Part 32 (2/2)
”A truce to compliments, if you will not think me impertinent, Count,”
said the Colonel; ”but I wish to ask this fair lady, if she will pardon me one question; had you ever a friend called--”
”Adele Chabot!” I interrupted him; ”and I shall be most enchanted to hear of her, or better still to see her, as Mrs Jervis.”
”You have antic.i.p.ated me; that is what I was about to say. We arrived in town last night; and she commissioned me at once to make out your whereabouts for her. The Gironacs told me that you were staying at Kew--”
”Yes, at Judge Selwyn's. By the way,” I added, a little mischievously, I confess, ”allow me to make known to one another, Mrs Charles Selwyn, _once_ Caroline Stanhope, and Colonel Jervis.”
Jervis bowed low, but his cheek and brow burned a little, and he looked sharply at me out of the corner of his eye; but I preserved such a demure face, that he did not quite know whether I was _au fait_ or not.
Caroline, to do her justice, behaved exceedingly well. Her character, indeed, which had been quite unformed before her marriage, had gained solidity, and her mind, judgment as well as tone, since her introduction to a family so superior as that of the Selwyns. And she now neither blushed nor t.i.ttered, nor, indeed, showed any signs of consciousness, although she gave me a sly pinch, while she was inquiring in her sweetest voice and serenest manner after Adele, whom she said she had always loved very much, and longed to see her sincerely in her new station, which she was so admirably qualified to fill. ”I hear she was vastly admired in Paris, Colonel; and no wonder, for I really think she was the very prettiest creature I ever saw in my life. You are a fortunate man, Colonel Jervis.”
”I am, indeed,” said he, laughing. ”Adele is a very good little creature, and the people were so good-natured as to be very civil to her in Paris, especially your friend Madame d'Albret, Mademoiselle de Chatenoeuf. Nothing could exceed her attentions to us. We are very much indebted to you for her acquaintance. By the way, Adele has no end of letters, and presents of all sorts for you from her. When can you come and see Adele?”
”Where are you staying, Colonel Jervis?”
”At Thomas's Hotel, in Berkeley Square, at present, until we can find a furnished house for the season. In August we are going down to a little cottage of mine, in the Highlands. And I believe Adele has some plan for inducing you to come down and bear her company, while I am slaughtering grouse and black c.o.c.k.”
”Thanks, Colonel, both to you and Adele. But I do not know how that will be. August is two whole months distant yet, and one never knows what may happen in the course of two months. Do you know I was half thinking of paying a visit to France myself, when my brother who is on a visit to me now, returns to join his regiment.”
”Were you, indeed?” asked de Chavannes, more earnestly than the subject seemed to warrant. ”I had not heard of that scheme before. Is it likely to be carried into effect, Mademoiselle?”
”I hardly know. As yet it is little more than a distant dream.”
”But you have not yet answered my question, Mademoiselle de Chatenoeuf,”
said the Colonel. ”You have not yet told me when you will come and see Adele.”
”Oh! pardon me, Colonel. I return to town to-morrow, and I will not lose a moment. Suppose I say at one o'clock to-morrow, or two will be better. Caroline, the Judge was so good as to say that he would let his carriage take me home; I dare say it can drop me at Thomas's, can it not?”
”Certainly, _not_, Valerie! There, don't stare now, or look indignant or surprised. It served you perfectly right; what did you expect me to say? Or why do you ask such silly questions? Of course, it can take you wherever you please, precisely as if it were your own.”
”Then at two o'clock, I will be at Thomas's to-morrow, Colonel; in the meantime, pray give Adele my best love.”
”I will, indeed. And now I will intrude upon you no longer, ladies,” he added, raising his hat. ”In fact, I owe you many apologies for the liberty I have taken in introducing myself. I hope you will believe I would not have done so under any other circ.u.mstances.”
We bowed, and, without any further remarks, he put spurs to his horse and cantered away.
”A very gentlemanly person,” said Caroline, ”I think Adele has done very well for herself.”
”You had better not let Mr Charles Selwyn hear you say so, under all circ.u.mstances, or I think that very likely the whipping we were talking about in fun yesterday, will become real _cara mia_!”
”Nonsense! for shame, you mischievous thing!” said Caroline, blus.h.i.+ng a little, but not painfully.
”Who is this Colonel Jervis?” asked the Count de Chavannes. ”I was a little puzzled, or rather _not_ a little: for at first none of you seemed to know him; and, after a little while, you all appeared to know him quite well. Pray explain the mystery.”
”He is a very gentlemanly person, Count, as Mrs Selwyn justly observes, and, as you can perceive, a very handsome man. Further than that, he was Colonel of one of his Majesty's _crack_ regiments, as they call them, and is now on half-pay. He is, moreover, a man of high fas.h.i.+on, and of the first standing in society. And, last of all, which is the secret of the whole, he is the husband of a very charming little Frenchwoman, a particular friend of Caroline's and mine, one of the prettiest and nicest persons on earth, with whom he ran away some six months since, fancying her to be--”
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