CHAPTER XII I- CONTINUED
All tin's would apjx ar to constitute a state of things which might have sufficed to ti inupnl i>-o and conti-nt I lie most jealous and elderly of husband- Mevertheles.*, it b -fell 11)1011 a ccrtnin day tbat Miriam discovered, vulli much disgiu-t and contempt, that the ruling passion of her nttenlive, complimentary, deboiinah'c husband w,ns jenlou»y. There had been a good de d of nwkw ardne*s in the position of Rose, but she had expected and was prepared for it, and was more afraid of Miriam's impetuosity than of any annoyance to which she w.is, or was likely to be, subjected. It was misery to Mrs St Quentin to be obliged to allow her sister-in-law to sit beside Sir St Qucntin's valet in the ruinblo of the travelling carriage as they droye to Southampton on her wedding day ; and she riser] v expressed her feelings, n$ soon as they were al >ne in t 1 c cabin of the steamer. Florence-1 made licit of ><• The vali r was a pel I'eetlj respect xble and . respcclf il person, wl>o, wlien he found she was not disposed | to talk, kept silence cheerfully, and attended to her comloit | punetuilly. But Miriam was not to bo consoled. It must i never occur ayiui, she said, and thenceforth she took precaution* winch MrSt Quentin co sideredabsurd and trouble sonic, but which he di I not resent as yet. ' Afy maid is not an ordinary person, and I am very particular about her.' was all the explanation Miriam rr ave. when she made Ro3e Dixon travel in the carriages for ' Duine> SScules' and ordered her meal* to be served separately at all the hotels. To interfere with his pielty young wife on a question of this kind was not in Mr St Quentm's way ; biit | as their terms of residence in various places became longer, and they were more settled, he began to mark his sense of Miriam's o\er-solicitude ior jlose, by treating his wife's maid rather cavalierh, speaking to her in a short, imperious way, which rendered Miriam.uiicomfortable, and making it evident that he did not recognise any difference between her and the Other servants who formed their ostentatiously numerous suite. Florence's was essentiall}' a nuld and gentle nature, and she was little given to disliking people; but she did dislike Mr St,Quentin. The .cold narrow -heartedness of this man, the polished selfishness of him, the total want of pity for human wants or suflermgs —she had noticed early that he was lavish only where lug own pleasure was concerned — repelled and disgusted her. SI 10 saw him rarely, but on these occasions her manner was unconsciously distant w lthout being respectful; she did not keep up her assumed character so well as she^cheved herself to do ; her demeanour to Mr St Quentin was not so servant-like as it should have been. On two or three occasions, her husband made remarks to Miriam upon t>he advisabnrty of keeping tenants 111 their proper place, which she did not like, and she took no pnun to conceal her displeasure. At last, on a repetition of these strictures, called forth byjus finding Miriam and Hose talking nnd laughing together, to the oblivion of time and of the fact that he was waiting to take Miriam out in the brilliant equipage of which he was so proud, her temper for the first time asserted itself. -She told Mr St Quentin that she considered his remarks exceedingly intrusive ar.d ungentlcman)ike, and that she would do as she pleased. She looked at him in her customary undaunted way as she uttered the defiant words, and she fell «lightty uncomfortable at the look she received in return. It was quite outside of her previous experience, and plainly expressive of sullen resentment. ' It is better you should understand my meaning at once,' her husband said, touching the horses up sharply as he spoke; ' I don't recogjuse your right to find fault with, my interference in any matter connected with our common life. I shall interfere w hen I think proper, and I think proper now. I do not like this woman; 3011 aie too familiar with her; « she is too .familiar with you; she lias not the manners or ' bearing of a wcll-tramed servant. You cannot be ignorant of the impropriety of making a companion of jour maid ; or, if you are ignorant of it, I think it is quite time you should learn it, from me.' Hot anger was in Miriam's heart, but she kept it down for Florence's sake, and tried to turn flic conversation. But this did not suit Mr St Quentin ; he thought he Had pained his point, and wished to improve the victorious occasion, lie harped upon the subject, until Miriam could no longer forbcir, and sharply told him she had heard quite onough of a matter, trilling in itself, on which nothing that he could say should alter her mind ; and that she begged he would consider it exhausted. She said nothing to Florence of what had pissed ; but her sister-in-law was too sensitive and too acute to fail to notice ,the oppression of spirits under which Miriam evidently laboured. She pondered over it, quite unsiispeitingtv, and was fiHod with forebodings and misgivings. Had Miriam nlivad v begun to repent of her bargain ? Was she finding out that she had bought wealth, luxury, pleasure, even freedom itself, far too dew ? 'I remember,' said Miriam to Florence that ovening, apropos of nothing particular —' I remember to have read in some book, once on a time, that there is a kind of jealousy which is the result of love, and a kind which is the result (f temper. I can fancy the one to be rather flattering if felt bv a persou one loved, but the other must bo quite intolerable.' ' I should not lijvc the onp much .better than the other,' said Florence gravely, 'for it also would imply distrust, and what greater insult that that can be inflicted upon ono 9' 'Tine,' said Miriam moodily, and then she sat silpnt for a long time, twisting *he tassels of her girdles b( tween her lingers, with her eyes fixed moodily upon the gr-juud. Fiom that day foith Miriam knew that her husband •watched her, and that he luil rooted dislike to Florence. A few weeks later a letter from Walter was sent to h 'ir Italian address from the Firs. It was directed to Mm un this time, and contained a letter for Florence. The sistcrs-in-law weie reading {heir respective letters in Miriam's dressing-room, when Mr St Quentin returned unexpectedly, and, us Miriam afterwards believed, intentionally, and entered the 100 m. Florence was sitting on a sofa in the deep embrasure of the window, which commanded «, fine view of the f.vi -famed bay, and Miriam on a low footstool beside her. They v\ete both disturbed and agitated, and blight tears were standing in Floience's eyes. She instantly staiterl wp as lit St <Juentin came inside the door, and stood looking at them with stern displeasure, ' Leave the room, Dixon,' he said coldly, ' I wish to speak to Mrs St Quentin.' ' Return 111 live minutes, if you please, Rose,' >ai<lMiliam ; I want to dioss then. —Pray, what have yon to say tome? bhe continued, iv a far diffeient tone to her husband ' lias anything new or extraordinny happened?, 41 don't suppose it is either new or extraordinary,' he replied, 'that you should act against my decided injunctions. I find you again in unbecomiug confidence with a servant. Pray, who arc the correspondents whose elfu&11111S are the joint piopeity of yourself and your maid?' ' I don'ls know what you mean Mr St Quentin,' said Miriam, with an unsuc<f> 3sfnl atjempt at calmness. ' 0 yes, you do. You weie each reading a letter, and talking over it, when I came in—as unexpected as 1 was unwelcome. I insist on knowing who vvrqte these letters.' ' Do you suppose I scrutinise my maid's cot respondencu ?' 'Nonsense. Theie is something between you which I am Ictermiued shall not lemain concealed fiom me.' ' Yon had better ask my maiil yourself who are her coi respondents,' said Miriam, in a tone of the most insolent contempt. ' That would be such a suitable proceeding toward a servant.' ' Who her letter is from, is a secondary consideration, th-m-h I shall ham that too, jf. I continue to think |lit to do &'). My present question is to you, and I will trouble you to answer it From whom is the letter you weie Reading when I came jin ?' ' From my brother.' ' I don't believe you ' Miriam turned her back upon him, and struck a handbell on the table ju the window. 'Be so good as to leave my loom,' she i_i.l, ' 1 am going to dre&s.' lie took two steps towanls her, his face dark with passion. The look was highly unbecoming to him, and would have revealed his age to the least acute observer. 'It is not ftom your In other ; if i 1i 1- weie it would nojjbe of interest to your mml I heliere you and she are in league to d( cone me \nd, let, me tell you, if it were from your biother, I should foil id any correspondence. Your biothei is a lying di-sip itud blackguard, who has taken a low git 1 al)i ia I with him, whom he has either mariied or pietended to in 11ry ' ' You ,11 c mad,' said Miriam, ' or drunk.' ' I ike your father. No, lam neither mad nor drunk, and I Know and mean what [ fcay. Hhyw me Lhat letter, 1 IOMIIiI Mill } Oil.' .Mr lain was not far from her husband, but the table wns between them. She slipped adroitly to the end of it, and 1 cached the open window ; then she drew the disputed letter fiom ntn t bosom, tore ir into shieds, ;nlas Floic-nce, pili hi ti, and 111 tcais, ( ntriod the roon , she sm the fi.igiin nt .q > fluticrii)^'d<iwiiv aid 111 the an, and Mutant's gn it gulden eyes Hashing tin. 11 btointiil tiiiiinph u[ioii \\i,v huskuxl.
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Bibliographic details
Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 222, 11 October 1873, Page 3
Word Count
1,691CHAPTER XIII- CONTINUED Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 222, 11 October 1873, Page 3
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