Part 55 (1/2)
A fortnight after the chevalier's first appearance at the castle, Miss Walsingham, accompanied by Davenport and the Frenchman, took pa.s.sage at Liverpool for New York.
CHAPTER XXVI.
UNEXPECTED MEETING.
Margaret Walsingham kept her own state-room so exclusively that the pa.s.sengers, many of whom had heard of the heroine of Castle Brand, had no opportunity of meeting her; and to all their overtures she responded with the same timid reserve, until it became a sort of ambition with the ladies to become the friends of so retiring a creature.
Her state-room became a morning resort of such of the fair dames as were impervious to sea-sickness; all kind, officious, and eager to be considered her intimates.
They found nothing very singular, however, in the quiet, sweet-faced girl to furnish an index of that bravery of which she had become celebrated, but they all agreed that they felt more charmed by her modesty and gentleness of demeanor than if she had the dash of an Amazonian queen.
There was one young lady who came in frequently with a talkative old dowager, and was wont to regard Margaret with keen but silent interest.
This young person, who was called ”Dora dear,” by old Mrs. de Courcy, and ”Lady Dora,” by the other ladies, was a peculiarly blooming, black-haired young damsel, whose eyes black as sloes, examined Margaret for several interviews with an eager and scarcely friendly scrutiny. But in the fourth visit Lady Dora threw off her reserve, and const.i.tuted herself Margaret's chosen friend.
The day before their arrival at New York she came into Margaret's room, and calmly shut the door as a hint to the stream of ladies who were following her down the narrow pa.s.sage.
”There, that's done!” she said laughing genially, ”and now maybe I'll be having you all to myself for a while without even a gossiping prig to be the wiser of what we say. So now, Miss Walsingham dear, give me room on the sofa there beside you, and well have a snug little chat together.”
Margaret looked up at the pleasant, honest face, and made room as requested.
”Of course you don't know what this friendly move of mine is meaning at all. I'm an emba.s.sy from----no, that's wrong end first. There's a young man on board the steamer who is desperately in love with you, and, poor fellow, he's so worn to skin and bone about you that just to keep the body and soul of him together I've come to plead his case.
”He says to tell you that it's not unmanly of him to hanker after you now, seeing that circ.u.mstances have thrown you together without any of his seeking, and it looks as if this thing was foreordained to be. I'm afraid you'll say you're not, but don't if there's the ghost of a chance when I ask you--are you open to offers?”
”What does all this mean?” inquired Margaret, whose hands were being vehemently squeezed and patted by her Irish friend; ”I have not even seen any gentleman since I came on board except my friend Mr. Davenport, and one occasion Colonel Calembours, who certainly did not appear to be reduced by any visible pa.s.sion.”
”Pooh! little beast, he's gambling all the time. No, it's not he; it's a brother of mine--there I've let the cat out of the bag, and I wasn't to do it. We'll drop that and begin at the other end. I understand all about your position in the Brand will, and I know exactly that you want to do the thing that's generous, and I hear that you are on your way to lay the whole of the fortune that you've been named heir for at the feet of St. Udo Brand, and then you'll turn round and earn your bread. Now, I say that that isn't the fate for a woman like you, and I'm here to tell this message. Give every spick and span of the property to Colonel Brand and then put these two dear hands in the outstretched hands of this lover of yours, and say you will be his since he loves you still--that's the message.”
The warm-hearted girl threw her arms round Margaret and hugged her with equal strength and warmth.
”Who is this generous man?” asked Margaret, much touched.
”Wait until I set his excellencies fair and square before you. In the first place he's as steady a boy as ever put foot to ground, which n.o.body ever said of St. Udo Brand.”
”Why compare him with St. Udo Brand?” asked Margaret, with a sudden flush overspreading her cheeks, vivid as carmine.
”Sure and is it St. Udo Brand I would compare with the likes of him!”
exclaimed Lady Dora scornfully, ”and is it you, mavourneen, that I see with the blush of shame on account of him? You don't mean to be so insane as to marry him, Miss Walsingham, darling?”
”I don't expect to marry him,” answered Margaret, gravely.
”He's not worthy of you,” cried Lady Dora, holding her off at arm's length and looking at her with dubious eyes. ”I'll grant that he was a gallant soldier and a handsome man but he's old in sin, and it's not for you, my white dove, to nestle in the vulture's nest, and you won't--you won't!” s.n.a.t.c.hing her to her bosom and straining her close.
”I will hear nothing against St. Udo Brand,” said Margaret, withdrawing herself and standing erect so that the generous fire in her face and voice invested her splendid figure with a dignity most queen-like; ”I cannot expect the world to believe in the true n.o.bility of his character, but I know it. Desperate he may have been--reckless, scorning, but the crisis of his sinning has pa.s.sed, and the man is n.o.ble still; and Heaven will bless immeasurably the woman who marries him.”
She clasped her hands in her generous excitement, and stood, a resistless and pa.s.sionate conqueror, confessing the greatness of her forgiveness for the first time.