HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1886-12-10, Page 22 THE BRUSSELS POST
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A VAGRANT WIFE.
Be It. Weems.
Author of "Tile House vs Tee 1Mnnea,"
"AT roe \Vosnn'e MERCY," lira
you should touch mel"
He was tottering, and his forehead
was web with weakness and passion.
He would not take George's help, but
staggered along the wall to the door.
There the housekeeper met him, and
Annie, etanding still in the middle of
the picture -gallery, heard him say—
" Brandy!
ay—"Brandy! for heaven's sake, brandy,
whether ib is poison to me or not!"
CHAPTER XVII.
Annie turned with a piteous expres.,
siou of face to George when her angry
husband bad left them.
"What can one do with a man like
that?" she said. " Itis impossible to
reason with him, impossible to ander.
stand him. He is like an overgrown
child."
"I don't know about that," answered
George quietly. "I think I can under-
stand this last outbreak pretty well."
" What do you mean 1"
" Why, when you left him, you were
a little timid lily, whose charm was
quite lost upon a great senseless brute
like that," said George, with sentiment ;
now you have come back a—"
"A great flaunting dahlia, whose
charm must be apparent to the meanest
observation, and particit,arly to a person
of my husband's tastes 1" finished Annie,
looking tip at him very gravely.
Hie sentiment was dispelled ; he was
obliged to burst out laughing.
" You are too sharp for me. You
kuow very well I did not mean that.
You are a charming woman who can
hold your own in any society; you have
caused quite a flutter among us poor
rustics ; and Harry, finding himself the
possessor of something everybody else
admires, with dog-in.the.manger in-
stincts wishes to keep all to himself the
treasure whose value he himself would
never have discovered, and is quite un-
able to appreciate."
"You are too severe upon poor Harry.
He has a lot of good qualities—you
know I always said so ; only unfortu-
nately—unfortunately they are qualities
which don't harmonise very well with
mine."
Nor with anybody else's. It is un-
fortunate, certainly. He would be
charming on a desert island."
"I really think he would be happier
there," said Annie, with a sigh, " if he
had a borse and some dogs. He is kind
to animals, and they seem to un-
derstand him. Good -night, George ; I
must go to him now. And the chances
are even whether be will try to hit me
if I go near him or insist on my remain.
ing in the room till he goes to sleep."
She shook hands, and left the baronet
gazing admiringly at her little figure as
she disappeared swiftly and silently
down the corridor towards the room
her husband occupied. She tapped at
the door ; lent, getting no answer and
hearing no sound, she opened it and
went in. Harry was lying on the bed in
his dressing -gown, and her first thought
was that he was. not sober. But when
she opened the door to Mrs. Stanley a
minute, and saw that that dignified lady
had a spirit -decanter in her hand, she
whispered—
"Take that away, please. Ile has
gone to Bleep, I think."
" That is all right. I was as long as
I could be, and I brought it myself, in
hopes that you would be here, ma'am,
when I came back."
The housekeeper went away, and
Annie, fearing he might take cold, drew
a rug softly over her sleeping husband.
The touch roused him ; he turned over
towards her, and, just half opening his
eyes, threw his right arm round 'her
neck as she was bending down, and in.
gently dozed ole again, tired out. The
action moved Annie, and she knelt down
beside the bed, careful not to disturb
him by displacing the arm that held her
in an unconscious caress until his next
movement, when she woke him up, told
him to go to bed, and loft him before he
had time to remember his anger against
her and spoil the effect of that half.un-
conscious embrace.
But the next morning he was in a
gentle mood, and did not allude to her
distasteful career when she brought him
his breakfast. This good humor lasted
until ho went down -stairs and, after
looking in the various rooms, found bis
wife in the library with William, having
tracked them by their voices and laugh-
ter. William, with great tact, instantly
assumed an appearance of preternatural
solemnity on his brother's entrance.
" What is all this mystery? What
are yon doing in here ?" asked Harry
crossly.
" I am helping William with his
studies," said Annie.
Upon this her promising pupil grow
blue with suppressed laughter, and
Harry'sm mlel grew more
and more
unpleasant.
pOh, I should have thought yon had
had enough of schoolroom work! How-
ever, since you haven't, and I'm not
too proud to take a lesson, you shall
give me one too ;" and he flung himself
into a chair with an uncompromising
surliness which was not encouraging to
a teacher.
Taking no further notice of him, An,
nie proceeded with het dictation.
"Longue 2eleniegno et erg conrpapnone
riry/rtlrs—'—"
"Oh, confound your li'renob 1" growl-
ed Flarry.
And William burst into a roar of
Iaughter ; while Annie, seeing that her
amiable husband had started tap with
evil intentions towards ber pupil, made
signs to the latter to leave the room.
.g . ,.. , .. . ,... ... ..'
Annie,
dare say. But you need not look I
so ostentatiously indifferent. I should
think it must be impossible to kuow
Me. Gibson well without admiring him."
" Well, that is true, certainly," as. I
rented Annie, not giving the least sign
of the relief she felt at hearing Lilian
utter the wrong name.
She did not in the least mind that '
her sister.in-law should imagine her to
havo a preference for Mr. Oilmen ;
but she would not for worlds have it
suspected that she mould have the
faintest warmth of feeling for—Mr,
Cooke.
When the gentlemen came lute the
drawing.room, Harry was not among
them, and William said he had gone up-
stairs to his room. A few minutes
later a servant mane in to Annie, ask.
ing if she would go to Mr. Harold,
who had sent word to say that he was
ill and wanbed her particularly. She
went at once, and fudged, as soon as j
she entered his room, that his ailment
concerned his temper more than his
health.
You sent for me, Harry? What is
the matter ? Don't you feel well ?" she
asked kindly.
In answer, he suddenly produced the
Fra from the side of his chair, and
brought his fist down with a thnmp upon
the unfortunate pencil.mark by Aubrey
Cooke's name.
" Who is this man Cooke ?" he asked
savl
Annieagey. glanced carelessly down at the
paper, and said—
Mr. Aubrey Cooke ? Oh, he is one
of the actors whom I knew at the Re-
gency—one of the very actors Lilian
was speaking of at dinner 1"
"Yes, I know that very well;, and
you need not pretend to be so mightily
indifferent, because I know more than
that," said he, with an affectation of
penetration through wbioh Annie easily
road anxiety and curiosity.
"'Do you ?" said she, smiling. " Then,
if you know so much, you most know
that this curiousealousy you have
been cultivating lately was never
more out of place than in the case of the
men I have acted with. And, if yon
don't know as much as you pretend, ask
Lilian."
Harry looked at her searchingly for a
few minutes, and then dropped the
paper, disarmed.
Sbe was looking so pretty in the light
evening dress, with her graceful head
crowned with the coils and curls of her
shining brown hair, that he would have
liked to drop his offended dignity and
draw ben into his arms and loss her.
But the unconscious Annie had an-
other blow to inflict. She held in her
arms a pilo of books, and, when his
face relaxed a .little after her reas-
suring answer, she took one up in her
hand.
I have brought you some books from
Beckham, as you asked me to do," sho
said. " And you don't know what
trouble I had in finding anything I
thought you would like. I turned over
half the books cm the shelves, I think.
Here is ,S,onea bportrn;/Tour, and/torr
I'
horses, and—"
She handed him a volume, with her
eyes still bent upon the others as she
read their titles. But sho looked up
startled, as he snatched it from her and
flung it with all his force against the
which he did, explodingagain as soon
as he got outside the oor.
"" Why do you encourage that donkey
to take up your time?" asked Harry,
when he ad exhausted all the offensive
epithets at his command on his young-
est brother.
" 1 am very fond of William," said
Annie quietly. " It was I who first
encouraged him to study; and now it
is a great pleasure to me to help him."
"" A fine lot of study you got through,
I have no doubt lou were studyin
very hard when I came in, weren't you ?"
"" Now look here, Harry; you are ab.
surdly ,unreasonable," said Annie
wearily. " Of course William and I
don't sulk through a long morning's
work, as if I were a snuffy old professor
of fifty who didn't care a straw about
his pupil except as a mere learning -ma.
chine. I couldn't care for William more
if he were really my brother. Yon
never used to complain when he and I
wore out iu the fields and woods all day
loug. He was my constant companion
when 1 was very miserable and lonely;
and am I to snub and sit upon him, now
that be bas taken to reading so that he
may be more of a companion to me than
ever 2"
What do you want with hie com-
panionship ? I can't think what you
can see in a great clumsy gawk like that.
He isn't even clever."
"" He is good-tempered, and—he is
fond of me."
"" Much you caro about anybody's be.
ing fond of you 1 You are the coldest
woman I ever saw, and all your pretty,
—I mean all your affected little ways
are just acting. Yes, that is what they
are—just acting 1" repeated Harry, as il
struck by a happy idea.
"Very well, Harry. Then why don't
you let me go and act on the stage,
where I shall get applauded instead of
worried about it 2"
"" Becauee I don't choose to let you
go," said he •doggedly. " And I don't
choose to see myself slighted and treat-
ed as if I were nobody at all, just for
that great ignorant ill-mannered boy.
And I won't allow any more of these
humbugging lessons—do you hear?"
"" I hear you, certainly," answered
Annie softly.
That means that you won't obey
me, I suppose 2" She did not reply.
"" Very well then; I sha'n't say any
more," said Harry, shaking with passion ;
" but, When I find him again grinning at
you over his copybook and swaggering
about with his French, I shall just pitch
hie books and his tomfoolery into the
fire and punch bis head for him."
" That will be very wise," remarked
Annie gravely. " Ana if yon were only
to treat in the same way every other
person who can talk to me on subjects
that interest me and who does not
grumble at me from morning till night,
I am sure I should become a much bet-
ter wife and a much more entertaining
companion for yourself." She had risen
and walked towards the door.
" Where are you going 2" asked harry
sharply.
" To meet Liliau at the station. You
know she is coming today, and Stephen
with her."
He let ber go without further com-
ment; but, when alio oame down -stairs
again, ready to start, she found him in
the ball playing with a bunting -crop. •
"" I say, Annie, are you going to the
library at Beckham ?"
Yes.",
•• wee you get some -hooks Tor me ee
"For you!" said his wife, in amaze.
meat.
"" Yes, for me "—very irritably.
" Oh, yes, certainly 1 What books
shall I get 2"
" Oh, anything you like 1"—and, with-
out looking at her, ho marched off into
the billiard -room.
"" I hope there is nothing the matter
with his head," thought Annie anxious-
ly, as she got into the carriage.
Annie went to the station to meet hex
sister'in-law, without any of the ner-
vousness she had once felt before an in.
terview with that imperious beauty. If
Lilian should resent the change in her
position at the Grange, Annie was quite
ready to go, and was rather hoping Mrs.
Falconer's arrival might pave the way
for her own departure. She bought the
Era on her entrance into the station,
and, having some minutes to wait before
the train from London was due, went
into the waiting -room, cut the leaves of
the paper roughly with a pencil she
happened to have in her pocket, and
glauced through the pages eagerly. She
found what she wanted—a notice of a
morning performance in which she knew
that Aubrey Cooke was to play a part;
and, with flushed cheeks and beating
heart, sho road that he had made the
chief success in the piece, in a character
so wellplayed that the critic pronounced
him "" the coming comedian." Annie
knew that this sentence was one she had
heard before of other young actors who
never oame to anything in particular;
But her pleasure in reading this testi-
mony to his talent was none the less
great, and with trembling fingers sho
t involuntarilyrew a shak line
atmosdrew Y
with her pencil down that art of the
p
i referred to him.
notice which e
not e w
She was looking brilliant when she
met Lilian, who complimented her on
her appearance, and sand she had beard
from her brothers that she would now
have to subside meekly into the second
place, since Annie had grown into such
a charming woman.
" But you might have let me kuow
you were on the stage," said Lilian,
with good-humoured reproach. "1 find
now that 1 know several of the adore
'who were with you at the Regency.
And only think ! I went there one night
when you were playing in the piece, and
never recognised you,"
"I r000gnised you, though."
"Did you? Can �'ousee people you
know among the audience when you aro
acting 2"
," Oli, yes 1 And I saw Colonel Rich-
ardson."
""Most people can see him when you
are about," broke in Stephen, who had
come from towu with his cousin, but,
had sat silent in the carriage uutil now..
This was a bolder speech than he
would have ventured to make in the old
times to Lilian, Annie thought. She
noted that the cripple had grown much
older -looking; his face, which had once
been handsome, was thio and wasted,
and he looked sullen and discontented,
Lilian took no notice of his remark,
and asked Annie if she had seen many
of the people of the neighbourhood since
she had been at the Grange.
"Yes, most of them bays called, to
my surprise, since William let out to old
Mrs. Knowlee that I had been on tho
stage. She and her niece made a tenta-
tive call, and I suppose, the rumour
spread that I did not bite, so everybody
came end praised mywifely devotion, ,
which 1 certainly did not deserve."
Lilian laughed.
"" Harry ill must be a great trial,
though."
"" He is rather; he has such strange
freaks."
Husbands always have, dear. Only
fancy—my husband wanted to prevent
my coming to the Grange 1"
Really ? For what mason ?" •
"" Oh, he disapproves of my brothers,
or some such nonsense," said Lilian
lightly.
But Stephen raised his eyes to his
edusin's face with a penetrating look
which Annie noted and remembered.
Dinner that night was a banquet of
rejoicing. The two ladies were both, in
different ways, among the most charm-
ing women of the day. Lilian was very
handsomely dressed in dark red velvet
which showed off her fair queenly beau-
ty well ; Annie, in a maize -coloured silk
with soft folds of Indian muslin about
the throat, looked like a little fairy.
The style of each was so different from
that of the other that their attractions
did not clash, and Annie's quiet simple
manner of saying amusing things was
the best contrast possible to Lilian's
laughing impertinences.
Lilian was very anxious to know at
once all about her sister-in-law's stage.
experiences, and was seized with a
strong desire to become an actress her -
.elf.
""Don't you find people off the stage
very dull after the nice amusing people
you meet in the theatre 2" she asked at
dinner.
"" Oli, no 1 Some stage.people are
dreadful bores, and many are coarse
and many are commonplace. They are
not all alike you know, any more than
people off the stage."
"" But all the actors I have ever met
have been so bright and amusing. I
know two who were at the Regency—•
where you acted—Mr. Gibson and Mr.
Cooke."
" 0h, yes; I heard them say they
knew you."
"" Don't you like them? Aro they nice
' in the theatre? They are two of the
best -bred men I have ever known."
" They aro very nice men indeed, and
vary clever actors ; I like themboth im-
mensely."
"And Mr. Gibson is so handsome, i.ad I
-does not seem to know it. But lie must,
' for I should think all the women in the
theatre must be in love with him.
Were you not a little in love with I
biro 2"
"In love with a beggarly cad of an
actor 2" shouted Harry, scandalised.
"You don't know what you are talk.
ing about," said his sister coolly. "" Of
course your manners are not those of
Mr. Gibson ; theyare those of his valet.
Didn't you think him very handsome,
Annie 2"
Yes, very. And he has such a sweet
voice."
Her husband's voice, for the moment
not at all sweet, uttereda growling pro.
test.
"And Mr. Cooke ? He is not hand-
some, but he is charming. Don't you
like him 2 0h, I know you mast, for 1
saw that you had marked his name in a
critique in your paper."
Annie blushed as she answered that
he was very nice too and very clever;
she had an mosey feeling that her hus-
band was glaring at her across the table
and noting ber change of colour.
During the few minutes which re-
mained of the ladies' stay in the dining.'
room, Harry never took his eyes off his
wife's face ; and she was conscious of
this, though she did not once look at
him.
In the drawing room Lilian was quite
affectionate.
You were always a good little girl;
but I had no idea you would bloom into
such a clover woman," said she, with
her white hands on the shoulders of the
smaller woman.
" How—clever 2" asked Annie, laugh-
ing.
augh-
ing Why, at keeping your,own counsel 1
But you niay trust me. There is always
some one nicer than one's husband, and
when one's husband is Harry! I
think your discretion doesyou great
g
credit. As soon as I heard you were
W eon
the stage, I tried to find out who it was
that had induced you to go on, or to 05.
main on ; and you had been so very dila
oreet bbab nobody could link your na
with any other, And it was not un
mentioned those two names at diffier
that I found you out. And nobody
mould have seen you wince but me. I
am very clear.sighted in these matters."
"" Indeed 1" said Annie calmly: "And
may I know 'which of my fellow.actors
I am dying for love of ?"
"1 did not say that. I know your
conduct is oircumspeotion itself. But
I know which of those two gentlemen is
—nicer than Harry."
" Oh, you might put them both to.
gather and bracket a good, many more
with• them under that heading 1" said
73eccune err 11..l"dJ., and a book about
fie all.
oppoe w
"%Tarry 1" sho exclaimed, amazed at
the fury in his face. "'11'bat have I
done now? It is impossible to please
yonl"
Yes, because you don't Dare—you
don't try. I am just an ignorant boor,
to be fed and clothed and smoothed into
good temper when I am growingdauger-
ous, and to be slighted and tod lies to
when I protest against such treatment.
You see I know all aboutit, though I am
such a clod 1"
She had walked to the other end of
.the room, picked up the book without
any show of annoyance, and was trying
to restore an unruffled appearance to
the crumpled leaves. This action exas-
perated ham still more.
" There now—it doesn't mabter what
I do, because it's only Harry 1 Very
well then 1 There—and there—and
there—and there 1"
At each repetition of the word be
flung another of the volumes she had
incautiously placed within his reach, not
at bis wife, but at the wall by which she
was standin
" Really, Harry, you ought to be in a
lunabio asylum," said Annie, out of pa•
fiance at last.
" So I shall be very soon, if you go ou
treating me like a onus, wnen 1 love
you like a roan 1" burst out Harry pas-
sionately.
His wife looked up at him, from where
she was standing, at the other side of
the room, in astonishment.
" Yes, yes—stare at me as much as
you like ; 1 do love you, and I'm not bho
fool you think me, except in oaring for
you! Do you think 1 don't know that
you look down upon me, and that every.
body thinks you thrown away upon me 2
when
that in the old
Why,I knew t b days w
I first marriedY ou ; but then you just
avoided me, and oars. But
I didn't
now you Dome back, pretty and bright
and charming, not cold and shy as you
used to be, and, instead of running
away as you used to d;i, you flutter
about mo and nurse me and coax me
into good humour, and make me laugh
and get me to do everything you wish,•
and then, when I want to show you I
love you for ib, you shunt me off with a
little laugh, just to show me that I am
only Harry, and whatever I say and
whatever I do doesn't matter. I say it
is cruel, winked, and, however clever
you may be, you are treating me bad-
ly1" he ended, his voice breaking
down.
" Harry 1" was all his astonished wife
could utter.
"I know I'm not a companion for
you," ho went on, "Ilut you don't
want me to be, you won't understand
that I went to bo. I asked you to got
me some books; but I wanted books
that you lilted, so that I might read
them and talk to you about them, like
William and George. And then you
bring me a lot of eporting trash, as if
I,wasn't fit for anything but the
stable 1"
" Harry 1" whispered his wife again,
making a step towards him.
Flo looped up at her eagerly, waiting
for her to come to him. Bub she
stopped.
" Well, are you afraid of me?" said
he.
His tone was nob inviting ; but Annie
understood him this time, knelt down
by his chair, and let him put his arm
round her.
" Annie, will you try to love mo 2" he
asked huskily.
" Yes, Harry, I will try."
CHAPTER XVIII.
Annie left her husband's room that
night, after bis most unexpected declare -
tion of love and her own promise to try
to return it, in a state of bewilderment
in which thought was for a long time
impossible. That his affection for her
was anything more than a passing
caprice, the result partly of jealousy of
his brothers and partly of pique at her
own indifference, she did not for a mo-
ment believe. If her heart had beou
quite free, she might have been less
sceptical, or more deeply touched by this
acknowledgment of the strength of the
influence she had gained over her rough
and hitherto careless young husband.
But she knew how deep lay the differ-
ence between his nature and her own,
and since the first weeks of her mar-
riage she had given up all hope of their
over harmonising with each other ex-
cept in the most superfioial manner.
Through his passionate words she had
seemed, in spite of herself, to hear the
ring of another voice ; and she felt, with
a thrill of shame, that no words of the
man she had sworn to love could wake
in her an emotion so strong as that she
had felt at the few faltering words in
which Aubrey Cooke had confessed that
he loved her.
And Aubrey Cooke was out it the
world working hard, as she felt, to win
Position and money, to make himself a
name, to rise to the heights of the ambi-
tion she had encouraged; and perhaps
even yet, in spite of her discouraging
words to him, he was nursing the vain
belief that site would some day be his,
and longing for the time when they
sbonld wander out together again, and
have more long talks, in which the
words of each seemed but to express the
unuttered thought of the other; while
Harry, her husband, would remain an
ignorant idler to the end of his life, ill.
tempered, arrogant, unsympathetic to
her, as if he had been au inhabitant of
another world. And this man she had
Promised to try to love, with honest
solemn intention of keeping her word to
the best of her power 1 But sho con-
fessed to hersolf, with a shudder at the
thought of the self-sacrifice she would
have, to make if his caprice were to last
and sho were to have to put off indefi-
nitely her intern to the stage, that sho
had an up -hill task before her.
Thu next morning she met her hus-
band in the expectation of finding him
as ungracious as usual. But Harry had
apparently been thinking out the posi-
tion, and come to the conclusion thab
the effort mast not be all an his wife's
side. At any rate, he was so gentle and
considerate, and asked her if she world
drive him out, in a courteous tone,
whinh seemed to admit the possibility
of a refusal.
It was the first day that he had been
out of doors since his illness, and he was
very good-tempered and happy, sitting,
wrapt up in rugs, by his wife's side iu
Lady Braithwaste's pony -carriage ; and,
after that trial of it, the daily drive be-
came an institution. Annie found that
the explanation 'they had had at the
time of that little episode of the sport-
ing books had had the satisfactory result
of snaking Harry more docile than ever;
and when, in the country lanes through
which they drove for miles each day
over the frost -bound earth, she started
him on some favourite topic of his, such
as the training of race -horses or the ad-
vantages of a straight saddle, sho found
that she mould continue her own train of
thought almost undisturbed, by the help
of a nod of approval every now and then;
and she found him quite an endurable
companion.
But unfortunately Harry was not so
stupid as he was ignorant, and one day,
when Annie had given a pleasant smile
of approbation of what he was saying
without having listened to it, he sud-
denly stopped short in the middle of a
sentence, and, looking round at him in
surprise, bis wife found that he was
sullun
"" Gog. on, harry ; that is very interest.
ing," said she innocently.
" No, it isn't; you don't know what
1 was talking abort," he returned sul-
lenbl
Y
"
Yes Ido Harry, You 1 were talking
, y
!bout—horses," said she, with what she
thought was a safenese.
But her husband bolted blacker than
aver.
" I wasn't balking about horses, as it
iappons. It shows how much you care
what I say. I'm much obliged to.you
ew letting me see thab I bore you.
gtop 1 I'll get out! " and he tossed off
his rage,
" No, no, don't, dear Harry I Let me
hive you home. It is'only a little way ;
but it ie too far for you to walk yet.
Im very, very sorry 1 was so inatten-
tive ; but the fact is I—I have some.
thing on my mind that le troubling me;
111'd'
nd so—'
"'Rave you, Annie?" be asked an.
(7'O Bl? CO: TINtiED.)
DBC. 10, 11.880.
THE POST
IN ITS
EHL
CEO
T1YIPR0YED FORT'
Ts Offered to the
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IN ADVANCE.
As will be seen we are du-
v8ting 1L Column to Poetl'y.
Temperance, Farm Notes
and Varieties, respectively,
and giving more than our
usual amount of Local,
District and General news.
THE POST
was Meijer Bead by so
Many People before and
we hope to Add Very
Largely to our list this
]."all and Winter.
21TIAL nom
will be lite Ile -production
of
titiki#0440
frau that excellent Comic
Journal
tat
]3y a Special Arrangement
with that Paper we r xpcct
to picuent tt
Weekly q
The cuts alone will be
worth the Subscription.
Watch Out
For Them
Every week.
"Its wonderful how we
do it, but wo do."
HELP US
OT ADD
500 NaMI
to our List.
Correspondence rte nays
thankfltlly received.
VV . } .. .ER��,
PUBLISHER.
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