the chief guest of the lieutenant-governor this evening was one dr. chatelard, a french savant of world-wide reputation, author of "la psychologie féminine des races." scientist—he had begun his career as a doctor, had specialised in nervous complaints, narrowed his circle again to les néuroses des femmes; and, after establishing a school of his own, had gradually (though scarcely past the middle life) retired from active practice and confined himself to studying, teaching, and writing. the first volume of his "psychologie"—under the distinctive heading "la femme latine"—had created a sensation not only in the scientific world, where the author's really valuable contributions to observation and treatment could not fail to be recognised, but also among that self-same irresponsible yet charming class which formed the subject-matter of his investigation. here, indeed, the physician's light turn of wit, the palpitating examples he cited, with a discreet use of asterisks, set up a great flutter. madame la marquise was charmed when she recognised, or believed to recognise, cette chère comtesse in a singularly eccentric case. friends hunted for each other eagerly through the delicately veiled pages. now and again a fair whilom patient would plume herself upon the belief that no other identity but her own could fit that of madame d——, cette exquise sensitive. (m. chatelard clung to style while he revolutionised science.) it is no wonder, perhaps, that the book should have had a greater vogue than the last scandalous novel. a second volume, "l'orientale," was in course of conception. indeed, it was the occasion of that tour in the east which brought m. chatelard to india and, incidentally, under sir arthur gerardine's roof.
sir arthur was in his element. to condescend, to demonstrate, to instruct, was to the governor as the breath of his nostrils; he prided himself upon the attic character of his french; he was justly conscious that, judged even by the parisian standard, the urbanity of his manners was beyond criticism. and to have the opportunity of displaying to the intelligent foreigner the splendours of a quasi-regal position, filled to the utmost capacity; the working of a superior mind (not unleavened by sparks of english wit that again need, certes, fear no comparison with french esprit); a cosmopolitan savoir-faire; the nicest sense of official dignity; the brilliant jargon of a brother writer; and last, but not least perhaps, a young wife of quite extraordinary beauty ... it would have been difficult to contrive a situation fraught with more satisfaction! the presence of a minor personality, such as that of major bethune, was no disturbing factor. apart from the circumstance that sir arthur was large-minded enough to appreciate the admiration even of the humblest, there was a subtle thread of pleasure in the thought that "poor english's" friend should see and marvel at the good fortune that had fallen to the lot of "poor english's" widow; while the little halo of pathos and romance surrounding the memory of the fallen hero cast a reflected light upon his distinguished successor, which any temperament so sympathetic as that of the gifted dr. chatelard might easily be made to feel. a few well-chosen whispered words of sentiment, over the second glass of claret at dessert—and there would be a pretty paragraph for the frenchman's next letter to the figaro. for it was well known that the series of brilliant weekly articles appearing in that paper, under the title "les impressions d'un globe-trotteur," emanated from the traveller's facile pen.
matters had progressed according to programme. m. chatelard, a pleasant tubby man with a bald head, a cropped pointed beard drawing upon greyness, a twinkling observant eye, a sparkling readiness of repartee, and an appreciative palate, fell duly under the charm of the genial lieutenant-governor. the latter figured, indeed, that same night in his manuscript as the most amiable representative of john bull abroad that the globe-trotteur had yet had the good fortune to meet.
"almost french," wrote the sagacious correspondent, "in charm of manner, in quickness of insight—thorough anglo-saxon, however, in the deepness of his policy, the solidity of his judgment, the unflinching decision with which he watches over the true interests of his old england in this land of her ever-rebellious adopted sons. bien anglo-saxon, too, in his ceaseless devotion to duty and stern acceptance of danger and responsibility. but he has received his recompense. these provinces of his are a model for all other colonies, and from one end to the other the name of sir gerardine is enough to make, etc., etc."
in very deed sir arthur had never been more brilliant, more convincing.
* * * * *
coffee was served upon the terrace. even the governor could find no objection to this al-fresco adjournment upon such a night. a purple-blue sky throbbed with stars. upon the one side the lights of the town gleamed, red and orange, far below, and its myriad night clamour seemed to emphasise the apartness of the uplifted palace; upon the other stretched the great flat, fertile, empty lands, still half-flooded, gleaming in the moonlight, widely still save for the occasional far-off cry of some prowling savage animal.
étrange situation! (wrote m. chatelard, in his well-known assertive rhetoric). nous étions là, élevés au-dessus de la plaine, dans cet antique palais converti en résidence moderne, mais tout imprégné des souvenirs de l'orientalisme le plus prononcé. a nos pieds grouillait la ville indoue, intouchable, inchangeable, telle qu'elle avait été avant que le pied du ma?tre étranger y eut pénétré. appuyé centre la balustrade, de la terrasse je laissais plonger mon regard à travers les ténèbres jusque dans la vallée où luisaient, mystérieuses, innombrables, les lumières de la cité et me disais en moi-même: nous voici donc, petit comité de la race conquérante qui n'a pourtant pas conquis; de la civilisation européenne la plus éclairée qui n'a rien su changer dans le fonds des choses là-bas! oui, là-bas, l'orient va toujours son chemin sinistre et secret, inviolable par l'étranger; et toujours il en sera ainsi; toujours ces deux races, destinées à être conjointes sans être unies, traverseront les siècles comme deux courants puissants qui cheminent c?te à c?te sans jamais mélanger leurs ondes!
while sir arthur and his guest exchanged the treasures of their minds with mutual satisfaction, bethune sought to isolate miss cuningham, under the pretext of showing her from a particular corner of the terrace the tents of a new engineer camp. baby was nothing loth. her innocent cherub face looked confidingly forth upon him. her light hair was spangled by the moon rays.
"well?" said he, as soon as they were out of earshot.
the spangled mop began to fly.
"no use!"
he drew his brows together: "did you try?"
"did i try! of course, at once—yesterday. did i not promise?" the girl was reproachful. "she forbade me ever to speak of it again."
raymond bethune folded his arms, leaned them upon the balustrade, and turned a set profile towards the low hanging moon.
"then i must try again," he said, after a pause.
aspasia wished him to succeed; but something relentless in his looks filled her with a sort of fear of him, of pity for her aunt. he seemed as indifferent to human emotion, as immutable, she thought, as one of the stone gods that, cross-legged and long-eyed, in unfathomable inner self-satisfaction, had gazed forth from their niches in the temple walls below for unknown centuries upon the passing mortal throng.
suddenly he turned and left her. sir arthur was now pacing the terrace with the globe-trotter, lucidly laying down the law of india, as interpreted by his own sagacity, his smouldering cigar making ruby circles in the night with every wave of an authoritative hand.
the second secretary, mr. simpson to wit, was sitting by lady gerardine's side, effusively receiving each indifferent phrase that dropped from her lips. as major bethune advanced towards them the young civilian rose and drew away, with a crab-like movement, in the direction of the abandoned baby.
lady gerardine clasped her hands together on her knees; the contraction of her heart, at this man's approach, painted her face ashen even in the pallid light. he took a seat—not mr. simpson's lowly stool, but one that placed him on a level with her; and then there came a little pause between them like the tension of the elements before the break of the storm. she had successfully avoided him the whole evening; but now she felt that further evasion was useless; and she waited, collecting her forces for the final resistance.
he went straight to the point:
"i hope you have reconsidered yesterday's decision. perhaps you do not understand that this is a question of duty with me, of conscience."
he was trying to speak gently.
"you have no responsibility in the matter," she answered.
"i cannot accept that point of view," he said, flashing into icy anger.
she did not reply in words, but rose with a swift haughty movement, unmistakably showing her resolve of closing the discussion once and for ever. but in an instant he was before her, barring her way.
"major bethune," she exclaimed, "this is persecution!"
the blood rushed to her cheeks, her eyes flashed. for an instant she was roused to superlative beauty. stronger became his conviction that here must be more than mere heartless caprice. something of her emotion gained him.
"if you would only give me a reason!" he cried.
"it is impossible," she answered quickly. "is it a thing to be asked for so easily, this raking up of the past? the past! is it not dead? my god—it is dead! what if i for one will keep it so?"
"that is no reason," he said cuttingly; "it is hardly an excuse."
she passed by him with long swift steps and a rush of silken draperies. and thus, once more baffled, baby found him, stonily reflecting. she stopped, promptly discarding her meek admirer.
"no success?"
"no success."
"you had better give it up," said aspasia.
"i was never more determined not to give it up."
baby looked exceedingly sympathetic, fluffy, and engaging: something like a sweet little night-owl, with her round wide eyes and her pursed-up mouth. he suddenly caught one of her hands and held its soft palm closely between his own lean ones:
"miss cuningham," he said in an urgent whisper, "i know you can help me."
she stared at him. it would almost seem as if this strange being could read her vacillating thought. he saw her hesitate and bent to look into her eyes, while the pressure of his hand grew closer.
"and if you can help me, you must. remember your promise."
"well, then," the girl became suddenly breathless, as if she had been running. she looked round over her shoulder: "i know it's beastly mean of me, but, there—you have only to make uncle arthur take it up...."
"ah!" the teeth shone out in his dark face. "i understand. thank you."
but baby was already gone. with crimson cheeks and a deep sense of guilt, she was running hastily away from the starry terrace and the great mysterious, jewelled indian night, into the lighted drawing-room. here lady gerardine was quietly seated alone by a green-shaded lamp, reading her favourite thoreau. she looked up and smiled at aspasia's flurried entrance, marked the quivering, flushed face.
"my dear," she exclaimed, with a vague amused laugh, "what has happened? don't tell me that you have had to box george murray's ears again!"
george murray was sir arthur's first secretary, a young gentleman with a weakness for the fair sex, whose manners and morals had (in spite of m. chatelard's theories of western immunity) been considerably affected by the lax atmosphere of india. aspasia had found it necessary, more than once, to put him in his place; and on the last occasion had confided to her aunt, with a noisy sigh, that if the leschetizky method was to fail in the glorious musical results for which she had once fondly hoped, it had at least had the advantage of singularly strengthening the muscles of her arm.
she now stretched out her fingers, and, half unconsciously sketched a buffet in the air; then she shook her head:
"oh, no, indeed! he has not looked the same side of the room as me since saturday."
"poor man, i am not surprised!"
"serve him right!" said aspasia, indefinite but vindictive.
"it is not mr. simpson, surely?"
"simpson?" echoed the girl, with supreme contempt, "that little worm!"
"who is it, then? for something, or some one, has upset you."
"oh, i don't know! it's major bethune, i think. i don't believe he's canny. he has got such queer eyes."
then, thinking she saw her aunt shudder, she gave her a remorseful hug and flew to the piano to plunge into melodious fireworks.
with a sigh as of one oppressed, lady gerardine took up her book again and endeavoured to absorb herself. for years she had successfully cultivated the faculty of leading her mind into peaceful places; but to-night there was no wandering forth with thoreau's pure ghost into the whispering green woods he loved. stormy echoes from the past were in her ears; relentless hands were forcing her back into the arid spaces where dwelt the abomination of desolation. everything seemed to conspire against her, even aspasia's music.
the girl's fingers had slid into a prelude of chopin, and the familiar notes which she had been wont to reel off with the most perfect and heartless technique were now sighing—nay, wailing—under her touch.
"stop!" exclaimed lady gerardine, suddenly springing to her feet. "oh, baby, even you! what has come into your music to-night? you have betrayed me!" she said, and bursting into tears, hurried from the room.
the girl's hands dropped in consternation from the keys. never had she heard before to-day that ring in her aunt's voice, that cry of the soul. she did not dare follow the flying figure. "you have betrayed me!" ... little, indeed, could the poor soul guess how completely she had been betrayed.
