Part 36 (1/2)
”You will be up there in the clear April days, by the side of that beautiful river, and I shall be playing the mountebank here, among the London gas and fog.”
But at this moment the orchestra began the slow music that intimated the resumption of the minuet, and this recalled him to his senses; he had hurriedly to take leave of her, and then he went and rejoined Miss Burgoyne, who merely said, ”Well, that's a pretty trick!” as she gave him her hand for the dance.
A still stranger thing, however, happened in the next scene, where the gay young officer, the French prisoner of war, makes love to the innkeeper's daughter. Estelle noticed with great surprise that not only did Nina deliver the English maiden's retorts without any of the saucy spirit that the situation demanded, but also that she was quite confused about the words, stammering and hesitating, and getting through them in the most perfunctory manner. At last, when the little Capitaine Crepin says, ”Bewitching maid, say you will fly with me!” Clara's reply is, ”You forget I am to be married to-morrow--see, here comes my betrothed;”
but Nina only got as far as ”married to-morrow”--then she paused--hesitated--she put her hand to her head as if everything had gone from her brain--and at the same moment Estelle, with the most admirable presence of mind, continued, ”See, here comes your betrothed,”
thus giving the lover his cue. The dialogue now remained with Estelle and this husband-elect, so that Nina had time to recover; and in the trio that closes the scene she sang her part well enough. Directly they had left the stage, Estelle ran to her friend.
”Nina, what was the matter?” she exclaimed.
”My head--” said Nina, pressing her hand against her forehead and talking rather faintly--”I do not know--my head is giddy, Estelle--oh, I wish it was all over!--I wish I was home!”
”You have very little more to do now, Nina!” Estelle said quickly to her, in French. ”Come, you must have courage, Nina--I will run and get you my smelling-salts, and it will pa.s.s away--oh, you must make an effort, Nina--would you let Miss Burgoyne see you break down--no, no, indeed! You will be all right, Nina, I a.s.sure you--and I will tell the prompter to be on the watch for you--oh, I wouldn't give way--before Miss Burgoyne--if I were you, no, not for a hundred pounds!”
Therewith the kind-hearted little French officer sped away to her own room, and brought back the smelling-salts and was most eagerly solicitous that Nina should conquer this pa.s.sing attack of hysteria, as she deemed it. And, indeed, Nina managed to get through the rest of her part without any serious breakdown, to Estelle's exceeding joy.
As they went home together in the four-wheeled cab, Nina did not utter a word. Once or twice Estelle fancied she heard a slight sob; but she merely said to herself,
”Ah, it has come back, that trembling of the nerves? But I will make her take some wine at supper, and she will go to bed and sleep well; to-morrow she will have forgotten all about it.”
And Estelle was most kind and considerate when they got down to Sloane Street. She helped Nina off with her things; she stirred up the fire; she put a bottle of white wine on the table, where supper was already laid; she drew in Nina's chair for her. Then Mrs. Grey came up, to see that her children, as she called them, were all right; and she was easily induced to stay for a little while, for a retired actress is always eager to hear news of the theatre; so she and Miss Girond fell to talking between themselves. Nina sat silent; her eyes seemed heavy and tired; she only pretended to touch the food and wine before her.
”Very well, then, Nina,” her friend said, when Mrs. Grey had gone, ”if you will have nothing to eat or to drink, you must go to bed and see what a sound night's rest will do for you. I am going to sit up a little while to read, but I shall not disturb you.”
”Good-night, then, Estelle,” said Nina, rather languidly; ”you have been so kind to me!”
They kissed each other; then Nina opened the folding-doors, and disappeared into her own room, while Estelle took up her book. It was ”Les Vacances de Camille” she had got hold of; but she did not turn the pages quickly; there was something else in her mind. She was thinking of Nina. She was troubled about her, in a vague kind of way. She had never seen Nina look like that before, and she was puzzled and a little concerned.
Suddenly, in this hushed stillness, she heard, or fancied she heard, a slight sound that startled her; it came from the adjoining room.
Stealthily she arose and approached the door; she put her ear close and listened; yes, she had not been mistaken--Nina was sobbing bitterly.
Estelle did not hesitate a moment; she boldly opened the door and went in; and the first thing she beheld was Nina, just as she had left the other room, now lying p.r.o.ne on the bed, her face buried in the pillow, while in vain she tried to control the violence of her grief.
”Nina!” she cried, in alarm.
Nina sprang up--she thrust out both trembling hands, as if wildly seeking for help, and Estelle was not slow to seize them.
”Nina, what is it?” she exclaimed, frightened by the haggard face and streaming eyes.
”Estelle!--Estelle!” said Nina, in a low voice that simply tore the heart of this faithful friend of hers. ”It is nothing! It is only that my life is broken--my life is broken--and I have no mother--_Poverina!_--she would have said to me--”
Her sobs choked her speech; she withdrew her trembling hands; she threw herself again on the bed, face downward, and burst into a wild fit of weeping. Estelle knew not what to do; she was terrified.
”Nina, what has happened?” she cried again.
”It is nothing!--it is nothing!--it is nothing!” she said, between her pa.s.sionate sobs. ”I have made a mistake; I am punished--O G.o.d, can you not kill me!--I do not wish to live--”
”Nina!” said Estelle, and the girl bent down and put her cheek close to her friend's, and she tenderly placed both her hands on the ma.s.ses of beautiful blue-black hair. ”Nina--tell me!”