CHAPTER X

ON TEM WATCH.

Mrs. Hamblin, although she spoke so fairly to Spiridion Pratt, and seemed to experience so little annoyance at the idea of his proposing for Eleanor Irvine, was by no means prepared to let the matter run on smoothly and in an even course. Spiridion himself, who knew the passionate nature of the woman, and whose vanity induced him to believe that her existence without his devotion was almost impossible, had been wonderfully relieved when he found not merely that there was no necessity for him to break the real facts of the case to her, but that when he had confirmed her impression she received his candid declaration with more than calmness, and with the expression of a desire to help him in the attainment of his wishes. He was too foolish and too vain to believe that this woman with whom he had been intriguing would grow tired of him as he had grown tired of her; and yet such little knowledge of the world had he gained during all his six-and-thirty years of life as to think it possible that a woman's affection could be strong enough not only to permit her to give up the man whom she loved, feeling it was for his good, but actually to help him in his attempt to win the hand of another.

Mrs. Hamblin's character was not easily to be fathomed by such a superficial observer as Spiridion Pratt; and when she quitted the Villa after the interview in which her quondam admirer had suffered his secret to be so easily extracted from him, however calm she appeared outwardly, she was inwardly raging with spite and jealousy. Not that she particularly regretted the loss of Spiridion as an admirer. She had originally conceived the idea of allowing him to pay her attention at a time when the publication of his book of poems had given him a little temporary popularity amongst people in society, and when, consequently, many women of a certain class would have been glad to have entangled the lion in their net; and once entangled, Mr. Pratt was one of those tea-table Lovelaces whose romantic outpourings in private, and perpetual attentions in public, are so agreeable to some women. Mrs. Hamblin, however, who in far-seeing appreciation was in advance of the generality of her sex, had long since become somewhat weary of her adorer's inanity, and had more than once meditated on the desirability of giving him his _congé_; when, however, she discovered that the man of whom she thought it would be difficult to rid herself had actually transferred his devotion to another shrine, she was furious; and though she cared nothing at all about him for herself, she determined as far as possible to thwart his plans with regard to Eleanor Irvine solely to gratify her revenge.

Whirling away from the Villa, Mrs. Hamblin lay back in her brougham, pondering how her purpose could best be accomplished.

'Very bright and intelligent, is she?' she muttered. 'That may or may not be. A man in love not merely finds a Venus in the object of his admiration, but credits her with innumerable qualities which she never possessed; and Tito in this respect is worse than the majority of men, for he allows his folly, which he calls his fancy, completely to run away with him. The girl is pretty--I remember that distinctly--but I cannot call to mind anything else about her, and it is just such an alliance as would please that weak-minded Tito; to have a young girl sit and worship him all day, and to realise all his romantic aspirations of love in a cottage, with the cottage left out and a charming villa with all kinds of luxury instead, would render him supremely happy. And I am to sit by actually; and when we meet I am to be specially introduced, and to hear told before my face what a dear friend I have been, and under what obligations he is to me; and to imagine her being told behind my back--for the man is vain and weak and boastful, like most of them--what a conquest he had made of me, and how I had followed at the wheels of my lord's chariot. No, I do not think that I can quite brook that from any man. One might put up with a good deal from a great creature who was obviously one's master, but from Tito, who was my slave, and whose every thought and action I have directed since I first knew him, it is too absurd. I always knew that he would marry, for his romance, like his cynicism, and most of his other self-asserted characteristics, is a sham, and he would be far happier in the honest prose of domestic life; but I intended that his wife should be one of my choosing; and if this young lady really answers his description, she is by no means what I should have selected for him. He would be convenient for many reasons, even as a married man, under one's thumb; and with a wife of any sort of intelligence that would of course be impossible.

'Very bright and intelligent, and can quite hold her own in conversation. That I can perfectly understand; her sister, Mrs. Chadwick, is one of those women who have the superficial knowledge and the taking manner which would please a man like Tito, and the girl no doubt has caught it from her. But, in addition to this, Mrs. Chadwick is a keen woman of the world, who conducted her own marriage on the cleverest commercial principles, and who wishes to see her sister as safely and as reputably landed. To such a person Tito is a catch, and his alliance very desirable; so that I shall have no assistance from her. The girl may possibly have the same views; but I should have a better chance with her than with her sister. If she be as described, it is impossible she can have any real feeling for Tito, but is simply prepared to accept him from a worldly point of view; and it seems to me that there are two ways by which I can spoil the plan on which my faithless Tito has set his heart. To carry out either I must make the acquaintance of the young lady, and find out all about her. If she does not care for Tito, it will be easy enough to introduce her to some one who will soon obliterate any recollection of that romantic youth; and if she does care for him, it will not be difficult to lead her into such an entanglement as, once proved to him, will prevent his having any further thought of her.'

Actuated by these benevolent intentions, Mrs. Hamblin determined upon calling upon Mrs. Chadwick as soon as possible.

Accordingly, the next day, she made her way to Fairfax-gardens. The acquaintance between the ladies had up to this time been slight, and though Mr. and Mrs. Hamblin had been present at the charades and other entertainments, and Mr. and Mrs. Chadwick had dined once during the season with the Hamblins, there had been no farther intimacy. When the servant brought in Mrs. Hamblin's card, Mrs. Chadwick was a little surprised, as the usual formal visits on either side had been paid, and she was not looking forward to a renewal of such courtesy until the ensuing season. Nevertheless she was gratified, for Mrs. Hamblin stood exceptionally well with society--her husband's official rank, and her own good looks, wealth, and _savoir faire_, enabling them to hold their own with the best; while Mrs. Chadwick fancied she had hitherto been only received by them on sufferance as it were, and that they had no intention of farther prosecuting the acquaintance. But Mrs. Chadwick was quite sufficiently clever to know that Mrs. Hamblin would not have come to see her without some motive, and what that motive might be--whether it was the filling up of an idle half-hour at a time when most of her intimates were out of town, or whether it was dictated by some deeper design--the lady of Fairfax-gardens revolved in her mind as she descended to the drawing-room to greet her visitor.

Mrs. Hamblin when she chose had a very fascinating manner, and she used it on this occasion. Mrs. Chadwick could not imagine how she could ever have suspected her guest of formality or frigidity, so thoroughly kind, pleasant, and familiar did she now find her.

'I call this for some reasons really the very pleasantest time of the year in London,' said Mrs. Hamblin, 'for now there is a possibility of seeing something of those people whose tastes are in accordance with one's own, and who therefore one is disposed to look upon as one's friends. In the season, as you know perfectly well, my dear Mrs. Chadwick, one lives in a perfect whirl from morning till night, and from May to July we scarcely have more opportunity for a friendly chat than if we were at opposite poles. Now, however, that all the bustle and party-giving is over, there is an opportunity for real enjoyment, and I was really wicked enough to be glad when I heard from our friend Mr. Pratt that you and Mr. Chadwick were detained in town as well as ourselves; for I thought we should be glad to get you to come and see us in an informal manner, and that I should have the chance, which I have often wished for, of knowing you more intimately.'

Mrs. Chadwick seemed taken aback at this; she nevertheless replied much in the same strain, expressing her obligations at the compliment, and the delight which she and her husband would experience in meeting Mr. and Mrs. Hamblin on the terms suggested. The line taken by her visitor gave her a chance of magnifying her own importance, and she expatiated to Mrs. Hamblin on the vast amount of society which during the season she was compelled to keep up, and on the relief which she, in her turn, experienced when relieved from so much social pleasure. But, like an astute sword-player, she kept her wits about her during all this flourish and preamble, and the mention of Spiridion Pratt's name had aroused her suspicions. Upon Mrs. Chadwick herself the breath of scandal had never blown, but there were few virtuous ladies better posted upon all that was said about their neighbours, and the relations between Mrs. Hamblin and her romantic Tito had been frequently discussed at Fairfax-gardens and elsewhere in Mrs. Chadwick's presence.

'And we hope to have the additional pleasure,' continued Mrs. Hamblin, all smiles, but with a shrewd perception of what was passing across her companion's mind, 'of making the acquaintance of your charming sister. Miss Irvine is quite a stranger to Mr. Hamblin, and though I have seen her once, it is true, it was for a moment only. I have constantly looked forward to meeting her again, but I have always been disappointed. Now you must bring her with you, and I have promised myself a great treat, for I am sure she must be as agreeable as she is pretty.'

Mrs. Chadwick was much confused at this move, and could not understand Mrs. Hamblin's motive for it. Spiridion she knew would naturally be at the dinner, and she could not define Mrs. Hamblin's object in throwing Eleanor in his way.

That there was an object, however, she was certain, and it was accordingly somewhat coldly that she replied, 'I will be the bearer of your message, of course, with much pleasure, but I can hardly hope that it will have any satisfactory result, for my sister resolutely refuses to go into society.'

'That I can perfectly understand,' said Mrs. Hamblin, 'as she is young and inexperienced, and has not the necessity, like you, to hide her own griefs and feelings in order to play an important part in the world; but such a little family gathering as I propose cannot be called society--there will only be ourselves and Mr. Pratt, and perhaps two or three unfortunate men who have been left stranded in town, and whom we can secure at a short notice.'

This frankness was still farther confusing. Spiridion was to be there--what could be the meaning of it? And then Mrs. Chadwick recollected having heard Charley Ormerod say that Mrs. Hamblin would soon get tired of Little Petrarch--the name by which Mr. Pratt was known in the set--and send him flying like the rest of them. Perhaps this had come about; perhaps she had grown tired of Little Petrarch and sent him flying, careless as to who should pick him up.

'I can only repeat that I will give your message to my sister and do all I can to induce her to come, but I have strong doubts about success.'

'Would you let me make my application to Miss Irvine in person, my dear Mrs. Chadwick?' said Mrs. Hamblin. 'Not that I for an instant doubt your good intentions, or am unaware that what I am about to say sounds horribly vain, but I candidly confess I have a great belief in my own powers of persuasion.'

'Such a belief is doubtless merely the result of experience, Mrs. Hamblin, and in accordance with what all the world says of you,' said Mrs. Chadwick half spitefully--for except her honest old husband no one had ever found _her_ particularly fascinating--'and I will take care that you have the opportunity of seeing Eleanor.'

'At once?' asked Mrs. Hamblin. 'May I try at once? I feel full of mesmeric influence to-day.'

'I am sorry that you will not have the opportunity of exhibiting your skill to-day, unless you choose to wait for an hour,' said Mrs. Chadwick coldly, 'for Eleanor is not in the house just now, and I have sent the brougham to fetch her.'

'Not in the house,' repeated Mrs. Hamblin; 'O, I am so grieved!'

'She has been very much engaged for the last few weeks,' said Mrs. Chadwick. 'First, in attendance on an old schoolfellow, who required care and attention--which she could not possibly have had but for Eleanor's help--and more recently she has been occupied at the South Kensington Museum.'

'At the South Kensington Museum!' cried Mrs. Hamblin, whose notions of that establishment were confined to an occasional languid stroll through the loan collection, but who had heard of it as a convenient place of meeting for people who wanted accidentally to encounter each other. 'At the South Kensington Museum!' she repeated. 'How very funny! What does she go there for?'

'To study, Mrs. Hamblin,' said Mrs. Chadwick, with virtuous dignity. 'Eleanor has a great idea of independence, and desires to perfect herself in that art of which poor papa was so admirable a professor.'

'Was Mr. Irvine, the great artist, your father?' said Mrs. Hamblin, with well-feigned astonishment--she knew perfectly well all about poor Angus Irvine, to whose assistance she had more than once contributed--'I had no idea of that. And so your sister, who has talent of course, is thinking of following in his footsteps. How noble and courageous of her, and what a reproof to us, who are only fitted to be burdens upon men! But you surely will not permit her to persevere in this idea, my dear Mrs. Chadwick; she is far too pretty and interesting to be doomed to such a life. This is she, is it not?' she added, taking up a coloured photograph which stood upon the table. 'I thought I recognised those lovely eyes and that charming hair, though I had only seen her once; the likeness to you is most remarkable; a girl with a face like that must not be permitted to "wither on a stalk," as some one has said. There is scarcely any position which she might not aspire to if she were seen in society.'

'So I have told her,' said Mrs. Chadwick, delighted at the compliment to herself, 'but it does not seem to be of much use. However, as I said before, I will do my best to induce her to accept your kind invitation.'

'And if you succeed you may leave the rest to me,' said Mrs. Hamblin. 'I shall certainly try and dissuade her from this, in her case very natural, but wholly romantic, idea of becoming an artist, and the best means to that end is by encouraging her to go into society and become conscious of the excitement which she will create there. In a small company such as I propose having on Thursday, dear Mrs. Chadwick, there will be even a better chance for a beginner than in a larger assemblage, and you may depend upon my having no detrimentals present.'

'You include Mr. Pratt in your list?' asked Mrs. Chadwick, with a forced titter.

'Certainly,' replied Mrs. Hamblin quickly; 'Mr. Pratt will probably be the most eligible man there.' And soon afterwards she took her leave.

'That woman is decidedly my inferior in every variety of tactics,' said Mrs. Hamblin to herself, as she drove away. 'She could not hide her astonishment when I announced that I should have Tito to dinner to meet this rosebud, and ever since has been turning over in her mind what I meant without ever arriving at a conclusion. I hope the rosebud will come, as I am anxious to see her and form my own opinion about her. I don't choose that these vulgar people should carry all before them in the way they intend, and I am determined that this match, which seems to have been arranged with the greatest coolness and confidence on both sides, shall not take place. It will not require any very intricate scheming to break it off, I should think--I have had many a more difficult task, and have carried it through successfully before now. If the rosebud is not really desperately in love with my poor Tito, it will be easy to make her like some one else. If she is very fond of him, then one must work upon him, depreciate her in his eyes, and finally make him give her up. That would not be difficult in any case, and fortunately, as a means to that end, we get the rosebud's artistic tendencies and her habit of frequenting the South Kensington Museum. What a very weak woman Mrs. Chadwick must be to put any faith in such rodomontade as that! The girl goes there, I have no doubt; but I don't imagine that all she has learnt by the end of the day in the way of art-study would be worth much; though her knowledge of character, if she have the faculty of observation, is greatly increased. It might be as well just to see for oneself whether she really goes there, what she does, and whom she meets. She would not recognise me, and I might pick up some information which would be valuable. James,' she said, opening the front window of the brougham, 'go to the South Kensington Museum.'

The Chadwick brougham, noticeable always for that exaggeration in every particular which in such matters appears peculiar to parvenus--the horses a little too much for the carriage, the plating a little too much for the harness, and the servants' liveries considerably overdone--was standing before the entrance gate of the Museum as Mrs. Hamblin drove up.

'That is the carriage, no doubt,' said Mrs. Hamblin to herself; 'one could recognise it from any distance from its excessive vulgarity. And what on earth do people mean by having cockades in the servants' hats? I suppose the man is a deputy-lieutenant, or something of that sort; but I should have given Mrs. Chadwick credit for better taste than to ape such a distinction on such grounds. The brougham being there, one may take it for granted that the young lady is inside. I have a great mind to go in to see what peculiar form of art-study she may be at present engaged in. If she really is drawing, I don't suppose I should have much difficulty in finding her, and if she were not in the schools, why, that would be a point in my favour. Even were I to see her she would not recognise me, and I should therefore run no risk. I will go in and take my chance.'

Mrs. Hamblin called to the servant to open the door, but she had scarcely placed her foot upon the step before she withdrew it and resumed her seat, for, on looking round, she had perceived a young lady, who was no doubt the person she was seeking, advancing hurriedly from an opposite direction. When this young lady stepped into Mrs. Chadwick's carriage, and was rapidly driven off, Mrs. Hamblin had no farther doubt.

'It was she,' she said to herself. 'Even if I hadn't had such a recent glimpse of the photograph I should have remembered that striking face. There is no doubt she is exceedingly pretty, and I don't wonder at that soft-hearted Tito being captivated. There is much more style about her, too, than I had thought for, and she has quite enough charm to make her a dangerous rival to any one. So much the more reason for putting an end to this elaborate plan. And so that is the way she studies art, is it? How absurd to think that the sister, who fancies herself a thorough woman of the world, should be completely hoodwinked by such an apparently ingenuous creature! It is perfectly plain that the coachman must be in her confidence, and must bring the carriage in here and wait for her whilst she studies art elsewhere. It would not be difficult, I imagine, to learn through the servants what time the carriage is ordered to-morrow, and to see exactly where she goes. Circumstances seem so far to have played into my hands, and I don't think it will be very difficult to produce such a chain of evidence as will tend to render Tito somewhat less confident in the innocence of his _innamorata_.'

The next morning, at a few minutes before eleven o'clock, a hansom cab, in which was a lady with a black-lace veil, drew up in the side street next to Mr. Chadwick's mansion in Fairfax-gardens. Within a quarter of an hour the family brougham drove round to the door, and Miss Irvine having entered it, drove quickly off, followed at a little distance by the cab. After proceeding some way, the coachman changed his direction, and the cabman did the same. Finally, the brougham stopped at the door of Lady Forestfield's lodgings in Podbury-street. Miss Irvine descended and entered the house, the carriage driving away, but the cab remaining at a convenient distance. A few minutes afterwards another cab drove up to Lady Forestfield's door, and a slight good-looking man, with a dark beard, knocked, and was admitted. Then the veiled lady in the hansom ordered the driver to go to the South Kensington Museum, and on arrival instructed him to take up his position close to Mr. Chadwick's brougham, which was duly waiting there.

Two long hours passed, but the veiled lady showed no sign of weariness. Her patience was at last rewarded; Miss Irvine appeared within sight, making her way to the brougham. Just as she was approaching its door Mrs. Hamblin descended from her cab, and stretching out her hand, said, with an air of great delight, 'Miss Irvine, I believe? You will scarcely recollect me. I am Mrs. Hamblin, and I hope to have the pleasure of seeing you with your sister on Thursday next.'