CHAPTER XXVIII.
STARS GRATIS.
'Back to the cell, and mean employ, Resume the craftsman and the boy.' _Browning_.
Three months later there was another family gathering, but it was forThomas Underwood's funeral.
It had come very suddenly. Spa had been given up in favour of Brighton;and there what had seemed a slight casual ailment had been followed bya recurrence of the disease, and a stroke came on which terminated lifein a few hours.
Mrs. Underwood was prostrated; but Marilda managed everything, with thehelp of Spooner, the confidential clerk. She wrote to Felix that he wasjoint executor with herself, and that as her father had wished to beburied at Centry, he should give orders. Edgar had gone abroad, and noone knew where to write to him.
The chosen burial-place was quite in accordance with poor Mr.Underwood's desire to restore the family. Every year he had made aneffort to reside there, and been as regularly frustrated by his wife'spredilection for German baths, and dislike to the Bexley neighbourhood.Hers had been the dominion of a noisy tongue, and of ready tears andreclamations, but, poor woman, she was quite passive between the twostronger spirits of her mother and her daughter, who brought her downto Centry the day before the funeral. Mrs. Kedge led her away at onceto her room; but Marilda stood in the hall, excited, yet business-like,discussing arrangements with Felix, in that prompt, lucid,all-considering manner that sometimes springs out of the pressure of agreat affliction, settling every detail with eager peremptoriness--as,for instance, finding that Felix had intended his brothers only to meetthe procession in the grave-yard, she vehemently stipulated that theyshould come to the house, and be transported in carriages like therest. Her mother would not go, and would be left with Mrs. Kedge; butshe herself was resolved on being present, with Felix for her supporter.
'You will like to have Wilmet with you?' he asked.
'I thought Wilmet would have been here now,' she said, as ifdisappointed.
'Alda is coming by the five o'clock train; and she thought you hadrather be together.'
'But you will stay?' she earnestly entreated.
Alda arrived, weeping so much that she had to be taken upstairs atonce. The occupation and excitement were perhaps good for Marilda, whowas in a restless tearless state, only eager to be doing something forsome one. She sat at the head of the dinner-table, Mr. Spooner at thefoot; but the conversation was chiefly due to the instinctive habits ofgood breeding belonging to Sir Adrian, whose 'go through with it' airwas not unlike what he had worn at his wedding.
When the ladies went away, he inquired what was known about thewill; but Felix knew nothing, and if Mr. Spooner knew, he would notsay. Thereupon Sir Adrian became silent, and asked the way to thesmoking-room, whither Mr. Spooner deemed it needful to follow, whileFelix repaired to the drawing-room.
He thought it empty; but Alda's head looked round the tall back of aneasy-chair.
'Felix, is it you? I was nearly asleep.'
'Are you tired?'
'Yes, rather. It is such a shock--and my poor aunt's grief! It isso frightful to see a large person give way; it makes me quite ill.Where's Adrian?--smoking?'
'Yes.'
'That's man's way of getting out of trouble. If poor Marilda couldsmoke, she would not be half so restless and wretched. She has been upand down here four or five times in ten minutes. It wears one out!'
'She will be calmer when the bustle is over.'
'She tells me that you are executor with her.'
'I am afraid so.'
'Afraid! why?'
'Of the complication of business of which I have no experience, andthat must be thoroughly looked into.'
'Now, for my part,' said Lady Vanderkist, 'I should have expected youto be gratified at such a mark of confidence.'
'So I am, Alda. It is not want of gratitude; it is only that I wish Iwere better qualified.'
'You understand business.'
'Understanding my own business shows me how little I know of otherpeople's.'
'It would not be other people's, if you take this as it is meant. Therecan be no doubt that he meant to pave the way. Don't look so senselessand uncompromising, Felix; you must have heard Edgar say so!'
The colour glowed into Felix's face as he answered, 'You have not beenso silly as to take Edgar's nonsense in earnest?'
'It is absurd in you to pretend simplicity,' said Alda, sittingupright, and looking at him earnestly. 'Here is such an opportunityas you may never have again. This arrangement must have been made onpurpose to remove all scruples.'
'Nay, Alda,' interrupted Felix, in a tone of regret and shameat the subject and the time. 'If there were no objection, thisarrangement would be the greatest in itself,' and as she looked at himincredulously, 'don't you see that he has set me to do a brother's partto her? anything to interfere with that would be both unfair and cruel.'
'She knows nothing of such ridiculous refinements as you workyourselves up to. Besides no one wishes you to do anything at once;only you ought to have it in your mind, and might be making way allthe time.--Felix,' as she saw his face and gesture, 'you don't meanthat you are so absurdly fastidious. I call that quite wrong--in yourposition, too--and when she is the dearest best-hearted girl in theworld!' added Alda, with more genuine feeling.
'True, Alda; I esteem her goodness and generosity too highly to treather with the disrespect and insincerity such a course would imply.'
'Nonsense! as if it would not be the greatest kindness to save her fromfortune-hunters!'
Felix smiled. 'What should I be myself?' he said. 'I must speakplainly, to put this out of your head. Nothing else would lead me tothis, and in me it would be especially abominable, because I am theonly man in the family able to be of any use to her; and besides, I amnot only poor, and in a lower grade, but I have so many dependent uponme.--Don't you see?'
'I only see that you are obstinate and unreasonable, throwing away allmy pains to guard her for you!'
Felix could not but laugh a little ironically as he said, 'Thank you.'
'You think it mere fancy,' said Lady Vanderkist, nettled into provingher words by an exposure of herself; 'but she would have had that youngTravis two years ago, if I had not managed to give him a hint before hegot involved.'
'Alda!' He started up, and stood over her, speaking low, but with painand horror inconceivable. 'Alda, if you had not told me this, I shouldnot have believed it. I do not believe you now.'
Alda had the grace to colour violently under the force of hisindignation. 'Well, well,' she said, 'of course it was not only that.No one out of a novel would be so disinterested without a little bit ofinfatuation besides; but it is of no use recollecting these things now,when they are gone by.'
This was so incontrovertible that Felix made no answer, and was gladthat Marilda returned, trying to work off her restlessness by ringingall the possibilities of Edgar's seeing the announcement in the'Times,' and coming home.
Felix was still too much stunned to reply freely, and took his leaveas soon as possible. He walked home, finding no solace for his dismayat the usage of Ferdinand, save in plans which his better sense knewto be impracticable for bringing Ferdinand and Marilda together; butthe match which might have been easily accomplished as a veritable_mariage de convenance_, could not be contemplated by an almostpenniless clerk. Moreover, the heart had been given away, and Felixcould not believe that it would be possible to turn to Marilda fromone of his own graceful sisters. Even though the essential vulgarityof Alda's nature had been so painfully evident, the delicate contourof her face, her refined intonation and pronunciation, and elegance ofappearance and manner, returned on him in contrast with poor Marilda'sheavy uncouthness, and the shock she inflicted on his taste by plainspeaking--worse in manner, if better in matter.
On his return home, he found that Edgar had arrived, having travelledday and night ever since the tidings had met his eye. He was very muchtired, and genuinely grieved and overcome, to
o much even to battle withthe manifestation of his feelings. Always affectionate, he mourned forone who had, as he said, been far kinder to him than he deserved, andthough often angered with him, had pardoned and overlooked his offenceswith the partiality of a father. That their final farewell had been oneof sharp remonstrance on the one hand, and of gay defiant coolness onthe other, added poignancy to his regret; and there was so much more ofactual self-reproach than usually came from his tongue, that a gleamof hope glanced through the minds of Felix and Cherry that this shockmight be the beginning of better things.
They certainly had never seen him so subdued as when he set out forCentry the next morning with his brothers and Wilmet; and the meetingwith Marilda was like that of an orphan brother and sister. With allher esteem and confidence for Felix, her affection for Edgar was amuch warmer and more instinctive feeling; and the sight of him broughther tears freely and heartily, while she told him the history of herfather's last hours, and his gentle warmth of manner soothed andcomforted her.
He was sent for to her mother's dressing-room; and when he left it onlyto join the funeral party, he looked pale, shaken, and overwhelmed bygrief he had shared as well as witnessed. The position of son of thehouse seemed his right. It was he who led Marilda to the carriage, andhanded in first her, then Wilmet followed. Felix was just about tostep in, when another person thrust forward, and had his hand on thedoor, when Edgar said, 'I believe my brother comes with us,' and 'ComeFelix,' was hastily murmured from under Marilda's veil. He obeyed, andmet a shrug and scowl of displeasure and amazement; but nothing couldbe thought of except poor Marilda's choking sobs under her veil.
It is one curious effect of good breeding, that while in one classpublicity seems to stifle the expression of grief, in another itenhances it; and when Marilda's excitement had once dissolved intears, her agitation became so excessive, that her cousins watchedher anxiously, Wilmet attempting all that salts and kind pressures ofthe hand could do, and the brothers supporting her, when she clung toEdgar's arm, as if resting her whole weight on him, when the movementto the church began.
It was one of the regular conventional, and therefore most oppressiveof funerals, with a great array of pall-bearers, friends from London,and a train of persons with whom Thomas Underwood had been associated;and after all was over, most of them came to a great cold luncheon,which was to occupy them till the next train.
There they trooped, a black multitude, into the dreary big dining-room;and Felix, knowing nobody, and unwilling to take the lead, was muchrelieved when Edgar returned from taking Marilda upstairs and wentround with greetings and replies to every one. When he came to thegentleman who would have entered the carriage, he said, 'Good morning,Fulbert. Here--my eldest brother.'
Felix held out his hand, but met an ungracious bend. 'You muster stronghere,' were the words, chiefly addressed to Edgar.
'I am sorry not to show you any more of us,' said Edgar, with a spiceof malice; 'the others have walked home.'
Then Felix made some courteous inquiry for the elder Fulbert, and wasanswered in the coldest and haughtiest of tones, and the Vicar of ValeLeston turned away. In this company, all in mourning, he would nothave been taken for a clergyman, chiefly from a sort of free-and-easyair about his dress, and his unclerical cast of countenance, which waswearied, bored and supercilious.
'Take the other end of the table,' indicated Edgar; but Felix wouldhave abstained, had not Mr. Harford summoned him by a look; and anotherscowl from the Reverend Fulbert was the consequence.
Before long that gentleman was examining the lawyer as to when thewill was to be read; and hearing in return that so few were concernedthat there was to be no public opening. Did Miss Underwood know thathe--Fulbert--was here?--Yes, certainly.--He should like to see her andher mother. Mr. Harford applied to Edgar, who undertook to ascertainwhether they would wish it.
'What can it be for?' said Marilda, who was sitting between the twinsisters, calm, though spent with weeping, and unusually gentle.
'To warn you against us,' said Edgar. 'He is ready every moment toinsult Felix; but if you can bear it, you had better face him, or hewill say we beset you, and let no one have access to you.'
'That would be better than his teasing her,' said Wilmet.
'No, I don't mind whom I see now,' said Marilda. 'I must stand alone.Send him to me in the library, Edgar.'
This left Wilmet for the first time alone with Alda, longing to enterfully into her sister's new life, and hearing that Ironbeam Park wasdelightful; beautiful house, splendid drawing-rooms, beautiful grounds,sheet of water, swans, deer, good neighbourhood, people calling, dinnerinvitations without number, guests who had had to be put off. There wasa little attempt at complaint at being overwhelmed by the welcome, butpleasure and exultation were visible enough; only it seemed to Wilmetthat there was more of the splendour and less of the Adrian, than shewould have expected. Marilda soon came back.
'Well, was it as Edgar said?' asked Alda.
'He offers his wife to come and stay with me.'
'I dare say!'
'I shouldn't wonder if he meant to be kind!'
'Now, Marilda, you aren't going to let yourself be talked over!' criedAlda.
'He is my relation,' said Marilda, bluffly, in a tone that showed shemeant to be mistress of her own actions. 'I came back to say that thereare things to be done. There are Felix and Edgar walking in the garden;I want them in the library.'
She was going to ring to have them summoned; but Wilmet undertook tofetch them, going through an ante-room with a glass door; which she wasjust unfastening, when she heard a voice behind her--'Holloa, where areyou going now?' She perceived her brother-in-law, lounging on a sofawith a newspaper.
'I am looking for my brothers.'
'I say, haven't I told you that I'll not have you eternally runningafter that concern?'
She faced about, and looked full at him with her grave eyes, and neckheld like a stag's.
'I beg your pardon,' he stammered. 'This confounded mourning makeseverybody alike.'
She did not wait to hear more, but was gone as soon as the bolt hadyielded.
The Tartar had shown himself without a scratch. Were these his domesticmanners to his three months' bride?
She said nothing to her brothers, but brought them to the library,where Marilda was awaiting them, with the lawyer, Harford, and themanager, Spooner, to settle about the will.
Alda's five thousand pounds had been made over to her at her marriage,so that she was not mentioned. A large share in the mercantile housealready belonged to Mrs. Underwood, and to her was bequeathed thelease of the Kensington house, with the furniture; but Centry Park wasabsolutely left to Mary Alda, the daughter, with all the property inthe funds, or embarked in the business, coupled with a request thatin case of her marriage she should carry with her the name and armsof Underwood. Among the legacies were fifteen hundred pounds to FelixChester Underwood, and one thousand pounds apiece to Thomas Edgar,Theodore Benjamin, and Stella Eudora--Felix and Mr. Harford trusteesfor these last, with liberty to use the interest for their benefit, orlet it accumulate, as might be best.
No one made any remark; and the lawyer was beginning to tell the twoexecutors what immediate steps they must take, when Edgar rose, saying,'I suppose I'm not wanted!'
Marilda jumped up. 'Edgar, you ain't vexed! Poor Papa thought theexecutorship might take time, trouble, and expense, that ought to bemade up for.'
'Now, Polly,' said Edgar, with his sweet candid smile, 'you are notthinking me grudging dear old Fee anything man could give him! I onlywish he had mine. He'd do some good with it;' and he fondly laid hishand on the shoulder of Felix, who, not being used, like him, to viewHarford and Spooner as tame cats, had rather have had this more inprivate.
'You'll leave it in our hands, and let us make the most of it for you,Edgar,' said warm-hearted Marilda; 'that Pampas railway is never lessthan seven per cent., you know.'
'All very well, Poll, if the item could be suppressed when
the will isblazoned abroad. It is not ingratitude, dear old girl. It is more thanI deserve or expected, and will give me a hoist.'
'I hope--' began Marilda eagerly.
'Never mind me. The best part of it is that nest-egg for those babies.'
'It is indeed,' said Felix; 'I cannot express how thankful I am,especially for poor Theodore's sake.'
'It will not do much in the funds,' said Marilda, gratified; 'but leaveit in our hands, and little Stella shall have quite a fortune. You willjudge of our security when you look into our books.'
Marilda's habit of identifying herself with the firm had begun halfin play years ago; and in fact, the house now chiefly consisted ofherself, her mother, and grandmother, with Spooner, who had sharesenough to give him a personal interest in the transactions.
'You do not mean to go on with the business?' asked Felix.
'Why not? I have worked at it, and like it much better than the pianoor bead-work--and I can, can't I, Mr. Spooner?'
'We all know your competence, Miss Underwood. I would not wish for amore sagacious head, if--'
'Yes, if,' said Marilda more sadly; 'but you see, Felix, you may trustme. Let me keep your own and the twins, for you.'
'For the twins, I do not know how the law stands. Mr. Harford will tellme; but for myself, it may make a great difference to have this capitaljust now,' said Felix, who had already perceived what it might do forhim.
Charles Froggatt had been dead about a month, and with him his fatherhad lost all personal hope or interest in the business, and the fewtimes he had come into the town, had shrunk from meetings even withold friends, and crept upstairs to talk to Geraldine. He wished toretire, and he would have liked to have put Felix Underwood, who hadfor nearly nine years been as a dutiful son, into a son's place; but hehad relations to whom he must do justice, and he was unwilling to bringin a new partner, who might, as a moneyed man, lord it over Felix;while if he left things in their present condition till his death,the succession would pass to a family whom he knew to be uncongenial.All this had been discussed, but without seeing any way out of thedifficulty, until in this legacy Felix saw the means of making himselfmaster of the house and stock, and thus would obtain a footing as acitizen, by which he could profit as he gained in age and standing. Theavailable income of the family would hardly be increased, since theabsolute possession of the house involved expenses that had hithertobeen paid over his head; but the security and independence were worthmore than the pounds, shillings and pence that might otherwise havebeen brought in. The certain provision for the helpless Theodore alsomade Felix more free. The lawyer, his fellow trustee, greatly toWilmet's satisfaction, would not allow the sum in trust to be investedin anything but government security, and as nothing was needed atpresent for the child, the interest might there accumulate in case ofneed.
Edgar showed himself much subdued by the change in the household. Henever spoke plainly about his doings, and direct questions drove himto his retreat in the ludicrous. However, it could be inferred that inthe recklessness induced by Alice Knevett's desertion, he had gone farenough to alarm himself, and behold some abyss of exposure and disgracewhence the legacy would retrieve him, and that he was resolved to pullup and begin upon a different course.
He talked eagerly and edifyingly of setting about a picture forexhibition, the proceeds of which might take him to Italy, to begin acourse of study at Rome, where he might make a home for Cherry to comeand work with him; and they built up a _Chateau en Espagne_, the morefervently in proportion to Cherry's want of faith therein. Hours werespent in devising and sketching subjects for _the_ picture, or ratherpictures, for Mr. Renville was very anxious that Geraldine should makea venture in water-colours, such as might at least make her known as apossible illustrator. Edgar's eye and advice were very useful to her;and she decided on one ideal subject--the faithful little acolyte, whowhile the priest slept on the cold morning,
'Turned and sought the choir, Touched the Altar tapers With a flake of fire.'
And likewise the sketches of Stella in different attitudes, which shehad made with a view to Alda's picture, were worth working at with herutmost power.
For Edgar's own part, he had resolved on a scene which Cherry thoughtwild and impracticable, till he had dashed in his sketch of Brynhildasleep in the circle of fire, with Sigurd about to break through. Therewas something so bright and fiery, so expressive and powerful, in thehastily-designed and partly-coloured _ebauche_ that Cherry gazed at itlike something of weird and magical beauty, only longing for her masterto see it, and own Edgar's genius.
Brynhild's model was Wilmet, who, much against the grain, was inducedto let down all her mass of hair, and let Edgar pose her on thesofa squab with bare arms. In his mischief, however, he produced acounter pen-and-ink outline of Marilda in the same position, withall the pointed flames labelled with the names of various stocks andsecurities; while Sigurd's helmet disclosed Felix, armed with thePursuivant, and hesitating to plunge in. He might with equal proprietyhave drawn himself, his sister Alda thought, for on failing with Felix,she had actually whispered the same hint to him, but was met with thereply, 'Oh no, I am not bad enough for that.'
She was spending a week longer at Centry, that Sir Adrian mightmassacre the pheasants, which, however, he considered to be sodisgracefully preserved, that he spent much time and eloquence inexplaining to Miss Underwood how she might render her game a source ofprofit.
One November day, the last of the Vanderkists' stay at Centry, when thesisters had been sent for in the afternoon, and he and Lance were tofollow for the evening, Felix, returning into his office, was amazed tosee a figure standing at the fire.
'Ferdinand! what good wind brings you here?'
'I am come to say good-bye.'
'What? Mr. Brown sends you out to America?'
'No, it is on my own account. His correspondent at Oswego hastelegraphed to him to find me, and let me know of my uncle's death.'
'Death!'
'Yes, I know no particulars.'
'And are you his heir?'
'That I do not know. Probably. I cannot bring myself to care.'
'How much is it?'
'Brown knows of fifty thousand in stock that he can lay his hand upon;but there must be more than as much again afloat in the States, ingoodness knows what speculations, and I shall have to deal with it all!'
'It is well you have had an apprenticeship. The Life Guardsman wouldhave known less about it. When do you start?'
'I go back to town by the mail train to-night, to Liverpool to-morrow.I could not go without telling you; and when I tried to write, I felt Imust see you and this place again. But you are going out.'
'We were, but we shall be glad to get off.'
'To Centry? Is she there?'
'Yes. Going early to-morrow.'
Before Ferdinand had done more than stare into the fire, Lance openedthe door. 'Mr. Flowerdew wants--Holloa! Fernan dropped from the skies!'
'Is Mr Flowerdew there?' said Felix, about to pass him.
'No; he only wants you to write up to Novello's.--Do you hear, Fernan?we are to have _such_ a concert in the town hall, for a real goodorgan. Edgar will bring down no end of stars for it. You'll come downfor it?'
'Fernan will be in the utmost parts of America by that time, Lance.'
'Look here, Lance,' said Fernan--that dark sad countenance lighting asit sometimes did--'just you wait a fortnight, and I can all but promiseyou--'
'An organ by Atlantic cable, eh?' said Felix, laughing. 'Look at Lance,Fernan; he'd hardly thank you. It is the concert they want; the organis the excuse.'
'Now, Felix, you are as much set on the concert as I am. He is to sing,"Return, blest days,"' rattled on Lance, too eager on his own hobby todraw the inference as to Fernan's fortunes; 'and Mr. Miles has promisedto come himself with all our own fellows; and so we can have the sacredpart something respectable. It is a horrid pity you can't come!'
'He will be better employed, Lance
; he believes he is come into hisfortune.'
'And if so, Felix, nothing can hinder me from my greatest possiblepleasure, the giving this organ to St Oswald's--the church of mybaptism.'
'Well, Fernan, the bear is not caught yet, remember; but when it is,I'm not the man to hinder you from making up the deficit I stronglyanticipate after this same concert of ours.'
'Felix! A hundred and sixty reserved seats at a guinea, and--'
Felix put up his hands to his ears. 'Meantime, Lance, find littleLightfoot, and tell him to get ready to take a note into the country.'
Ferdinand of course rose up, insisting on starting by the five o'clocktrain, but was withheld while Felix wrote a note to Marilda, in whichhe communicated the tidings, leaving it to her and to Wilmet to informLady Vanderkist.
The note was delivered in the expectant time before dinner, whenMarilda, without any preliminary but 'Bless me! what does Felix writeto me for?' read--
MY DEAR COUSIN,
You must have the kindness to excuse Lance and myself from joining your party to-night. We are unexpectedly prevented by the arrival of Mr. Travis, who has come down to take leave, having been telegraphed for to Oswego on his uncle's death. He must go back by to-night's mail train; and perhaps you would kindly send my sisters home a little earlier, as I think they would wish to see him.
Your affectionate cousin F.C. UNDERWOOD.
'His uncle dead without a will! If we had but known!' said Mrs.Underwood, unguardedly.
'Insolvent, depend on it,' growled Sir Adrian, fitting on theconsequence so that Cherry felt an uncontrollable impulse to giggle,and was glad to be sunk in the depths of a huge chair.
She was startled by Alda's answering rather fretfully, 'I don't seewhy--he was very rich.'
'The more reason. It is always the way with those Yankees.'
Mrs. Underwood took on herself to defend the solidity of the Travisinterest as an article of her husband's belief; Wilmet and Cherrylonged to change the conversation, but neither knew how; and it was SirAdrian who found a fresh subject at last, on which the others willinglyrode off.
They begged to have the carriage ordered at nine, and bade good-bye toLady Vanderkist, who had good taste enough not to make another remarkafter the first into which she had been betrayed.
Marilda, however, did. 'Tell him I hope it is all right, and that Icongratulate him with all my heart,' she said; and she looked as if shecould have said more.
Perhaps Wilmet and Cherry were not sorry that Stella's being seatedbetween them prevented discussion on the difference patience andconstancy might have made. Wilmet, with her love for her sister, andrecollection of that conjugal interpellation, might regret; whileGeraldine, less prejudiced, felt that Ferdinand could hardly be pitiedfor the test that had spared him a wife with whom he could have solittle in common; but both felt the contrast when they were met byFerdinand, whose countenance, though not intellectual, was singularlynoble, and full of a grand melancholy sweetness according with theregular outline and dark olive colouring, while the gentleness of histone was not the conventional politeness of society, but somewhat ofthe old Spaniard enhanced by Christian grace.
For all that had come and gone, they were more comfortable with him nowthan when he had been Alda's exclusive property, and what was wantingin love had been made up in jealousy; but he was very low and sad; hehad not come to the point of ceasing to regret Alda, and his nativeinertness shrank from the trouble and turmoil before him, when hehad nothing to make riches valuable to him, and could not bear to bewrenched from the shadow of St. Matthew's, and tossed he knew not wherein the West, among strangers and worse than strangers. But after all,the home party were soon caring most of all about their concert.
The St Oswald's Choral Society did in fact give a concert every year,but in a very quiet way, aiming only at covering their own expenses,and seeking for no extraneous aid; but this was to be an affair ona very different scale. It had grown up no one knew how, under theinfluence of Mr. Flowerdew, and of two Miss Birkets, daughters ofa gentleman who lived out of the town but in the parish. They wereenthusiastic young ladies, about thirty years old, who had been enoughat Minsterham to have known 'little Underwood' in his glory there, andto take him up with all their might when they found him with renovatedpowers in the choral society.
He was 'little Underwood' still, and perhaps would always be so, forin spite of the start of growth he had so eagerly hailed, he wouldnever be tall, but the slenderness of his bones, hands, feet, andgeneral frame, made him look neatly and well made; and he was whatevery one called, very gentleman-like in appearance. His face hadnot the beauty of some of the others, the colouring was pale, andthere was nothing to catch the eye, till it lighted up into mirth orsweetness; and his manners, from their perfect simplicity and absenceof self-consciousness, were always engaging. He was either a cypher, orelse he had an inexpressible charm about him. When his violin-playingpowers were discovered, the ladies made a point of getting up a pieceon the piano in which he was to accompany them, and a prodigiousquantity of practice it took. Lance had to walk over to them at leasttwo afternoons in a week. Felix looked on it as patronage, and couldnot think how he could bear it; but Lance was too simple to perceivepatronizing--a petticoat was always a petticoat to him, and a littlelingering chatter in their drawing-room was his delight, a few friendlywords over the counter enslaved him.
Those holidays came, as Felix well knew, much too often; and if hetried to keep the balance true by tenders of the like liberty to ErnestLamb, Lance proved to have left his head behind him, and made mistakes,or still worse was guilty of neglects. When called to account, partlyfrom pre-occupation, partly from easiness of temper, he really seemedincapable of taking a reproof, or understanding the enormity of hiserrors. Had these been the days of Redstone, there must have been anexplosion; but young Lamb was one of those whom Lance unconsciouslyfascinated, and being used to sparing him in the early days when hewas scarcely more than a convalescent, the good plodding lad took itfor granted that the unmusical should set the musical free, toiledquietly after him to rectify his mistakes, was absolutely amazed whenMr. Underwood apologized to him for the unequal weight resting on hishonest shoulders, and was by far the most shocked and distressed whenat last the value of some careless piece of damage was imposed as afine. Indeed, Lance viewed this as expiation, troubled his head no moreabout the matter, and was in far too transcendent a state to perceivethat he was Felix's daily worry, provocation, and disappointment.
There was the hope that it would be only for a time, and that itwould blow over the sooner that nothing was heard of Edgar or hisstars. Lance was indeed so radiantly happy, that it was only when hewas doing something very provoking indeed that it was possible to bedispleased with him, and not even to Geraldine would Felix whisper theheart-sickening misgivings that came over him when he found himselfexperiencing exactly what Kedge and Underwood had gone through fromEdgar.
The concert was to be just within the Christmas vacations, so that theperformers would include Clement, and the audience Robina and Angela,besides William Harewood, who was to bring his sisters over. It wasdelicious to hear Lance's demands upon Wilmet, in his ecstasy at beingonce more with his own beloved Minsterham choir. And Wilmet's soft spotwas Minsterham, as the rogue knew.
'Train comes in at five eleven. I say, Mettie, our fellows must comehere before they go to tune up.'
'My dear Lance, there are five-and-thirty of them at least! It is quiteimpossible! Why they couldn't sit down!'
Lance whistled. 'I must have little Graeme, Mettie, the little chap hasnever been here.'
'Poor little Dick! Well I don't mind him.'
'And if he comes, he must bring little George Lee--he's only seven, andnot fit to knock about with men and all.'
'Very well.'
'No more is his fellow--that mite of a Bennett that is come instead ofHa
rewood. His brother was an uncommon good friend to me when I was alittle squeaking treble.'
Wilmet swallowed the mite of a Bennett.
'And Poulter! You remember Poulter, surely, Wilmet.'
'Who used to come twice a day to ask after you. Yes, we must have him.'
'Then there's Oliver--our big bass! Oh! you must remember old Oliverwith that grizzly beard, coming in and carrying me out like a baby thefirst day I went into the avenue.'
'That good-natured old man--only I should think he would be happieramong his friends.'
'And Mr. Miles--'
'Really, Lance, I don't think Mr. Miles would wish to come.'
'Oh, you're afraid Jack will be jealous!--You know, Cherry, Miles wasalmost caught, he had the slyest little flirtation with Mettie whenthey thought I was asleep or delirious or something--'
'Delirious indeed to think so,' interrupted Wilmet indignantly; butLance went on unheeding,
'And if the engineer hadn't been the sharpest, who knows if shewouldn't have got permanent lodgings in the organ gallery? and now yousee she thinks poor Miles's heart is in such a state that she can'tventure to let him come!'
'Ah!' said Cherry, gravely taking up the cue, and much amused atWilmet's indignant blushes and innocent amazement. 'I've alwaysunderstood that things go very deep with those sort of misogynists,when once they begin.'
'Now, Cherry, I didn't expect such nonsense in you!' exclaimed Wilmet.'Mr. Miles is extremely welcome--just as any of Lance's friends are.'
'There, Lance,' laughed Cherry, 'there goes the wedge! Dick Graeme wasthe small end, then came the two little trebles, then the two basses,and now Mr. Miles himself and any of your friends. And I imagine allthe five-and-thirty are your particular friends.'
'Why, all that are coming--except Rooke and Higgins, and they alwayswere disgusting little cads, only one couldn't leave them out bythemselves, as they would be eating dirt some way and getting not fitto sing; Rooke's got my part now--I always used to be the lady whenthere was any spooning going on out of an opera! and if we don't takethem in hand they'll go and stuff themselves with pastry, and wash itdown with cherry brandy, and won't be good for anything.'
'But there must be some senior to keep them in order.'
'Oh! there's Black, but he will go to his cousin's in Long Street, andCharlie Harris, but he was next to me. If any one comes, Charlie must.'
'My dear, how many are there to come?'
'Well! four of the little chaps will be away for the holidays, and itis only six of the lay-vicars that ever do come out, and two of themhave friends here, so it is only two more of them besides Mr. Miles,and but five more boys. Really, Wilmet, I know Mr. Miles and thePrecentor would be for ever obliged, there's nothing they hate so muchfor us as knocking about hotels, and that's why we hardly ever went toany but private concerts.'
'Well, every one was so very kind last year, we do owe some return. Iwill see what Felix thinks.'
Felix, so far as he had time to think at all, was sure to be on thehospitable side, so that ended by a provision of cold meat and tea andcoffee on the back-room table, and permission to Lance to bring in andfeed whomsoever he pleased. After the concert, a regular supper wasprovided in the school for all the performers, and Wilmet was releasedfrom all concern except with stray womankind who might want sheltertill the mail train.
The excitement went on increasing. To use Lance's expression, thetickets went off like wild-fire; Marilda took a large allowance for herservants and dependants.
The type of the programmes was all set up, and Lance had proudlycarried the proof round the house, when a note arrived from Edgar.
'Prebels consent to come and give three National Magyar airs, expenses being paid. Engage rooms for them at the F.A. I trust this is in time to draw. I shall come down with them.'
T.E.U.
Here were the stars, after all! Lance crushed up his proof and playedat ball with it in his ecstasy; and Felix--for all the trouble it gavehim--was carried along and not much less delighted, as he sent Clementup to Mr. Flowerdew with the intelligence.
The brother and sister M. Stanislas and Mlle. Zoraya Prebel were notexactly in the first ranks of public singers, but were rated highly,and their fame, when making the round of the provinces with a companywho performed varieties of characteristic national music, had beenquite enough to fire the souls of Bexley with ardour; nor did Felixmurmur, although he had to stay away from the final choral society'srehearsal to provide for the programmes and hand-bills, without whichthe attraction of Mlle. Zoraya would remain unknown to the public. Timeto put it into the Pursuivant would have made all the difference!
But on that last supreme day, the excitement was such, that anybody waswilling to do anything. Felix could do little but explain to peoplewhere their seats would be on the map of the town hall spread on thecounter, and answer their questions about the Zoraya; Wilmet was overhead and ears on her preparations for her entertainment, and wouldhave been unable to get any help in laying out her table but Cherry'sif Marilda had not come in to see what was going on, thrown herselfinto the business with zeal and promptitude, sent back to Centry for asupply of flowers, knives and forks, and done the work of half a dozenparlour-maids. Stella was obediently keeping Theodore out of mischief;and the other two girls were, with Bill Harewood, assisting a selectparty in decorating the town hall with evergreens; and Clement, who hadto his dismay found a whole part made over to him by a young Bruce, whohad an inopportune cold, was practising hard at the old piano (which,by-the-by, Lance had learned to tune); Mr. Flowerdew and the managerwere catching the doubtful and putting them through their performances;and little Lightfoot was only preserved by his natural stolidity fromutter distraction among the hundred different ways he was ordered atonce. As for Lance, he tried to help every one, was too excited to keepat anything, and was usually scolded off from whatever he attemptedtill at last he shut himself up in the barrack with his violin, andpractised till he was so desperate at the sense of his failures,that when Bill Harewood came in search of him, he was, as he mildlyexpressed it, hesitating whether to hang himself like Dirk Hatteraickon the beam.
'Well, come down, here's Miles as savage as a bear with a sorehead--vows that he was very near turning back again when he saw yourrose-coloured placard of the Zoraya at the station.'
'If he's sulky, that is a go!' exclaimed Lance, with a look ofconsternation, utterly overpowering his stage fright. 'Do you rememberhis putting us all out at the Deanery, because Miss Evans affrontedhim?'
'Well do I remember it! He boxed my ears for it so that they sung for aweek!'
And the two ex-choristers went down, feeling much as when an anthem hadgone wrong. The room was pretty well filled with their old comrades,but Lance only went from one to the other quietly shaking hands, andquaking for the future as he heard the organist thundering away toWilmet and Cherry.
He hated singing women some degrees more than the rest of their sex,and above all Italian singing women, who never appreciated Handel.Cherry ventured to suggest that the lady was not Italian, but, ifanything, Hungarian.
'Madam,' he answered in Johnsonian wrath, 'she is cosmopolitan, that isto say a half breed or quarter breed of everything, with neither home,nation, nor faith!'
'Do you know anything against her?' gravely asked Wilmet, with a viewto the possible contingency of being desired to call upon her.
'I know enough in knowing her to be a second-rate _prima donna_. Faugh!Now and then comes a first-rate one who can't help it, and is as meekand simple as you might be; but when this sort of woman comes down as afavour, I know what that means! Who is to pay the debt you'll have?'
'They come for their expenses.'
He held up his hands. 'I'd ten times rather she came at a hundredguineas a night! Then you'd know what to be at! Whose doing is it?'
'My brother Edgar's.'
'Then I hope he is prepared to pay for it. That is, if she
comes atall. You'll have a telegram to say she has a cold, and who is toannounce it to an indignant audience?'
'I think you had better, Mr. Miles,' said Cherry daringly, 'for youwill congratulate them upon it.'
'Isn't his face a caution?' whispered Bill to Lance. 'He never got suchsauce before.'
'He likes it,' returned Lance, triumphantly rubbing his hands. 'Cherrycould come over Pluto himself!'
And in effect, the lively gracious tongue of the one sister, and thecalm beauty of the other, were producing a wonderful placability andgood-humour; the lads who were feeding by relays in the back roomventured to talk and laugh above their breath, and the only fear wasof a relapse when Marilda's carriage, with Mr. and Mrs. Spooner in it,called for Cherry, and the fascination had to be removed.
Lance was as much delighted to walk down with the choir, though hesorely missed his cap and gown, as was Will to go, as he said, likea gentleman, the only one except little Bernard available to escortthe ladies. Robin was quite content, as he took to himself all thehonour and glory of representing his brother, and giving an arm tothe belle of the room, as he persisted in declaring Wilmet, though towell accustomed Bexley eyes, she was much more likely to appear as theschool teacher.
They were a merry little snug party, those four sisters behind, withthe three Harewoods; only Wilmet was rather scandalised by the titterof Grace and Lucy in their delight at being relieved from Mr. Miles'spresence; and their excitement about Edgar, whom they viewed as themost beautiful vision that had ever dawned on them. Vain were Wilmet'sendeavours to keep them in order by stern repressions of her owncomparatively unoffending sisters, who had little attention to sparefor nonsense, since Robina's whole soul was set on Lance's enjoying anddistinguishing himself, and Angela was in an absolutely painful stateof tension with expectation and anxiety for the star's appearance andMr. Miles's temper.
Presently, after long waiting, there was a look of sensation andeagerness, and Felix, who had been detained to the last moment, cameedging himself through the lines of chairs, his whiskers in their bestcurl, and his hair shining, to exchange a word with his outermostsister, who chanced to be Robin.
'All right, if the train is not late. Edgar has telegraphed. Is Cherrycomfortable? I couldn't get away before. There's not a ticket left.'
Happy those that caught the whisper as Felix made his way up the lane,and was admitted through the orchestra; but there was still delayenough to allow some impatient stamping of feet to begin before therevolution in the programme could be settled which was to give theseerratic meteors time to appear. Then at last came the overture, andthe concert took its course. There was no doubt that Mr. Miles wasaccompanying in his best style; Angela was soon far too blissful forpersonal anxieties; but it was a great comfort to the sisters to besecure that all was right, when not only the three brothers--of whomthey had seen and heard their share in the sacred part--but Edgar cameforward. Any sisters might be proud of four such brothers--so bright,so straight, so strong and fair; Edgar, with his fine robust figure andsilky beard, giving them altogether a distinguished look and character,though Clement's head was a little the highest, and Lance's voice wasthe sweetest and most remarkable in power and expression; but all werein wonderful accord and harmony. Any other audience would have encoredthe performance as something rare and exquisite; but the Underwoodbrothers and their glees were rather stock pieces at Bexley, and peoplewanted something new.
Lance's performance with the Miss Birkets was very correct, but notof the style calculated to produce any very lively sentiments amongthe uninitiated audience, who were on the tip-toe of expectation ofthe lady whose arrival had been notified in whispers, and hardly fullyappreciating the best that either their own powers or the Minsterhamchoir could produce. The first part went by without her; and in theinterval came hope in the shape of Lance, who made an incursion toask his sisters how they liked it, and to impart that the Zoraya wassafe come, but was supposed to be dressing. 'Mr. Miles said she wouldbe dressing till midnight, and would be less worth hearing then thana decently trained choir-boy. But he's not sulky, after all; yet,'added Lance, with a look of brightness in his face, 'fancy his tellingFee that I played that remarkably well just now--truth and taste, hesaid--the old villain--only that the ladies would spoil my time if Ididn't take care. And there's a sallow-faced fellow come down withMademoiselle, who said it wasn't bad either!'
No wonder Lance was exalted; and he required equal admiration for allhis favourites, until he had to hurry back again.
A little of what seemed to the excited commonplace--then came the eventof the evening. The glistening silken lady, with a flashing emeraldspray in her dark hair, lustrous eyes of a colour respecting which notwo persons in the room agreed, and a face of brilliant beauty, wasled bowing forward, and her notes, birdlike, fresh, and clear, rangthrough the room, her brother accompanying her. It was a strong clearvoice, and the language and air being alike new, entranced every one;the applause was vehement, the encoring almost passionate; but thelady would not be encored, she gave them two songs alone, one with herbrother, accompanied this time by Lance's 'sallow-faced fellow;' andthough she smiled and curtsied graciously, was not to be induced torepeat herself.
It seemed to Robina as if the lady herself and the whole public hadtaken a great deal of trouble for a very brief matter; but she found itwas rank treason to say so, when at the conclusion of the whole, thosefaithful brothers hurried down each to pick up a sister and bestow hersafely at home before repairing to the Fortinbras Arms for the greatsupper to the Minsterham choir. The Bexley public had been favouredbeyond all desert or reason; the newness of the airs had been a perfectrevelation to Lance's ears, and he was very angry with Clement forbeing disappointed, and repeating Mr. Miles's judgment that there waslack both of science in the singing and of sweetness in the voice.
Altogether the evening had been a great success; every one wasdelighted with every one else, and the supper was not the leastcharming part, preceded as it was by Lance's bringing the little sevenyears old choir boy, half asleep, ready to cry and quite worn out, andputting him under Wilmet's care. He had half his night's rest out onthe sofa before he was picked up in the kindly arms of the big bass andcarried off to the mail train. Lance seemed much disposed to go withthem by mistake; indeed, he was only withheld from accompanying them tothe station by Felix reminding him rather sharply that someone must bekept sitting up for him.
It was over, and the morning began with Felix standing straight up inthe office, master now rather than brother, and gravely saying, 'Now,Lance, that this excitement is at an end, I shall expect attention andpunctuality, and shall excuse no more neglects. Take this invoice, andoverlook the unpacking of those goods.'
'Yes, sir.' Lance wriggled his shoulders feeling intensely weary ofsuch tasks; and as he stood, paper in hand, still he partly whistled,partly hummed the Hungarian air, till the foreman came out of theprinting-house, saying, 'Mr. Lancelot, I should be much obliged if youwould desist. It distracts the young men.'
Of course Lance bothered the young men, but desisted whenever herecollected it, and then inly bemoaned the having passed a light-houseof anticipation, and having before him only a dreary irksome twilightwaste.
Edgar had not been seen that morning, except to leave word that hemeant to breakfast with his friends at the Fortinbras Arms; but atthe dinner hour he looked into the office, and saying, 'You are atliberty, Lance, I want you,' carried him off, Felix knew not why norwhere, and had no time to ask, even when Lance came back, and this wasnot till past two, with the shop overflowing, and customers waitingto be attended to. It was one of those times when gossipry was rife,and the master had to stand talking, talking, while his assistants hadmore than enough on their hands with the real purchasers, a division oflabour that usually came naturally, but to which Lance was evidentlynot conforming himself as usual; and at last Felix heard him absolutelydenying that certain blotting-blocks ever had been, would, or could bemade, and had to turn hastily to the rescue
and undertake that theyshould be forthcoming by the next week. Also two orders proved to havebeen left not entered, and therefore not attended to, and Felix wasthoroughly roused into vexation and anger. As soon as the last hurriedcustomers had come and gone, while Stubbs and Lightfoot were closingthe shutters, he again summoned Lance with, 'This will not do, Lance.Your ignorance and laziness are not to be the limit of people's wants,and I will not have my customers neglected. I have had patience withyou all through this business, and that good fellow Lamb has shownforbearance that amazes me, but it must go on no longer. Things cannotbe done by halves. Either you must turn over a new leaf, and give yourmind to the business, or you must give it up, and look out for someother employment.'
'You wish me to give it up?' mumbled Lance, in a voice that soundedsullen.
'You are going the way to make me do so.'
'You don't want me? Very well.'
'Stay, Lance,' said Felix, whose reproofs had never before beenreceived by Lance in this manner, 'I wish you to understand. Youoffered your services under a generous impulse last year, when I wasoverdone and perplexed; but I doubted then if it were not a mistake.You had come to be very valuable, more so than any mere hireling couldbe, and I am very thankful to you; but if you are to be like what youhave been for a month past, you are doing some harm to the business anda great deal to yourself; and you had better choose some line that youcan be hearty in.'
'Could you afford it, Felix?'
'I must afford it! Such work as yours has been of late is the mostexpensive of all. Eh!' rather startled; 'have you anything in yourhead?'
'I hardly know.'
A message came in at the moment, and by the time Felix had answered it,Lance had vanished, rather to his vexation and uneasiness. He went upto supper, the first family meeting where there had been time to talkover the humours of the day before. Edgar was full of fun; and thereport Cherry had been writing for the Pursuivant was read aloud in thefamily conclave, and freely canvassed, but Lance, though he put in aword or two here and there, was much quieter than usual; and when allthe others moved back into the drawing-room, he touched Robina's arm,and kept her with him in the dark room.
'What should you say, Bob, if I got out of it all?' was his first word.
'Out of it all!'
'Ay. Felix thinks me no loss, and I've got a chance.'
'Oh!' a long interrogative not well pleased sound it was, not answeredat once; and Robina added, 'Does Mr. Miles want an assistant?'
''Tisn't that sort. You saw the gentleman that came down with Edgar andthe Hungarians?'
'Yes, his name is Allen, he is manager of the National Minstrelsy,'Edgar said.
'Just so. He has got a lease of a concert-room in town, and he wouldgive me five pounds a week to sing two nights a week through theseason!'
'Lance!' Robina could only stand breathless.
'I'll tell you all about it. You know Edgar came and called me just atdinner-time.'
'I know, and Felix got no dinner at all except a sandwich that Wilmetsent down.'
'Well, that was his own fault. However, there they were at theFortinbras Arms, in the best blue room, just come down to breakfast.'
'Who? The Hungarians?'
'Yes. Mr. Allen and M. Prebel were waiting for the lady, to ring andhave the hot things up. What a stunner she is, to be sure! the finestwoman I ever saw in my life, and such pretty ways when she can't findan English word, I should think a queen must be just like her.'
'Yes, if she is waited for in that way. Did you get anything to eat,then, Lance?'
'Didn't we, though? Why, they had asked us to breakfast; and such abreakfast I never set eyes on--devilled kidneys, and pie with trufflesin it, and pine-apple jam--and wine! They asked for wines that Reid thewaiter had never heard of--nor, it is my belief, Mr. Jones either.'
'But is this all to come out of their expenses that are paid for them?'
'You're getting like W.W., I declare, Bobbie. I never thought of that;but I'll go up to Reid, and find out the worth of my own share, andwipe that out. Well, they were uncommonly kind and civil. Edgar's quiteat home with them, you know; talks French like a house on fire, orGerman--I don't know which it was, but she made it sound as pretty ascould be, and I should soon pick it up. I had no notion what they wereat, but Edgar said she wanted to hear me sing that song of Sullivan'sagain, and I could not help doing it; and then she smiled and bowed andthanked, and Mr. Allen made remarks, about my wanting lightness andstyle, said it came of singing too much cathedral music.'
'O Lance, wasn't that like the Little Master saying Montjoie St.Denis?'
'Nonsense! He's no more like the Little Master than you are; Edgar sayshe's as respectable as Old Time, and has got a little mouse of a wifeas good as gold. But he does want a high tenor to sing his Englishballads, and he'll give me this, with chances to sing at privateconcerts, and opportunities of getting lessons on the violin. Think ofthat, you solemn bird, you.'
'Where would you live?'
'With Edgar. Then I could make up the difference to Fee; and what Icould save, with Edgar's picture, will take us to Italy. And there Icould get finished up first-rate.'
'You've not settled it so?'
'Why, no. The first thing that struck me was that it was awfully coolby Felix, to say all this without notice to him, and I told them asmuch; but then they said they didn't want to inconvenience Felix, andwouldn't want me till March.'
'Just as if you were his servant.'
'In that light, so I am.'
'You don't really think of doing it, Lance?'
'I don't mean one thing or the other yet, Robin! Here's Felix one sidetelling us that he's very much obliged to me, but I am worse than nouse at all; and Edgar and this Allen on the other, saying that here'sthe line that I am cut out for.'
'But Felix can only mean when you are gone mad after the concert.'
'And who is to help getting mad, when their life is all dulness andbotheration? Edgar told me it would be so--and now Felix himselfdeclares it was a mistake my ever working here.'
'Felix must have been terribly displeased, to say so.'
'I believe he was indeed! but I couldn't help it. How can one mindfoolscap and satin wove, and all the rest of it, when there are suchglorious things beyond?'
'O Lance, I never heard you say "couldn't help it" before!'
'Now, Robin, say in three words. Do you want me to be a merecounter-jumper all my life?'
'O Lance--don't.'
'There, you see what you really feel about it. Now--without coming tosuch a point as Sims Reeves, or Joachim, or--' (and Lance's face wasfull of infinite possibility), 'I could with the most ordinary luckget up high enough to have a handsome maintenance; and at any rate, Ishould live with what is life to me--have time to study the science--bea composer, maybe--and get into a society that is not all inferior. Ihate the isolation we live in here--not a real lady out of one's ownfamily to be friendly with one.'
'But I don't think ladies are so with musical people.'
'Maybe not, but they are a strong, cultivated, refined society of theirown, able to take care of themselves. What now, Robin, can't you speak?What is it now?'
'I was only thinking of what you said last time Edgar asked you.'
'I hadn't seen London then, I knew nothing about it. The very Sundaysthere are different things from what they are in this deadly livelyplace.'
'That's as you make them. Besides, that makes no difference as to thatother thing you said.'
'What?' (A little crossly.)
'About the cathedral and the stage,' whispered Robina, hanging her head.
'One doesn't want all that one ever said when one was a high-flown assto be thrown in one's teeth,' said Lance, angrily.
'Oh!' but otherwise Robina held her tongue.
Presently Lance began again persuasively. 'You see this is onlytraining, after all, Bobbie; I may take to sacred music, oratorios oranything else, when once I have got thoroughly taught; and I can onlydo that b
y living on my own voice. I must lay by enough to take me toItaly, and when I have learnt there, then I can turn to anything.'
'Do you think you ever would lay by?'
That was rather a cutting question, for Lance, though never in debt,never could keep a sixpence in his pocket.
'I could if I had a real object.'
'Only I don't think it would wholly depend on yourself,' said sensibleRobina. 'I suppose they don't pay by the week; and then if the concernshould not answer?
'That's sheer impossibility. There isn't a safer man in London thanAllen. It is a much more profitable investment than old Pur.'
'Then if you lived with Edgar, you don't know how much you might haveto go shares for.'
Thereupon Lance broke out into absolute anger against Robina for herunkindness to Edgar, talking much of the want of charity of people wholived at home, and thought everything beyond their ken must be wicked.She ventured to ask what Felix thought of it, and was told in returnthat Felix was not only not his father, but though the best fellow inthe world, had no more knowledge of it than a child in petticoats. Itwas for the good of Felix, and everyone else, that they should not allhang about at home in the stodge and mire.
How long this might have gone on there is no saying, but Felix's voicewas heard calling to them in preparation for evening prayers. WhenRobina heard Lance's voice rise in all its sweetness in the EveningHymn, her heart was so full of yearning pain and disappointment, thatshe could hardly hold back her tears till she could kneel and hide herface in her hands.
She had this comfort. She did not understand from Lance that he hadaccepted, and he certainly did not join Edgar that night in thekitchen, but, saying he was tired out, he went at once to bed.
On Saturday she had not one private moment with him, but on the otherhand, neither she hoped had Edgar; for the work both of the press andof the shop happened to be unusually heavy, and neither he nor Felixhad a moment to spare; and Edgar spent the evening with some friends inthe town.
Sunday afternoon, the family hour for walks and talks, poured withrain, and thereby was favourable to letters to Fulbert. Indeed,Angela's commencement of some sacred music was stopped, by the generalvoice entreating her to wait till the letters were finished. Lance, whonever wrote to anybody but Fulbert, had resumed the practice ever sincehe had received an affectionate letter called forth by his illness, andwas now busy with his little blotty portfolio; while Robina, having noSunday correspondent, was half reading, half watching Stella explainingpictures to Theodore.
Presently Lance stretched across, and silently put a sheet ofnote-paper into her lap, hushing her by a sign. It had been begun inhis best hand, and it must be confessed that that hand was at present ascratchy one, and there were various erasures.
DEAR SIR,
I have done my best to consider your kind and flattering proposal, and have come to the conclusion that for the present it will be better for me to continue where I am. There will thus be no need to apply to my eldest brother.
With my respectful thanks, Yours faithfully, LANCELOT O. UNDERWOOD.
Robina made a little pantomime of clapping her hands, for whichLance did not appear to thank her, but still in dumb show requiredher judgment on the choice of several words. She mutely marked herpreference, and he returned to his place and copied it. Still he hadnot addressed the letter. He put it into his pocket, with a significantsmile at his sister. Evening came, late service, supper; still it wasin his pocket till the moment of bed-time, and then it was that Robinasaw him linger with Edgar, and went to her room with a heart full oftrembling prayer.
'Edgar,' as his brother arrived in the kitchen, and prepared his pipe,'how shall I address this?'
'Eh! you needn't be in too great a haste. We had better break it topoor old Blunderbore first.'
'There's no breaking in the case. I'm not going.'
'Ah! I knew how it would be when you began running about to all thewomankind in the house.'
'I've not spoken to a soul but Bobbie,' said Lance rather hotly, asEdgar laughed.
'Then one was enough to do your business?'
'I only spoke to her to clear my own mind.'
'Ay, to get someone to contemplate Hercules between Vice and Virtue;but it won't do, my boy. Little Allen is as virtuous as Felix himself,and the choice is simply between the thing you can do and the thing youcan't.'
'I can do my duty here,' said Lance bluntly.
'You've tried, my boy; you made a gallant effort, and I let you alonewhile you had a head to be spared, but 'tis no good trying to force thecourse of the stream, and you had better break loose, before you gettoo old for the real thing that you are made for.'
'No, Edgar, I've thought it over, and found out how things stand. Herewill Felix begin now to have more on his hands, and can manage to shellout less than ever while he had Froggy to fall back on. Now, not onlyis my nominal salary much less than he could offer a stranger, but halfof it goes back into the housekeeping, while I'm _done for_ at home,and I don't see how he could meet the difference just now.'
'Whew! that's the blind way you all go on, putting the present beforethe future. If Felix had a grain of spirit, he would revolt at preyingon your flesh and blood. Flesh and blood--why, its genius and spiritcrushed up in this hole!'
'It is no more than all of us have done by him, ever since he was of mysize.'
'But it is so short-sighted, Lance. You could make it up to him sosoon. Five pounds for certain the week--and possibilities, remember.You'll lodge with me--that's nothing; and for the rest, you'll soonlive as we do--like the birds of the air.'
'I couldn't make it up to him, and save for Italy; besides I should beearning nothing there.'
'But I should! Copying is a certain trade. Come now, Lance, you'vetaken some panic. Tell me what is at the bottom of it! Have they beenwarning you against us wicked Bohemians?'
'They? Nonsense!'
'_She_, then?'
'It is nothing at all that Robina said.'
'Come, make a clean breast. What lies at the bottom of this absurdrejection of the best offer you'll ever have in your life?'
Edgar took the pipe out of his mouth, that the smoke might not obscurehis view of the young face whose brow was resting on an arm leant onthe mantel-piece, and the eyes far away. 'What's the bugbear? and I'llclear it up.'
'No bugbear.'
'You don't trust me. Eh? Is that it? Have they told you I mean to preyon your innocence?'
'No, indeed, Edgar!'
'Are you afraid of the great and wicked world? I thought you'd morespirit than that; and I've always told you, you might run after as manychurches as you chose. I'd never hinder you. Come, have it out, Lance,you think me a corrupter of your artless youth?'
'No!'
'Come, out with it. What has turned you?'
The answer came at last in his low clear voice, speaking more into thefire than to Edgar, the eyes still fixed and far away--'"And here weoffer and present unto Thee ourselves, our souls and bodies, to be areasonable, holy, and lively sacrifice."'
'What do you mean? what's that?' said Edgar, half startled, half angry.
'It comes after the Holy Communion,' said Lance, quite as much shockedby the novelty with which the familiar sound struck on his brother'sears.
'Oh! a pious utterance that only a _tete exaltee_ takes literally.'
'I should not join in it if I didn't mean it,' muttered Lance, in themost brief matter-of-fact way.
'Then why aren't you living barefoot on bread and water in a hermitage?'
'Because that's not my duty. It would not be reasonable.'
'There's great force in that word,' began Edgar, with a little scoff inhis tone, but altering it into one of more earnestness. 'Now, Lance,I want to understand your point of view. How does that formula hinderyou?'
'Because,' said Lance, much against
his will, 'it wouldn't be making mysoul and body a reasonable sacrifice, to turn the training I had forGod's praise into singing love songs to get money and fame.'
'Why do you assume that beauty and delight of any sort is not just aspleasing to God as your chants and anthems?'
'No. One is offered to Him, the other is mere entertainment.'
'So is the first to most folks. Now, you boy, honestly, do you meanthat it is not much of a muchness with sacred and profane, so far asmotive goes?'
'It is what I am always trying that it should be,' said Lance.
'Only trying?'
'Only trying.'
'And you consider yourself to be this sacrifice, this victim, bysinging in a surplice for ladies to whisper about, instead of gettingtrained to interpret--nay, what I do say! maybe, compose--the grandesthuman music. You've got it in you, my boy.'
'You may say what you please,' said Lance, turning away to the fire.
'I don't want to vex you, boy, I only want to make it out. I see the_sacrifice_.'
'It was my own fault for saying a word about it to you,' muttered Lance.
'But I don't see the sense of it,' proceeded Edgar, 'or what it is butyour own fancy that puts the one thing up in the heights, the otherdown in the depths.'
'You must know that,' said Lance, 'the fever and transport that comesof one kind of music has nothing good in it.'
'That's the question.'
'I know it has not for me.'
'And has the other?'
'Of course it has! Besides, I don't do it for myself. Come, Edgar, tellme how to direct that letter, and let me go.'
'You may leave it till I go to town.'
'That would not be fair. He will want to look out for someone else.Tell me!'
'Not I! I'm not going to let you make a fool of yourself in a fit ofreligious excitement.'
Lance smiled. 'Much excitement in a cold dark church in a wet morning,with not twenty people there.'
'That's as you work yourself up. Here, sit down and take the otherpipe.'
'I can't; I can hardly stand yours, my head is raging!'
'Oh! that accounts for it! Go off to bed, and wake in week-day senses.'
'I wish you'd let me have done with it,' sighed Lance; but Edgar shookhis head with, 'All for your good, my dear fellow!'
'If Balak's messengers _will_ stay the night, it is not my doing,' saidLance to himself, as he wearily mounted the stairs to his sleepless bedin the barrack; for though his headaches had become much less frequentand disabling, still his constitution was so sensitive, that a courseof disturbed nights always followed any excitement; and thus the morrowfound him dull and confused enough to render his attempts at diligenceso far from successful, that he was more than once sharply called toorder; and Felix came in at dinner-time, exclaiming, 'I can't thinkwhat's the matter with that boy. He seems as if he would never do anygood again!'
'_Precisement!_' muttered Edgar. 'You had better give him up with agood grace, as I told you before.'
And being at the moment alone in the room with Felix and Geraldine, henot only detailed his plans for Lance, but eagerly counselled Felixto invest at least half Thomas Underwood's legacy in the NationalMinstrelsy.
'Really!' said Felix, in a tone of irony, 'this is nearly coming to theold plan of setting up a family circus! Then it is this that has soentirely unsettled him?'
'That the old must pass away is not sufficiently appreciated here.'
Then Edgar appealed to Cherry for the charms of artist society, and theconfutation of the delusions respecting it held by Philistines at home,a conversation only interrupted by the arrival of dinner, and the restof the population.
Felix as usual had to go down after a few mouthfuls; Edgar followed himto say on the stairs, 'I've one piece of advice to give. Remember thatyou are an old Philistine giant, and act with due humility.'
'Is he set upon it?'
'I cannot say heart and soul, for heart and what he thinks soul arepulling opposite ways. I say, Felix, you should take into considerationthe effect on me. I haven't sat still to listen to so much piety sincemy father's time; it is a caution to see a little chap so simplyliteral.'
Felix could wait no longer. He found Lance alone in the office, restinghis head on his desk. 'You'll be in time for dinner, Lance!'
'Thank you, I'd rather not. Send Stubbs home.'
'Head-ache?'
'Not much now!'
'I'm sorry I was sharp with you this morning, Lance. You should havetold me!'
'It was not worth while, but I did mean to have done better to-day,Felix!'
'I believe you did. If you think it will set you to rights, I would letyou off this afternoon.'
'No, thank you; it is getting better.'
Felix looked at him a moment or two, then said, 'Edgar tells me he hasbeen talking to you.'
'Yes. I hope you have given him a settler, Felix.'
'Have you?'
'I tried, but he would not take it. He thought it was only Sunday.'
'Only Sunday!'
'That made me sure it would not do.'
'You are quite right, Lance. So far as it depends on me, I should havedone all in my power to keep you from what cannot but be a life of muchtemptation, and I am thankful that you have decided it for yourself.You are really content to stay here with me?'
'Content--well, not just now; but I shall be again when all the remainsof the bear-fight have subsided,' said Lance. 'I ought and I must, andthat's enough.'
With which words he ran out as some one was heard entering the shop;and Felix stood for a few moments over the fire, musing on the braveway in which his young brother had met the enticement, and on thedanger into which his own reproofs, however well-merited, had drivenhim.
Lance's other occupation that evening did not make him better pleasedwith Edgar's friends. Wilmet had decreed--and he had submitted halfruefully, half-merrily--that what remained of his salary after hiscontribution to the house expenses, should be guarded by her for hiswardrobe, only half-a-crown a week being put into his own hands; andas this always managed to disappear without much to show for it, sheviewed it as quite enough for waste; and indeed, out of what was in herkeeping she had managed to provide him with a watch.
With his Monday half-crown, and sixpence besides, he repaired to theFortinbras Arms to pay for his share of the notable breakfast; but hefound some demur; Mr. Jones was aghast at his own bill, and reallyunwilling to send it in. The private supper, the next day's breakfast,and all that the party had called for, amounted to what would make aterrible hole in the receipts of the concert.
As to Lance's paying the fifth part of the _dejeuner_, the landlordthought it was impossible, and though his three shillings might perhapsrepresent the cost of what he had individually consumed, to offer oraccept that was not according to rules. Mr. Jones would gladly havemade this bill his subscription to the organ, if he could but haveafforded the loss; but this, as he told Lance, he could not do. Helistened, however, with a smile of some pity, when Lance assured himthat his own and his brother's shares should be made up; and Lancepicked out the charge, and carried it off to Edgar.
There again he met with no success. Edgar laughed at him, and toldhim he did not know the privileges of the artiste; and when Lancewaxed hot, and declared that if the concert paid the expenses of thetwo stars themselves, it was a wicked exaction to make it defray theexpenses of either Mr. Allen or their guests, he was answered coollythat expensive articles must be taken on their own terms, and thatspoiling the Philistines was always fair.
'Then don't you mean to pay, Edgar?'
Edgar gave his foreign shrug, and made a gesture of incapability. Hewas vexed with Lance, and at no pains to soften matters.
'Now,' said Lance, with a sort of grave simplicity, 'I understand whatliving like birds of the air means.'
Lance went back to Mr. Jones, and told him that the two-fifths of thebreakfast should be paid. And in twelve weeks it was done, But by thisspecimen it ma
y be guessed that the new organ was not exactly purchasedby the concert.
The Pillars of the House; Or, Under Wode, Under Rode, Vol. 2 (of 2) Page 5