Part 41 (2/2)
Pierson's delay made her fear all sorts of bungling and extreme measures--men were such fools!
Evilena had flitted away again to look up a dress for the party, and did not return, so she was left alone. She heard considerable walking about and talking in the rooms below and on the veranda. No one came along her corridor, however, so she could ask no questions as to the latest arrivals. For reasons of her own she had dispensed with a personal attendant after the departure of Louise; there was no maid to make inquiries of.
An hour pa.s.sed in this feverish suspense, when she went to the mirror with an air of decision, arranged her hair becomingly, added a coral brooch to the lace at her throat, slipped some glimmering rings on her white fingers, and added those little exquisite touches to the toilet which certain women would naturally linger over though it be the last hour on earth.
Then she opened the door and descended the stairs, a picture of beauty and serenity--a trifle of extra color in the cheeks, perhaps, but it would be a captious critic who would object to the added l.u.s.tre.
Captain Monroe certainly did not, as he halted in the library at sight of her, and waited to see if she pa.s.sed out on the veranda, or--
She looked out on the veranda; no one was there; with an impatient sigh she turned, pushed the partly opened door of the library back, and was inside the room before she perceived him. Involuntarily she shut the door back of her.
”Oh--h!” and she held out her hand with a quick, pretty gesture of surprise and pleasure--”well met, Captain Jack!”
He took the hand she offered and looked at her with a certain questioning directness.
”I hope so, Madame Caron,” and the gaze was so steady, his grasp so firm, that she drew her hand away with a little laugh that was a trifle nervous.
”Your voice and face rea.s.sure me! I dare breathe again!” she said, with a mock sigh of relief; ”my first glimpse of your uniform made me fear a descent of the enemy.”
”Have you need to fear any special enemy here?” he asked, bluntly. She put her hand out with a little gesture of protest as she sank back into the chair he offered.
”Why should you be so curious on a first meeting?” she asked, with a quizzical smile. ”But I will tell you, Monsieur, for all that; I am, of course, very much afraid of the Northern armies. I left Orleans rather than live under the Federal government, if you please! I have bought a very handsome estate a few miles from here which, of course, binds my interests more closely to the South,” and she flashed a meaning, mocking glance up at him. ”Do not look so serious, my friend, it is all very beautifully arranged; I had my will made as soon as the deed was signed, of course; no matter what accidents should happen to me, all my Southern properties will be held intact to carry on the plans for which they were purchased. I am already building my monuments,” and she unfurled a silken fan the color of her corals and smiled across it at him.
Their backs were towards the window. She was seated in the deep chair, while he stood near her, leaning on the back of another one and looking down in her face. Pluto, who was still hovering around with the hope of getting speech with a ”sure enough Linc.u.m man,” had come noiselessly to the open window and only halted an instant when he saw the stranger so pleasantly occupied, and heard the musical voice of Madame Caron say ”My friend.” It was to him the sweetest voice in the world now, and he would gladly have lingered while she spoke, but the rest of the words were very soft and low, and Miss Loring was moving towards him coming slowly up the steps, looking at him as though the veranda was no place for a n.i.g.g.e.r to lounge when unemployed--a fact he was well enough aware of to walk briskly away around the corner of the house, when he found her eye on him.
She had reached the top of the steps and was thinking the colored folks at the Terrace were allowed a great many privileges, when she heard the low tones of a man's voice. Supposing it was Kenneth and possibly his mother, she stepped softly towards the window. Before she reached it she perceived her mistake--the man wore a blue uniform, and though she could not see Madame Caron, she could see the soft folds of her dress, and the white hand moving the coral fan.
Disappointed, and not being desirous of joining the woman whose charm evidently enthralled every one but herself, she stepped quietly back out of range, and pa.s.sed on along the veranda to the sitting room, where Evilena was deeply engaged over the problem of a dress to be draped and trimmed for the party. And the two talked on within the closed doors of the library, the man's voice troubled, earnest; the woman's, careless and amused.
”I shall tell you what I wish, Captain Jack,” she said, tapping the fan slowly on the palm of her hand and looking up at him, ”I am most pleased to see you, but for all that I wish you had not come to this particular house, and I wish you would go away.”
”Which means,” he said, after a pause, ”that you are in some danger?”
”Oh, no! if it were that,” and her glance was almost coquettish, ”I should ask you to remain as my champion.”
”Pardon, Madame,” and he shook his head, doubtfully, ”but I remember days in New Orleans, and I know you better than that.”
She only raised her brows and smiled. He watched her for a moment and then said: ”Colonel McVeigh is a friend; I should not like to think that your presence means danger to him.”
”What an idea!” and she laughed heartily; ”am I grown such a thing of terror that I dare not enter a door lest danger follow? Who could be oppressed with political schemes in this delightful life of the plantation? It is really Eden-like; that is why I have purchased one of the places for my own; it is worth seeing. If you remain I shall invite you over; shall you?”
”For some reason you wish I would not; if I only knew what the reason is!”
”A few months ago you did not question my motives,” she said, reprovingly; then in a lower tone, ”Your commander has never questioned, why should you? Your President has sent me messages of commendation for my independent work. One, received before I left Mobile, I should like you to see,” and she rose from the chair. He put out his hand to stop her.
”Not if it has connection with any plot or plan of work against the people on this side of the line; remember, I am on parole.”
”Oh, I shall respect your scruples,” she said, lightly. ”But you need have no dread of that sort. I would not keep by me anything dangerous; it is not compromising to the Marquise de Caron in any way.” She halted at the door and added, ”Will you wait?”
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