Part 22 (2/2)

”My family!” almost screamed Bella. ”Good gracious, Mr. Falkenstein, is it dear papa, or--or Augustus?”

The idea of the brewer, fat, and round, and innocent of literature as one of his own teams, or of his son just plucked for his ”smalls” at Cambridge, for spelling Caesar, Sesar, sitting down to indite the pathos and poetry of ”Scarlet and White,” was so exquisitely absurd that Waldemar, forgetting courtesy, lay back in his arm-chair and laughed aloud. The contagion of his ringing laugh was irresistible; Valerie followed his example, and their united merriment rang in the astonished ears of Miss Cashranger, who looked from one to the other in wrathful surprise. As soon as he could control himself, Falkenstein turned towards her with his most courteous smile.

”You will forgive our laughter, I am sure, when I tell you what I am certain _must_ give you great pleasure, that the play you so warmly and justly admire was written by your cousin.”

Bella stared at him, her face scarlet, all the envy and reasonless spite within her flaming up at the idea of her cousin's success.

”Valerie--Valerie,” she stammered, ”is it true? I had no idea she ever thought of----”

”No,” said Falkenstein, roused in his protegee's defence; ”I dare say you are astonished, as every one else would be, that any one so young, and, comparatively speaking, so inexperienced as your cousin, should have developed such extraordinary talent and power.”

”Oh, of course--to be sure--yes,” said Bella, her lips twitching nervously, ”mamma will be astonished to hear of these new laurels for the family. I congratulate you, Valerie; I never knew you dreamt of writing, much less of making so public a debut.”

”Nor should I ever have been able to do so unless my way had been pioneered for me,” said Valerie, resting her eyes fondly on Waldemar.

He stayed ten minutes longer, chatting on indifferent subjects, then left, making poor little Val happy with a touch of his hand, and a smile as ”kind” as of old.

”You horrid, deceitful little thing!” began Bella, bursting with fury, as the door closed on him, ”never to mention what you were doing. I can't bear such sly people I hate----”

”My dear Bella, don't disturb yourself,” said Valerie, quietly; ”if you had testified any interest in my doings, you might have known them; as it was, I was glad to find warmer and kinder friends.”

”In Waldemar Falkenstein, I suppose,” sneered Bella, white with rage. ”A nice friend you have, certainly; a man whom everybody knows may go to prison for debt any day.”

”Leave him alone,” said Valerie haughtily; ”unless you speak well of him, in my presence, you shall not speak at all.”

”Oh, indeed,” laughed Bella, nervously; ”how very much interested you are in him! more than he is in you, I'm afraid, dear. He's famed for loving and leaving. Pray how long has this romantic affair been on the tapis?”

”He's met her every day in the Gardens,” cried Julius Adolphus, just come in with that fatal apropos of ”enfans terribles,” much oftener the result of mechancete than of innocence; ”he's met her every day, Bella, while I fed the ducks.”

Bella rose, inflated with fury, and summoning all her dignity:

”I suppose, Valerie, you know the sort of reputation you will get through these morning a.s.signations.”

Valerie bent over Spit with a smile.

”Of course, it is nothing to _me_,” continued Bella, spitefully; ”but I shall consider it my duty to inform mamma.”

Valerie fairly laughed out.

”Do your duty, by all means.”

”And,” continued Bella, a third time, ”I dare say she will find some means to put a stop to this absurd friends.h.i.+p with an unmarried and unprincipled man.”

Valerie was roused; she lifted her head like a little Pythoness, and her blue eyes flashed angry scorn.

”Tell your mamma what you please, but--listen to me, Bella--if you venture to harm him in any way with your pitiful venom, I, girl as I am, will never let you go till I have revenged myself and him.”

Bella, like most bullies, was a terrible coward. There was an earnestness in Valerie's words, and a dangerous light in her eyes, that frightened her, and she left the room in silence, while Valerie leaned her forehead on Spit's silky back, and cried bitterly, tears that for her life she wouldn't have shed while her cousin was there.

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