CHAPTER XXVII
During the horrid period of suspense that followed her visit to SirJustin, the Baroness von Blitzenberg naturally enough felt disinclinedto go much into society, and in fact rarely went out at all during theBaron's absence, except to the houses of one or two of her mother'sparticular friends. Even then she felt much more inclined to stay athome.
"Need we go to Mrs. Jerwin-Speedy's to-night?" she said one afternoon.
"Certainly," replied the Countess decisively.
Alicia sighed submissively; but this attitude was abruptly changed intoone of readiness, nay, even of alacrity, when her mother remarked--
"By the way, she is an aunt of the present Tulliwuddle. I believe it wasyou who were asking about him the other day."
"Was I?" said the Baroness carelessly; but she offered no furtherobjections to attending Mrs. Jerwin-Speedy's reception.
She found there a large number of people compressed into a couple ofsmall rooms, and she soon felt so lost in the crush of strangers, andthe chances of obtaining any information about Lord Tulliwuddle or hisEva seemed so remote, that she soon began to wish herself comfortably athome again, even though it were only to fret. But fortune, which had solong been unkind to her and indulgent to her erring spouse, chose thatnight as the turning-point in her tide of favors. Little dreaming howmuch hung on a mere introduction, Mrs. Jerwin-Speedy led up to theBaroness an apparently nervous and diffident young man.
"Let me introduce my nephew, Lord Tulliwuddle--the Baroness vonBlitzenberg," said she; and having innocently hurled this bomb, retiredfrom further participation in the drama.
With young and diffident men Alicia had a pleasant instinct forconducting herself as smilingly as though they were the greatest witsabout the town. The envious of her sex declared that it was because shescarcely recognized the difference; but be that as it may, it served heron this occasion in the most admirable stead. She detached the agitatedpeer from the thickest of the throng, propped him beside her against thewall, and by her kindness at length unloosed his tongue. Then it wasshe began to suspect that his nervous manner must surely be due to somepeculiar circumstance rather than mere constitutional shyness. Madeobservant by her keen curiosity, she noticed at first a worried, almosthunted, look in his eyes and an extreme impatience of scrutiny byhis fellow-guests; but as he gained confidence in her kindness anddiscretion these passed away, and he appeared simply a garrulous youngman, with a tolerably good opinion of himself.
"Poor fellow! He is in trouble of some kind. Something to do with Eva,of course!" she said to her sympathetically.
The genuine Tulliwuddle had indeed some cause for perturbation. Afterkeeping himself out of the way of all his friends and most of hisacquaintances ever since the departure of his substitute, hearingnothing of what was happening at Hechnahoul, and living in daily dreadof the ignominious exposure of their plot, he had stumbled by accidentagainst his aunt, explained his prolonged absence from her house withthe utmost difficulty, and found himself forced to appease her woundedfeelings by appearing where he least wished to be seen--in a crowdedLondon reception-room. No wonder the unfortunate young man seemednervous and ill at ease.
As for Alicia, she was consumed with anxiety to know why he was hereand not in Scotland, as Sir Justin had supposed; and, indeed, to learna number of things. And now they were rapidly getting on sufficientlyfamiliar terms for her to put a tactful question or two. Encouraged byher sympathy, he began to touch upon his own anxieties.
"A young man ought to get married, I suppose," he remarkedconfidentially.
The Baroness smiled.
"That depends on whether he likes any one well enough to marry her,doesn't it?"
He sighed.
"Do you think--honestly now," he said solemnly, "that one should marryfor love or marry for money?"
"For love, certainly!"
"You really think so? You'd advise--er--advise a fellow to blow theprejudices of his friends, and that sort of thing?"
"I should have to know a little more about the case."
He was evidently longing for a confidant.
"Suppose er--one girl was ripping, but--well--on the stage, forinstance."
"On the stage!" exclaimed the Baroness. "Yes, please go on. What aboutthe other girl?"
"Suppose she had simply pots of money, but the fellow didn't know muchmore about her?"
"I certainly shouldn't marry a girl I didn't know a good deal about,"said the Baroness with conviction.
Lord Tulliwuddle seemed impressed with this opinion.
"That's just what I have begun to think," said he, and gazed down at hispumps with a meditative air.
The Baroness thought the moment had come when she could effect a prettylittle surprise.
"Which of them is called Eva?" she asked archly.
To her intense disappointment he merely stared.
"Don't you really know any girl called Eva?"
He shook his head.
"Can't think of any one."
Suspicion, fear, bewilderment, made her reckless.
"Have you been in Scotland--at your castle, as I heard you were going?"
A mighty change came over the young man. He backed away from her,stammering hurriedly,
"No--yes--I--er--why do you ask me that?"
"Is there any other Lord Tulliwuddle?" she demanded breathlessly.
He gave her one wild look, and then without so much as a farewell hadturned and elbowed his way out of the room.
"It's all up!" he said to himself. "There's no use trying to play thatgame any longer--Essington has muddled it somehow. Well, I'm free to dowhat I like now!"
In this state of mind he found himself in the street, hailed the firsthansom, and drove headlong from the dangerous regions of Belgravia.
. . . . . .
Till the middle of the next day the Baroness still managed to keep herown counsel, though she was now so alarmed that she was twenty times onthe point of telling everything to her mother. But the arrival of a notefrom Sir Justin ended her irresolution. It ran thus:
"MY DEAR ALICIA,--I have just learned for certain that Lord T. is at hisplace in Scotland. Singularly enough, he is described as apparently offoreign extraction, and I hear that he is accompanied by a friend of thename of Count Bunker. I am just setting out for the North myself, andtrust that I may be able to elucidate the mystery. Yours very truly,
"JUSTIN WALLINGFORD."
"Foreign extraction! Count Bunker!" gasped the Baroness; and withoutstopping to debate the matter again, she rushed into her mother's arms,and there sobbed out the strange story of her second letter and the twoLord Tulliwuddles.
It were difficult to say whether anger at her daughter's deceit,indignation with the treacherous Baron, or a stern pleasure in findingher worst prognostications in a fair way to being proved, was theuppermost emotion in Lady Grillyer's mind when she had listened to thisrelation. Certainly poor Alicia could not but think that sympathy forher troubles formed no ingredient in the mixture.
"To think of your concealing this from me for so long!" she cried: "andSir Justin abetting you! I shall tell him very plainly what I thinkof him! But if my daughter sets an example in treachery, what can oneexpect of one's friends?"
"After all, mamma, it was my own and Rudolph's concern more thanyour's!" exclaimed Alicia, flaring up for an instant.
"Don't answer me, child!" thundered the Countess. "Fetch me a railwaytime-table, and say nothing that may add to your sin!"
"A time-table, mamma? What for?"
"I am going to Scotland," pronounced the Countess.
"Then I shall go too!"
"Indeed you shall not. You will wait here till I have brought Rudolphback to you."
The Baroness said nothing aloud, but within her wounded heart shethought bitterly,
"Mamma seems to forget that even worms will turn sometimes!"
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