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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1886-12-24, Page 22 THE BRUSSELS POST a d •.v ,tie arere4Hmezeez.-a AFLT' 1S.6TdiG2CN:rea--.YJF.0. TSGSJ'�` 44 +ur..i'? ' ••• .. --_.. hands on the low wail for support --ho th0 charm of is woman like you then, she knelt by her trunks. Then she A VAGRANT 13' 1P, WA110131.4 Author of Too Hellen elf Tile 71i'A11821," "Ar Tile WOULD'o 111xales," kilo. yesterday, and must souci au auswer to- day. I would not clave gone for the world if you bad not been safely through your illness, and if Lilian had not been with yon; but, Harry, dear Harry, if you do really feel the least gratitude for my comiug back to take care of you, if you really feel for me one spark of the fondness I seem to see in your looks, let me go I Yon are not ambitious as I am —you have not had to toil and fret at the impossibility of getting on, as I have; but, if you can only even picture to yourself how horrible it is to forego enemas when at last it seems to be cam. ing to yon, you will let me go—you will let me go I" Her violent excitement had brought the tears to her eyes. As she knelt be. side the comb, her graab passionate dark eyee fixed upon his in entreaty, the ter s welled up in his eyes too as he ych fine ed her into his arms. " I can diem you nothing. Heaven forgive you—you will break my heart.' A. week later Annie's trunks were packed for London. On the last day before her departure from the Grange shetook along ramble by herself through some of her favourite fields and laues, a mild ild March was already bring- ing forth the signs of spring. She had promised to be at the old church at four, to undertake for the village organist a commission of getting him some music in London. She got there too soon how. ever; so, having fortunately provided herself with the key, she went in andup the winding•stair to the top of the old square tower. She had .a letter to read -which she had had unopened in her pocket since the morning; and, whou she got at last on to the tower and had gazed for a few minutes upon the wide expanse of conntrycommanded by the hill on which the church was built, had lookeda little regretfully at the budding trees and the river and the town of Beckham beyond, an ugly, smoke be- grimed place hacked, but which bore a deoeptive beauty when seen from a distance on a sunny afternoon in a haze of itsown smoke, she drew out her let. ter, which was directed to"Miss Lang. ton," and tore open the envelope. She knew whom it was from—a young actress who had been with her at the last theatre Annie had played at in Lou- don, who had then played silent "guests" and parts too small even for Anuio, but who had since been promoted to thelat. ter's place. Annie had written to this girl, who knew nothing of her marriage or of her private life, asking her to send her the address of some cheap lodginge which she had once recommended. The other had not only repltea, one new, with the good nature so strikingly char- acteristic of members of the theatrical profession, undertaken to see the land- lady and make terms with her about them. This matter was now settled— the room taken ; so this letter could not be very important. So Annie thought. But she had not read the first two pages before the colour in her face deepened, and she read on to the end with an in- tentness which only tidings of deepest interest could have called forth. The passage -which bad fixed; her attention was the following— How could l ? I wasn't oven a man my heard no more, and began to think elle self, and you were afraid of me. But, must have been mistaken, when the Anuio, I do love you and appreciate you knock was repeated. "Condo in 1" she now more than any actor NY110 OYDU oriod a second time ; and thou she hoard lived, and the thought of your going be the door open and a man's tread in the be stared at by every one who Dares to next room. pay to look et yon is awful—awful. Sho rose from hor knees, went into And, my darling, you are my wiie, you the sitting -room, and found herself faro know; and, if you won't love mo ever, I may as well go and out my throat, for I—I—I—" He broke off, fainly nabbing. Annie's heart wile moved, and she finug her arms round him with one touch of the deeper tenderness of the woman he had longed to reuse. " Harry, Marry, I'll come back, 1.11' come back—at Christmas; that is only nine months; and if you love me still thee, I will never go away from you a• I gain i" Ile pressed her to his breast, and I kissed her and blessed her ; and, as the March afternoon began to wane, they 1 descended the ruinous stone stairs of l the old tower slowly together, she with her hands on his shoulders following , him step by step silently, but not un- happily. There was hope in her bus - band's heart, and it had affected her a , little. The mellow sounds of the organ were pealing through the church where the orgauist was practising as, at the bottom stair, Harry gave his wife a Last passionate kiss beforo they left the i shadowy building for the outer air. And the neat day Annie started for London. oleomargarine—the very best. And that CHAPTFlt XX. is for you." I He gave her a little box, which she The journey back to London was a opaued and found to contain ferns and very strange one to Annie; she never gardenias. She sat down and handled saw the landscapes through which the them lovingly, with the simple pleasure train passed, she did not even remember of a child, and when she looked up, she the faces of her fellow•passengers after- found Aubroy raking out the coals of the wards. Her mind was filled with fears extinct fire with the poker. for the future—for her own, for•her hus- " Never mind; leave it alone. It is band's, for Lilian's, for George's, for out; and, if I ring and make the girl that of all the family at the Grange, light it again, she will only fill the room e. and for Aubrey'She did hate him with smoke, I am not very cold." deeply, this man who had cheated her Indeed for the moment she had for - into making her look upon him as the gotten that she was cold ; but she shi- wits not strong enough for mach exer. tion yet. " What were you Drying about, Aunie ? Nob beoause you are go- ing away, I know." Sho had turned away to wipe the tears from her face, and, ae she turned again towards him, she caught sight of liar letter lying ou the ground between them, Ho saw 1t at the same moment, and, although she had the presence of mind to pick it up very composedly, he at once came to the conclusion that In it lay the canoe of her distress, " Who is that letter from ?" " From Mies Taylor, who has boon writing to me about the apartments I am going to have in town," said she, as she put it into the pocket of her man- tle. " Lot me see it." She considered a miuuto while pre- tending to feel for it, and made up her mind that it would be best to give it to him, as there was nothing in it which was likely to have any meaning for him. So she handed him the letter carelessly,. and affected to be gazing admiringly on the landscape while he read it. But Harry got on to the right track at once. " This Cooke—is he the Aubrey Cooke Lilian talks about?" " Yes ; he was acting at the Pieeadil- ly when I was there." " He is a man in the habit of making love to every woman he meets 2" " I don't know, I am sure. I did not know him well, and you see, as Miss Taylor Bays, I never liked him," There was a pause ; but he was not satisfied. Ile must be a low, vicious, nnprin• cipled follow I" said he suddenly, keep- ing his eyes fixed steadily on his wife. Annie winced. I suppose it is men like him who get the stage such a bad name ?" he went on, Still she said nothing, butleaned over the low batblemented wall of the tower, and kept her eyes steadily fixed on the smoke -hung town in the distance. " I hope there will be no such bounds in the theatre yon are going to, Annie. If I thought you were going back to a place contaminated by the prese1100 of such an infamous scoundrel, I would not let you go 1" ' Annie turned her head very quietly. " What has he done ?" said she. " Done I Haven't you read the let- ter 2 Haven't you beard that he is en- gaged to one woman while he is hardly ever away from another—one of the vilest of her sex? Perhaps you think nothing of that?" "Well, you see," said Annie very slowly, looking full into his angry face, "1 have known so many men do worse things than that," After a minute's pause, which her husband did not at- tempt to fill, she went on, " I have knowu married men who neglected, insulted, and even struck their wives within the very first months of marriage, who gave what little attention they had to spare for anything so contemptible as a wo- hands, man to the lowest of the sex—men who As for her own husband, she felt mors crushed the beauty out of their young kindly towards him now that sho was wives by brutal carelessness and cruelty, away from the daily irritation of his and who thought that years of abandon- presence, from the fear of his trivial moat and almost every wrong a man jealousy, of his impossible demands. can do a woman wore amply atoned for Their impossibility she (Ionld not gees - by a burst of capricious affection—affec- tion. She felt that she could never re - tion so selfish that it never lost an op- turn, with the ardour which alone would portunity of wounding the object of it." content him, the passionate love she had Harry listened to this outburst with. inspired in a nature so different from out an interruption. His head sank and her own, and, as it seemed to her, so his chest heaved as she grew more ex- antagonistic to it. The most that she " I mat Cooke, who was hero at the Piccadilly when you were, as I was walking along the Strand a day or two ago. He is at the Regency now, and the papers havo cranked him up so in the part he is playing that I wonder he condescended to talk to poor little me. He asked how we were getting on at the Piccadilly, and I mentioned that I heard from you, and that you had been in the country, but were coming back to Lon. don. He seemed very much interested in you, which amused me, remembering as I did how much you always disliked him, and how you use to mimic him for my amusement in the dressing -room; however, I did not take him down by telling him that. Do you remember howl used to stick up for him when you said ho was fast ? Well, you were right, for they say the way he is carrying on with some woman who has been acting in the country with him—West, I think her name is—is something disgraceful, considering that lee is engaged, or half engaged to that little fair girl who made such atilt in Ophelia last year. He is trying to get this Westinto the Regency, I believe." This was the passage which had ar- rested Annie's attention, which shexcad looked away with a heavy sigh, mur- muriug— "Hate him! That's no good. I'd rather you didn't care one way or the other." Annie was touched. She had fully expected a violent outbreak on her hus- band's part when he should hear her confession. She put hor hand softly on his sleeve. "HarrY ,youneo need be frightened indeed; I shall mover care for him a• gain l" But Harry, without even trying to de. Iain her hand, shookllis head. "It iris very bad sign to hate a per- son," said he. " I.newsy hated any per - eon but you, and just see where it has landed mo. What does it matter if you don't.care for him, if you don't care for eie and won't stay with me? And, as for the way you pitched into me jest now, do you think I should let you go off if I didn't feel I'd done you wrong 111 the old time and wanted to make it up to you ? And, if you won't let me make it up to you by letting me love you, I met do it by letting you go, It 18 true I have run aftor—after other people ; but, 1, nnie,1 '1088 very young—wasn't I? —null I didn'bknow, I, didn't understand to face with Aubroy Cooke, who wan standing in his usual stooping attitude, looking paler and plainer than ever, with some parcole in his hands. He was shy, nervous, and stood there without a word to say for himself. But the sight of a familiar face in this deco• late cheerless place had restored Annie in a moment to life and animation. "Mr. Cooke I" she cried, as sho went forward and shook hands with him, "How ]rind of you! How did you know I was coming 2 I am so very glad to see you I" Her facie had recovered its light, her oyes were sparkling with their old brightness. Aubrey got back his self. possession 80 he looked at her, and began slowly layieg down his parcels upon the table and taking more from hie pockets. "Miss Te3dor told me you were Dom. ing, and my unfailing instinct told me that, being a lady, you would have for- gotten to have all the arrangements necessary for your comfort made before your arrival. Now you shall seewhether 1 have forgotten how to do marketing. There is the twopenny cottage, there is the superior souchong, and there if; the most gentle, most courteous, brightest of companions and the most devoted of friends, when he was really nothing but a volatile unprincipled flirt who made love indifferently to her or to a coarse woman like Miss West, or to a little vexed now and then. " But I am. Now you shall see what it is to havo a universal genius about you. I ten minutes my art will produce from this gloomy heap of cinders—" A cloud of thick black smoke which giddy creature like the girl to whom will suffocate as both. Don't be silly, Miss Taylor had said he was engaged. Aubrey; do leave it alone I" said Annie Perhaps Annie hardly •dwelt, though, petulantly, condescending to struggle fox in her blame of Aubrey, on the questior the poker. whether she herself had done right in But he wouldnotlet it go ; so she -re - concealing from him the fact that she signed herself to watching while ho was married, and whether, even sup- broke up the little fragile box which posing she had been free, as he had had held. the flowers, took the paper off imagined her to be, he would not have his other parcels, and set to work oar. been justified in thinking no more of a . nestly to make a fire. lady ivho had dismissed him and disap- You will look just like a swoop when peered without a word, and in transfer- you have finished," said. Annie, with ring his attentions to woman who would resignation. appreciate them more hibily. But " A little soap and water wi11 remove with all hex blame was mingled sincere all traces of the deed." anxiety for him and unselfish sorrow " Oh, of course, if you like to play at that he should have fallen into bad maid -of -all -work," said she contemptu- ously. Her spirits were rising again to the level of the old days when she and he were on tour with the Comedy Com- pany He rose superior to her scorn, for, after a little trouble and one or two more gusts of smoke, tho fire began to burn up brightly. " Now ring for a kettle, and let us make tea ourselves," said he. She rang, the tea -things were brought up, and in a few minutes Annie, re- freshed and comforted, was listening to his account of his movements since they last met. Christmas, when she had promised to "I have created two characters, in. return to him, the nine months of hard vented a new soup, written a book, work upon the stage which she was cut it up m self in two papere, dis- muse Dm'wnen see eau nmauea, u� could hope for was that, if his affection raised his blue eyes to her face, and should indeed remain warm until next asked very quietly— " How have I wounded you 2" Annie was not quite 1preparedforthis. She answered, after a little hesitation— " By insulting the profession to which I belong—which has given me all the happiness I have known since my mar- riage with you." " No," said Harry sharply. "Byspeak- ing candidly about one of its members —that is how I have hart you; and it was just to turn me off from abusing him that you broke out with a catalogue of my faults, which heaven knows I I don't deny. I tell you again, I may be a brute and a boor and anything else you like to make mo out; but I'm not a fool ; and, when you tell me you dislike this Aubrey Cooke, I tell you you are lying to mel " Annie faced him again very quietly. "I have not lied. I told you I dire liked Aubrey Cooke when I was at the Piccadilly. I tell you now that I have loved him since then, and that now I hate him. Are you satisfied ! " The passion in her words was con• vinoing ; but .Harry was not content. He kept his gaze fixed on the frank oyes through again and again with dry oyes, but with, a bitter feeling of disappoint- ment and shame. Then she let the letter drop from her fingers, and, lean- ing against the flagstaff which rose from the top of the tower, she burst into heartfelt sobbing. She had cheated her. self into believing that it was nothing but hor ambitionwiichimpelled hor in her eagerness to go to London ; but now in the revulsion of feelingwbich suddenly made the thought Of rtuxning to town and her profession unutterably hateful to her, sho saw with unmistalt. able clearness what the other and stronger motive had been which had madeherenforced. idleness at the Grange so Hard to bear. She was still sobbingwhen she heard sounds behind her, an, looking round, saw her husband's head as he came slowly to the top of the stairs. " What is the matter, Annie dear 2" ho asked anxiously. "Harry, what made you come np all those steps? It is too tiring for you," said she, bending her head awkwardly to hide her tears. " / saw you from the avenue, and I 0aw you were Drying," he answered ae ,te mounted the last step and rested hie hesitation, she answered, in a light tomo — ' You are talking boo vaguely ; pub beforo me a clear ease of a woman hav- ing done wrong to a man, which forced him to seek relief in inconstauoy, and I will plead her cameo and confound you," Very well. Suppose boat a man had admired and shown his admiration of a woman who had rather reserved man- ners to most people. Suppose that hor reserve with him had gradually given way, uutil sho allowed him to be het constant companion, treated him with at least the show of complete confidence, exchanged opinions freely with him on every subject, and allowed hor Appal!. eat preference for his society to betaken for granted." "Did she allow him to malco love to her 2" " No, she did something more danger. one; she allowed him to make love to every woman bub her. Ile was too much in earnest to flirt with her, and the must have known it." " I think that is an absurd conclusion to come to, that the woman must have known ho loved her, because he didn't tell her so. If women were to go by such a rule in all cases----" "But listen. At last one day—or rather one November night --he did let her know in words that he loved her, and she—she made him think that his words agitated her." " Perhaps they did—perhaps they agitated her disagreeably. They must have done so, if sho was un- prepared for them, as you havo made out." "But later on she gave him an 11110110• tearable proof that her liking and trust wore as strong as ever. And then again she avoided him; and, when he insisted on au interview and an explana- tion, she put him off by telling him there was an obstacle between them, but still without telling what that ob• stacle was. " What did it matter what it was, as long as it was insurmountable? That was all that could concern him." He ought to have been told what it was, so that at least he might not be left to think that it was merely au ex- cuse to get rid of a man of whom she had grown tired. But she bad another surprise in store for him ; she leap. neared without letting him know what had become of her." " And lie has spent hie time ever !duce in a vain and romantic pursuit of her 2" " Oh, dear, no 1 He went back to town, furu1ebod a now set of chambers, mud has grown more parbicular about his cooking." " And you bold him up as en object of sympathy? He is awise mari, to whom au offer of sympathy wonkd be an imper- tinence." " He doee not want sympathy, but justice; and, if he cannot get that, he will have rovengo—uot melodramatic revenge, of course, but small, spiteful, maboean, aiid modern 1" " I don't think such a threat would frighten her, from you." " You are trying to pique me." " I ? Oh, no I What interest can I have in the matter 2" " Can you give me your assurance that you have none 2" The sadden intensity of his manner would have forced some show of emo. tion from Annie if she had not been ou"her take guared. I n interest in the affairs of any friend who has shown me as mess.uch kindness as you havo, Mr. Cooke," said sho gravely, and with a little stiff - Aubrey was silent for a few min- utes. " Thank you 1" said he drily, after ti clearing his throat two or three mes. Annie felt that the conversation had got to a difficult point, and, to avoid the awkwardness of the pause that follow- ed, elle rose• Ile rose too. " I have intruded upon yon too long, Miss Langton ; you must want resb and quiet after your long journey," said he, fn a casual,visitor's tone, which deceived Annie until she saw by the fading day light that he was pale as death and that his lips were quivering. " I cannot thank you enough for corns ing. I should have been so very dull here all aloud on the first evening of my return, if it bad not been for your Ghee rity," said sho, with asmoh uvivacity as sho could put into her tone and manner. " It was my duty ; you aro in my' dis- trict' May I come again?" She hesitated. "Don't be unkind. I've been very good, haven't I?" said he softly, ".I think .you had better not come again, Mr. Cocke. It is different in the country, you know; but born, in town, the least thing is noticed. and talked ut." When do you play in area/fa r" I think 1n a fortnight or three weeks." " It will be longer than that. In the meantime you won't be rehearsing every day, and on the off -days you will l frightfully dull, or won't ou?' She turned away irresolutely.. " wet me come sometimes, anal wont abuse the permission ;" and she let him go without a dofinfbo answer, • It is quite true that she would be dull and misotablo by herself; sho felt that as soon as she heard his footsteps going down•stairs. She wanted to go to the door, call him back, and tall him to come again soon ; she even crossed the room to do so; but she turned back and sank into a chair, ashamed of the impulse, for she knew that there was danger in his society. Sho felt that her indignation against num bad faded away, that his presence had soothed her weary excited mind as the presence of no otherarson aJ in the world could have done, and that; �' �� if she saw much more of bin, she would 1 TO ilia 00NTINIIID,) about to commence would have wearied her into the semblance of contentment with a life so distasteful to her active mind as permanent idleness at the Grange with her uncongenial husband Gems be. She had caught an earlier and faster train from Beckham than the one by which she had intended to travel, so 8185 tine arl1Vea 10 1+01.11100 amu ,111189 ee the house where Miss Taylor had taken apartments for her two hours before the time at which the landlady expected her. The consequence was that the dirty servant who opened the door led her up to a dingy and cheerless sitting - room on the second floor, the grate of which was empty ; and Annie's heart sank with a feeling of nnubterable wretchedness and desolation as she sat shivering, with her mantle still round her, on the dusty little sofa, watching the dirty servant as she knelt on the hearthrng and tried, for a long time in vain, to coax some spluttering damp little sticks and a handful of slaty coals into a fire. When it was sufficiently ig- nited to smoke violently, she retired satisfied, leaving Annie to cough and choke and shiver and wish herself back again at the Grange. It -vas all hor own fault that she was caballing cold in an uncomfortable lodg. ing, instead of being well cared for m the midst of hor husband's family.' Tho gratification of her ambition, which had come cheerless won • hor to this b roe ht 0 1 rd sort of rows ed an unsatisfactory seem at this moment for the saoriiice she had made alike of comfort and duty—for self-reproach for her own hardness had been busy at Annie's heart since she received her husband's farewell kiss that morning. At length, after emitting gusts of black blinding smoke, each ono of which grew feebler than the last, the fire mut out altogether; and Annie was reduced by tide time to too spiritless a state to ring the bell and go through another ordeal of smoke and servant. "I suppose they will come np at tea time," sho thought, as she went list- lessly into the bedroom and began to unpack. Dusk was coming on when she heard a kneels at the sitting•room door. " Conte in 1" she oalled out from where covered my ideal woman two or three times, had two bad colds and one at- tack of neuralgia, lost fifteen pounds at cried." ards, and narrowly escaped being mar- " To one of the ideals 2" " Of course not. One never marries one's ideal. No, this was to the loveliest of her sex. Happily a man burned up at the last moment who had a prior claim to her hand, and I was saved." " Happy woman 1" " I see you don't look at the case from my point of view, Miss Lang. ton." No; I take up the cause of my son against you." " That is unkiud. She treated me very cruelly, I assure you." "For which and for your oonsequeut deliverance from the trammels of 0011. Wong you are very grateful" " Do you think I am inoonstant, Miss Langtou?', he asked, with sudden gravity. "" I am inclined to think 0o certainly; but I look upon it as a very fortunate provision of nature," said she, half laughing nervously. " Then you are wrong. If I am in. constant, it is by philosophy, and not by disposition. You know, when people have toothache very badly, they some- times hold things that burn in their mouths, so that the small, sharp, new pain may snake them forget for the 010. meat the old dull one." " What a romantic simile 1" " So a man, when he has been badly treated by one woman whom he did caro for, tries to find consolation—and does 0o find it very often—in flirtations with a dozen other women who have no power to make hie heart throb faster, but who can make the time pa0s plea- santly, enough," "I have hoard that Dort of excuse from inconstant people beforo, and thinly it a very clever ono." "And what excuse have you heard from the woman who was the causo of the inconstancy 2" Annie's cheeks flushed as she still looked steadily at the fire. Ile was taking her to account for boy treat - meet of himliolf. After a few moments' Milo. 24, 1886, ITU IN 1.TS RCED OYED I`ORIu1 lo Offered to the 1.-uNTD 1887 I 1'OI - IN ADVANCE. A.s will be seen tiro are de- voting a Oolulnn 10 Poetry, Temperance, Farm Notes and Varieties, respectively, and giving .More than our usual amount of Local. District and General news. THE POST was never Bead by so Many People before and WO \lops: 10 add 'Very :Largely to our list t111,1 Fall and Winter. A NUL rEATURR will be the lie-llripoltcti"11 of 01 OS from that excellent Conde .journal sl By a Special Arrangement with that Paper We expect to picaent a Picture Weekly q The cuts alone will be worth the. Subscription. Watch Out For Them Every week. "Its wonderful how 1yti do it, hilt we. do," HELP US 0'J :1111) 5Q0 Naine3B to 0110 Inst. 4 Correspondence always thankfully received. PUBI1$HLH.