THE star of Lady Clancarty’s fortune for that week at Newmarket was an evil star. For it was the very day after that fateful interview with her husband, a day that dawned after a night of repentance1 and good resolutions, that another straw turned the tide against reconciliation2. Lady Sunderland’s party had spent the forenoon at the theatre, and on their way to the race-course they stopped at Master Drake’s toy-shop on the promenade3; a shop famous not only for the toys and trinkets of a kind that amused the women of fashion, but for the tea that he served in a little room in the rear, which was divided into stalls like those in coffee-rooms. Here both beaux and belles4 congregated5 to sip6 tea, and gossip, and raffle7 for some choice toy from India.
The shop, recently replenished8 by its wily proprietor9, was a glittering mass of novelties[Pg 158] and almost vied with the famous India houses of London in its collection of Oriental articles. Here were hideous10 dragons of porcelain11, snuff-boxes with jewelled lids, and canes12 of the latest fashion, jars of snuff and pulvillo, and bottles of rare perfumes, gilded13 flasks14 of cut glass, boxes of patches ready cut for the cheeks and brows of the beauties, ivory combs and fans of wonderful and beautiful design, delicate tea-sets and many bits of Dutch china, first accepted because of the example of Queen Mary, gloves and laces and even India shawls. Here, too, were toys, jewelry15, cogged dice16, masks, dominoes and vizors, and here, as in London, the discreet17 toy-men handed billets-doux back and forth18 and made appointments between the beaux and belles; and here many a meeting took place, and many a momentous19 question was settled for all time, either in the toy-shop itself or in the stalls behind it, where the world of fashion reigned20.
My Lady Sunderland and my Lady Dacres were no sooner there than they were plunged21 in the excitement of a raffle for a hideous china dragon, and almost came to blows for the possession of the treasure. But Lady Betty, quite indifferent, stood apart talking to a group of gay young people near the entrance. My[Pg 159] Lord of Devonshire was there, and the Marquis of Hartington, and in their train, young Mackie, upon whom the Countess of Clancarty smiled; and there, too, was Lord Savile, who had been at her elbow all the morning and would have declared his passion for her had he dared. And she was in a reckless mood; her eyes sparkled, her cheeks glowed, and she laughed and jested, though her heart ached.
The king was well enough to be present at the race in the afternoon and all the world was agog22 to see him. The throng23 at the toy-shop grew greater as the people stopped on their way from the theatre to the track, and the group at the door grew larger with Lady Betty in the centre of it, sparkling and flushing and laughing, the picture of a beautiful coquette.
“All the great men go up to Parliament next Wednesday, Lady Clancarty,” said Mr. Benham, “and we shall see your brother shine as the bright particular star of the Whig firmament24.”
“A star—a constellation25 rather; the Little Bear of the party,” laughed Lady Betty roguishly; “what will you do this season, my Lord of Devonshire?”
The great man smiled benevolently26 upon the beauty.
Betty flashed a quick look at him.
“Will you indeed, my lord?” she asked archly; “what if I should ask a great boon—even half thy kingdom?”
“Even that, dear Lady Betty,” he replied courteously29, “even that.”
“I have your word, my lord,” she said, and laughed softly.
“And mine,” murmured Savile, in her ear, “you have not asked—but it is the whole of my kingdom.”
“Ah,” she said, and gave him a roguish glance, “I do remember—but not your entire trust in my decision!”
He blushed crimson30. “I upheld my honor then,” he murmured, looking into her eyes; “my heart is yours—to break at will!”
Her expression changed, changed so sharply that he looked around, following the direction of her glance, and saw the face of the man he hated—the Irish Jacobite. Lord Clancarty stood just within the door, his eyes holding Betty’s against her will. Savile heard her quick gasp31, saw her hands flutter, and he thrust[Pg 161] himself between with a black look at Clancarty. But Lady Betty, trying to collect herself, met young Mackie’s eyes and saw that he knew. The blood rushed to her temples but she laughed.
Devonshire smiled. “Both, my lady,” he said, “and Savile will be a bankrupt before night—in all but love, I suspect.”
“A poor substitute for a full purse, my lord,” she said recklessly, without taking thought of her words until she felt rather than saw Clancarty’s grave look at her. “I mean,” she stammered33, “in my Lord Savile’s case—” and then she stopped, covered with confusion.
“He has been dying for a long time,” remarked Mr. Benham laughing, “and the King of France and the emperor are dying of anxiety.”
“Precisely, and but for our king there would be a war for the succession within a week,”[Pg 162] said Devonshire thoughtfully; “as it is, the peace of Europe hangs by a thread—the narrow thread of a sickly man’s life.”
“Yes,” put in Betty, herself again, “and Parliament is for cutting down the military establishment.”
“No,” she responded quickly, “they would perhaps prefer a French fleet in the Thames.”
“No, sir, you are wrong,” declared Devonshire, “no Englishman would—not even a Jacobite—when it came to that. You remember how the southern counties rose to repulse38 Tourville’s squadron in ’90?”
“You are in the right, my lord; no true Briton has ever thought of seeing his country under the heel of Louis,” said Clancarty, suddenly taking part in the conversation.
“Some traitors—who are not Englishmen—would, Mr. Trevor,” sneered39 Savile, with an emphasis on the name.
The disguised earl shot a fierce glance at him and smiled dangerously.
[Pg 163]“Since the famous peace, sir, all the renegades and cutpurses talk loud,” replied Savile, in an insolent42 undertone.
“Cowards always insult men in the presence of women,” retorted Clancarty smiling.
At this moment they were interrupted by a movement of the throng, some passing out, and my Lady Sunderland, having won her Chinese dragon from all competitors, bore down upon them flushed with triumph, and the chairs were called.
Betty stood a moment at the threshold. Clancarty was beside her, his face quite grave. She looked up; the impulse was in her heart to speak and their eyes met but his were cold.
“You choose wisely, my lady,” he said, in a bitter undertone, “a full purse is better than a beggarly love, it seems.”
She flushed crimson.
Savile thrust himself forward and held out his hand.
“Permit me to put you in your chair, my lady,” he said, grace and courtesy personified; handsome, well dressed, courtly, the very picture of a deferential43 lover.
“A thousand thanks, my lord,” she said sweetly, putting her hand in his.
He put her in her chair and the procession[Pg 164] started, Lady Sunderland screaming to the toy-man about the careful packing of her dragon, and Betty looked out smiling, more charming than ever.
A moment afterwards, Clancarty and Savile faced each other.
“This very evening would be propitious44, my lord,” said the Irishman coolly, “the same spot, I believe, and the same seconds?”
“At your service, sir,” said Savile fiercely, “and damn you, I mean to kill you!”
“I’m beholden to you, my lord,” replied the earl, and laughed as he walked away.
“Ah, Betty,” he said to himself, as he passed on toward the Lion’s Head, “is a coquette worth dying for?” and then, after a moment, he hummed two lines of the old song:—
“A second life, a soul anew,
My dark Rosaleen!”
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1
repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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2
reconciliation
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| n.和解，和谐，一致 | |
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promenade
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| n./v.散步 | |
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belles
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| n.美女( belle的名词复数 )；最美的美女 | |
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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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sip
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| v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量 | |
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raffle
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| n.废物，垃圾，抽奖售卖；v.以抽彩出售 | |
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8
replenished
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| 补充( replenish的过去式和过去分词 )； 重新装满 | |
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proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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10
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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porcelain
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| n.瓷；adj.瓷的，瓷制的 | |
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12
canes
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| n.（某些植物，如竹或甘蔗的）茎( cane的名词复数 )；（用于制作家具等的）竹竿；竹杖 | |
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gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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flasks
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| n.瓶，长颈瓶， 烧瓶( flask的名词复数 ) | |
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jewelry
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| n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝 | |
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dice
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| n.骰子；vt.把（食物）切成小方块，冒险 | |
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discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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momentous
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| adj.重要的，重大的 | |
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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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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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agog
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| adj.兴奋的，有强烈兴趣的； adv.渴望地 | |
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throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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firmament
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| n.苍穹；最高层 | |
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constellation
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| n.星座n.灿烂的一群 | |
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benevolently
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| adv.仁慈地，行善地 | |
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gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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marvelled
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| v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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32
mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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valiantly
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| adv.勇敢地，英勇地；雄赳赳 | |
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rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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repulse
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| n.击退，拒绝；vt.逐退，击退，拒绝 | |
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sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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41
suavely
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insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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43
deferential
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| adj. 敬意的，恭敬的 | |
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44
propitious
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| adj.吉利的；顺利的 | |
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