. Poor child, she will be nearly bald. Oh, Justine, whatever you do, preserve your hair. I know of a case where a lady of t.i.tle became an old maid when she might have had a great establishment, all through losing her hair."

"I will take the greatest care, milady."

"My drops, Justine, my drops. This is really too much for my nerves."

Justine hurried to a case, and brought out a _flacon_ of spirits of red lavender, a goodly portion of which her ladyship took upon lumps of sugar, sighed, and felt better.

"What is to be done, my good Justine? It must be a profound secret."

"What more of ease, milady, than for Miladi Maude to go out for ze health promenade every morning, and call upon Monsieur Hector Launay. I tink he might be trusted if he is well pay."

"Oh, no, no," exclaimed her ladyship, sharply. "I could not trust her; she is too weak."

"Wis her faithful attendant, milady?"

Her ladyship turned sharply round upon the maid, and gazed full into the dark shining eyes that met hers without a wink.

"Can I trust you, Justine?" she exclaimed.

"Who knows better than milady?" retorted the maid. "Is it I who go below to the servants and betrays all miladi's secrets? _Ma foi_! no: I sooner die. And," she added, nodding sharply, "I know two, tre, many secret of her ladyship."

"Yes, yes, you do, my good Justine. It shall be as you say: Monsieur Launay shall have a very high fee for his pains if he checks it. A silly, weak girl; it is nothing but fretting after that nasty, vulgar wretch and his dog. Ah, Justine, if ever you become a mother, you will know what a mother's troubles really are."

Her ladyship rolled in her _fauteuil_ more like the heaving billows than ever, and shed a couple of tears, either the tears or her breath smelling strongly of lavender.

"Poor milady!" said the confidential maid, compa.s.sionately. "Then milady trusts me to see that Miladi Maude goes safely to the coiffeur's?"

"Oh, yes, Justine, my good soul, I will. Justine, I shall not wear that black satin, nor the ruby moire again. Alas, who would be a mother! I have but one idea, Justine, and that is to see my children settled with good establishments, and they seem to do nothing but rebel against me."

"It is vairy terrible, poor milady."

"Yes, it is dreadful, Justine," said her ladyship who was now shedding tears copiously. "Even my son goes against me."

"It is vairy shocking of him, milady," said the sympathetic maid, holding salts to her mistress' nostrils, and having her hand gratefully pressed in return.

"Ah, me; I am a great martyr," said her ladyship, sobbing softly, and growing more confiding. "I don't know what I should do without you, Justine. Every one fights against me."

"Poor, poor milady," cried Justine, sympathetically.

"Does Miss Tryphie ever talk to you about Captain Bellman?"

"She said once he was vairy handsome," said Justine.

"Yes, yes, very, and so well connected, Justine. They say he has been rather wild; but a man of birth may make mistakes, Justine; they are never the serious errors of a plebeian."

"No, milady, never," said the maid. "Just a few more drops, milady."

"Thanks, Justine, thanks," sighed her ladyship, partaking of some more lavender upon sugar. "That Mr Melton never calls now, I think?"

"No, milady, never.--_Ah, quel mensonge_!" she added to herself.

"And his dog does not come?"

"No, milady, I have not seen it for a month."

"Ah," sighed her ladyship, whose n.o.ble bust rose and fell from the excess of her emotions; "mine is far from a happy life; but go, Justine, go now: I feel as if I could sleep. A nap might do me good. I trust you, Justine. You shall have a gold watch and chain the day my daughter becomes Lady Wilters. Let her go at once."

"Thank you, dear milady; _merci beaucoup_," cried the Frenchwoman, bending down and kissing her ladyship's extremely white and beringed plump hand.

A minute later she was in Maude's room.

"Go!" faltered the girl, trembling. "No, no, Justine, I cannot--I dare not."

"How--miladi is timide," said the Frenchwoman, laying her hand upon the girl's soft tresses. "Would she have all this fall, so that when Sir Wilter, your dear husband, would pa.s.s his hand through and say, 'Ah, _ma belle ange_, your fair tresses are adorable,' and kiss them, and become _fou_ with delight as he pa.s.s them over his face, would you have them thin and come out in his fingaire?"

Maude's face was a study as she gazed at the maid while she spoke. She shuddered, and her features a.s.sumed a look of unutterable loathing.

"Quick, give me my hat and scarf. I will have a veil."

"You shall, my sweet young lady. Her ladyship wills that you go often to save your beautiful hair. Ah, I would that Monsieur Hector could attend you himself, but he will be busy. You must be content wis ze a.s.sistant."

"Justine," said Maude quietly, "do not forget our positions."

"_Ma chere_ young lady, I will not," said the French woman. "Pardon, I was foolish. I do not forrgette. Miladi will let me put on the tick veil."

Full of respectful solicitude now, Justine helped her young mistress to dress, when she again began to tremble.

"Justine, I dare not," she faltered.

"Would miladi prefer to be accompany by her own maid Preen?"

"No, no, Justine," cried Maude, hastily, "I dare not trust her."

"_Ma foi, non_! miladi is right. She will trust Justine, her ladyship's confidential maid, who keep her ladyship's secret, and will be so silent and secret as never was for _cette chere_ young mistress in her big trouble."