Kitty's Conquest

by Charles King

  CHAPTER XVII.

  Two days after Mrs. Amory's arrival, I was seated in Madame R----'scosey parlor. Beside me in an easy-chair, and dressed in his fatigueuniform, was Mars. On the table beside him were two bunches of violetsin their respective tumblers. One fresh and fragrant, the other fadedand droopy. It was late in the afternoon; Mrs. Amory had gone with Mr.Parker in search of a little fresh air and exercise, and Mars haddropped his newspaper to give me a pleasant welcome. He was a littlelanguid and tired, he said; "had to write a long letter that morning."And here he looked very strangely at me, "but felt better now that 'twasgone." I could not but fancy that there was a constraint, a vaguelyinjured tone, in his quiet talk. There was a lack of the old, cordialring in his voice, though he was every bit as courteous, even asfriendly as ever. It was something that puzzled me, and I wanted to getat once at the why and wherefore, yet shrunk from questioning.

  Somehow or other my psychological investigations and inquiries had notbeen crowned with brilliant success of late, and distrust had taken theplace of the serene confidence with which I used to encounter suchproblems. "Mother has taken the letter to post," he said, "but will beback very soon. I expect her any moment." As we were talking there camea ring at the bell. A servant passed the doorway, and in an instantreappeared ushering two ladies, Miss Summers followed by KittyCarrington.

  "Why, Frank Amory! How glad I am to see you up again!" was the delightedexclamation of the former, as she quickly stepped forward to take hishand; "and here's Kitty," she added, with faintly tremulous tone."We--Kitty hoped to see your mother, and they said she was here."

  "Mother will be back in a moment. How do you do, Miss Carrington?" saidMars, looking around Pauline in unmistakable eagerness, and withcoloring cheeks and brow, as he strove to rise and hold out his hand.

  "Don't try to get up, Mr. Amory," said Kitty, timidly, half imploringly,as with downcast eyes, and cheeks far more flushed than his own, shequickly stepped to his side; just touched his hand, and then droppedback to the sofa without so much as a word or glance for miserable me.For several minutes Pauline chatted gayly, as though striving to giveevery one time to regain composure. Kitty sat silently by; once inawhile stealing timid, startled glances around; and listeningnervously, as though for the coming footsteps of some one she dreaded tomeet. Pauline watched her with furtive uneasiness, and occasionallylooked imploringly at me.

  To my masculine impenetrability there was only one point in thesituation. Mrs. Amory had arrived here in town--a stranger. Miss Summersand Miss Carrington were not exactly old residents, but were "to themanner born," and it behooved them both to call upon the older lady. Whyshould there be any cause for embarrassment? Why should Kitty look illat ease, nervous, distressed? Why should Mars be so unusually excitedand flighty? What was there about the whole proceeding to upset anyone's equanimity? What incomprehensible mysteries women were, anyhow!Bella Grayson especially! What dolts they made men appear in trying toconform to their whims and vagaries! What a labor of Hercules it was toattempt to fathom their moods! What----The door opened and in came Mrs.Amory and Parker. All rose to greet them, and I could see that Kitty,pale as a sheet, was trembling from head to foot.

  At least I had sense enough to appreciate and admire once more the graceand tact and genuine kindliness that seemed to illumine every act andword of this gracious lady. Mrs. Amory went at once to Kitty; greetedher in the same low-toned yet cordial voice that had already become thesubject of our admiring talk; then, after a brief word with each of us,had taken her seat with Kitty upon the sofa, and in five minutes had socompletely won the trust and confidence of that nervous little body thather color had returned in all its brilliancy; her lovely dark eyes weresparkling with animation and interest; and though she talked but little,we could all see that she was charmed with Mrs. Amory's manner, and thatshe drank in every word with unflagging pleasure.

  Mars, though keeping up a desultory talk with Miss Summers and Parker,managed to cast frequent glances at the pair on the sofa, and it was acomfort to watch the joy that kindled in his young eyes. Pauline seemedto divine his wish to watch them, and frequently took the load ofconversation from his shoulders by absorbing the attention of theaide-de-camp and myself, and this gave him the longed-for opportunity tolisten once in a while to the talk between his mother and Kitty. Once,glancing furtively towards his chair, Kitty's eyes had encountered hisfixed intently upon her, whereat the color flashed again to the roots ofher hair, and the long lashes and white lids dropped instantly over herbetraying orbs. From that marvellous and intricate encyclopaedia offamily history, a Southern woman's brain, Mrs. Amory had brought forthan array of facts regarding Kitty's relatives that fairly delightedthat little damsel with its interest. Somewhere in the distant past aNorth Carolina Ward had married a Kentucky Carrington; and while sheherself had married an officer of the army, her sister had married aWard; and so it went. Mrs. Amory could tell Kitty just where and whomher people had married from the days of Daniel Boone. The chat wentblithely on, and so, when Miss Summers smilingly rose and said that itwas time to go, Kitty looked startled and incredulous,--the dreadedinterview had been a genuine pleasure to her. Mars arose and stood erectas the ladies were saying their adieux. Pauline was saying to Mrs. Amorythat by the next day Major Vinton would hope to be able to drive out forthe air, and as soon as possible would come to see her; and this leftKitty for an instant unoccupied. Her eyes would not wander in hisdirection, however; and after an instant's irresolute pause he steppedbeside her, so that, as they turned to go, she _had_ to see hisoutstretched hand. I wanted to see what was to follow, but Parker and Ihad sidled towards the door to escort the ladies to their carriage. MissSummers caught my eyes; seemed instantly to read my vile curiosity, for,with a smile that was absolutely mischievous, she placed herself betweenme and Kitty, who was last to leave the room. I only saw him bend lowover her hand; could not catch a word he said, and was calmly surgedout into the hall with ungratified and baffled spirit. It was cruel inPauline. She ought to have known that I was even more interested in theaffair than any woman could have been.

  "What do you think of Mrs. Amory?" I delicately and appropriately askedMiss Kitty as we drove down-town. She was in a revery, and not disposedto talk; and Miss Summers, who had invited me to take a seat in theircarriage, had given me no opportunity of breaking in upon hermeditations until this moment. Kitty started from her dream; flashed onequick glance at me, as she answered,--

  "Mrs. Amory? I think she's _lovely_," then as quickly relapsed into herfit of abstraction. Evidently Mr. Brandon's well-meant interruptionswere not especially welcome there; then, as we reached the house onRoyal Street, Major Vinton, seated at the window, waved us (_us_indeed!) a joyous greeting, and, despite Miss Summers' most courteousinvitation to come in a while, Mr. Brandon felt that he had beeninterloping long enough, and having thus partially come to his senses,the narrator walked dolefully away.

  In the week that followed, there were almost daily visits between theladies of the Royal and Camp Street households. Vinton had sufficientlyimproved to be able to drive out every day and to take very short walks,accompanied by his radiant _fiancee_. Much mysterious shopping wasgoing on, Mrs. Amory and Kitty being occupied for some hours each brightmorning in accompanying Miss Summers on her Canal Street researches.Mars had returned to duty with his troop, and almost every evening couldbe seen riding down to Royal Street to report to his captain how matterswere progressing. I was struck by the regularity and precision withwhich those reports seemed to be necessary, and the absolute brevity oftheir rendition. Having nothing better to do, as I fancied, I wasfrequently there at Royal Street when Mars would come trotting down theblock pavement. Each evening seemed to add to the spring and activitywith which he would vault from the saddle; toss the reins to hisattendant orderly, and come leaping up the steps to the second floor."All serene" was the customary extent of his report to Vinton, who wasalmost invariably playing backgammon with Miss Summers at that hour;while the judge, Harrod,
and I would be discussing the affairs of theday in a distant corner. This left Kitty the only unoccupied creature inthe room, unless the listless interest bestowed upon the book she heldin her lap could be termed occupation. What more natural, therefore,than that Mr. Amory should turn to her for conversation andentertainment on his arrival? And then Kitty had improved so in healthand spirits of late. She was so blithe and gay; humming little snatchesof song; dancing about the old house like a sprite; striving very hardto settle down and be demure when I came to see the judge; and neverentirely succeeding until Amory appeared, when she was thepersonification of maidenly reserve and propriety. Occasionally Marswould escort his mother down, and then there would be a joyousgathering, for we had all learned to love her by this time; and as forVinton--Miss Summers once impetuously declared that she was with goodreason becoming jealous. When _she_ came, Kitty would quit her customarypost on the sofa; take a low chair, and actually hang about Mrs. Amory'sknees; and all Mars' chances for a _tete-a-tete_ were gone.Nevertheless, he was losing much of the old shyness, and apparentlylearning to lose himself in her society, and to be profoundlydiscontented when she was away; and one lovely evening a funny thinghappened. There was to be a procession of some kind on Canal Street,--nocity in the world can compete with New Orleans in the number and varietyof its processions,--and as the bands were playing brilliantly overtowards the St. Charles, Vinton proposed that we should stroll thitherand hear the music. The judge offered his arm with his old-fashioned,courtly grace to Mrs. Amory; Vinton, of course, claimed Pauline; Harrodand I fell back together; and Amory and Kitty paired off both by forceof circumstances and his own evident inclination. Once on the_banquette_, Amory showed a disposition to linger behind and take therear with his sweet companion, but Miss Kit would none of it. Withfeminine inconsistency and coquettishness she fairly took the lead, andso it resulted that she and Amory headed instead of followed the party.Plainly Mars was a little miffed; but he bore up gallantly, and had amost unexpected and delightful revenge.

  At the very first crossing, something of a crowd had gathered about thecigar store, and so it resulted for a moment that our party was broughtto a stand, all in a bunch, right by the old Dago's orange counter towhich Harrod had made disdainful allusion in connection with Kitty'smysterious mission of the previous week; and now, close beside thecounter, there was seated a chatty old negress with a great basketbefore her heaped with violets: some in tiny knots, others in loosefragrant pyramids. The instant she caught sight of Kitty her face beamedwith delight. She eagerly held forward her basket; Kitty struggled asthough to push ahead through the throng on the narrow pavement, but allto no purpose. She could not move an inch; and there, imprisoned, thelittle beauty, bewildered with confusion and dismay, was forced to hearwhat we all heard, the half-laughing, half-reproachful appeal of thedarky flower-vender.

  "Ah, lady! you doan' come to me no mo' for vi'lets now de captain's upagin." And there was no help for it; one and all we burst into a peal ofmerry laughter; even poor Kitty, though she stamped her foot withvexation and turned away in vehement wrath. And oh! how proud, wild withdelight Frank Amory looked as he bent over her and strove to make somediversion in her favor by boring a way through the crowd and hurryingher along! We could see him all the rest of the evening striving hard tomake her forget that which he _never_ could. But Kitty had only onefeminine method of revenging herself, and that was on him. Womanlike,she was cold and distant to him all the evening; left him at everypossible opportunity to lavish attentions on anybody else,--even me; andafter all Mars went home that night looking far from happy.

  No sooner was he out of the house than Harrod turned to me with anexpression of inspired idiocy on his face and said, "What was it youwere all laughing at up there at the corner,--something about violetsand captains?"

  Whereat Kitty flounced indignantly out of the room, and we saw her nomore that night.

  But all this time not another word had I heard from Bella Grayson. Infact, not a word had I written to her. She had parried the verbalthrusts in my letter with such consummate ease and skill that itoccurred to me I was no match for her in that sort of diplomacy. Nowthe question that was agitating my mind was, how was Mars to get out ofthat entanglement if it really existed? My efforts in his behalf did notseem to be rewarded with the brilliant and immediate success that suchdepth of tact had deserved; and, my intervention being of no avail, whatcould he expect?

  Fancy the surprise, therefore, with which I received on the followingday a visit from Mars himself. It was late in the afternoon; I was alonein the office and hard at work finishing some long neglected business,when the door opened and my young cavalryman appeared.

  He shook my hand cordially; said that he had come to see me on personalbusiness; and asked if I could give him half an hour. I gladly said yes,and, noting his heightened color and his evident embarrassment, bade himpull up a chair and talk to me as he would to an old chum. I can bestgive his story in nearly his own words.

  "Mother says I owe it to you, Mr. Brandon, to tell you what has been onmy mind so long. You have been very kind and very indulgent, and I wishI had told you my trouble long ago. I'll make it short as I can." Andwith many a painful blush--but with manful purpose and earnestness--Marspushed ahead.

  "I met Miss Grayson, your niece, during my first class summer at WestPoint, and got to admire her, as everybody else did. I got to more thanadmire her. She absolutely fascinated me. I don't mean that she tried toin the least,--she just couldn't help it. Before camp was half over Iwas just beside myself about her; couldn't be content if I didn't seeher every day; take her to the hops, and devote myself generally. Everyman in the class thought I was dead in love with her. Mr. Brandon, I--Idid myself. I never ceased to think so--until last--until after thatKu-Klux fight at Sandbrook. I _made_ her think so. She really tried totalk me out of it at first,--she did indeed. She said that it was simplya fancy that I would soon outgrow; and she never for once could beinduced to say that she cared anything for me. She was always lovely andladylike, always perfect, it seemed to me. She even went so far as toremind me that she was as old as I was, and far older in the ways of theworld, and cadets especially. She never encouraged me one bit, and Ijust went on getting more and more in love with her all that year; usedto write to her three or four times a week; dozens of letters that sheonly occasionally answered. Then she came up in June, and I wasincessantly at her side. She might not care for me, but she did not seemto care for anybody else, and so it went on. She would not take my classring when I begged her to that summer. She wore it a few days, but mademe take it back the day we graduates went away; but I went back thatsummer to see her twice, and when I came away I swore that after I'dbeen in service a year I would return to New York to offer myself again;and we used to write to each other that winter, only her letters werenot like mine. They were nice and friendly and all that,--still, I knewshe had my promise. I thought she would expect me to come back. I feltengaged so far as I was concerned; then when I got wounded her lettersgrew far more interested, you know (Mr. Brandon nodded appreciatively);and then they began to come often; and, whether it was that she thoughtour life was very hazardous, or that the climate was going to be a badthing for me, or that I would not recover rapidly there, her lettersbegan to urge me to come North. I got two at Sandbrook--one the very dayyou were there at the tent--and two since we came here; and then--then Ifound only too surely that it was not love I felt for her; indeed, thatI had grown to love--you know well enough (almost defiantly)--MissCarrington. I felt in honor bound to carry out my promise to MissGrayson, and to avoid--to--well, to be true to my promise in every way.But I was utterly miserable. Mother detected it in my letters, and atlast I broke down and told her the truth. She said there was only onehonorable course for me to pursue, and that was to write to MissGrayson and tell her the same, tell her the whole truth; and it was anawful wrench, but I did it that day you were at the house. It came hardtoo, for only the day before a letter came from her full of all sorts ofque
er things. A little bird had whispered that, like all the rest, I hadfound my cadet attachment something to be forgotten with the gray coatand bell buttons. She had heard this, that, and the other thing; shewould not reproach. It was only what she had predicted all along, etc.,and it cut me up like blazes; but mother smiled quietly when I told her,said that I must expect to be handled without gloves, and warned me thatI must look for very _just_ comments on my conduct; and then somehow Idecided that you had written to her about me. You said nothing to makeme think so, and altogether I was in an awful stew until this morning."

  "And what now?" I asked, eagerly.

  "Her answer came. Brandon, she's a trump; she's a gem; and so's herletter. Mother's got it, and is writing to her herself. I'minexpressibly humbled, but somehow or other happier than I've everbeen." And the boy and I shook hands warmly, and Mr. Brandon bethoughthimself that that blessed Bella should have the loveliest Easter presentthe avuncular purse could buy.

  "What did Bella say?" he asked.

  "Oh! I can't quite tell you. It was all just so sweet and warm-heartedand congratulatory (though that is possibly premature), and just aslovely a letter as ever was written."

  "And we may look for two weddings in the --th Cavalry, then?"

  But Mars' features clouded. "Vinton and Miss Summers will be marriednext month; for Vinton says we may expect to be ordered to the plainswith the coming of summer, but no such luck for me. I have preciouslittle hope just now."

  "And has Miss Carrington heard of our Bella?" I asked, mischievously.

  "Good heavens! I hope not. That would be the death-blow to everything."

  Yes, it struck me that _there_ would be a weapon that Miss Kit would usewith merciless power.