sidonia lived in the faubourg st. germain, in a large hotel that, in old days, had belonged to the crillons; but it had received at his hands such extensive alterations, that nothing of the original decoration, and little of its arrangement, remained.
a flight of marble steps, ascending from a vast court, led into a hall of great dimensions, which was at the same time an orangery and a gallery of sculpture. it was illumined by a distinct, yet soft and subdued light, which harmonised with the beautiful repose of the surrounding forms, and with the exotic perfume that was wafted about. a gallery led from this hall to an inner hall of quite a different character; fantastic, glittering, variegated; full of strange shapes and dazzling objects.
the roof was carved and gilt in that honeycomb style prevalent in the saracenic buildings; the walls were hung with leather stamped in rich and vivid patterns; the floor was a flood of mosaic; about were statues of negroes of human size with faces of wild expression, and holding in their outstretched hands silver torches that blazed with an almost painful brilliancy.
from this inner hall a double staircase of white marble led to the grand suite of apartments.
these saloons, lofty, spacious, and numerous, had been decorated principally in encaustic by the most celebrated artists of munich. the three principal rooms were only separated from each other by columns, covered with rich hangings, on this night drawn aside. the decoration of each chamber was appropriate to its purpose. on the walls of the ball-room nymphs and heroes moved in measure in sicilian landscapes, or on the azure shores of aegean waters. from the ceiling beautiful divinities threw garlands on the guests, who seemed surprised that the roses, unwilling to quit olympus, would not descend on earth. the general effect of this fair chamber was heightened, too, by that regulation of the house which did not permit any benches in the ball-room. that dignified assemblage who are always found ranged in precise discipline against the wall, did not here mar the flowing grace of the festivity. the chaperons had no cause to complain. a large saloon abounded in ottomans and easy chairs at their service, where their delicate charges might rest when weary, or find distraction when not engaged.
all the world were at this fête of sidonia. it exceeded in splendour and luxury every entertainment that had yet been given. the highest rank, even princes of the blood, beauty, fashion, fame, all assembled in a magnificent and illuminated palace, resounding with exquisite melody.
coningsby, though somewhat depressed, was not insensible to the magic of the scene. since the passage in the gardens of the luxembourg, that tone, that glance, he had certainly felt much relieved, happier. and yet if all were, with regard to sidonia, as unfounded as he could possibly desire, where was he then? had he forgotten his grandfather, that fell look, that voice of intense detestation? what was millbank to him? where, what was the mystery? for of some he could not doubt. the spanish parentage of edith had only more perplexed coningsby. it offered no solution. there could be no connection between a catalan family and his mother, the daughter of a clergyman in a midland county. that there was any relationship between the millbank family and his mother was contradicted by the conviction in which he had been brought up, that his mother had no relations; that she returned to england utterly friendless; without a relative, a connection, an acquaintance to whom she could appeal. her complete forlornness was stamped upon his brain. tender as were his years when he was separated from her, he could yet recall the very phrases in which she deplored her isolation; and there were numerous passages in her letters which alluded to it. coningsby had taken occasion to sound the wallingers on this subject; but he felt assured, from the manner in which his advances were met, that they knew nothing of his mother, and attributed the hostility of mr. millbank to his grandfather, solely to political emulation and local rivalries. still there were the portrait and the miniature. that was a fact; a clue which ultimately, he was persuaded, must lead to some solution.
coningsby had met with great social success at paris. he was at once a favourite. the parisian dames decided in his favour. he was a specimen of the highest style of english beauty, which is popular in france. his air was acknowledged as distinguished. the men also liked him; he had not quite arrived at that age when you make enemies. the moment, therefore, that he found himself in the saloons of sidonia, he was accosted by many whose notice was flattering; but his eye wandered, while he tried to be courteous and attempted to be sprightly. where was she? he had nearly reached the ball-room when he met her. she was on the arm of lord beaumanoir, who had made her acquaintance at rome, and originally claimed it as the member of a family who, as the reader may perhaps not forget, had experienced some kindnesses from the millbanks.
there were mutual and hearty recognitions between the young men; great explanations where they had been, what they were doing, where they were going. lord beaumanoir told coningsby he had introduced steeple-chases at rome, and had parted with sunbeam to the nephew of a cardinal. coningsby securing edith’s hand for the next dance, they all moved on together to her aunt.
lady wallinger was indulging in some roman reminiscences with the marquess.
‘and you are not going to astrachan to-morrow?’ said edith.
‘not to-morrow,’ said coningsby.
‘you know that you said once that life was too stirring in these days to permit travel to a man?’
‘i wish nothing was stirring,’ said coningsby. ‘i wish nothing to change. all that i wish is, that this fête should never end.’
‘is it possible that you can be capricious? you perplex me very much.’
‘am i capricious because i dislike change?’
‘but astrachan?’
‘it was the air of the luxembourg that reminded me of the desert,’ said coningsby.
soon after this coningsby led edith to the dance. it was at a ball that he had first met her at paris, and this led to other reminiscences; all most interesting. coningsby was perfectly happy. all mysteries, all difficulties, were driven from his recollection; he lived only in the exciting and enjoyable present. twenty-one and in love!
some time after this, coningsby, who was inevitably separated from edith, met his host.
‘where have you been, child,’ said sidonia, ‘that i have not seen you for some days? i am going to madrid tomorrow.’
‘and i must think, i suppose, of cambridge.’
‘well, you have seen something; you will find it more profitable when you have digested it: and you will have opportunity. that’s the true spring of wisdom: meditate over the past. adventure and contemplation share our being like day and night.’
the resolute departure for england on the morrow had already changed into a supposed necessity of thinking of returning to cambridge. in fact, coningsby felt that to quit paris and edith was an impossibility. he silenced the remonstrance of his conscience by the expedient of keeping a half-term, and had no difficulty in persuading himself that a short delay in taking his degree could not really be of the slightest consequence.
it was the hour for supper. the guests at a french ball are not seen to advantage at this period. the custom of separating the sexes for this refreshment, and arranging that the ladies should partake of it by themselves, though originally founded in a feeling of consideration and gallantry, and with the determination to secure, under all circumstances, the convenience and comfort of the fair sex, is really, in its appearance and its consequences, anything but european, and produces a scene which rather reminds one of the harem of a sultan than a hall of chivalry. to judge from the countenances of the favoured fair, they are not themselves particularly pleased; and when their repast is over they necessarily return to empty halls, and are deprived of the dance at the very moment when they may feel most inclined to participate in its graceful excitement.
these somewhat ungracious circumstances, however, were not attendant on the festival of this night. there was opened in the hotel of sidonia for the first time a banqueting-room which could contain with convenience all the guests. it was a vast chamber of white marble, the golden panels of the walls containing festive sculptures by schwanthaler, relieved by encaustic tinting. in its centre was a fountain, a group of bacchantes encircling dionysos; and from this fountain, as from a star, diverged the various tables from which sprang orange-trees in fruit and flower.
the banquet had but one fault; coningsby was separated from edith. the duchess of grand cairo, the beautiful wife of the heir of one of the imperial illustrations, had determined to appropriate coningsby as her cavalier for the moment. distracted, he made his escape; but his wandering eye could not find the object of its search; and he fell prisoner to the charming princess de petitpoix, a carlist chieftain, whose witty words avenged the cause of fallen dynasties and a cashiered nobility.
behold a scene brilliant in fancy, magnificent in splendour! all the circumstances of his life at this moment were such as acted forcibly on the imagination of coningsby. separated from edith, he had still the delight of seeing her the paragon of that bright company, the consummate being whom he adored! and who had spoken to him in a voice sweeter than a serenade, and had bestowed on him a glance softer than moonlight! the lord of the palace, more distinguished even for his capacity than his boundless treasure, was his chosen friend; gained under circumstances of romantic interest, when the reciprocal influence of their personal qualities was affected by no accessory knowledge of their worldly positions. he himself was in the very bloom of youth and health; the child of a noble house, rich for his present wants, and with a future of considerable fortunes. entrancing love and dazzling friendship, a high ambition and the pride of knowledge, the consciousness of a great prosperity, the vague, daring energies of the high pulse of twenty-one, all combined to stimulate his sense of existence, which, as he looked around him at the beautiful objects and listened to the delicious sounds, seemed to him a dispensation of almost supernatural ecstasy.
about an hour after this, the ball-room still full, but the other saloons gradually emptying, coningsby entered a chamber which seemed deserted. yet he heard sounds, as it were, of earnest conversation. it was the voice that invited his progress; he advanced another step, then suddenly stopped. there were two individuals in the room, by whom he was unnoticed. they were sidonia and miss millbank. they were sitting on a sofa, sidonia holding her hand and endeavouring, as it seemed, to soothe her. her tones were tremulous; but the expression of her face was fond and confiding. it was all the work of a moment. coningsby instantly withdrew, yet could not escape hearing an earnest request from edith to her companion that he would write to her.
in a few seconds coningsby had quitted the hotel of sidonia, and the next day found him on his road to england.
end of book vi.
