MARIETTA’S MARRIAGE

Evening Star, Issue 10399, 21 August 1897, Page 1 (Supplement)

MARIETTA’S MARRIAGE

[By W. E. Norris.]

[Copyright.]

CHAPTER XXVII. INDIA GOES TO THE WALL.

If Marietta had made a half promise to join her husband at Tattoraall’a he was nob aware of it, nor would it ever have occurred to him to expect her appearance at a resort which he himself seldom neglected to patronise on Sunday afternoons. Bub the paramount, importance of dismissing ai antagonist‘with whom she felt, on a sudden, powerless to cope had necessitated some excuse; so she had said the first thing that chanced to come into her head. She hastened upstairs to her luxurious bedroom, locked the door, and cast herself down upon a sofa. There were tears in her eyes, but whether they were tears of sorrow, or anger, or mortification, she hardly knew. fche matter of that sho hardly knew why she should be so upset, or why she should have been driven to seek safety in ignominious flight. Troops who btcome demoralised aud take to their heels under fire seldom know, it is said, what they are about, and panic is quite us likely to be caused by an imaginary danger as by a real one. But what admits of no doubt from the moment that they turn and run is that they are beaten, and this was the humiliating conviction brought home by her own act to Marietta. Her relations with Strahan had always partaken of the character of a contest; her supposed capture of him had rendered her exultant just because it had been achieved in the teeth of his undisguised struggles for freedom; and now, lo aud behold ! it appeared she had exulted too soon. Like a disconsolate fisherman whose straightened rod and broken, ineffectual line have an eloquence beyond words, she could but groan and mutter forlornly • “Oh, what a fool—what a fool I have been !”

But was it, after all, such a tragic affair? Suppose Mr Strahan did care more about gold mines and business transactions than about anything else in the world ; suppose it was a matter of comparative indifference to him whether Lord and Lady Middlewood took themselves to Asia or not, to long as the former continued to be one of °the directors of the famous company ; suppose, in a word, he had his emotions so well under control that they might always be relied upon to come to heel when called—what then? It is annoying no doubt to be beaten, and especially annoying to be beaten in the moment of fancied victory j but defeat—or, at all events, defeat of that kind is scarcely a thing to cry about. Why not decide at once that the grapes are sour 1

To such a question there is one, and perhaps only one, convincing answer. It was Marietta’s misfortune to make that answer, and she made it, for the sake of additional emphasis, aloud. “ \ es,” she exclaimed, ** I do lovo him ! Or else I hate him. I don’t quite know which it is, but this I know: I would rather die than leave him !” Then she became a little ashamed of herself—a little, but not very much. If she was to blame so was Lionel, who ought to have understood how impossible it was for a nature like hers to rest satisfied with the lukewarm, domestic affection which in his case had so soon replaced love. How could he expect her to be in love with him, now that he was so evidently no longer in love with her ? It was wrong, of course, to be in love with somebody else—if, indeed, she was really in love with Mr Strahan—but so many things which are called wrong cannot possibly be helped ! What might easily enough be helped was lingering in the neighborhood of a recognised peril; but she had neither the strength of purpose nor the self-abnegation to leave England. She had been instructed to make up her mind, and it was now made up. The Indian Government must manage its affairs to the best of its ability without the assistance of Lord Middlewood. Aud when she heard him moving about in his adjoining dressing room (for the self-comtnuninga summarised above had occupied her a long time) she resolved to make her decision known without further delay. “ Lionel,” she said, abruptly invading his territory, “ we are not going to India.” He turned an astonished countenance toward her. It was a warm, close evening, and he had divested himself of his coat aud waistcoat; but the dressing hour had not yet arrived, so that his valet was not present to be scandalised by this unusual and unexpected appearance of her ladyship. “Not going to India!” be repealed. “ What makes you say that ? You don’t mean that they have offered the appointment to some other fellow ?”

Marietta laughed rather nervously. Sue had no idea of faltering in her purpose ; but it did make her feel a little nervous to remember that in her haste she bad omitted to provide herself with plausible reasons. “ I can’t tell you anything about that,” she answered. “ The Secretary of State has not been here, and I don’t suppose he would have taken me into his confidence if he bad. But somebody else will have to be apfeinted; because we are going "to decline, have been thinking it over, as you said you wished me to do, and I see that the drawbacks would be out of all proportion to the advantages. On Bob’s account alone, we ought to refuse I think ; for I can’t believe that it is really safe to take babies into such a climate. And then there is the horrid voyage—and the being cat eff from everybody whom one knows—and the nuisance of having to entertain a horde of dull officials and their wives every day—and—and—oh, fitly things! It would really be sheer lunacy for us to expatriate ourselves ; I am sure you must agree with me that it would ! It stands to reason that if you must needs have employment you are powerful enough to ask for something at home.”

Lionel shook his head. He had not, he assured her, the power which she was pleased to give him credit for possessing, and if he should spurn the important and much-coveted post which had been offered to him Ministers would certainly give him to understand that he must expect no further acknowledgment of his slight claims upon their patronage. Then ho made her state all her objections categorically, aud combated them, one by one, until—feeling that she was getting the worst of the discussion—she cut it short by exclaimiutr, with sudden impatience: “Oh, what is the use of arguing! You won’t convince me, and I shan’t convince you, and I dare say the Government is not open to conviction. Suppose you say simply that you are cursed with a capricious wife, who won’t let you go? That will absolve you, and it will have the additional advantage of being true.” Lionel doubted whether it would be held to absolve him ; but ho did think that there was a good deal of truth in the assertion. Yet, in spite of his disappointment, which was keener than she realised, he did not lose his temper. “Id isn’t a question of actual duty,” he remarked. “If it were I might take the liberty of saying that I can’t give way to, mere caprice. But I won’t say that; I will only ask you whether you can’t stretch a point to please me. I believe you would like the life when you got out there, and I confess that I do very much want to go. Can you do me this favor ? ” Marietta frowned. “No,” she answered sullenly, “I can’t. You may order me to go, if you choose, and then I should have to obey, I suppose; but I will never go of my own free will, I should hate it! ”

“ All right,” answered Lionel, quite quietly and pleasantly ; “ then we’ll say no more about the matter. Heaven forbid that I should order you to do anything that you would hale ! And we won’t quarrel over it either,” he added, perceiving that she still looked angry and resentful. Her looks were the outward and .visible signs of her sensations. Considering what her true reason for wishing to remain in England was, she could not but resent this air of generous magnanimity on her husband’s part. - Without e\ren knowing how much in the wrong she was, he had yet contrived to make her seem almost absurdly in the wrong; and this was the more aggravating of him because he could not really be burning with anxiety to waste five years of hia life in Hindostan. So she had neither

hanks nor apologies at his service. “ I am sure I don’t want to quarrel,” she (returned coldly; “ I don’t see what there is

to quarrel about. You told me that I was to make up my mind whether I wanted to go to India or not, and I have done as I was told. I am sorry that I couldn’t give the.answer which you seem to have expected ; but

“Oh, that’s all right,” interrupted Lionel cheerfully. “ We’ll think no more about the thing; we’ll treat it as a closed chapter.” He was as good as his word. He went to the India Office the next morning to say tha f , after full consideration, he felt compelled by domestic reasons to relinquish the idea of leaving home, and from that moment he appeared to dismiss the subject from bis mind. Ho had not, indeed, mentioned it to anybody except his wife, and if ho harbored any lurking feeling of soreness against her he was either too proud or too generous to display it. As for Marietta, aha really could not afford to allow him credit for generosity. When one is aware of having committed a somewhat shabby action one must either abstain from iejecting those who are likely to suffer thereby or else let one’s selfrespect go by the board, and the former course is generally found preferable to the latter. So Lady Middlewood made tilings comfortable with her conscience by concluding that her husband was too weak a man to insist upon having his own way, and too easy-going to mind very much being deprived of it. She was far less preoccupied with thoughts of him than of a man who was neither weak nor easy-going, and to whom the abandonment of the Indian scheme might only too probably represent itself in the light of a personal compliment. What was she to say to Mr Strahan (whom she had already b:-gun to call “Roland” mentally) at their next meeting ? She knew him well enough by this time to know how little chance there was of his being taken in by fibs. She had not long to wait for their next meeting, which took place at an afternoon concert, given by a benevolent Duchess in aid of gome insolvent charitable organisation or other. Marietta, who had of late obstinately refused to lift up her voice in public, had been persuaded to make an exception on this occasion, and she was rewarded for a couple of songs by louder and more sustained applause than is usually to be got out of so well dressed an audience. The long room in which the concert was held was darkened by lowered sun-blinds, so that she did not recognise many acquaintances amongst those to whom she bowed her acknowledgments ; but it was impossible to help seeing Strahan, who was seated in the second row, and who lingered, after the conclusion of the performance, with the obvious intention of accosting one of the performers.

“ I have a confession to make,” lie began, as soon as that intention had been successfully accomplished. “I want to tell you that—to my sorrow—l have no ear for music, and am utterly incapable of appreciating what I have just heard.” “ I suspected as much long ago,” returned Marietta disdainfully. “ I was almost sure that the compliments which you were pleased to jay me upon my singing were not sincere, and I c m’b understand why you thought it worth while to pay thrm. Still le's can I understand your paying half a guinea to sit in a stuffy room on a hot afternoon and clap your hands when rom;body makes a noise that yon don’t like.” “Everything is explained by the simple fact that you were that somebody. I didn’t clap my hands for anybody else, and it was delightful to have au excuse for doing what I feel tempted to do every lime that I sec you. Besides, I felt it a matter of ehrer necessity to make some public demonstration of joy over the news which I saw in this morning’s papers that Sir Somebody Something—l don’t know who he is, and I’m sure it doesn’t matter—has been appointed to that Indian governorship. Is it allowed bo mo to express my gratitude, as well ai my iov ? ”

“I don’t know,” answered Marietta; “but I should think it was. At any rate, lam sure Lionel will be glad to have avoided putting y.m to inconvenience by giving up his directorship.” “ My dear Lady Middlewood, I have the highest esteem and regard for your husband ; but I really can’t flatter myself that he has refused an appointment rather than risk putting me to inconvenience. You told me, you know, that it rested solely with you to say whether the appointment should be accepted or rejected ; so it can only ba to you that my humble aud heartfelt thanks are due.” *

She could not, have sworn that there-was any suggestion of mockery either in his voice or in Lis smile ; yet her color rose and a gleam of wrath came foe a moment into her eyes. Even if he guessed—and she was afraid he did guess—the truth, he had no right to be so ungenerous ! She managed, however, to produce a stare and a rather disagreeable laugh for his benefit. “ Why in tho world should you thank me?” she asked. “Do you by any chance flatter yourself that I am staying in England for your convenience ? (7a Strait un peu fort."

He was not in tho least disconcerted; although ho affected to bo. And what was worse was that he was not in the least misled. That much she was able to detect, notwithstanding his respectful assurances that he spoke merely as one of a large number of people who must needs feel grateful to her for sparing them a bereavement. “ The sun doesn’t rise in order to make me comfortable,” he remarked ; “ but that doesn’t prevent me from rejoicing in sunshine and shivering under a grey sky.” She turned upon him with something of the impotent anger of an animal caught in a trap. “ Why do you address such silly banalitis to me ? Why did you pretend to be fond of music when you knew nothing about it? Why do you never tell the truth ?”

It was characteristic of this queer ami prolonged duel between two persons, neither of whom was altogether in earnest, that in the course of it parries and thrusts were for ever changing places, and that what had been intended for the former not unfrequently proved ordinarily to be the latter. Strahan, who, according to the rules of the game, should have been pushing his advantage, now perceptibly fell back. The truth? Good heavens! What would she demand next? And in that public place too ! He began hastily *0 defend himself against her charge of insincerity.

“ Of course I ought to have acknowledged before now that I can’t distinguish one tune from another ; but nobody likes to parade his infirmities. One doesn’t go about the world proclaiming that one has a deaf ear or a glass eye or a set of false teeth. Moreover, 1 proved my repentance by confessing of my own accord. I did so just because I wanted to convince you that you are not fair when you bring these accusations against me. I consider that as a rule I am a very truthful man.” A man whose truthfulness has never been called in question by those who know him, but whose judgment was perhaps liable to be warped by prejudice, was at that moment pronouncing an altogether different opinion of Mr Strahan.

“ Well, since you ask me,” St. Quintin was saying, “I don’t much like the tellow, and I don’t much believe in him.- He isn’t straight—at least, not according to my ideas. All the same, old .Hicks and other big city men profess to have confidence in him. He may be all right; but I shouldn’t trust him with money myself, if I had any to invest.” The military-looking old gentleman to whom this rather imprudent statement was made had no money to invest, nor any curiosity respecting Mr <Slrahan’s financial soundness. Oa the other hand, he would have felt vaguely distrustful of any man who should have called up into Lady Middlewood’s countenance the expression which he was watching from afar, and his fingers twitched nervously as they stroked his waxed moustache.

“I met him down at Ludworth last year,” he remarked. “He is a fine horseman, and he struck me as a clever, pleasant fellow. But you know, my dear Mr St. Quintin, so many of these devilish pleasant fellows are—are ”

He did not proceed to say what they were, but broke off, with a somewhat forced laugh. “ Well, it’s none of my business,” he said. “ Now I must go and speak to my daughter, who will give me a nice scolding, I expect, for arriving in London unannounced.”

The room had emptied itself slowly—as the rooms of ducal personages which are temporarily placed at the service of the

paying public are rather apt to do—but by this time the audience had ulmost dispersed, and Colonel Vigno had only to make his way through some rows of intervening chairs in order to approach his daughter, whoso back was turned towards him. He drew near in time to catch the fag-end of a speech which was intended for her neighbor’s ear alone.

“lean be at home and alone almosi any afternoon, if I am given previous notice,” the Colonel heard her say. Then Strahan recognised him, and immediately afterwards Marietta, whiskino round, did the same. Exclamations, greet° ings, and upbraidings followed, under cover of which Strahan slipped quietly away. “Oh, I have no excuse to make for myself,” said the old gentleman, to whom his daughter’s reproaches were not wholly unwelcome. “lb is atrocious of me to drop upon you from the skies like this ; but what would you have? I don’t wish to be a burden upon my son-in-law ; yet I have only one child aud only one grandchild. Consequently ” “ Consequently,” rejoined Marietta, “ when you do como to England you might, I think, consent to live under the same roof with them. You certainly would, if you knew how much one of them wauls you.”

She meant what she said. Very often she wanted her father, and just now beseemed to her to have been sent by Heaven for the express purpose of protecting her from an impending peril. “What has brought you here, of all places ?” she asked. . “An advertisement which I saw in the paper, as I was travelling up from Dover yesterday,” he replied. “No, my dear, I can’t quarter myself upon your husband ; but I’ll drive home with you now, if I may. I want to have a look at the boy.”

( To be continued,)