Part 9 (1/2)
Mrs. Ebley would not bandy further words; their points of view were too different.
”I regret that I am obliged to request you to keep your room and have no communication with anyone whatever until I can consult with your uncle and Eustace as to what is the best thing to do with you. That we shall leave Rome immediately you may be prepared for.”
Stella here burst into tears. She had an affection for her aunt, who had always been kind to her in a hard, cold way, and she was deeply grieved at their estrangement, but there were forces in life which she knew now mattered more than any aunts in the world.
Mrs. Ebley did not relent at the sound of the sobbing, but left the room, closing the door firmly after her. And a few minutes afterward Martha was let in by the chambermaid without knocking and sat down grimly by the window and began to knit.
Then Stella's tears turned to resentment. To be insulted so! To have a servant sent to watch her was more than she would bear. But as she turned in bed she felt her lover's note touch her and like a magic wand a thrill of comfort rushed through her. After all, he would settle things for her--and meanwhile she would close her eyes and pretend to sleep. So with her precious love letter clasped tight in her hand under the clothes she turned her face to the wall and shut her eyes.
Meanwhile, Canon Ebley and the Reverend Eustace Medlicott were spending a very disagreeable time in the reading-room. Relieved of Mrs. Ebley's presence, Eustace had recounted more fully the interview he had had with Sasha Roumovski the night before. He was not a very accurate person and apt to color everything with his own prejudice, so Canon Ebley did not obtain a very clear idea of the Russian's arguments. They seemed to him to be very unorthodox and carnal and reprehensible from all points. But it was evident they were dealing with a clever and dangerous character and Stella must be rescued from such a person's influence and married off to her lawful fiance at once.
”We could have the ceremony here, Eustace, in three weeks' time, or we could go back to England immediately, for until our niece is your wife I am sure her aunt and myself will not feel easy about her.”
”Nor I either,” Mr. Medlicott returned, and at that moment the Aunt Caroline entered the room and gradually disclosed the awful truth she had arrived at from Miss Rawson's admissions.
”That dreadful foreigner must be told at once we refuse to have any communication with him and Stella shall be kept locked in her room until we can leave Rome,” Mrs. Ebley said sternly. ”I could not have believed my own sister's child could have behaved so disgracefully.”
”Dear, dear,” said Canon Ebley, ”but we must get at the facts of when she has been able to see this Russian. It is impossible that the present state of things could have arisen from merely last night at the Emba.s.sy.”
At this stage of the proceedings, it being a public room, Count Roumovski entered it serenely and, coming toward the group, made a stiff bow to each in turn.
”I believe you have received my letter, sir,” he said, addressing Canon Ebley, ”but, as I have had no reply, I ventured to present myself without further delay--”
”We do not wish for any communication from you,” Eustace Medlicott hastened to announce before either of the others could speak. ”I have informed Canon and Mrs. Ebley of your disgraceful conduct and that is sufficient. We shall discuss nothing further.”
”I was not addressing you, sir,” Count Roumovski returned mildly. ”My business with you terminated last night.” And he turned his shoulders to the irate junior chaplain and looked Canon Ebley straight in the face. ”I am here to ask for the hand of your niece, Miss Rawson, as she is now free from other engagements, and with her full consent I desire to make her my wife.”
”Come, Erasmus,” Mrs. Ebley said with icy dignity. ”Let us go up to our apartment and if this person annoys us further we can complain to the manager of the hotel,” then, with an annihilating glance, she took her husband's arm and drew him toward the door.
”As you will, madame,” and the Russian gentleman bowed with respectful serenity. ”It would have been more sensible to have taken my request otherwise, but it is, after all, quite immaterial. I will wish you a good-day,” and he bowed again as Canon Ebley and his outraged spouse sailed from the room--and, with an exclamation of suppressed fury, Eustace Medlicott followed in their wake.
Then Count Roumovski laughed softly to himself and, sitting down at a writing-table, wrote a letter to his beloved. His whole plan of life was simple and direct. He had done what he considered was necessary in the affair, he had behaved with perfect openness and honor in his demand, and if these people could not see the thing from a common sense point of view, they were no longer to be considered. He would take the law into his own hands.
When he had finished his note he went straight up in the lift to the corridor where Stella's room was and there saw in the distance her raging and discomfited late betrothed evidently keeping watch and ward.
Count Roumovski did not hesitate a second; he advanced to the door and knocked firmly on the panel, slipping his letter through the little slide for such things before Mr. Medlicott could bound forward and prevent him.
”A letter for you, mademoiselle, from me, Sasha Roumovski,” he said in French in a loud enough voice for the occupant of the room to hear, and then he stood still for a second, as both men heard Stella jump from her bed and rush to the door to take the missive before Martha from the place at the window could intercept it.
”Do not dare to touch that, Martha,” they heard her voice say haughtily, and then she called out, ”Sasha, I have it safe and I will do exactly as you direct.”
Count Roumovski looked at Eustace Medlicott, who stood as a spread-eagle in front of the door--and then, smiling, went calmly on his way.
The Reverend Mr. Medlicott shook with burning rage. He was being made to look ridiculous and he was absolutely impotent to retaliate in any way. He would bring scandal upon them all if waiters and other guests saw him guarding Miss Rawson's actual door, and he could not sit outside like a valet; the whole thing was unspeakably maddening, and murderous thoughts flooded his brain.
”Give me that letter this minute, Stella,” he said in an almost inarticulate voice through the keyhole, he was so shaken with pa.s.sion.
”Open the door and let Martha hand it to me. You are disgracing us all.”
”It is you who are doing that, Eustace,” Stella said from beyond the panel, lifting the slide that her voice might be heard distinctly. ”You have no authority over me at all. I told Aunt Caroline I did not intend to continue my engagement with you--but even if I had not decided to break it off, this conduct of yours would now be sufficient reason. How dare you all treat me as though I were a naughty child or insane!”
”Because you are both,” Mr. Medlicott returned, ”and must be controlled and compelled into a proper behavior.”