Man and Maid Read online

  XXI

  The days go slowly on, my preparations are complete. My good friendNelson arrived on Monday and took charge of the affair. He was entirelyaware of the Bulteel story, it was the great scandal of twenty-fiveyears ago. He expressed no opinion as to my marrying into such a family,but went about the business end with diligence. I made a very nicesettlement upon Alathea, more than he thought was necessary. Then hespoke of arrangements for possible children, and fixed that, too. Iwonder what she will say when she reads that part! I have settled withthe Duchesse, who is entering into the spirit of the thing with herusual delicious whimsical understanding, that some time soon after thewedding she shall ask about ten of our principal mutual friends to comein the afternoon, and she will present Alathea to them, and if anyonemakes comments upon the matter, she will say that she is the daughter ofan old English friend, and even if Coralie recognizes her as the girlwho was with me at Versailles, she will not dare to say a word about anyprotegee of the Duchesse's. She is much too afraid of offending her,being received at the Hotel de Courville herself on sufferance onlybecause of her birth and family. As for Maurice, I can manage him! Now Iam beginning to wonder what Alathea would prefer to do? I don't want tosee her until the ceremony, but I suppose I must.

  The Duchesse has arranged that I should meet my _fiancee_ in hersitting-room and sign the contract there on the day before the wedding,five days from now. Alathea, she tells me is like a frozen image, butfaithful to her promise to me, my dear old friend has not made anycomment or tried to aid matters. I think she rejoices that I shall havesuch an interesting time in the breaking down of the barrier.

  Nina writes heartbrokenly; Johnnie was very dear to her; sorrow seems tohave brought out all that is best in her. She says she feels that shejust drifted along, taking all good and happiness for granted, and notdoing enough for other people, and that now she is going to devote herlife to making Jim happy and contented, and hopes some day, not too faroff, to have another child to care for. Darling old Nina! She always wasthe best sort in the world.

  Of Suzette I have heard nothing, although Burton says he caught sight ofher on the stairs just whisking into the flat above mine, which has beentaken by a lovely actress, a cousin of hers, who has married a richretired Jew _antiquaire_!

  There are still possibilities of complications here!

  But I feel quite serene, Alathea will be mine. She cannot get away fromme. I can insidiously, from day to day, carry out my plan of winningher, and the tougher the fight is, the more it will be worth whileafterwards!

  _November 6th._

  To-day was really wonderful! Mr. Nelson has presumably seen Alathea andher family several times. I have refused to hear anything about it, andhe arrived with her alone at the Hotel de Courville. I had understoodthat her mother was coming with her, but she was ill and did not turnup.

  The Duchesse and I were talking when the two were announced. Alathea wasin a nice little grey frock and had her glasses on. I think she knew theDuchesse would not approve of that camouflage, because there was an airof defiance about her, her rebellious Cupid's bow of a mouth was shutsternly, she was even quite repellant,--she has never attracted me more!

  The Duchesse was sweet to her and made no remark about the glasses, butwas called back to the ward almost immediately for a little, and whileshe was gone Mr. Nelson read over the settlement.

  "I think you are giving me a great deal too much," Alathea saidannoyedly. "I shall feel uncomfortable,--and chained."

  "I intend my wife to have this." I answered quietly. "So I am afraid youwill have to agree."

  She pulled in her lips but said no more until the part about thechildren came, when she started to her feet, her cheeks crimson.

  "What is this ridiculous clause?" she asked angrily.

  Old Mr. Nelson looked unspeakably shocked. "It is customary in allmarriage settlements, my dear young lady," he said reprovingly, andAlathea looked at me with suspicion, but she said nothing, and theDuchesse, returning then to the room, all was soon signed, sealed anddelivered! Mr. Nelson withdrew, saying he would call for Miss Bulteelnext day for the wedding.

  When we were alone the Duchesse kissed us both.

  "I hope for your happiness, my children," she said. "I know you both,and your droll characters, the time will come when you may know eachother, and in any case, I feel that you will both remember that _tenue_,a recognition of correct behaviour, helps all situations in life, andthe rest is in the hands of the _Bon Dieu_."

  Then she left us again, and Alathea sat stiffly down upon anuncompromising little Louis XV _canape_ out of my reach. I did not moveor speak, indeed I lit a cigarette casually.

  Alathea's face was a study! I watched her lazily. How had I ever thoughther plain? Even in those first days, disguised with the horn spectacles,and the tornback hair, the contour of her little face is so perfectlyoval, and her neck so round and long, but not too long. There is not theleast look of scragginess about her, just extreme slenderness, asmall-boned creature of perhaps five foot four or five, with childishoutline. To-day in the becoming little grey frock, and even with theglasses on she is lovely, perhaps she seems so to me because I now knowthat the glasses are not necessary. The expression of her mouth said,"Am I being tricked? Does the man mean to seize me when he gets mealone? Shall I run away and have done with it?"

  She was restless, her old serenity seems to have deserted her.

  "I wanted to ask you," I began calmly, "What you would like to doimmediately after the wedding. I mean would you prefer that we went toVersailles? The passport business makes everything so difficult, orwould you rather go down to the Riviera? Or just stay at the flat?"

  "I don't care in the least," she replied ungraciously.

  "Then if you don't care, we will stay at the flat, because if I do notinterrupt my treatment I shall be the sooner well to go to England. Haveyou engaged a maid?"

  "Yes."

  "You will give orders that your trunks are sent in in the morning, then,and that she has everything ready for you."

  "Very well."

  All this time her face was turned away from me as much as possible. Forone second a fear came to me that after all perhaps it is real hate shehas for me, which will be unsurmountable, and I was impelled to ask her:

  "Alathea, do you detest the idea of marrying me so much that you wouldrather break the whole thing?"

  She turned and faced me now, and I feel sure blue fire was coming fromthose beautiful eyes, could I have seen them!

  "It is not a question of what I would wish or not, nor of my feelings inany way. I am going through with the ceremony, and shall be yourpermanent secretary, because I am under great monetary obligations toyou, and wish for security for my family in the future. You put it to methat you wanted to buy me, and I could name the price--you have overpaidit. I shall not go back upon my promise, only I want to feel perfectlysure that you will expect nothing more of me than what we havearranged."

  "I shall expect nothing more; your sense of the fitness of things willsuggest to you not to make either of us look ridiculous in public byyour being over disagreeable to me, we shall carry on with a semblanceof mutual respect, I hope."

  She bowed.

  The temptation to burst out and tell her of my feelings wasextraordinary. I absolutely trembled with the control it required not torise from my chair and go and take her hands; but I restrained everysign and appeared as indifferent as she is. The Duchesse came back in afew moments and I said I would go.

  I did not even then shake hands with Alathea, and the Duchesse came outinto the passage with me, to see me safe into the lift, she is always sokind to anything crippled.

  "Nicholas," she whispered, "Her manner to you is very cruel, but do notbe discouraged!--I feel that it is more promising than if she were kind.She has also had a dreadful time with the father, who has now beentransferred to the _poste_ in the desert in Africa. One must hope forgood, and her poor mother is going off to Hyeres with little Hilda andtheir faith
ful old maid, the only servant they had, so after the weddingyou will have your bride all to yourself!"

  "Perhaps the thought of that is what is making her so reluctant and icyto-day!"

  The Duchesse laughed as she handed me my crutch and closed the liftdoor. "Time will tell, my son!" and she waved her hand as I disappearedbelow.

  And now I am alone before the crackling fire in my sitting-room,--and Iwonder how many men have spent the eve of their marriages in so quiet amanner? I feel no excitement even. I have re-read this journal, it is apretty poor literary effort, but it does chronicle my emotions, and thegradual growing influence Alathea has been exercising upon me. Byputting down what happens between us each day like this, I can thenreview progress once a week, and can take stock of little shades whichwould not be remembered otherwise.

  * * * * *

  At that moment the telephone rang, and George Harcourt asked if he mightcome round and smoke a cigar.

  "Your pre-war ones are so good, Nicholas," he said. He was in at theRitz, from Versailles, for the night.

  I answered "Yes." I like to talk to old George, I don't know why I callhim old always, he is forty-eight perhaps, and absolutely wellpreserved, and women love him passionately, more perhaps than when hewas young.

  When we were settled in two comfortable arm chairs before the fire, heheld forth as usual. He had arranged the affairs of Bobby Bulteel onlyin the nick of time. "I have all the receipts, Nicholas, to hand toyou," he said.

  "The wretched creature was overcome with gratitude. We had a long chat,and he plans to clear out and start life afresh in the Argentine as soonas War is over and he can be released from his commission. He is boundto end in hell with his temperament, but it won't matter so long as poorLady Hilda is not dragged down too. He agreed to leave the family hereunmolested now, and not return for years to them, when he does retirefrom the army."

  Then I told my old friend that I intended to marry the daughter on themorrow. He was very surprised.

  "I could not imagine what your interest could be, Nicholas, unless ithad something to do with a woman, but where did you ever meet the girl,my dear boy?"

  I explained.

  "You might come to the wedding, George," I said.

  Alathea (Harriet Hammond) realizes that Suzette (ReneeAdoree) is the only woman that stands between her and the love of SirNicholas (Lew Cody). (A scene from Elinor Glyn's production "Man andMaid" for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)]

  He promised he would, then he smoked for a minute or two in silence."Pretty terrible thing, marriage," and he puffed blue rings with perfectprecision. "I have never been able to face it. What has made you slipinto the mesh?"

  "Because I think I have found someone who will be a good companion andnot bore me."

  "You are not in love then? It is a sensible arrangement, and in that wayyou have a chance of happiness; also the girl has had a hard life, andmay be grateful for comfort and kindness."

  "What do you suppose men really want, George?"

  "The continuous stimulation of the hunting instinct, of course. It issatiety which kills everything, but what a small percentage of womenknow how to keep it alive, on the mental side!"

  I waited for him to go on.

  "You see, dear boy, love which is only the camouflaged aspect of thecreative instinct, cannot really hold, but a clever woman acts as a spurto the mind, keeps it hunting in the abstract, as well as gratifying,not too generously, the physical desires. Unfortunately it has neverbeen my good fortune to encounter such a being, so I have never beenable to remain faithful. You are very much in luck if Bobby's girl showsintelligence. She ought to be a remarkable creature because she was bornat the white heat of passion on both parents' side, and self-sacrificeand devotion added on the mother's."

  "She is, George."

  "My best wishes, Nicholas. I think you are wise, probably wounded asyou are, it will be nice for you to have an agreeable companion," and hesighed.

  "You have quite finished with Violetta?"

  "Now that is the odd part," and he actually removed his cigar from hislips. "I thought I had, but when I went to see her with the certainintention of deceiving her and backing out gracefully,--that vixenCarmencita was drawing me so strongly!--I found Violetta quite tranquil.She said she had realized that I was cooling off, and her rule was tohold nothing which did not wish to stay, so she was quite prepared topart from me. She was very tender, she looked beautiful, and you knowwhen it came to saying farewell, I found myself quite unable to do so! Ihad prepared a lot of lies about my not being justified in giving thetime from my work, but before I could tell them Violetta had forestalledme by assuring me that she knew I must really stick closer to my office,and she would no longer expect much of my company. You know, Nicholas, Isuddenly found her charm renewed tenfold, and I could only congratulatemyself upon the fact that the affair with Carmencita had not gone farenough to amount to anything, and now I am in pursuit of Violetta again,and 'pon my soul, Nicholas, if she only keeps me wondering, I believe Ishall be really in love!"

  "Shall you marry, George?"

  He looked almost bashful.

  "It is just possible,--Violetta is a widow."

  Then our eyes met and we both laughed aloud.

  "You can contemplate happiness, George with your widow, because you feelthat she now knows how to handle you, and I contemplate happiness withmy little girl, because I respect her character and adore every inch ofher, and by Jove! old man, I believe we shall both get what we arelooking for!"

  Then our talk drifted to politics and the war, and it was just aboutmidnight before old George left, and when he had gone I opened thewindow wide, and looked out on the night, there was a half moon almostset, and the air was still, and very warm for the beginning of November.There are nights like that, mysterious and electric when all sorts ofstrange forces seem to be abroad. And something of romance in me exaltedmy spirit, and I found myself saying a prayer that I might be true to mytrust, and have strength enough of will to wait patiently until myAlathea comes voluntarily into my arms.

  And how I wonder what she is thinking about, there at Auteuil?

  I went along into the room which is to be hers to-morrow, and I saw thatit was all arranged, except the flowers, which would come in fresh inthe morning. And then I hobbled back to my own room and rang for Burton.The faithful creature waits for me no matter how late I am.

  When I was safely in bed, he came over to me, and his dear old faceshowed emotion.

  "I do indeed wish you happiness, Sir Nicholas, to-morrow will be thebest day of my life."

  We shook hands silently, and he left me, still writing in this journal!

  I feel no excitement, rather as if another act in the drama of life wasended, that is all, and that to-morrow I am starting upon a new onewhich will decide whether the end of the play shall be tragedy orcontent?