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Austruther, the friend he had named to me, was most kind in taking her about, and Lord St. George had promised that on the conclusion of a certain important affair, Arden should have time granted him to visit his mother.

Lord Cardington had taken a chateau near a small town noted for certain medicinal waters, but was himself about to accompany a friend into Germany. From some things Helen mentioned, I surmised his affairs were in troublesome state.

That Mr. Mainwaring should take advantage of an opportunity of passing a few weeks in the same dwelling as his mother, was, considering the feeble state of her health, a very laudable thing, even though Lady Althea was there also; but if my acquaintance with him had been slight, I must have felt much uneasiness at the course affairs appeared to be taking after his arrival at the Chateau d'Amville.

The place of their sojourn was, at this season of the year, very little frequented, and bad weather tended to make the small party more domestic. Excepting the daily drive into the town, when Lady Arabella drank the waters, and the others went in search of such amusement as the place could afford, they were dependent on their own resources for entertain

ment.

Lady Arabella seldom appeared until noon, and then mostly sat reading or embroidering in silence. Her indisposition inclined her to reverie, and it was only now and then she roused from it to take part in conversation. Helen had her own reasons for being equally abstinent; and as she observed, Arden could not do otherwise than converse with the only person who could converse well.

"He sits in the large window opposite to me," she wrote; "and has his desk open before him with some papers brought with him from Paris to look over and extract from. 'Light work,' he calls it, and so Lady Althea appears to consider it, for she never scruples to interrupt his occupation. He comes sometimes to sit beside me for a while, or crosses the room to look at my drawing, or by some other little attention makes me feel it is all right. And then we are always together some part of the day, and I am sure he is happier talking to me than to her. It entertains me to hear their discourse; I try to comprehend it; and some things I have not understood about, Arden has explained when we were together. He likes me to seek information from him.

"I was obliged to talk to Arden this evening about my dress affairs. I thought Mrs. Anstruther had settled them for me for a long time to come; but Lady Althea keeps saying 'you want this,' and 'you cannot do without that,' and I can see I should soon exceed the amount we have agreed I ought to spend. Dear Arden was so kind; he laughed about it at first, but when he saw I was really puzzled and wanted advice, and I told him when I consulted his mamma she always referred me back to Lady Althea, he sat down quite seriously to

help me consider what I ought to have and what I must do without. So then it was settled, and I felt happy. I know he likes to see me dressed to advantage, and, be sure, I like that he should; but he says he does not care for great variety in my dress, as long as it suits me and is tolerably fashionable."

CHAP. LIX.

CHARMS AND COUNTER-CHARMS,

(From Mrs. Mainwaring.)

Nov. 1st.

Lisette, my maid, has found that I am pleased when she is expeditious over my dinner-toilette, and the girl is good-natured, so I generally have a quarter of an hour with Arden before the bell rings. Yesterday, at that time, when I came in, he took hold of my hands and said "Helen, do you know I feel indignant at your appearance?"

"What's amiss?" I inquired. not made the most of me?"

"Has she

"It is not the maid, but the mistress I am finding fault with," he said, and went on; "you come in looking as pleased, young lady, as if I had been penning sonnets to your eyebrows all day, instead of giving my attention entirely, mind madam, entirely, to Lady Althea. I would like to know what you mean by it?"

I was quite aware of the fact he had mentioned, and said so, and I suppose I coloured, for he told me I did, and pretended to be pleased I could be just a little angry. "Well, Arden," I said, "I intend to ask you some time what you mean by it, but have not quite made up my mind when to do it."

He asked if he had at first met Althea with any demonstration of even cousinly affection, or since greeted her otherwise than he was bound in civility towards one who was a friend of his mother's. I said he had not, and that I had nothing to be jealous about, only it seemed that he gave way to her ladyship's will and pleasure a great deal.

"Has she not behaved in a very exemplary manner towards yourself?" he then asked. I answered, "Very," but could not help smiling; for though she is careful what she says to me, her tones, when he is not present, are often very far from agreeable. I added that I thought she was vexed with me for refusing some purchases she told me she had selected for me.

"And I suppose, old honest" (that is one of the names he is fond of calling me-only when

we

are together, you understand) "you were rather short and decisive, as you occasionally are with her? she apologized to me just now for having roused your temper."

I had merely said that I had made up my mind to buy nothing more while we remained in the place, I questioned what he had an

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I told him I was quite aware she criticized whatever I said, and reminded him of the sort of amused surprise she had evinced when I once ventured on an opinion, and in how marked a manner she had tried to bring the subject down to my capacity in her explanatory reply. He told me not to think too much of her criticism; then I said, "But she always seems somehow to make a mute appeal to your sympathy on such occasions, and I don't like to feel as if you were sharing her feelings towards me. Find fault as freely as you think right when we are alone I know you will not mean unkindness -but that seems quite different."

The dinner-bell ringing prevented his making any longer reply than calling me kind names and telling me to fear nothing; so then he gave me his arm and we walked to the dining

room.

Lady Arabella was better than usual, and joined in the conversation, which was very lively. Feeling reassured and happy, I quite enjoyed it, though I took scarcely any part save that of listener. If Lady Althea were a gentleman, I should always feel a pleasure in listening to the discussions going on between her and Arden. One thing is satisfactory; he somehow always gets the better of the argument. It is great delight to listen to him, especially when-as was the case this evening-he is in one of his animated moods. He seemed to dash from one thing to another with so much power and brilliancy. He does all, too, with so much natural grace of manner.

"What sort of an evening have you had?" he asked, when it was over.

"A very pleasant one," I replied.

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Pleasant, was it? What, to sit still and scarcely speak or be spoken to?"

"Yes, it was pleasant. I feel quite content while you talk so well, to listen to you!"

Helen," he said, "you are flattering me to an alarming extent. I don't think Merton would have approved of you as a wife for me if he could have heard many such speeches as that. 1am quite sufficiently prone to conceit,

he thinks."

"I will defend my opinion against Merton Brown," I said. "When I was at Cardington Castle I had no reason to be partial to Lady Althea, but I perceived and acknowledged that her powers of conversation were very excellent: now you always beat her in argument, and this

evening you certainly surpassed her in other ways. You led the conversation the whole time; she only followed!"

"Good," he said, in a sort of undertone, and added, "I shall tell Merton what you say."

Saturday, Nov. 5th.

A Count Rudesheim has been here frequent tly of late. Lady Arabella tells me he has followed them from Geneva-at all events, he is one of her niece's admirers, but not a highly favoured one. She is good-natured in her fashion towards him; that is, she gives him enough attention and sweet behaviour to keep him in hopes, and in his absence does not object to having a little amusement out of him in another way. Arden really made fun of him shamefully, yesterday, and though she made a show of defending him, she seemed to take Arden's jests in excellent part, and laughed as much as any of us. My husband may talk of my flattering him, but I know somebody else who flatters him more and more daily. They still have their arguments and discussions, but she has taken quite another tone, and seems more desirous of considering his opinions than of maintaining her own.

Arden usually sits up half-an-hour reading. He was later than usual last night, and what do you think he said when he came ?" Helen, I have been honoured with the company of Lady Althea since you left. We have been talking business together."

I asked how he dared, and whether the servants would not think it rather doubtful con duct in him, sending his poor little wife to bed and sitting up with a charmer. I said he ought not to disgrace old England by such behaviour; besides, it might bring scandal on our excellent cousin."

“No fear of that," he answered, “she knows how to take care of herself. It was only the first half hour, since that I have been writing to Merton." Then he added: "Will you be satisfied, darling, if I give you my assurance that I confined myself exclusively to the matter in hand, a question of houses and timber?"

I told him I was satisfied; and so I am, as far as anything in his conduct is concerned; but, oh, dear Mrs. Gainsborough, if she should go on in this way, from one thing to another! I incline to think with you, that she never would love any one better than her own good name, but it is hard to imagine any woman without some portion of heart, and, if she has any, she is courting her own unhappiness. I can see she admires Arden with an increasing admi ration, and do not doubt she would go great lengths to secure to herself that dominion over him she once possessed.

Tuesday, Nov. 8th.

I must tell you what a lecture I gave my husband this afternoon. He had gone upstairs to look for a book, we thought--and presently Lisette appeared and said Monsieur requested Madame's assistance. I expected to see him rummaging the baggage, but found him on the

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sofa in my dressing-room, looking a picture of idleness. Come to me, Helen," he said, "I am sick of sweets and rainy weather. Say something sharp to me. Why do you take things so quietly, young lady? Don't you see that, considering we have been so short a time married, I am a very negligent husband?" "But don't you love me?" I asked.

He kissed me for an answer, so I reminded him he had asked for something different, and said I would try and give him a discourse with points like needles.

"Mr. Mainwaring," I began; "you choose that seat at the writing table under pretence that you find it convenient for translating the speeches of the Austrian members of Parliament, on the question of tariffs-"

"It is'nt tariffs," he interrupted, and I reminded him it was not manners to contradict a lecturer, and proceeded :

"No, it is'nt tariffs you are occupied about, nor customs, nor duties either, or you must be making a very free translation indeed, and I don't pretend to understand it. You don't mind your work at all, sir; you sit in that situation only because you cannot look up from your writing without resting your eyes on one of the most beautiful women in Europe; and you are thinking that if it had'nt been your lot to fall into my custody you might have found a way, now that you are older and more experienced, of making that lovely creature desperately in love with you—”

"I must not interrupt, I suppose?" he said; and I told him to reserve his defence, and went

on

"All your life long you have been pampered by womanly indulgence. Your mother has always let you have your way in everything; and the only lady who has done you the favour to thwart your inclinations is that same beauty whose sweetness, now that it flows rather liberally towards you, you are pretending to be sick of. She fought you very well at first; gave sufficient dash of opposition to make you relish her conversation; and, now she has ceased that, you tire of talking to her, or you pretend it, and are only too sensible of her condescension. The fact of your giving her so much of your time and attention as you have done, must be flattering. Has it been your wish that she should fall in love with you? If so, I should like to know whether you mean to stop short at a little spiteful revenge on her, or to ignore my existence altogether. Now sir, you may speak!"

But he did not choose to speak for some while; he looked dreamily into my face, and his words when they came showed that he had been travelling away from my question.

"I wonder if your father and mine ever met," he said. "They must have been in India together before either were married.”

"I can just remember my mother," I said; "I suppose you remember your father very well?"

Yes, Helen; very well indeed. For three

years before his death I was his constant companion. I had a tutor, but I learnt more good from my father than from any one else in the world, except perhaps Merton Brown." Then, coming back to the subject of my lecture, he said: "Supposing I go on acting on the idea that I have no power to trouble Althea's serenity, and supposing I am wrong, then I am taking a sort of vengeance on her; and supposing I take an opposite view and am wrong, then I am a conceited fool. I think that is the case you have put before me, Madame Helen; so now please help me out of it."

"I did not put the case so to you, sir; I asked you some questions which you have not answered."

"Well, darling," he said, "I must be more than a common-place sinner if I could ignore your existence, as you say, at this early stage of our wedded life, even if nothing had happened to make you dearer to me than the most commonplace of wives could be. For the other question: it would not suit my purpose to have anyone in love with me except Helen of Darliston."

I should have been willing to drop the subject after this, but he had more to say about it, and went on thus:

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Helen, when first I was making up my mind to marry you, I said, no doubt it may be better for me to have a wife of this sort; a good, hum-drum wife, not likely to take other than a very moderate hold of my affections.' To my cost, I knew that I was weak where they were concerned, and it seemed that I could hope better to rule myself and my affairs without a woman's intervention. My darling, I soon so learnt to love you, that I felt strong enough in the strength of that love to face the utmost this once-adored beauty could inflict upon me. I had reason to court the encounter, and though I still think the love of dominion is alone that which is making her feel for a weak place in my heart, I am fearless in regard to its allegiance to you, even should that you have suggested be Friend Helen, you can be very discreet in the government of your own affairs, and have a wisdom I would like to look further into; to share the benefit of. I ask your counsel in this matter.

so.

"First understand that, unless I take a leading position in the affairs of my mother's family, they will inevitably go to utter ruin: not only on my mother's account is this to be deprecated, it would bring disgrace on my connections, and Lord St. George has told me more than once that it ought to be in my power to prevent it. Lord Cardington, though unable to cope with his own duties as head of the family, has sense enough to desire they should be in better hands than his own. Althea is clever, and for some time he trusted to her management, but she is one of those who, skilful to manage for the moment's supposed exigency, will remit no habitual luxury till they come to their last sous. If Lord Cardington were to die this year, my mother would be without a home, save such as

I could provide, and Althea would have her trinkets perhaps, but not a fraction of fortune to support her. I could not let her starve, though she has used me unkindly; so you see I have a right to assume the reins if Lord Cardington is willing to entrust them to me, and he says he is.

"As you may suppose, Althea had been my great difficulty: my position towards her has been so full of complications. From the humble place of a devoted admirer to that of an only brother is no easy step, especially with a proud beauty. Thanks to your forbearance, I have been enabled hitherto to go on with apparent success. I believe she is convinced of my ability to be of effectual service, and that she entertains a certain respect for that ability, but she has yet to be convinced that, in all matters I undertake to have to do with, my own judgment is to be paramount to her inclinations. I do not presume now to think it is otherwise with us than a simple contest for supremacy of will, but-seeing that she cannot beat me in argument or baffle me with wit-she affects to submit to my judgment, and brings not the queen I was formerly acquainted with, but a humble minded woman to encounter me. I have not shunned to meet her alone on business questions: I hoped to convince her there was no lingering weakness for her to work upon. I had no thought until to-day of the possibility of such weakness being on her side; and even now that your suggestion has given words to an indefinite feeling of such a possibility, I can rather believe she would affect such weakness than actually feel it. Moreover it was really necessary I should obtain her confidence in regard to what had been done while the Cardington property has been under her sway: To her father the whole has become a mass of confusion; and Althea has had recourse to so many different lawyers, that it is only through herself I can become possessed of what her proceedings and plans have been. You may suppose, Helen, that the six months' misery that preceded my acquaintance with you, was not quite thrown away. It was a struggle as of life and death with me, and I obtained, in its bitter experience, a more thorough knowledge of business of the sort likely to be useful in the present case than perhaps any one of my age not educated for the law could. My uncle came purposely to Paris to consult me concerning one of many affairs which pressed upon and caused him extreme perplexity. I was enabled to extricate him, and he then spoke freely of Althea's mismanagement."

Arden looked at his watch and found it was about time for dressing, so he started up and

said in conclusion:

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get the whip hand of her, and it won't matter if she does prance about a little she will not be able to upset the concern."

"Nor run away with you!" I said. He was about leaving the room, but turned back and interrupted my preparations for Lisette by circling my throat with his hands to ensure a good view of my face. I suppose he was satisfied I was not really afraid that what I had questioned should come to pass, for his investigation ended with a smile. I said then, “I suppose you think you have the whip-hand of me, sir?"

"You and I are in harness together, darling," he answered.

You ask about my music; why, dear, since I left Paris, where I had lessons, and practised two hours a-day, I have hardly touched a note. The piano here is certainly an indifferent one, but I am accustomed to other than first-rate instruments, and Lady Althea is not. When first she opened it and ran her fingers over the keys she almost screamed, and shut it up. I could not, after that, outrage her feelings by playing on it myself, else I believe I would rather have it than none, Arden has declared it shall at least be put in tune. He says his mamma has praised my singing, and he knew I had a voice before he had seen my face, though he could not hear much of it, as the breeze carried it away from him.

Wednesday morning.

P.S.-When, as usual, I went in to see Lady Arabella this morning, she whispered to me, "Mind you don't say anything to Althea to-day, dear." my

"Have I said anything-anything wrong to

her?" I asked.

"No, Helen," she said, "you are a very good and I see those Wainwright eyes of yours look little girl; only she takes you up now and then, there is news in one of my letters that will vex like mischief. I tell you this to-day because French-you remember Miss French ?" her, and I can't keep it from her. That Miss

I remembered her well, of course.

"She's been flirting with one of Althea's beaux, and has caught him. Althea don't like that sort of thing-no woman does."

I objected to that conclusion. Of course I there should be something else in one than suppose it might give one's vanity a pinch; but vanity, and it seems so dog-in-the-mangery.

(From Mr. Mainwaring.)

November 12th.

Helen, I have no doubt, has kept you conversant with the course of affairs; and I do not learn that you have expressed any sort of uneasiness about them. All very well, my dear Mrs. Gainsborough, but you have not written me a line for a long time, and I am feeling neglected, jealous of so much of your care going over to that old rival of mine Grant Wainwright. Must one be a mauvais sujet in order to interest you? Allez donc, [couldn't I? That is, if

Helen would let me. She has taken a flattered portrait of myself to her heart, and I do not want my darling to prove me less handsome than she now thinks me.

But then, you know, Helen is no such beauty as my cousin the Lady Althea, and is it not charming to be made the object of manifest regard by a real heartbreaker? What a delicious sensation to a man after receiving credentials for Hong-Kong from his queen of beauty, to be offered the post of Home Secretary! I do not exaggerate the case, I assure you. Althea has shown that she prizes my affections by setting a hundred ingenious traps for them, and of course it is delightfully flattering. But what if this pleasant course is part of a plan for subjugating other weak mortals? If I am regarded, not as an end, but a means? Sobering reflection! I really think that, with Althea, it will always be so. I flatter myself she has loved me as much as she can love anyone. Before the failure of my expectations she verily prized me as her dearest hope in life-my relative and godfather died worth £95,000; and now that I can be more useful to her than anyone else she knows-for she is in a deuce of a mess in money affairs-she is willing to devote her whole artillery of fascination to the desirable end of strengthening me to get her out of it.

Rouse you, my sometime faithful correspondent and adviser-am I in such perfect security? I can tell you that, for a full hour yesterday, I allowed myself to suppose that Althea was capable of falling in love with me-nay, that she had so fallen in love, and very ungallantly I suffered myself for half that time to sing in a chorus of time-past abused feelings, "Serves her right, serves her right! She ought to feel something of what she made me feel-serves her right."

I do not know if I shall suffer in your estimation by owning that it was not want of vanity that helped me over the matter, but a sense that such jubilant vengeance was small. A little reflection showed that it was wisest to sup; pose the evidences of feeling I had witnessed were got up for the occasion, and to assume to my fair deceiver that I looked upon them as the result of the pressure of distressing business affairs combined with dull weather. I said, if she would bring her accounts to me in the dining-room, I would see what I could do.

At first she was for keeping back three-fourths of her papers; but I said I could give neither advice nor opinion until the whole were before me. I sat up half the night trying to puzzle them out. As I had surmised, she had no scheme-no idea even-for clearing off the debts due. Her only thought was to pacify the most troublesome debtors, stave off the rest, and meanwhile have enjoyment of the revenues. Alas, for my divinity of past days! Althea, truth itself in name! Oh, facts and figures, what demolishers of idolatry they can be!cruel facts and figures that under the very best attempts at colouring refused the faintest tint of

rose! Very ugly facts, some of them, for beauty to have put her dainty hand in.

I could not take her view of the subject, so this afternoon there was a contest between us; and I had to deal with an opponent who-like some of those the dear old knights ofyore had to encounter-could take upon her a hundred varying appearances. Playfulness, indignation; innocent unworldliness, superior pretension; wit, pride, biting sarcasm; silence and tears, passion, sentiment-flattery. When it came to that I counted up one of the long sums spread before me: it did not come right, and I went over it again, and had meanwhile an impression that I had been called a bear, and a suspicion that my temper was really beginning to be ruffled. But I made her listen while I told over the many bad points in the case, and indicated that she had 'incurred personal responsibilities. This frightened her a little; but when I submitted my project for clearing off the debts; comprehending a general reduction of expenses; giving up the town house, and other unpleasantness, she was up in arms again. No coaxing this time; she strove to overbear me with her pride; she raged, she came to genuine tears and genuine passion. She snatched the papers from before me, and prepared to leave the room; but thought better of it. I gave her time, and then went back to my first proposition, "Debts must be paid."

"Of course they must. Yours were, were they not?" was the prompt reply.

"Do you purpose the same course-accepting a fortune?" I asked.

Althea laughed. "Sooner or later it must come to that I suppose-I won't be hurried."

"You must manage it in your father's lifetime, or there will be little chance for his economizing and paying these debts. Then your husband elect may make a difficulty about settling those you are liable for. It was kind of you to let me off."

"Oh, it was downright folly to dream of old man died. such a thing as marrying me after that foolish But I can't think how you managed to play your cards so badly. He used to be so fond of you."

"I don't know how it happened. However, though Henry Shuttleworth had enough without it, I do not grudge him his luck, I have had mine in a wife."

and really, now she is decently dressed, she "Yes, it was an extraordinary piece of luck; looks quite a lady."

"So Lord St. George said."

"Your mother tells me you let old Wainwright settle all his money on her. It would have been better the other way. However, if you behave well, I dare say you will have no difficulty in getting what you want."

"I don't think I shall,"

"But you are half a Shuttleworth, and may find it easy enough to run through it. However, you will still have your wife-a nice economical person, who can cook your cold mutton half-a-dozen different ways."

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