Part 58 (1/2)

He introduced her, as he had done to the Ladarelles the day before, as Mademoiselle; why, it would not have been so easy to say; perhaps to mystify, perhaps to avoid a difficulty, perhaps to create one; for Sir Within was a diplomatist, and one of these reasons to such a man is own brother of the other.

Grenfell was evidently struck by her beauty; but there was something besides admiration in his gaze; he was surprised, and more than surprised; the traits were not altogether new to him, though the expression, lofty--haughty, even--unquestionably was. As for Kate, she had seen too few faces in life to have forgotten any one of them. They were like the books she had read, too remarkable not to be remembered.

She knew him, and knew well the very hour and the very spot in which first she saw him.

Either Grenfell had not heard the name, O'Hara, well, or had not connected it with the past; very possibly, he had not heard it ever before, for it suggested nothing to him; still her features continued to puzzle him; through all, however, was he enough man of the world to conceal any show of this; and, as he sat down beside the sofa where she sat, opened the usual common-places of first acquaintance. He spoke of the country and its charming scenery, especially around Dalradern, which was all new to him; ”for I am ashamed,” added he, ”to own, I know more of Switzerland than I do of Wales. Perhaps in this, Mademoiselle is a defaulter like myself?”

Here was a question adroitly insinuated, to induce what might lead to some disclosure as to whence she came, or where she had been.

”I am very fond of mountains,” said she, as if mistaking his question.

”Ladies are the less selfish in their love of scenery,” resumed he, with a little smile, ”that they do not connect mountains with grouse shooting. Now, I'm afraid a man in his admiration for the hill-side and the heather, has some lurking dreams about deer-stalking, and in the highland 'tarn' his thoughts invariably run on ten-pound trout.”

”That is the practical side by which men a.s.sert their superiority, I believe; but perhaps they mistake occasionally; I suspect they do, at least.”

”You mean, that women have the quality also?”

”I fancy that women are not so p.r.o.ne to parade this egotism,” said she, with a slight flas.h.i.+ng of the eye.

”That may mean something very severe,” said he, laughing.

”In which case, I could not have said what I intended.”

Though this was said apologetically, there was a saucy defiance in her look that declared anything rather than apology.

”Your remark,” said he, ”reminds me of an Irish squire I heard of, who, wanting to get rid of the charge in his pistol, fired it out of the window into a crowd, saying, 'I hope it won't hurt any of you!' Have you been in Ireland, Mademoiselle?''

”I have seen next to nothing of Ireland; far too little to have caught up, as you infer, any traits of her nationality.”

There was not the slightest tremor in her voice, nor change in her colour as she spoke, though Grenfell watched her with more--far more--intentness than he was aware of, or would have permitted himself to bestow, if he had known it.

”I know very little of the green island myself,” said he. ”I once made a yachting excursion with a friend to the West--the same friend to whom I am now indebted for the honour of knowing you.”

Kate's cheek grew crimson; she had mistaken the meaning of his words, and fancied that they referred to his meeting her first in Vyner's company, and not to his possession of Vyner's Cottage.

”Will you let me present my friends--Mr. Ladarelle, Mr. Adolphus Ladarelle, Mr. Grenfell?” said Sir Within, at this critical moment, ”and then, if you will give Mademoiselle your arm, we will go to dinner.”

It required all the practised tact and consummate skill in such matters of Sir Within's to carry through that day's dinner.

Kate scarcely spoke at all, the elder Ladarelle very little; the younger was evidently bent on finding out who Grenfell was, what were his clubs, his houses, and his a.s.sociates; and Grenfell, not at all unused to such a.s.saults of curiosity, repelled them by a cold and distant politeness, which gave little aid to table-talk. So that on the old envoy was thrown all the burden of the entertainment.

Where men imagine that in supplying the material wants of humanity they have amply fulfilled the part between host and guest, and that when the viands are good, and the wine exquisite, the whole responsibility is satisfied, it will seem that Sir Within's fears and anxieties were not all reasonable; but this was not his theory. At a grand dinner, a state occasion, a certain dulness was a part of the solemnity, and full-dress liveries and gold dishes were the natural accompaniments of dreariness and display; but a little dinner meant a choice party, a selected few, bound to bring with them their faculties at the brightest; not sharpening their wits at the moment of exercise, like an unruly orchestra tuning their instruments when they should be playing, but ready to start off at score. What a blank disappointment was here! The few sallies that relieved the dulness came from the younger Ladarelle, and were neither attic in themselves, or quite unquestionable in point of taste; and when they arose to take their coffee, the feeling was rather gratification that so much of weariness had been got over, and a hope that there was not much more to come.

”I shall want you to sing, Ma Mie; I see you won't talk,” whispered Sir Within to Kate, as he drew near her.

”No, Sir, I have a headache. I shall go and lie down.”

”That is about as much of her company as she has vouchsafed us since we have been here,” said Ladarelle the younger to Grenfell, as they stood together in a window.

”Is she haughty?”