The Palliser Novels (236 page)

“So I am at Portray Castle at last,” he said, still holding her hand.

“Yes, — at the dullest, dreariest, deadliest spot in all Christendom, I think, — if Ayrshire be Christendom. But never mind about that now. Perhaps, as you are at the other side of the mountain at the Cottage, we shall find it less dull here at the castle.”

“I thought you were to be so happy here.”

“Sit down and we’ll talk it all over by degrees. What will you have, — breakfast or lunch?”

“Neither, thank you.”

“Of course you’ll stay to dinner?”

“No, indeed. I’ve a man there at the Cottage with me who would cut his throat in his solitude.”

“Let him cut his throat; — but never mind now. As for being happy, women are never happy without men. I needn’t tell any lies to you, you know. What makes me sure that this fuss about making men and women all the same must be wrong, is just the fact that men can get along without women, and women can’t without men. My life has been a burthen to me. But never mind. Tell me about my lord; — my lord and master.”

“Lord Fawn?”

“Who else? What other lord and master? My bosom’s own; my heart’s best hope; my spot of terra firma; my cool running brook of fresh water; my rock; my love; my lord; my all! Is he always thinking of his absent Lizzie? Does he still toil at Downing Street? Oh, dear; do you remember, Frank, when he told us that ‘one of us must remain in town?’”

“I have seen him.”

“So you wrote me word.”

“And I have seen a very obstinate, pig-headed, but nevertheless honest and truth-speaking gentleman.”

“Frank, I don’t care twopence for his honesty and truth. If he ill-treats me — ” Then she paused; looking into his face she had seen at once by the manner in which he had taken her badinage, without a smile, that it was necessary that she should be serious as to her matrimonial prospects. “I suppose I had better let you tell your story,” she said, “and I will sit still and listen.”

“He means to ill-treat you.”

“And you will let him?”

“You had better listen, as you promised, Lizzie. He declares that the marriage must be off at once unless you will send those diamonds to Mr. Camperdown or to the jewellers.”

“And by what law or rule does he justify himself in a decision so monstrous? Is he prepared to prove that the property is not my own?”

“If you ask me my opinion as a lawyer, I doubt whether any such proof can be shown. But as a man and a friend I do advise you to give them up.”

“Never!”

“You must, of course, judge for yourself; — but that is my advice. You had better, however, hear my whole story.”

“Certainly,” said Lizzie. Her whole manner was now changed. She had extricated herself from the crouching position in which her feet, her curl, her arms, her whole body had been so arranged as to combine the charm of her beauty with the charm of proffered intimacy. Her dress was such as a woman would wear to receive her brother, and yet it had been studied. She had no gems about her but what she might well wear in her ordinary life, and yet the very rings on her fingers had not been put on without reference to her cousin Frank. Her position had been one of lounging ease, such as a woman might adopt when all alone, giving herself all the luxuries of solitude; — but she had adopted it in special reference to cousin Frank. Now she was in earnest, with business before her; and though it may be said of her that she could never forget her appearance in presence of a man whom she desired to please, her curl, and rings, and attitude were for the moment in the background. She had seated herself on a common chair, with her hands upon the table, and was looking into Frank’s face with eager, eloquent, and combative eyes. She would take his law, because she believed in it; but, as far as she could see as yet, she would not take his advice unless it were backed by his law.

“Mr. Camperdown,” continued Greystock, “has consented to prepare a case for opinion, though he will not agree that the Eustace estate shall be bound by that opinion.”

“Then what’s the good of it?”

“We shall at least know, all of us, what is the opinion of some lawyer qualified to understand the circumstances of the case.”

“Why isn’t your opinion as good as that of any lawyer?”

“I couldn’t give an opinion; — not otherwise than as a private friend to you, which is worth nothing, unless for your private guidance. Mr.
Camperdown — “

“I don’t care one straw for Mr. Camperdown.”

“Just let me finish.”

“Oh, certainly; — and you mustn’t be angry with me, Frank. The matter is so much to me; isn’t it?”

“I won’t be angry. Do I look as if I were angry? Mr. Camperdown is right.”

“I daresay he may be — what you call right. But I don’t care about Mr. Camperdown a bit.”

“He has no power, nor has John Eustace any power, to decide that the property which may belong to a third person shall be jeopardised by any arbitration. The third person could not be made to lose his legal right by any such arbitration, and his claim, if made, would still have to be tried.”

“Who is the third person, Frank?”

“Your own child at present.”

“And will not he have it any way?”

“Camperdown and John Eustace say that it belongs to him at present. It is a point that, no doubt, should be settled.”

“To whom do you say that it belongs?”

“That is a question I am not prepared to answer.”

“To whom do you think that it belongs?”

“I have refused to look at a single paper on the subject, and my opinion is worth nothing. From what I have heard in conversation with Mr. Camperdown and John Eustace, I cannot find that they make their case good.”

“Nor can I,” said Lizzie.

“A case is to be prepared for Mr. Dove.”

“Who is Mr. Dove?”

“Mr. Dove is a barrister, and no doubt a very clever fellow. If his opinion be such as Mr. Camperdown expects, he will at once proceed against you at law for the immediate recovery of the necklace.”

“I shall be ready for him,” said Lizzie, and as she spoke all her little feminine softnesses were for the moment laid aside.

“If Mr. Dove’s opinion be in your favour — “

“Well,” said Lizzie, — “what then?”

“In that case Mr. Camperdown, acting on behalf of John Eustace and young
Florian — “

“How dreadful it is to hear of my bitterest enemy acting on behalf of my own child!” said Lizzie, holding up her hands piteously. “Well?”

“In that case Mr. Camperdown will serve you with some notice that the jewels are not yours, — to part with them as you may please.”

“But they will be mine.”

“He says not; — but in such case he will content himself with taking steps which may prevent you from selling them.”

“Who says that I want to sell them?” demanded Lizzie indignantly.

“Or from giving them away, — say to a second husband.”

“How little they know me!”

“Now I have told you all about Mr. Camperdown.”

“Yes.”

“And the next thing is to tell you about Lord Fawn.”

“That is everything. I care nothing for Mr. Camperdown; nor yet for Mr. Dove, — if that is his absurd name. Lord Fawn is of more moment to me, — though, indeed, he has given me but little cause to say so.”

“In the first place, I must explain to you that Lord Fawn is very unhappy.”

“He may thank himself for it.”

“He is pulled this way and that, and is half distraught; but he has stated with as much positive assurance as such a man can assume, that the match must be regarded as broken off unless you will at once restore the necklace.”

“He does?”

“He has commissioned me to give you that message; — and it is my duty, Lizzie, as your friend, to tell you my conviction that he repents his engagement.”

She now rose from her chair and began to walk about the room. “He shall not go back from it. He shall learn that I am not a creature at his own disposal in that way. He shall find that I have some strength, — if you have none.”

“What would you have had me do?”

“Taken him by the throat,” said Lizzie.

“Taking by the throat in these days seldom forwards any object, — unless the taken one be known to the police. I think Lord Fawn is behaving very badly, and I have told him so. No doubt he is under the influence of others, — mother and sisters, — who are not friendly to you.”

“False-faced idiots!” said Lizzie.

“He himself is somewhat afraid of me, — is much afraid of you; — is afraid of what people will say of him; and, — to give him his due, — is afraid also of doing what is wrong. He is timid, weak, conscientious, and wretched. If you have set your heart upon marrying
him — “

“My heart!” said Lizzie scornfully.

“Or your mind, — you can have him by simply sending the diamonds to the jewellers. Whatever may be his wishes, in that case he will redeem his word.”

“Not for him or all that belongs to him! It wouldn’t be much. He’s just a pauper with a name.”

“Then your loss will be so much the less.”

“But what right has he to treat me so? Did you ever before hear of such a thing? Why is he to be allowed to go back, — without punishment, — more than another?”

“What punishment would you wish?”

“That he should be beaten within an inch of his life; — and if the inch were not there, I should not complain.”

“And I am to do it, — to my absolute ruin, and to your great injury?”

“I think I could almost do it myself.” And Lizzie raised her hand as though there were some weapon in it. “But, Frank, there must be something. You wouldn’t have me sit down and bear it. All the world has been told of the engagement. There must be some punishment.”

“You would not wish to have an action brought, — for breach of promise?”

“I would wish to do whatever would hurt him most, — without hurting myself,” said Lizzie.

“You won’t give up the necklace?” said Frank.

“Certainly not,” said Lizzie. “Give it up for his sake, — a man that I have always despised?”

“Then you had better let him go.”

“I will not let him go. What, — to be pointed at as the woman that Lord Fawn had jilted? Never! My necklace should be nothing more to him than this ring.” And she drew from her finger a little circlet of gold with a stone, for which she had owed Messrs. Harter and Benjamin five-and-thirty pounds till Sir Florian had settled that account for her. “What cause can he give for such treatment?”

“He acknowledges that there is no cause which he can state openly.”

“And I am to bear it? And it is you that tell me so? Oh, Frank!”

“Let us understand each other, Lizzie. I will not fight him, — that is, with pistols; nor will I attempt to thrash him. It would be useless to argue whether public opinion is right or wrong; but public opinion is now so much opposed to that kind of thing, that it is out of the question. I should injure your position and destroy my own. If you mean to quarrel with me on that score, you had better say so.”

Perhaps at that moment he almost wished that she would quarrel with him, but she was otherwise disposed. “Oh, Frank,” she said, “do not desert me.”

“I will not desert you.”

“You feel that I am ill-used, Frank?”

“I do. I think that his conduct is inexcusable.”

“And there is to be no punishment?” she asked, with that strong indignation at injustice which the unjust always feel when they are injured.

“If you carry yourself well, — quietly and with dignity, — the world will punish him.”

“I don’t believe a bit of it. I am not a Patient Grizel who can content myself with heaping benefits on those who injure me, and then thinking that they are coals of fire. Lucy Morris is one of that sort.” Frank ought to have resented the attack, but he did not. “I have no such tame virtues. I’ll tell him to his face what he is. I’ll lead him such a life that he shall be sick of the very name of necklace.”

“You cannot ask him to marry you.”

“I will. What, not ask a man to keep his promise when you are engaged to him? I am not going to be such a girl as that.”

“Do you love him, then?”

“Love him! I hate him. I always despised him, and now I hate him.”

“And yet you would marry him?”

“Not for worlds, Frank. No. Because you advised me, I thought that I would do so. Yes, you did, Frank. But for you I would never have dreamed of taking him. You know, Frank, how it was, — when you told me of him and wouldn’t come to me yourself.” Now again she was sitting close to him and had her hand upon his arm. “No, Frank; even to please you I could not marry him now. But I’ll tell you what I’ll do. He shall ask me again. In spite of those idiots at Richmond he shall kneel at my feet, — necklace or no necklace; and then, — then I’ll tell him what I think of him. Marry him! I would not touch him with a pair of tongs.” As she said this, she was holding her cousin fast by the hand.

It had not been much after noon when Frank Greystock reached Portray Castle, and it was very nearly five when he left it. Of course he had lunched with the two ladies, and as the conversation before lunch had been long and interesting, they did not sit down till near three. Then Lizzie had taken him out to show him the grounds and garden, and they had clambered together down to the sea-beach. “Leave me here,” she had said, when he insisted on going because of his friend at the Cottage. When he suggested that she would want help to climb back up the rocks to the castle, she shook her head, as though her heart was too full to admit of a consideration so trifling. “My thoughts flow more freely here with the surge of the water in my ears, than they will with that old woman droning to me. I come here often, and know every rock and every stone.” That was not exactly true, as she had never been down but once before. “You mean to come again?” He told her that of course he should come again. “I will name neither day nor hour. I have nothing to take me away. If I am not at the castle I shall be at this spot. Good-bye, Frank.” He took her in his arms and kissed her, — of course as a brother; and then he clambered up, got on his pony, and rode away. “I dinna ken just what to mak’ o’ him,” said Gowran to his wife. “May be he is her coosin; but coosins are nae that sib that a weedow is to be hailed aboot jist ane as though she were ony quean at a fair.” From which it may be inferred that Mr. Gowran had watched the pair as they were descending together towards the shore.