Part 59 (1/2)

”A lady!” continued Tommy, in loud tones. ”A lady of t.i.tle! Wants to see you in private! Won't detain you long!”

Violet Vere raised her pewter mug once more, and drained off its contents.

”Lord, ain't I honored!” she said, smacking her lips with a grin. ”A lady of t.i.tle to see me! Let her wait! Now then!” and snapping her fingers, she began her dance, and went through it to the end, with her usual vigor and frankness. When she had finished, she turned to the red-faced man who had watched her evolutions with much delight in spite of the abuse she had heaped upon him, and said with an affected, smirking drawl--

”Show the lady of t.i.tle into my dressing-room! I shall be ready for her in ten minutes. Be sure to mention that I am very shy,--and unaccustomed to company!”

And, giggling gently like an awkward school-girl, she held down her head with feigned bashfulness, and stepped mincingly across the stage with such a ludicrous air of prim propriety, that all her a.s.sociates burst out laughing, and applauded her vociferously. She turned and curtsied to them demurely--then suddenly raising one leg in a horizontal position, she twirled it rapidly in their faces,--then she gave a little shocked cough behind her hand, grinned, and vanished.

When, in the stipulated ten minutes, she was ready to receive her unknown visitor, she was quite transformed. She had arrayed herself in a trailing gown of rich black velvet, fastened at the side with jet clasps--a cl.u.s.ter of natural, innocent, white violets nestled in the fall of Spanish lace at her throat--her face was pale with pearl-powder,--and she had eaten a couple of scented bon-bons to drown the smell of her recent brandy-tipple. She reclined gracefully in an easy chair, pretending to read, and she rose with an admirably acted air of startled surprise, as one of the errand boys belonging to the Brilliant tapped at her door, and in answer to her ”Come in!” announced, ”Lady Winsleigh!”

A faint, sweet, questioning smile played on the Vere's wide mouth.

”I am not aware that I have the honor of--” she began, modulating her voice to the requirements of fas.h.i.+onable society, and wondering within herself ”what the d----l” this woman in the silk and sable-fur costume wanted.

Lady Winsleigh in the meantime stared at her with cold, critical eyes.

”She is positively rather handsome,” she thought. ”I can quite imagine a certain cla.s.s of men losing their heads about her.” Aloud she said--

”I must apologize for this intrusion, Miss Vere! I dare say you have never heard my name--I am not fortunate enough to be famous,--as _you_ are.” This with a killing satire in her smile. ”May I sit down? Thanks!

I have called upon you in the hope that you may perhaps be able to give me a little information in a private matter--a matter concerning the happiness of a very dear friend of mine.” She paused--Violet Vere sat silent. After a minute or two, her ladys.h.i.+p continued in a somewhat embarra.s.sed manner--

”I believe you know a gentleman with whom I am also acquainted--Sir Philip Bruce-Errington.”

Miss Vere raised her eyes with charming languor and a slow smile.

”Oh yes!”

”He visits you, doesn't he?”

”Frequently!”.

”I'm afraid you'll think me rude and inquisitive,” continued Lady Winsleigh, with a coaxing air, ”but--but may I ask--”

”Anything in the world,” interrupted Violet coolly. ”Ask away! But I'm not bound to answer.”

Lady Winsleigh reddened with indignation. ”What an insulting creature!”

she thought. But, after all, she had put herself in her present position, and she could not very well complain if she met with a rebuff.

She made another effort.

”Sir Francis Lennox told me--” she began.

The Vere interrupted her with a cheerful laugh.

”Oh, you come from him, do you? Now, why didn't you tell me that at first? It's all right! You're a great friend of Lennie's, aren't you?”

Lady Winsleigh sat erect and haughty, a deadly chill of disgust and fear at her heart. This creature called her quondam lover, ”Lennie”--even as she herself had done,--and she, the proud, vain woman of society and fas.h.i.+on shuddered at the idea that there should be even this similarity between herself and the ”thing” called Violet Vere. She replied stiffly--

”I have known him a long time.”