take one of his dangerous fancies to the damsel in her charge.
However, the Captain Count's dark eyes betrayed no more than a fleeting interest in Miss Devenish, and before any introduction could be made a young gentleman with embryonic whiskers, and a sandy head at lamentable difference with his scarlet dress coat, joined them.
'Hallo, Bab!' said Lord Harry Alastair. 'Servant, Lady Worth! Miss Devenish, do you know they are dancing in the other room? May I have the honour?'
Judith, smiling a gracious permission, could not but feel that the path of a chaperon was a hard one. The reputation of the Alastairs, from Dominic, Duke of Avon, down to his granddaughter, Barbara, was not such as to lead a conscientious duenna to observe with pleasure her charge being borne off by any one of them. She comforted herself with the reflection that Lord Harry, an eighteen-year-old Ensign could hardly be considered dangerous. Had it been Lord George, now! But Lord George, happily, was not in Belgium.
By the time Lord Harry had escorted Miss Devenish to the ballroom, the inevitable crowd had gathered round his sister. Lady Worth escaped from it, but not before she had been asked (inevitably, she thought) for news from Vienna.
Rumours and counter-rumours were as usual being circulated; the English in Brussels seemed to be poised for flight; and the only thing that would infallibly reassure the timorous was the certain news of the Duke's arrival.
It was easy to see what Brussels would make of him when he did come. 'The pedestal is ready for the hero,' said Judith, with rather a provocative smile. 'And we are all ready to kneel and worship at the base. I hope he may be worthy of our admiration.'
General Maitland, to whom she had addressed this remark, said: 'Do you know him, Lady Worth?'
'I have not that pleasure. Pray do not mention it, but I have never so much as laid eyes on him. Is it not shocking?'
'Oh!' said the General.
She raised her brows. 'What am I to understand by that, if you please? Shall I be disappointed? I warn you, I expect a demi-god!'
'Demi-god,' repeated the General, stroking one beautiful whisker. 'Well, I don't know. Shouldn't have called him so myself.'
'Ah, I am to be disappointed! I feared as much.'
'No - no,' said the General. 'Not disappointed. He is a very able commander.'
'That sounds a little flat, I confess. Is it only the ladies who worship him? Do not his soldiers?'
'Oh no, nothing like that!' said the General, relieved to be able to answer a plain question. 'I believe they rather like him than not: they like to see his hook nose among them at any rate; but they don't worship him. Don't think he'd care for it if they did.'
She was interested. 'You present me with a new picture, General. My brother-in-law is quite devoted to him, I believe.'
'Audley? Well, he's one of his family, you see.' He observed a bewildered look on her face, and added: 'On his staff, I should say. That's another matter altogether. His staff know him better than the rest of us.'
'This is more promising. He is unapproachable. A demi-god should certainly be so.'
He laughed suddenly. 'No, no, you won't find him unapproachable, Lady Worth, I pledge you my word!'
Their conversation was interrupted by Sarah and Georgiana Lennox, who came up to them with their arms entwined. The General greeted the elder sister with such a warm smile that Lady Worth was satisfied that rumour had not lied about his purpose of re-marriage. Lady Sarah went off on his arm; Georgiana remained beside Judith, watching the shifting crowd for a few moments. She presently said in rather a thoughtful voice: 'Do you see that Bab Childe is back?'
'Yes, I have been speaking to her.'
'I must say, I wish she had stayed away,' confided Georgiana. 'It is the oddest thing, because, for myself, I don't dislike her, but wherever she is there is always some horrid trouble, or unhappiness. Even Mama, who never silly, is a little afraid she may cast her eyes in March's direction. Of course, we don't breathe a word of such a thing at home, but it's perfectly true.'
'What, that your brother -'
'Oh no, no, but that Mama fears he might! One can't blame her. There does seem to be something about Bab which drives quite sensible men distracted. Dreadful, isn't it?'
'I think it is.'
'Yes, so do I,' said Georgiana regretfully. 'I wish I had it.'
Judith could not help laughing, but she assured her vivacious young friend that she was very well as she was. 'All the nicest men pay their court to Georgy,' she said. 'It is men like the Comte de Lavisse who run after Lady Barbara.'
'Yes,' sighed Georgiana, looking pensively in the direction of the Count. 'Very true. Of course one would not wish to be admired by such a person.'
This sentiment was echoed by Lady Barbara's brother, much later in the evening. As his carriage conveyed him and his ladies home to the Rue Ducale he said in a peevish tone that he wondered Bab could bear to have that foreign fellow for ever at her elbow.
She only laughed, but his wife, who had been yawning in her corner of the carriage, said sharply: 'If you mean Lavisse, I am sure I don't know why you should. I only wish Bab may not play fast and loose with him. I believe he is extremely rich.'
This argument was one that could not but appeal to the Marquis. He was silent for a few moments, but presently said: 'I don't know about that, but I can tell you his reputation doesn't bear looking into.'
'If it comes to that, Bab's own reputation is not above reproach!'
Another gurgle of laughter came from the opposite corner of the carriage. The Marquis said severely: 'It's all very well to laugh. No doubt it amuses you to make your name a byword. For my part, I have had enough of your scandals.'
'Oh, pray spare us a homily!' said his wife, yawning again.
'Don't be anxious, Vidal! They're laying odds against Lavisse's staying the course for more than a month.'
The carriage passed over an uneven stretch of pave. Unpleasantly jolted, the Marquis said angrily: 'Upon my word! Do you like to have your name bandied about? Your affairs made the subject of bets?'
'I don't care,' replied Barbara indifferently. 'No, I think I like it.'
'You're shameless! Who told you this?'
'Harry.'
'I might have known it! Pretty news to recount to his sister!'
'Oh lord, why shouldn't he?' said Lady Vidal. 'You'll be a bigger fool than I take you for, Bab, if you let Lavisse slip through your fingers.'
'I don't let them slip,' retorted Barbara. 'I drop them. I daresay I shall drop him too.'
'Be careful he doesn't drop you!' said her ladyship. The carriage had drawn up before one of the large houses in the Rue Ducale, facing the Park. As the footman opened the door, Barbara murmured: 'Oh no, do you think he will? That would be interesting.'
Her sister-in-law forbore to answer this, but, alighting from the carriage, passed into the house. Barbara followed her, but paused only to say goodnight before picking up her candle and going upstairs to her bedroom.
She had not, however, seen the last of Lady Vidal, who came tapping on her door half an hour later, and entered with the air of one who proposed to remain some while. Barbara was seated before the mirror, her flaming head rising out of the foam of sea-green gauze which constituted her dressing-gown. 'Oh, what the deuce, Gussie?' she said.
'Send your girl away: I want to talk to you,' commanded Augusta, settling herself in the most comfortable chair in the room.
Barbara gave an impatient sigh, but obeyed. As the door closed behind the maid, she said: 'Well, what is it? Are you going to urge me to marry Etienne? I wish you may not put yourself to so much trouble.'
'You might do worse,' said Augusta.
