HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1887-1-7, Page 204/0.3w n.I.W/ nLWWON..0/44"'FCYC"`M '.""",,Kaaa'fe-�Ya*WW=VMW,VP.,WIT TeMaar
A V.A4t v,ANT WIFE.
Br P. Wenese.
Author of "Tun Hoven or VIZ hfAlten,"
"Ar sus Wo,um'a :trance," Ero,
CB.APTR XXII.
Annie felt a ourious and altogether
new sensation as she submitted to be
carried off to the hotel by her husbaud,
whom success in this small enterprise
had restored to the happiest and most
affectionate of humours: It was the
first time since the early days of their
marriago, when the privilege had soon
alled, that she had gone about with
him as a protector, and the pride and
pleasure in the position ho ingenuously
showed surprised and amused her.
They were, as he had predioted, very
comfortable at the hotel. With asto-
nishing tact Harry forbore to press his
grievances against his wife, and devoted
himself to banishing the remembrance
of the " clever man who could do every-
thing " by taking her to theatres and
tuatara -galleries, and to the park, and to
expensive (liners at the best restau-
rants, with an assiduity which ebuld
not fail to touch her. Indeed Annie did
not quite know what a happy passage
in her life this was until after it was
over. She wished to be, and she
thought she was, tormented a little by
self-reproach caused by her bad treat-
ment Aubrey Cooke; but the feeling
was not strong enough to outweigh the
delightful souse of repose she began to
feel in the consciousness that she was
surrounded by a great love. Her bus -
baud was so watoliful, so affectionate,
refrained so consistently from exacting
demands of demonstrative fondness
fromber, that she had no time, no ex-
cuse for such a sentiment as real regret.
He insisted, against hor will, upon tak-
ing her to and from the theatre to re-
• hearsal, and asked her, when she ob-
jected, whether she was ashamed of
him.
" If you are, say I am an old servant
'of the tinnily," said he proudly.
But Annie silenced him imperiously;
and the confession that sbe made in the
theatre that she was married, and that
the handsome young fellow who brought
her backwards and forwards was her
husband, while it brought down upon
her some accusations of coquetry, sent
her np in popular opinion as the posses.
sor of such a tall, well -bred -looking lord
and master.
Life had gone on very smoothly in
this way for nearly a week, and it was
the clay before the opening night of 1'a•
Marie, when Harry, finding himself at
the end of his ready money, tlioegbb of
changing his cheque.
Iuthe evening Auuie noticed that be
was rather preoccupied during dinner,
and, when she asked: whether he had got
some gloves ho had promised her, he
said he had not been able to get them
yet, Dub she should have them on the
morrow.
"Did you Changs the cheque, Harry ?
Yon said you would give the money to
me to takecaro of," she suggested, laugh-
ing.
No ; I haven't changed it. Tho fact
is," he eontinnod, seeing a look of per-
plexity on bis wife's face, " George has
over drawn his account a good deal, and
they won't ca -h such e big cheque until
they have Beard from him."
" But fifty pounds is not such a very
large sum; and your family has banked
there for years and years, I know.
Doesn't it seem rather strange, Harry,
that they .'could reface when they lfuow
you. so well ?"
This was rather an unfortunate sug-
gestion, as the character of the Braitb.
waste boys had not always stood high in
money.mattsrs ; but Harry only said—
" Oh, it will be all right of oourso 1 I
wroteto George this afternoon, and I
shall get an auswer to -morrow or Mon-
day. Don't you feel awfully nervous
about to -morrow night 2"
"Indeed I do. If it were not for the
way you take me about and divert my
thoughts, I believe I should make my-
self ill by the way I worry myself about
it. I must go now; rehearsal begins
at seven, so I shall be wanted at half -
past."
This was the night rehearsal, on the
eve of the producbion of the new piece.
For a week the manager bad not slept
weighted with doubts about the success
of a performance which had cost him
months of thought, care, and actual la.
hour of body and mind. He was a popu-
lar man and the maaibers of the eom-
pany sympathised with him, though
their own lesser responsibility sat far
more lightly upon them, and the green.
room, during the.last rehearsals, when
doubts far outweighed hopes regarding
the piece they were all at world upon,
rang with laughter as the foremost wits
of the company made enrol jokes upon
" the governor" and his trouble8.
The next morning, just as Annie was
starting for the last rohoarsal of all, a
telegram came for her hneband. Ha
read it and thrust it into his pocket
without any remark and without an of-
fer to show ib to her. She was getting
used to quiet self-reliance on her hus-
band's part ; but this action surprised
her.
" From George 1" she asked rather
diffidently.
" Yes, Stephen is coming up this
morning to see me, with statements
from George—not very cheerful ones, I
fancy, But don't trouble your headabout
that, darling, or you will be unfit for to.
night. We shall pull through right
ebou h, never fear."
""Why, I am not nearly so anxious as
you are, Harry ! I shall get my salary,
psoxtweelt—six guineas --and then, if we
only live a little more economically, we
chalk gotten splendidly."
/r "Yee, yes; it will be ell right. There
is tie hansom ontside, I must send you
alone titin morning, my darling, for I
must stay ab home to see Stephen when
he comes, Goodbye—good luck to you,
Annie 1"
He putheroarofully into the hansom,
giving her band a tender lover -like little
squeeze as ho helped her in, and wont
back into the hotetforhis cigar -naso to
pass away the time with a cigar as he
walked up and clown outside, waiting
for his cousin.
When she returned from rehearsal, in
a hansom by Harry's orders, site found
iitepbeu waiting ontsido thehobol to re-
ceive her He was looking pale and an.
xious, and the asked hien hurrodly what
was the matter.
" Come in and I'll toll you," said ho,
lie led her into the coffee -room, which
was empty.
" You have bad news, Stophen, I
am sure 1 What is it ? Where is Has'.
ry ?"
" ale told me to break it to you. Ho
has quite given way under it. You will
try not to be very much shocked, won't
you Not
It is about George. He—"
dead 2" whispered she, white to
the lips.
Oh, no ; he is quite well 1 Bub he has
smashed np."
" Poor fellow !" she said sympathisingg-
ly, but much relieved. " Is he really
quite ruined 2"
" Yes, I am afraid so ; he has been iu
difficulties for a long time now, you
know. The Grange will have to be sold;
of course ; bub it and the land are so
heavily mortgaged that that wont relieve
gum much. :e has expected the crash
for a long time, pad Wilfred and I had
some notion of it too ; but Barry never
dreamt of such a thing, and it has
knocked him over altogether."
" But why does he take it so much to
heart ? Ile will be better off than any.
body now I've got such a good engage-
meut."
' ib seems be wanted to persuade you
to give up acting and go and live with
him at the Grange; he told William and
me so just now."
" William 1"
" Yes ; I brought hila up with me,
and he is with Harry now, unless Harry
has turned him out of the room; for,
when your husband said you were
growing fond of him, William said that
was nonsense, and I had a lot of trouble
in getting them to leave each other
alone."
'But it is true, and it was very wrong
of William to contradict him. Ho has
been very kind to mo, and I am quite
glad that at last; I can do something
for biro."
" Prankly, Annie, I don't think he'll
lot you. I3e is very obstinate, you know,
when once he gets an idea into his head ;
and he has taken to thinking that it
wo.tld be beneath his dignity to live on
y ser earnings. And really, you know, I
thi tk he is right."
Bat how is he to live any other
war ?"
' I don't know, 1 am sure; I think
arta is what is bothering him, and the
tuo igbb that he will have to leave you."
"13us he mustn't do that."
" Then yon had better go and tell him
so ; he bas been crying about that. Ho
says, just as you were beginning to like
bias, all hia work is undone again, and
.you will call him a loafer."
" I will go to him," said Annie ; and
she left Stephen, and went upstairs to
her sitting -room, where William rushed
other directly sho opened the door.
.ne saw that Harry was lying on the
so a, with his face in the cushions ; but
mould not get athimatonee,for "the
child" was dancing round her, glancing
at Harry, and crossing his fingers with
an expressive grimace, to ' `imate that
his brother was in a ban temper and
had better bo left to the solitary enjoy
meat of it.
"He will only snap at you," whisper-
ed be, as Annie pushed past him gently
and wont towards the sofa; and Wil-
liam, with a soft whistle, went out of the
MOM.
She passed her fingers through her
husbaua's rough hair, and turned his
face gently towards her. She could see
that he had been crying, and, with a
sudden great tenderness, she drew his
head on to her breast and kissed Lim
without a word.
It was only by a great effort that he
kept back the tears which came to his
oyes again at this demonstration ; and
Angio wondered how it was that be was
so much overcome.
" Don't give way like this, Harry. I
can't understand you," said elle repro.
vingly, as bo sat by her sidle and drew
her towards him. It is very hard for
poor old George, especially as ho has
known so long that it was coming; bub
William is provided for, as your uncle in
Ireland is looking after him, and Ste-
phen has a little money of his own, and
Lilian 18 all right, and you and, I will
have plenty of money next week."
But Barry bounced up from the sofa
at tide point, saying that it was lunch-
eou-limo, and she must bo starving after
her long rehearsal; and ten minutes
later they, with William and Stephen,
were sitting together at table, trying to
divert their thenghts from their gloomy
prospects by talking of the piece Annie
was to play m for the first time that
night.
As soon as luncheon was over, Harry
•insisbed upon making his wife lie down
to got some rest before the exciting
duties of a " first night" begun. Sleep
was out of the question for hor; she lay
repeating rho Wotds of hor part, which
she had known for weeks, in a fever of
unnecessary anxiety lest the words
should slip from her memory at the last,
oe lest, in the excitement of the all -fm.
portant first. performance, she should
hurty her speeches uncluly--re fault to
which sho was prone.
Harry softly opened the door from
time to time and crept in, sometimes
THE BRUSSELS POST
without bet,' evon hearing inn, He al-
ways found hor engaged in the same
way, softly going over her lines to her.
self, and each time he retreated, looking
harassed and rather disappointed.
They had dinner early, for she had to
be ab the theatre at half -past seven.
Barry went with her, and, as they drove
along together in a hansom, he was very
quint and silent, bolding her hand in his,
and speaking only in,answer to her, It
she had nob been so greatly preoccupied
by anticipations of the night's perfor-
mance and nervousness about her own
share in it, elle mush have noticed that
there was still something unaccounted
for in the unusual gravity, wbioit was
not sullenness, of her husband's manlier.
As they drove up to the stage -door' she
noticed that he was shaking like a girl.
"You are not well, Harry," she said
anxiously. "What is the matter with
you ?"
" It is only about you," said ho, in a
low voice.
" Oh, I shall bo all right ; through all
my excitement I feel sure of that ! Why,
you are more nervous for mo than T ata
for myself 1 Look here, Harry—I am
sure you are not well ; the shock you
had this morning has been too much for
you. Don't come foe me to-
night -in -deed there is no aced ; I will send for
a cab and oome back as safely as pos-
sible,"
Bather to her surprise, he said
quickly, as he helped her out of the
hansom—
Yes, yes, that will bo best ; I am not
very well, I think, William shall bring
you home,"
He had paid the faro, and they had
reached the stage -door together. Two
of the actors were outside, and btey
raised their hats and began speaking to
Annie. Without pausing in her talk,
she gave ber hand lightly to ber hus-
band, as he stood there still, anxious to
be with her as long as he could. She
felt again that his hand was trembling,
and she turned to him to say—
"Don't watch the piece, Harry; it
j will make me more nervous than ever
I to know that you are sitting iu front, in
a fever lest I should make some slip."
" I'm all right; I must seo you
through it," said he huskily; and he
snatched away his hand, and, wishing
the others, whom he knew, good evening
and success, went off very quickly,
almost, it seemed to Annie, as if he were
afraid of breaking down if ho stayed.
She went into the theatre very much
affected by this proof of his attachment
to her, and as she took from the box
where they had been lying the flowers
he had brought from Covent Garden
that afternoon for her to wear that
night, she raised the heavy white roses
and the sweet stephanotis to her lips
before she fastened them in the front of
the cream -white muslin dress in which
she was fist to appear.
The audiences at the fashionable
comedy theatres are not, as a rule, de-
monstrative; but, when Annie came off ,
the stage after her best scone that night,
she knew that sbe had made a "hit."
It was the first distinct, noteworthy
success of her career, and her heart beat ,
fast as she thought that now site had
her foot firmly upon the ladder, and the
future seemed to be clear before her. ,
She did not for a moment think she had
got to the top ; she knew quite well that
struggles and some failures lay still in 1
her path; bub that a good beginning to-
wards a prosperous artistic career had j
been made was a fact which set the
blood tingling in hor veins and brought
the fierce light of hopeful ambition into
her dank eyes, when, hor share in the'
work of the evening over, she exchanged
the dress she had worn on the stage for
the one in which she had come to the
theatre, and wont down from her
dressing -room to the greenroom to wait
for the end of the performance and trio
final verdict of the first -night audieneo
upon the piece.
It was a favourable one; and Annie
found hor way to the stage -door, ou bet ,
way out, with congrabulations
in leer ears and the knowledge i..
',•
as certainly as certainty is pus t1,1e
theatrical matters, the lone, w,e t•_
anxious and tedious rehear
ee rowan -tea ny a calm aur prosperous
Yon of the new aloes.
At the door ,he found William dancing
about, having been with difficulty re-
strained by the hell doorkeeper from
rushing through the door which led on
to the stage. He dragged hor arm
through his and in high glee helped her
into the hansom, and, as he flung him-
self in afterwards, began at once—
" Olt, Annie, you wore splendid, you
were immense 1 I didn't think you
could act like that. It wasn't like act-
ing at all, I'm sure, the way you ate
that toffee! Oh, well, it was just like 1
life, just like the way you used to go on
with me at the Grange 1 Poor old
Grange 1 1 wonder if 1 shall ever see
it again?"
"I used to think of you sometimes at
rehearsal, when I camo to that bit.
Was Harry Hitting with you 2"
"Yes; he nearly went off his head.
IIe kept saying, ' Isn't she porieat?
Isn't she lovely?: And I had to keep
him from jumping up two or three
times. I think, if 1 'hadn't, he would
have tried to climb on to the stage to
you."
"Dar old boy 1 How nice of him 1
I am so glad ho was pleased with me."
" Well, I don't sec much merit in that, 1
He couldn't help being proud of yea
when all the people about were saying ;
how good yon were. If he had been a
decent sort of husband, ho would have
waited himself to take you home, in. 1
stead of telling me to do so and prancing
off himself goodness knows where."
" Didn't lie say whore he was going 2"
"No; he ]new betbon than to tell me,
because I should just have given him a
bit of my mind about it ;; but I've no
doubt ho's gone off to supper with some-
hociy or other," said William, with rigid
disgust.
•( William, how dare you talk like
that? Do yon know you aro speaking
about my husband 2"
Oh, yes, of course I know 1 Why,
Annie, you are not really angry, are
you ?"
"Yes, I am. --very angry. When the
poor fellow has spent a miserable day,
and made himself quite ill between his
norvonsuess for me and his grief over
the shock Ito had this moruing, you take
the firsb oppertcmity of abusing him to
me, his wife."
" But, Annie, you haven't grown fond
of Harryygrave you 2" said William, with
pity and.'fear iu his voice.
" Yos, I have—very fond. I couldn't
help it," sobbed Annie apologetically.
"Ho has boon so kind to me lately."
" Poor girl!" said " the chikl5' with
compassion. ' mind;you will
'Never
soon got over it when he leaves you
alone again, and you are full of your
success on the stage, and people 'will
crowd round you and compliment you
and tell you what a great actress you
are, and—'
"When he leaves mo again 1 What
do you moan 2"
" Why, he will, Annie—on some ex-
cuse or other, he will. IIe will never
stay quietly in London without anything
to ride. I know Harry."
But she was boo indignant to let hien
go on, and for the rest of the drive she
maintained a frigid attitude of offended
dignity towards her indiscreet brother-
in-law; and she repulsed him freeaingly
when he tried to kiss and be friends.
On reaching the hotel, she ran quickly
up -stairs, anxious to find her husband
and prove to William that she had not
overestimated his devotion, But in
neither room was he to be found. On
her dressing -room table however she
' discovered a note directed to her in her
husband's handwriting. Sho tore it
open ; but site was for some minutes too
much excited and frightened to read it.
It ran as follows—
" My darling; Annie,—I dont know
whetheryo will ll hink I am doing some-
thing
g -
s o
thing very wrong and cruel or whether
you wont care a straw. I'am going
away though I love you with all my
heart just as much as ever and it hurts
' me awfully not to say goodbye to you
oven but if I did I know you would ask
, me to stay and I Dant do that and be a
loafer and live on your money you would
be quite right to dispiss me if I did and
say I was nothing but an idler like I
used to bo. I am going to work. I dont
know quite what I am going to do but I
cannot try any what are called gentle-
manly ocuppations because yon know I
I should be s0 bad at them but I will make
some money somehow and I ♦von't steel
it I promise you that but you must not
be too partiouler how I make it as long
I as ib is honestly—will you now. I have
:laid the bill and gone to your old lodg-
ings and paid the rent for a week and
the gloves will be sent tonight and I
leave you all the money I can to go on
with. I ant going to see you act tonight;
ands know you will be succeesfull becaus
you are so clever and so pretty and all
the men will try to turn your head. but
dont lot them my darling Annie because
all the time I am working for you and
mean to got rich for you—and now you
sea I love you so and only go away be-
cause I do I think you will try not to
like antibody else—but to think how I
can bo nice to you and make'ou happy
even though I am not clever like some
of the men you know. I dont know
exactly where I am going just at first—
but if you write to me and give your
letters to Stephen I shall got then and
he will let you know how I get on. Yon
will not see me again yet because it
would knock me over just at first and I
know you would not like what I am go-
ing to do and you might talk me out of
it. But I shall see you very often you
may be sure as long as I have a shilling
to go in the gallery with.
" Your ever lovinghusbanL,
She found a sovereign inside the let -
for and the hotel•bill reoeipted. She
did nob cry, but went into the sitting -
room where William was waiting for
ber.
" Annie, are you ill ? You are so
white 1 You have over -excited your-
self. Sit down and letme get you some
brandy -and -water."
"No, no, I am not ill. You were quite
right, William; Harry has left me al.
ready."
The young fellow stood before hor,
shocked, silent.
' "Never mind, Annie, you have your
old brother," said he, as soon as he
could speak, in a soothing voice. " Per-
haps, after all, it was best that be should
go soon, before you had got used to him
and might have missed him; Now I
have an idea, Annie, that wo might be
very happy if you and I were to take a
cottage—now we are poor, it won't run
to more than a cottage—and you might
keep house for me, as lots of sisters do
for their brother@; and of course' could
not be always at home because of my
military duties very soon," said he
proudly,'" but I could be always run-
ning down these, even when I was
away, and we should bo so jolly to-
gether."
" My dear William, vehat are you
thinking about? I am not really your
sister, you know, and such an arrango.
Mont wouldn't be thought propor."
"Annie, I am afraid—I begin to think
—you ate reelly-fond of Harry 1"
"Yes, William," timid poor Annie,
While the tears rolled down her cheeks,
" I am aftaidr-I begin to think—I am."
CHAPTER XXIII.
Annie woke the next morning with a
dell uncomfortable souse of having re-
ceived a great blow which quite counter-
balanced the ecstasy of her first stage -
encomia. ,She reasoned with herself
over this feeling, but could nab arcane it
away. She had indeed suffered two
shooks yesterday—the news of George's
ruin and the threatened sale of the
Grange in the morning and tbo letter
which announced her husband's depar-
ture at night, But the firsb was an event
which bad long been impending, and
George himself could scarcely be more
unhappy now the orash had come then
he had been during those long months
when he had felt that rain wee hanging
over him; and, as for the lest, a week
ago there had been no event sho had so
much dreaded as the possible appear-
ance of her husband in London. It
could not be that she was so weak.
minded as to have changed in a week
from dreading her husband's produce
to desiring it. Certainly Harry had boon
most surprisingly nine, good-tempered,
and kind, quite different from the bear
he used to be at the Grange ; she• had
caught herself turning to him for an
opinion now and then, led away by the
authority he had somehow assumed in
his manner .towards her; and his re-
plies on such occasions had shown lase
imbecility than her former contempb
for his ignorance had led her to expoot.
But then this state of thiugs could not
have gone on much longer au
case;
such a very new phase as Harry's angelic
patience would surely never have lasted
more than another day or two, and the
reaction would probably have brought
on a terrible fit of savagery.
" Yet I wish he had stayed till then,"
she thought regretfully. " He did not
neem to have grown tired of beteg nice
to me, and he was se very sweet while
it lasted. I don't think I was ever hap.
pier than I was last week, in spite of
the fatigue and anxiety of rehearsals. I
wonder where he is? I dare say I should
be very much disgusted if I knew. After
a week of no society but mine, I
should think he must be pining for
some grooms or coachmen to talk to.
Very likely he is enjoying himself in
soma stable, at this minute 1"
But she little thought how shrewd a
guess she had made.
In a wistful and restless state of mind
the went back to the apartments in
which her husband had found her.
What few friends she lied began to find
her out in the course of the next few
days, and to call upon bar and insist up-
on her coming to seo them and receive
congratulations upon her 51100088 in
Nea.lie.
Ththis recognition of her talent was
very pleasant; but ib jest missed
being the supreme joy she had expected
it to be ; and, in searching for the reason
of this slight disappointment, it occurred
to her that there was ono person who
ought to have hastened forward with the
rest of her acquaintance to offer her the
natural matter -of -course homage of a
few complimentary words upon the hit
she had made in the new piece. This
person was Aubrey Cooke.
She had nob seen him since that un-
lucky meeting with ber husband ; and,
though, in the few bright busy days she
had passed with Harry, she had had
little time for unpleasant reflections of
any kind, she had by no means forgot-
ten the friend whose visits and amusing
tall( had boom the ono compensation for
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before Harry's inopportune appearance.
laughed off his sentiment, to let hor
think that it mattered to him whether
she was under any engagement or not.
Vas ho irretrievably offended? If he
felt wouncied by her want of confidence,
was it not her duty to seek him out her-
self and offer some apology, rather'thau
lose a friend by proud silence ?
Annie felt so entirely heart -free that
no further scruple about Harry's jea-
lousy deterred her from taking such a
stet. Since her husband disapproved
of it, she would tell Aubrey herself that
she must not receive him so often; and,
now that her other friends and napalm
tances were Hocking round her, she felt
that she was not so entirely dependent
upon him for companionship. So she
wrote a note bo him, as she had often
done before, asking him to meet her at
the " Stores " and help her wibh her
shopping. She did not expect an an-
swer, for these little civilly entreating
notes he always took as commands, and
sbe knew he would look upon it as an
appointment. So, when sbe arrived at
the " Stores" the next day, sbe
was not at all surprised or'in any way
agitated to find him there waiting for.
her.
But she had been but very Sew mi.
mutes in his society before she noticed
that thorn was a change in bis manner
towards her. She hail been much re.
lieved to see that, when they first met,
there was no offended dignity in his
manner, no coldness in bis tone; but
now she began to perceive that there
was evon unnecessary tenderness in his
voice when he spoke to her, and that he
draw her hand through his arm with a
gentle pressure which he had never at- W
tempted before, and, when ho asked her
to have some strawberries, he called her
"darling," The noxa moment he saw
that he had gone too far, and turned off
his unlucky speech very cleverly ; but
Annie felt frightened., and, wbilo he
gave lien no further loop.ltole ror
offence, she -svae constrained in hor
manner and dismissed him as soon as
alta could.
She knew what she had done, that
the discovery of hor deceit about her
marriage had changed Aubrey Cooke's
estimate of iter, and that he had re-
ceived this last note, written, as he
must havefound out, after the depar-
ture of her husband, in a very different
spirit from the frank oavawraderto with
which he had responded to her former
!epee ale to him to Borne and help her leitll
TO Bit C'ONTINIIl7D.
0