frances waldeaux-第7章

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Mrs。　Waldeaux　drew　herself　together　and　turned　her　eyes　on　her　with　sudden　apprehension；　as　she　would　on　a　snapping　dog。　　The　woman's　tones　threatened　attack。

〃To　live　in　Paris；　to　work　effectively；　your　son　must　have　money。　　I　brought　him　no　dot；　alas！　　Except〃with　a　burlesque　courtesy〃my　beauty　and　my　blood。　　I　must　know　how　much　money　we　shall　have　before　I　design　the　menage。〃

〃George　has　his　income；〃　said　his　mother　hastily。

〃Ah！　　You　are　alarmed；　madam！　　You　do　not　like　plain　words　about　the　affaires？　　George　tells　me　that　although　he　is　long　ago　of　age；　he　has　as　yet　received　no　portion　of　his　father's　estates。〃

〃Lisa！　　You　do　not　understand！　　Mother；　I　did　not　complain。　　You　have　always　given　me　my　share　of　the　income　from　the　property。　　I　have　no　doubt　it　was　a　fair　shareas　much　as　if　my　father　had　left　me　my　portion；　according　to　custom。〃

〃Yes；　it　was　a　fair　share；〃　said　Frances。

〃Ah！　you　smile；　madam！〃　interrupted　Lisa。　　〃I　am　told　it　is　a　vast　property；　a　grand　chateaumany　securities！　　M。　Waldeaux　pere　made　a　will；　on　dit；　incredibly　foolish；　with　no　mention　of　his　son。　　But　now　that　this　son　comes　to　marry；　to　become　the　head　of　the　house；　if　you　were　a　French　mother；　if　you　were　just；　you　would　　You　appear　to　be　amused；　madam？〃

For　Mrs。　Waldeaux　was　laughing。　　She　could　not　speak　for　a　moment。　　The　tears　stood　in　her　eyes。

〃The　matter　has　somewhat　of　droll　to　you？〃

〃It　has　its　humorous　side；〃　said　Frances。　　〃I　quite　understand；　George；　that　you　will　need　more　money　to　support　a　wife。　　I　will　double　your　allowance。　　It　shall　be　paid　quarterly。〃

〃You　would　prefer　to　do　that？〃　hesitated　George。　　〃Rather　than　to　make　over　a　son's　share　of　the　property　to　me　absolutely？　　Some　of　the　landed　estate　or　securities？　　I　have　probably　a　shrewder　business　talent　than　yours；　and　if　I　had　control　could　make　my　property　more　profitable。〃

〃I　should　prefer　to　pay　your　income　as　beforeyes；〃　said　Frances　quietly。

〃Well；　as　you　choose。　　It　is　yours　to　give；　of　course。〃　　George　coughed　and　shuffled　to　conquer　his　disappointment。　　Then　he　said；　〃Have　it　your　own　way。〃　　He　put　his　hand　affectionately　on　her　shoulder。　　〃And　when　you　have　had　your　little　outing　and　go　home　to　Weir；　you　will　be　glad　to　have　us　come　to　you；　for　a　visitwon't　you；　mother？　　You　haven't　said　so。〃

〃Why　should　I　say　so？　　It　is　your　home；　George；　yours　and　your　wife's。〃　　She　caught　his　hand　and　held　it　to　her　lips。

But　Lisa　had　not　so　easily　conquered　her　disappointment。　　This　woman　was　coolly　robbing　George　of　his　rights　and　was　going　instead　to　kill　for　him　a　miserable　little　fatted　calf！　　Bah！　　This　woman；　who　had　maligned　her　dead　mother！

She　should　have　her　punishment　now。　　In　one　blow；　straight　from　the　shoulder。

〃But　you　should　know；　madam；〃　she　said　gently；　〃who　it　is　your　son　has　married　before　you　take　her　home。　　I　assure　you　that　you　can　present　me　to　the　society　in　Weir　with　pride。　　I　have　royal　blood〃　〃Lisa！〃　George　caught　her　arm。　　〃It　is　not　necessary。　　You　forget〃

〃Oh；　I　forget　nothing！　　I　said　royal　blood。　　My　father；　madam；　was　the　brother　of　the　Czar；　and　my　mother　was　Pauline　Felix。　　You　don't　seem　to　understand〃　after　a　moment's　pause。　　〃　It　was　my　mother　whose　name　you　said　should　not　cross　any　decent　woman's　lipsmy　mother〃　　She　broke　down　into　wild　sobs。

〃When　I　said　it　I　did　not　know　that　you　　I　am　sorry。〃　　Frances　suddenly　walked　away；　pulling　open　her　collar。　　It　seemed　to　her　that　there　was　no　breath　in　the　world。　　George　followed　her。　　〃Did　you　know　this？〃　she　said　at　last；　in　a　hoarse　whisper。　　〃And　you　aremarried　to　her？　　There　is　no　way　of　being　rid　of　her？〃

〃No；　there　is　no　way；〃　said　Waldeaux　stoutly。　　〃And　if　there　were；　I　should　not　look　for　it。　　I　am　sorry　that　there　is　any　smirch　on　Lisa's　birth。　　But　even　her　mother；　I　fancy；　was　not　altogether　a　bad　lot。　　Bygones　must　be　bygones。　　I　love　my　wife；　mother。　　She's　worth　loving；　as　you'd　find　if　you　would　take　the　trouble　to　know　her。　　Her　dead　mother　shall　not　come　between　her　and　me。〃

〃She's　like　her；　George！〃　said　Mrs。　Waldeaux；　with　white；　trembling　lips。　　〃I　ought　to　have　seen　it　at　first。　　Those　luring；　terrible　eyes。　　It　is　Pauline　Felix's　heart　that　is　in　her。　　Rotten　to　the　corerotten〃

〃I　don't　care。　　I'll　stand　by　her。〃　　But　George's　face；　too；　began　to　lose　its　color。　　He　shook　himself　uncomfortably。　　〃The　thing's　done　now；〃　he　muttered。

〃Certainly；　certainly；〃　Frances　repeated　mechanically。　　〃Tell　her　that　I　am　sorry　I　spoke　of　her　mother　before　her。　　It　was　rudebrutal。　　I　ask　her　pardon。〃

〃Oh；　she'll　soon　forget　that！　　Lisa　has　a　warm　heart；　if　you　take　her　right。　　There's　lots　of　hearty　fun　in　her　too。　　You'll　like　that。　　Are　you　going　now？　　Good…by；　dear。　　We　will　come　and　see　you　in　the　morning。　　The　thing　will　not　seem　half　so　bad　when　you　have　slept　on　it。〃

He　paused　uncertainly；　as　she　still　stood　motionless。　　She　was　facing　the　grim　walls　of　Stafford　House；　looming　dimly　through　the　mist；　her　eyes　fixed　as　if　she　were　studying　the　sky　line。

〃George；〃　she　said。　〃You　don't　understand。　　You　will　come　to　me　always。　　But　that　woman　never　shall　cross　my　threshold。〃　〃Mother！　　Do　you　mean　what　you　say？〃

It　was　a　man；　not　a　shuffling　boy　that　spoke　now。　　〃Do　you　mean　that　we　are　not　to　go　to　you　to…morrow？　　Not　to　go　home　in　October？　　Never〃

〃Your　home　is　open　to　you。　　But　Pauline　Felix's　child　is　no　more　to　me　than　a　wild　beastor　a　snake　in　the　grass；　and　never　can　be。〃　　She　faced　him　steadily　now。

〃There　she　is；〃　said　Frances；　looking　at　the　little　black　figure　under　the　trees；　〃and　here　am　I。　　You　can　choose　between　us。〃

〃Those　whom　God　hath　joined　together；〃　muttered　George。　　〃You　know　that。〃

〃You　have　known　her　for　three　weeks；〃　cried　Frances　vehemently。　　〃I　gave　you　life。　　I　have　been　your　slave　every　hour　since　you　were　born。　　I　have　lived　but　for　you。　　Which　of　us　has　God　joined　together？〃

〃Mother；　you're　damnably　unreasonable！　　It　is　the　course　of　nature　for　a　man　to　leave　his　parents　and　cleave　to　his　wife。〃

〃Yes　；　I　know；〃　she　said　slowly。　　〃You　can　keep　that　foul　thing　in　your　life；　but　it　never　shall　come　into　mine。〃

〃Then　neither　will　I。　　I　will　stand　by　my　wife。〃

〃That　is　the　end；　then？〃

She　waited；　her　eyes　on　his。

He　did　not　speak。

She　turned　and　left　him；　disappearing　slowly　in　the　rain　and　mist。



CHAPTER　IV

Two　days　later　Mr。　Perry　met　Miss　Vance　in　Canterbury　and　told　her　of　the　marriage。　　She　hurried　back　to　London。　　She　could　not　hide　her　distress　and　dismay　from　the　two　girls。

〃How　did　she　force　him　into　it？　　One　is　almost　driven　to　believe　in　hypnotism；〃　she　cried。

Lucy　Dunbar　had　no　joke　to　make　about　it　to…day。　　The　merry　little　girl　was　silent；　having；　she　said；　a　headache。

〃You've　had　too　much　cathedral！〃　said　Miss　Hassard。　　〃And　the　whole　church　is　wretchedly　out　of　drawing！〃

Jean　Hassard　had　studied　art　at　Pond　City　in　Dakota；　and　her　soul's　hope　had　been　to　follow　Marie　Bashkirtseff's　career　in　Paris。　　But　her　father　had　morally　handcuffed

her　and　put　her　into　Clara's　custody　for　a　year。　　It　was　hard！　　To　be　led　about　to　old　churches；　respectable　as　her　grandmother；　when　she　might　have　been　studying　the　nude　in　a　mixed　class！　　She　rattled　her　chains　disagreeably　at　every　step。

〃The　mesalliance　is　on　the　other　side；〃　she　told　Lucy　privately。　　〃A　woman　of　the　world　who　knew　life；　to　marry　that　bloodless；　finical　priest！〃

〃He　was　not　bloodless。　　He　loved　her。〃

Mr。　Perry　came　up　with　them　from　Canterbury；　being　secretly　alarmed　about　Miss　Dunbar's　headache。　　Nobody　took　proper　care　of　that　lovely　child！　　He　had　attached　himself　to　Miss　Vance's　party　in　England；　he　dropped　in　every　evening　to　tell　of　his　interviews　with　Gladstone　or　Mrs。　Oliphant　or　an　artist　or　a　duke。　　It　was　delightful　to　the　girls　to　come　so　close　to　these　unknown　great　folks。　　They　felt　quite　like　peris；　just　outside　the　court　of　heaven；　with　the　gate　a　little　bit　ajar。　　This　evening　Mr。　Perry　promised　it　should　open　for　them。　　He　was　going　to　bring　a　real　prince；　whom　he　familiarly　dubbed　〃a　jolly　fellow；〃　to　call　upon　Miss　Vance。

〃Who　is　the　man？〃　said　Clara　irritably。　　〃Be　careful；　Mr。　Perry。　　I　have　had　enough　of　foreign　adventu