Part 3 (1/2)
Chapter VI: For the Poor of Paris
There was no tiroups of friends had once uerite and her husband, and she, ever on the alert, gave neither look nor sign that any serious conversation had taken place between Sir Percy and herself
Whatever she ard to the foolhardy adventures in which he still persistently euarded the secret of his chief h her heart overfloith a passionate pride in her husband, she was clever enough to conceal every e in her face, her present radiant happiness and her irresistible love And thus before the world she kept up that bantering ith him, which had characterized her earlier ood-natured, easy contempt which he had so readily accepted in those days, and which their entourage would have ed her manner towards him too suddenly
In her heart she knew full well that within Percy Blakeney's soul she had a great and powerful rival: his wild, mad, passionate love of adventure For it he would sacrifice everything, even his life; she dared not ask herself if he would sacrifice his love
Twice in a feeeks he had been over to France: every tiain She could not iine how the French Committee of Public Safety could so cluh its fingers But she never atteo When he brought Paul Deroulede and Juliette Marny over fro people in sheer gladness and pride because of his precious life, which he had risked for theers Percy had passed, for the anxieties she herself had endured; only to-day, in the midst of this beautiful sunshi+ne, this joy of the earth, of su anxiety, a deadly hatred of the wild adventurous life, which took hi reply precluded her following up the subject, whilst the merry chatter of people round her warned her to keep her words and looks under control
But she see alone, and, so placard, and the crier in the Phrygian cap, exercised a weird fascination over her
Instinctively she bent her steps thither, and equally instinctively the idle throng of her friends followed her Sir Percy alone had halted in order to converse with Lord Hastings, who had just arrived
”Surely, Lady Blakeney, you have no though of patronising that gruesouerite almost mechanically had paused within a few yards of the solitary booth
”I don't know,” she said, with enforced gaiety, ”the place seems to attract nificantly, as she pointed to a roughly-scribbled notice at the entrance of the tent: ”In aid of the starving poor of Paris”
”There's a good-looking wos, and a hideousmen in the crowd ”It is very dark and close inside the tent I was lured in there for ain”
”Then itto lure htly ”I pray you all to let , even if I do not see the hideous toy on the move”
”May I escort you then, Lady Blakeney?” said Lord Tony
”Nay! I would rather go in alone,” she replied a trifle i of you not to heed my whim, and to await my return, there, where the music is at its uerite, with a little co cavaliers still protesting and quickly passed beneath the roughly constructed doorway that gave access into the booth
Athe characteristic scarlet cap, stood immediately within the entrance, and ostentatiously rattled apoor of Paris,” he drawled out in nasal uerite and of her rich gown She dropped soold into the box and then passed on
The interior of the booth was dark and lonely-looking after the glare of the hot Septeed the sward outside Evidently a performance had just taken place on the elevated platfor in a desultoryout
A few disjointed couerite's ears as she approached, and the saped in astonishment at her beautiful dress, whilst others bobbed a respectful curtsey
The mechanical toy arrested her attention iruesorotesque, with all those wooden little figures in their quaint, arrested action
She drew nearer to have a better look, and the yokels who had lingered behind, paused, wondering if she would make any remark
”Her ladyshi+p was born in France,” murmured one of thereally looks like that”
”She do seem interested,” quoth another in a whisper
”Lud love us all!” said a buxo youth, ”I believe they're co for more money”
On the elevated platforure had justwoman dressed in peculiarly sohtly over her head
Marguerite thought that the face seemed familiar to her, and she also noticed that the woe embroidered reticule in her beeneral exodus the moment she appeared The Richmond yokels did not like the look of that reticule They felt that sufficient demand had already been erness of the entertainance
When Marguerite turned away from the mechanical toy, the last of the little crowd had disappeared, and she was alone in the booth with the woman in the dark kirtle and black lace hood
”For the poor of Paris, Mada out her reticule
Marguerite was looking at her intently The face certainly see to heractress no doubt driven out of France by that terrible tur The face was pretty, the figure sliant, and the look of obvious sadness in the dark, almond-shaped eyes was calculated to inspire syh, Lady Blakeney felt repelled and chilled by this so person: an instinct, which she could not have explained and which she felt had no justification, warned her that soenuine, the appeal for the poor not quite heartfelt
Nevertheless, she took out her purse, and dropping sons into the capacious reticule, she said very kindly: ”I hope that you are satisfied with your day's work, Madas of their purses soed her shoulders
”Oh, Madareat dejection, ”one does what one can for one's starving countrymen, but it is very hard to elicit sympathy over here for them, poor dears!”
”You are a Frenchwoh the won accent, she had nevertheless expressed herself onderful fluency and correctness
”Just like Lady Blakeney herself,” replied the other
”You knoho I am?
”Who could coht”
”But what made you come to Richo where I think there is a chance of earning a little money for the cause which I have at heart,” replied the Frenchwoentle simplicity, the same tone of mournful dejection
What she said was undoubtedly noble and selfless Lady Blakeney felt in her heart that her keenest sy woirl-who see life in a purely philanthropic and unselfish cause And yet in spite of herself, Marguerite seemed unable to shake off that curious sense of mistrust which had assailed her froiness hich the Frenchwoinally struck her
Yet she tried to be kind and to be cordial, tried to hide that coldness in her manner which she felt was unjustified
”It is all very praiseworthy on your part, Madaatively
”My name is Candeille-Desiree Candeille,” replied the Frenchwouerite with sudden alacrity, ”Candeille surely”
”Yes of the Varietes”
”Ah! then I knohy your face frouerite, this time with unaffected cordiality ”I must have applauded you ue, you know My name was St Just before I married, and I was of the Maison Moliere”