and she was pleased by a remark of Lord St. Erme, that showed that his poet mind comprehended that wistful intelligence that gave a peculiar beauty to Johnnie's thin white face.
She thought to pay off her obligations by an immediate visit to his sister, while she knew him to be safe out of the way; and, driving to Mrs. Delaval's, she sent her nephew home, intending to walk back.
Lady Lucy was alone, and she found her a gentle, simple-hearted girl, with one sole affection, namely, for the brother, who was the whole world to her; and taking Miss Martindale, on his word, as an object of reverence and admiration. It was impossible not to thaw towards her: and when Theodora spoke of the embellishment of the portrait, she needed no more to make her spring up, and fetch a portfolio to exhibit her brother's drawings. Admirable they were; sketches of foreign scenery, many portraits, in different styles, of Lady Lucy herself, and the especial treasure was a copy of Tennyson, interleaved with illustrations in the German style, very fanciful and beautiful. Theodora was, however, struck by the numerous traces she saw of the Lalla Rookh portrait. It was there as the dark-eyed Isabel; again as Judith, in the Vision of Fair Women; it slept as the Beauty in the Wood; and even in sweet St. Agnes, she met it refined and purified; so that at last she observed, 'It is strange how like this is to my mother.'
'I think it must be,' said Lady Lucy; 'for I was quite struck by your likeness to St. Erme's ideal sketches.'
Rather annoyed, Theodora laughed, and turning from the portfolio, asked if she did not also draw?
'A little; but mine are too bad to be looked at.'
Theodora insisted, and the drawings were produced: all the, best had been done under Lord St. Erme's instruction. The affection between the brother and sister touched her, and thinking herself neglectful of a good little girl, she offered to take the desired walk at once. While Lady Lucy was preparing, however, the brother came home, and oh! the inconvenient satisfaction of his blushing looks.
Yet Theodora pardoned these, when he thanked her for being kind to his sister; speaking with a sort of parental fondness and anxiety of his wish to have Lucy with him, and of his desire that she should form friendships that would benefit her.
Never had he spoken with so much reality, nor appeared to so much advantage; and it was in his favour, too, that Theodora contrasted this warm solicitude for his young sister with the indifference of her own eldest brother. There was evidently none of the cold distance that was the grievance of her home.
'Lady Lucy is almost out of the school-room,' she said. 'You will soon be able to have her with you in the country.'
'There are certainly some considerations that might make me resolve on an English winter,' said Lord St. Erme.
'Every consideration, I should think.'
'Fogs and frosts, and clouds, that hang like a weight on the whole frame,' said Lord St. Erme, shivering.
'Healthy, freshening mists, and honest vigorous frosts to brace one for service,' said Theodora, smiling.
'O, Miss Martindale!' cried Lady Lucy, entering, 'are you persuading St. Erme to stay all the year in England? I do so wish he would.'
'Then you ought to make him,' said Theodora.
'If Miss Martindale were to express a wish or opinion--'
She saw it was time to cut him short. 'Every one's opinion must be the same,' she said.
'O,' cried Lucy, 'of course Italy is pleasanter. It is selfish to wish to keep him here; but if I had my will, we would live together at Wrangerton, and have such nice poor people.'
'A 'chateau en Espagne' indeed, my little sister. Wrangerton is a most forlorn place, an old den of the worst period of architecture, set down just beyond the pretty country, but in the programme of all the tourists as a show place; the third-rate town touching on the park, and your nice poor people not even the ordinary English peasantry, but an ill-disposed set of colliers.'
Theodora looked, but did not speak.
'Miss Martindale thinks me a laggard, but she hears my excuse.'
'If they are ill-disposed,' said Theodora, in her low, severe voice (she could not help it), 'it is for want of influence from the right quarter.'
'My agent tells me they are perfectly impracticable.'
'Knights of old liked something impracticable.' She was almost ready to check herself; but there was something inspiriting in the idea of awakening this youth, who seemed to catch at her words as if she were a damsel sending forth a champion. His reply was--
'Those were days worth living for. Then the knight's devoir was poetry in real life.'
'Devoir is always poetry in real life,' said Theodora. 'What is it but the work ready to hand? Shrinking from it is shrinking from the battle. Come, Lady Lucy, I will not detain you.'
Lord St. Erme seemed about to say something as he shook hands, but it did not come. The walk was passed by the simple-hearted Lucy discoursing of the events by which she counted her eras, namely, his visits. Her perfect brother was her only theme.
CHAPTER 20
Yet learn the gamut of Hortensio.--Taming of the Shrew
Mrs. Nesbit was recommended to spend some months at Baden Baden; and Theodora formed a design, which highly pleased Arthur and Violet, of spending this time, while the family were absent, and while Arthur was in Scotland, as hostess at Martindale to Violet and the children.
After seeing Arthur off to Windsor for the next fortnight, Theodora had begun writing to propose the scheme to her father, when she was interrupted by the announcement of Lord St. Erme.
To visit her alone was a strong measure, and she put on a panoply of dignified formality. He began to say he had brought a German book, to show her a poem of which their conversation had reminded him.
'I understand very little German,' said she, coldly. 'I once had a German governess whom I disliked so much that I took a disgust to the language.'
'There is so much that is beautiful and untranslatable in its literature, that I am sure it would recompense you.'
'I do not like the German tone of mind. It is vapoury and unreal.'
'I should like to show you cause to alter your opinion, but--'
'This is English,' said Theodora, as her eye fell on a paper of verses that marked the place.
'Ah, Lucy made me put it in. A few lines that occurred to me after watching Mrs. Martindale's little boy.'
Thankful that they were not inspired by Venus's little boy, she glanced over them, and saw they were in his best style, simple and pretty thoughts on the child's content, wherever he traced any symbol of his father.
'Poor little Johnnie is highly flattered,' she said. 'His mamma will be delighted.'
He begged her attention to the German poem, she glanced onward as he read, watching for shoals ahead, and spied something about a 'hochbeseeltes madchen' inspiring a 'Helden sanger geist', and grew hotter and hotter till she felt ready to box his ears for intoning German instead of speaking plain English, and having it over. A cotton umbrella arose before her eyes, she heard the plashing gravel, and an honest voice telling her she was a grand creature in great need of being broken in.
The critical stanza had commenced, the reader's voice trembled; Theodora did not heed, her mind was in the avenue at home. An opening door startled them.
'Mr. and Mrs. Albert Moss.'
Her brother's brother-in-law! the son and partner of Lord St. Erme's steward! Was it thus his suit was to be checked?
There was no recognition; he went on reading his German to himself, while Albert presented Mrs. Albert Moss, resplendent in bridal finery, and displaying her white teeth in a broad smile, as with a nod, half-gracious, half- apologetic, she said, 'I fear we interrupt a lesson; but we will not inconvenience you; we will go at once to our dear convalescent.'
'Thank you, you do not interrupt me, and I do not think my sister is dressed yet. Indeed, I doubt whether I ought to allow her to see any one.'
' O, you cannot be so cruel!' cried Mrs. Moss, holding up her hands; 'one little peep! our only day in town.'
'Yes,' said Albert. 'I could not but gratify my Louisa's anxiety to be introduced to her new relatives.'
