The Master of the Ceremonies
Page 44
half rose and looked in her father's face.
"We must forget that, my child," he said imploringly. "Major Rockley isa gentleman, and he has in some sort apologised to Morton. He told meso. To leave him out would be to insult him. He must be asked. Hisgood sense will keep him away. You must ask Colonel Mellersh, too. Heis a great friend of Colonel Lascelles."
"You will ask Mr and Mrs Barclay, father?" said Claire.
"Oh, yes, we must. Dreadfully vulgar people, but it is a necessity."
Claire sighed as she thought of what was behind Mrs Barclay'svulgarity, and the note was written.
A couple of days passed, and everyone without exception had expressedhis or her intention of being present, when, as he was on the Parade,Colonel Mellersh met the MC, and said:
"By the way, Denville, I want you to invite my young friend Linnell toyour party."
"I shall be charmed," said Denville, with a smile, for he could notrefuse; and in due course Richard Linnell received an invitation andreplied.
A little farther on, Denville came upon Lady Drelincourt in her chair.
"Ah, Denville, bad man," she said, tapping him with her folded fan. "Ifeel as if I could not come to your house. My poor dear sister!"
The houses on the Parade seemed to reel before the MC's eyes.
"But one cannot grieve for ever. I shall come. Have you asked thatwicked Rockley?"
Denville bowed.
"And Sir Matthew Bray?"
"All the officers whom duty will allow are coming."
"That's well; and now, Denville, you must send an imitation withapologies to Mrs Pontardent."
"Lady Drelincourt!"
"I can't help it. She wishes to come, and I have promised that sheshall."
The result was that Mrs Pontardent was invited, and in turn sheexpressed a wish that her dear friends the Deans, whom Mr Denville hadintroduced to her, should not be left out.
The Master of the Ceremonies had the deciding who should be in society,and who should not; and here he was making a stand when Lord Carboro'came up--it was on the pier--and was appealed to by Mrs Pontardent.
"Oh, yes, Denville," he said good-humouredly; "ask Mrs and Miss Dean."
The Master of the Ceremonies ruled the roost, but he was everybody'sslave; and, in this case, the only way out of the difficulty after theyhad been neglected so long was to call with Claire and invite thempersonally.
"If you wish it, papa," Claire said, when spoken to on the subject.
"I do not, my dear," he replied, with a sigh. "My position compels it."
They went trembling: Claire in agony lest she should encounter RichardLinnell; her father about the expenses into which he was drifting, forthe tradespeople were giving him broad hints, especially theconfectioner, that money must be forthcoming if the refreshments were tobe supplied.
Cora Dean's eyes flashed with pride and jealousy as the visitors wereshown in, but she received Claire courteously, and the wonderfullydifferent pair were left together by the open window, while Mrs Deandrew the Master of the Ceremonies aside.
"I am pleased, Mr Denville," she whispered. "This is real good of you.I knew you would get us into society at last. Mrs Pontardent has beenvery kind, but she ain't everybody. I wanted my Bet--my Cora--to meetmy Lady Drelincourt and the other big ones. After this, of course, it'sall plain sailing, and we shall go on. I say, just look at 'em."
Denville turned with a sigh towards the bay window where Claire and Corawere seated, talking quietly, but with eyes that seemed to fight andfence, as if each feared the other.
"You go into a many houses and don't see such a pair as that."
"Your daughter is a beautiful woman, Mrs Dean."
"_Lady_," said the latter correctively; "and so's yours, only too coldand pale. And now, look here, Denville, as friends--I know what'swhat."
"Really, Mrs Dean, you puzzle me."
"Hush! Don't speak so loud. Look here, you've done me a thoroughlygood turn, and I'm a warm woman, and not ungrateful. As I said before,I know what's what--Parties ain't done well for nothing, and expensescomes heavy sometimes. If you want to borrow thirty or forty pounds--there, stuff! you must have your fees. I'm going to put half a dozenfive-pound notes under the chany ornament in the back room. You canlook round and admire the rooms and get it."
His spirit rebelled, but his breeches pocket gaped horribly, and wincingin spirit, he rose and went forward to talk to Cora in his society way,starting, in spite of himself, as he heard the chink of china on marble,while, after a time, he began in the most graceful way to gaze throughhis eyeglass at the pictures and china from Mr Barclay's ample store,ending by securing the notes in the most _nonchalant_ way.
After letting a sufficient time elapse, the Denvilles took their leave,and Mrs Dean broke out in ecstasy:
"There, Betsy, at last. You'll be a real lady now."
"Yes, mother," said Cora dreamily.
"I say, Denville isn't a bad one, only he has to be paid."
"It's the custom, mother."
"Oh, yes. You know what 'Amlet says, as your poor father used to makejokes about, and call breeches; but I say, isn't she a milk-and-waterchit beside you, my gal? Didn't you feel as if you 'ated her?"
"No, mother," said Cora thoughtfully. "She's different to what Iexpected. I don't think she'll live."
"Don't talk like that. Now, let's see what about your noo dress."
"And yours, mother?"
"Of course. And feathers."
And as this conversation went on, Stuart Denville and his daughterClaire walked homeward, the latter with the gloom deepening, so itseemed, over her young life, the former with the six crisp notes ridinglightly in his pocket, and the load of misery and shame growing heavierday by day.
Volume Two, Chapter XII.
IN SOCIETY.
It was a proud time for the MC, and he knew how it would be canvassed inSaltinville. All the principal people would have honoured his littlehome, and in the future he saw his fees and offerings doubled, andClaire well married--to Lord Carboro'. No, he could not say that,though the bait was glittering still before his eyes.
He was in the drawing-room waiting, with pretty May smiling out of hercurls, hanging in her tawdry frame upon the wall; but Claire was not yetdown.
If she would only forget that night and not avoid him as she did, howmuch less difficult this burden would be to bear.
He rang, and Isaac, in a new suit of livery, appeared.
"Send word to your mistress that it is time she was down, Isaac."
"Yes, sir."
"Is everything ready?"
"Yes, sir."
"The cards on the tables?"
"Yes, sir."
"And the refreshments?"
"Yes, sir."
"You will ask Lady Drelincourt's servant to stop and help wait."
"Yes, sir."
"And the Earl of Carboro's."
"Yes, sir."
"Perhaps it would be as well to keep Mr Burnett's man also."
"Yes, sir."
"I need say no more, Isaac, only that you will see that the tea andcoffee are hot, and that the refreshments in the dining-room are readyin relays."
"Yes, sir; everything shall be done, sir; and would you mind castingyour eye over that, sir?"
"Certainly, I will do so, Isaac. Hem! An account, Isaac?"
"Yes, sir--wages, sir; and if you would make it convenient--"
"My good Isaac," said the MC blandly, "as you must be aware, gentlemenare in the habit sometimes of taking rather long credit, and of oftenbeing in debt. I might cite to you His Royal Highness. But no onetroubles thereon, because it is well known that sooner or later HisRoyal Highness will pay his debts."
"Yes, sir; of course, sir; but wages, sir--"
"Are wanted, Isaac, of course. Now, my good Isaac, you must have seenhow much occupied I have been of late. No: say no more now. I willlook over your statement, and you shall be paid."
A tremendous
knock and ring cut short this little scene, and Denvillewiped the dew from his face as he uttered a low sigh of relief.
"She will come down now.--Ah, my dear Mrs Barclay; my dear Barclay.Delighted to see you both."
"I say, Denville, old fellow, you're going it, eh?"
"My dear Barclay, a sheer necessity. You see how I have placed my son."
"Umph! yes," said the money-lender, with a chuckle; "but I'm no betteroff. You are. One less to keep, but at my expense."
"But, my dear Barclay--"
"All,