IT was after sundown and the light was dim in the great gallery of Althorpe. Candles were set in silver sconces at intervals1 down its whole length of over a hundred feet, but between lay soft shadows, and the pictured faces of many famous men and women, of sovereigns of England, statesmen, soldiers, and court beauties, looked down from the walls on either hand. Holbein and Van Dyke2 and Lely had wrought3 upon these canvases. Here was the famous Duchess of Cleveland, painted by Lely, and the Countess of Grammont, and yonder was Lady Portsmouth and Nell Gwynne herself; and in this strange company, the fair, sweet, coquettish face of Betty Clancarty, lovely as any of the court beauties and far more lovable and true.
The floor was polished and strewn with splendid rugs; far-off India, Turkey, Italy, France, and Holland had contributed rugs and[Pg 19] tapestries4, paintings, beautiful bric-a-brac and statuary to decorate the famous gallery of the Spencers, where Anne of Denmark, Queen of James the First, and the young Prince Charles, the future royal martyr5, saw the Masque of Ben Jonson. Here, too, came doubtless King Charles the First, he who created Henry Spencer Earl of Sunderland; here, also, reigned6 the daughter of the Sidneys, Dorothy, Countess of Sunderland, the heroine of Waller’s verses and the grandmother of Lady Betty. A gallery full of memories, where royalty7 and beauty smiled dimly from the great canvases, and every footstep woke an echo of the past.
At that sunset hour the place was quiet save for the cawing of the rooks under the eaves, for they haunted every corner of the house and congregated8 in the long avenues that enfiladed the park; yet even the sound of bird consultations9 did not disturb the revery of the man who slowly paced up and down the gallery—a man past middle age with an inscrutable face, his head a little bowed as he walked, his hands behind his back, his dress a long gown of black velvet10, ruffles11 of lace at the throat and over the slender white hands—a strange man, self-possessed12, complacent13, smooth, infinitely14 winning of address, and one of the most unscrupulous politicians[Pg 20] and time-servers of that time-serving age when William the Third knew not where to look among his English counsellors for steady faith, when it was no uncommon15 thing for a man to swear allegiance both at Westminster and Saint Germain, and to be an apostate16 besides. Even in that age of falsehood and double dealing17, Robert, second Earl of Sunderland, excelled his fellows; but if he excelled them in falsehood, so did he also in discernment, in the power to read men, and to win them by his polished and smooth address, the charm of a personality that had won even upon the cold astuteness18 of the king himself.
Whatever his thoughts were now, Lord Sunderland’s face was placid19, his perfect mask of serenity20 immutable21, as he walked to and fro, now and then pausing to look critically at a fine picture, or to take counsel with himself, and he looked up with a calm smile when the door at the farther end of the gallery opened and the graceful22 figure of Lady Betty came swiftly toward him. He admired his daughter deeply, but subtle as he was he did not understand her. His standard of womanhood was different, and he had no ennobling example in his wife; she had been false to him and he had known it, and had used the services of her[Pg 21] lover to smooth his own way with William of Orange, while he himself was vowing23 fealty24 to James the Second and walking barefoot, taper25 in hand, to the chapel26 royal to be admitted into the Roman communion—a communion he renounced27 as easily at a convenient season. This daughter who had grown up unlike either parent in simplicity28 and retirement29, this beautiful, spirited, pure-souled creature he did not understand, but he admired her, and after his own fashion he loved her. On the other hand, Lady Betty understood him in many ways more thoroughly30 than he dreamed; she had a woman’s intuitions, and she did not reverence31 him; his subtlety32, his falsehood, his smooth affability did not deceive her; she looked at him with clear eyes, and knew him better than the wise and watchful33 sovereign whom he served. But she was his daughter and she inherited all his charm of manner, his smooth tongue, his easy address, and he saw it and always smiled upon her.
“Are you better, sir?” she asked, with solicitude35; “your absence from table disturbed me. Was it illness or politics?”
[Pg 22]“Both, Betty,” replied the earl smiling; “but you missed me not, you had a younger and a better man in Spencer.”
“Faith, sir, I would rather have a worse one,” retorted Lady Betty, with a shrug36, “such piety37 and virtue38 are too much, they overwhelm me. ’Tis a pity that good men are so often bores!”
Sunderland smiled, amusement twinkling in his deep-set eyes.
“I have often found them so, Betty,” he admitted; “but Charles is a worthy39 youth, my dear, and his advice, though often somewhat tedious and long winded, is weighty and merits consideration.”
“It may be so,” replied the countess, with an arch smile; “but upon my soul, sir, he was so long and loud in braying40 it at me that I fell to looking at his ears, expecting to see them start up on either side of his head and grow long and pointed41. He is tedious!” and her ladyship yawned.
“Brothers often are, Betty,” remarked the earl smiling; “you must have other and gayer company. In fact, I was but now planning to send you to Newmarket for the races; Lady Sunderland is there, Spencer is going, and I go presently. You have lived too much in retirement[Pg 23] here; you must go to Newmarket and hear gayer talk than the discourses42 of our young sage43.”
“I shall be glad to escape the oracle,” said the countess; but she glanced searchingly at her father and added quietly, “My retirement becomes me, sir; I am practically a widow.”
The earl’s expression changed a trifle, but such a trifle that his daughter made little of it.
“We will not refer to that unhappy contract,” he said smoothly44; “it was an error on my part, Elizabeth, and I assure you I repent45 it.”
“Has Lord Clancarty written to you, father?” she asked, so abruptly46 that Sunderland started, and for an instant his eye faltered47 under hers, and he hesitated before he was himself again.
“Never,” he said calmly, closing his silver snuff-box and giving the lid a friendly little tap.
His momentary48 confusion, though, was nearly his undoing49; his daughter laid a white hand on his arm.
“He has written you,” she said imperiously, “and lately, too!”
“Upon my word, Elizabeth,” said the earl frowning, “you go too far.”
[Pg 24]“I cannot help it,” she cried impetuously. “Have I no rights? Ought it to be concealed50 from me and confided52 to my brother, who only taunts53 me? My husband has written you!”
Sunderland had recovered himself now, however, and smiled calmly at her.
“You are too headstrong, my love,” he said smoothly, “too easily suspicious. If Clancarty wrote, why should I conceal51 it? As you remark, he is your husband in the eyes of the law, but your husband in fact he is not, and trust me, Betty, he is too great a Jacobite to risk himself in England.”
“But, father, the Peace of Ryswick has brought many back,” she said, “and we all know—it is notorious how easy King William is—and you, you could get Clancarty’s pardon a thousand times over, if you would!”
“Hear the child!” said Sunderland, with a gesture of mock despair. “Why, Betty, ’twas marvellous hard to get my own, and the politicians hate me so that not even Spencer’s devotion to the Whigs appeases54 that party. Clancarty’s pardon!—’twould cost me my liberty and, perhaps, my head.”
“Nonsense!” pouted55 Lady Betty; “you are the king’s friend; I will not believe you.[Pg 25] And you might, at least, take thought of me; I am his wife.”
“O child, child!” laughed Lord Sunderland, “as little his wife as my Lady Devonshire or the Princess Anne. Married to him, through your father’s folly56, when you were eleven and parted from him on the instant. What virtue is there in such a contract? Be sure, my love, he has in no wise respected it—nor will he while I have my daughter safe with me. Think not of him, Betty! ’Twas my folly, but then he possessed large estates in Munster and it promised to be a great match; for, believe me, I had no thought of tying you to a proscribed57 and penniless scapegrace.”
“Ay,” said Lady Betty, with spirit, “he was rich and now he is poor; therefore, my lord, I will not desert him!”
Lord Sunderland laughed, but his eyes did not laugh with him.
“There is no question of desertion, my child,” he said smoothly, “you are not his wife, and you never shall be.”
“I beg your pardon, sir,” retorted the incorrigible58 countess, “I am his wife, and I will be no other man’s.”
“Tush!” replied the earl impatiently, “you know not what you say. Go to your apartment,[Pg 26] Elizabeth, and reflect upon the matter until you recollect59 your duty to me. Here comes Spencer now with some visitors, and I have no more leisure for your childish folly.”
But Lady Betty would not be silenced; as she retired60 toward the door opposite the one that was opening to admit the earl’s visitors, she murmured low but distinctly,—
“I am his wife, my lord, and I will be no less,” and she swept out with her face aflame and her head high.
She came to the head of the great staircase and stood looking down, gracefully61 poised62, her finger on her lips; a charming figure, musing63 upon destiny, with the soft candle-light shining down upon her stately young head and her flowing white robes. She began to hum softly to herself the air of “Roseen Dhu.”
“And one beaming smile from you
Would float like light between
My dark Rosaleen!
My fond Rosaleen!
Would give me life and soul anew,
A second life, a soul anew!
My dark Rosaleen!”
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1
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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2
dyke
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| n.堤，水坝，排水沟 | |
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3
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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4
tapestries
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| n.挂毯( tapestry的名词复数 )；绣帷，织锦v.用挂毯（或绣帷）装饰( tapestry的第三人称单数 ) | |
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5
martyr
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| n.烈士，殉难者；vt.杀害，折磨，牺牲 | |
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reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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royalty
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| n.皇家，皇族 | |
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congregated
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| （使）集合，聚集( congregate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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consultations
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| n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找 | |
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10
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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11
ruffles
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| 褶裥花边( ruffle的名词复数 ) | |
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12
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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13
complacent
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| adj.自满的；自鸣得意的 | |
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14
infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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15
uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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16
apostate
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| n.背叛者，变节者 | |
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17
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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18
astuteness
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| n.敏锐；精明；机敏 | |
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19
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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20
serenity
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| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
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21
immutable
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| adj.不可改变的，永恒的 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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23
vowing
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式） | |
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24
fealty
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| n.忠贞，忠节 | |
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taper
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| n.小蜡烛，尖细，渐弱；adj.尖细的；v.逐渐变小 | |
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26
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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renounced
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| v.声明放弃( renounce的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃 | |
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28
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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29
retirement
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| n.退休，退职 | |
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30
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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31
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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32
subtlety
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| n.微妙，敏锐，精巧；微妙之处，细微的区别 | |
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33
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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34
portended
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| v.预示( portend的过去式和过去分词 )；预兆；给…以警告；预告 | |
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35
solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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36
shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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38
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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39
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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40
braying
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| v.发出驴叫似的声音( bray的现在分词 )；发嘟嘟声；粗声粗气地讲话（或大笑）；猛击 | |
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41
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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42
discourses
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| 论文( discourse的名词复数 )； 演说； 讲道； 话语 | |
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43
sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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44
smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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45
repent
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| v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔 | |
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46
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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47
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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48
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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49
undoing
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| n.毁灭的原因，祸根；破坏，毁灭 | |
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50
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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51
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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52
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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53
taunts
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| 嘲弄的言语，嘲笑，奚落( taunt的名词复数 ) | |
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54
appeases
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| 安抚，抚慰( appease的第三人称单数 )； 绥靖（满足另一国的要求以避免战争） | |
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55
pouted
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| v.撅（嘴）( pout的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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57
proscribed
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| v.正式宣布（某事物）有危险或被禁止( proscribe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
incorrigible
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| adj.难以纠正的，屡教不改的 | |
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59
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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60
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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61
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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62
poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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63
musing
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| n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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64
toils
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| 网 | |
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