by L. T. Meade
CHAPTER XII
TWO EXTREMES
Mr. Fanning followed us upstairs after dinner. I greatly hoped that hewas the sort of man who would not often frequent the drawing-room, butI soon perceived my mistake. He not only entered that apartment, butattached himself as soon as possible to my side. He was beyond doubtthe most disagreeable boarder we had yet secured. Indeed, Mrs. andMiss Armstrong were delightful compared to him. I now saw MissArmstrong glance two or three times both at him and me, and risingdeliberately, I crossed the room, and with a motion of my hand, askedhim to accompany me. I then introduced him to that young lady. Sheblushed when I did so, and bridled a little. She did not evidentlythink him at all objectionable. I went back immediately to my seatnear mother, and could scarcely suppress a feeling of pleasure at Mr.Fanning's too evident discomfiture.
I generally sang a couple of songs in the evening, and I was asked, asusual, to do so to-night. My voice was a rather sweet mezzo soprano,and I had been well taught. I sat down before the piano, as usual.When Mr. Randolph was in the room he always came and turned the pagesof my music for me, but he was not present this evening, although hehad dined with us; he had evidently gone out immediately afterwards.Now a voice sounded in my ears. I turned, and saw the objectionableand irrepressible Mr. Fanning.
"Why did you play me that trick?" he said.
"What trick?" I asked. "I do not play tricks; I do not understandyou."
"You do understand me perfectly well. Oh, pray do sing this song; I amsure it is charming. It is an old English ditty, is it not?--'Begone,Dull Care, You and I will Never Agree.' Now, that is just my way ofthinking. I hate dismal people, and as to care, I never bother withit. To hear such a sprightly song from your lips will be indeed what Imay call a pick-me-up."
I almost rose from the piano, but knowing that such a proceeding wouldcall public attention to Mr. Fanning's most unpleasant remarks, I saidin a low, emphatic voice--
"I will not play for you, nor allow you to turn my music, if you talkto me as you are now doing. You must address me as you would any otherlady, and I will not permit what you consider compliments."
"Oh, I am sure I have no wish to offend. Sorry I spoke," he said. Hedid not blush--I do not think he could--but he passed his hand acrosshis rather ugly mouth, and gave me a peculiar glance out of his queerblue eyes. He then said in a low voice--
"Believe me, it will be my utmost endeavour to make myself agreeable.I quite see what you mean. You do not want folks to remark; that's it,and I absolutely understand. But you must not play me those sort oftricks again, you know. I really cannot be introduced to ladies of thesort you just gave me an introduction to."
"Miss Armstrong is an excellent girl," I said, "and I shall ask her tosing when I leave the piano. She is very talented, and has a love bothfor music and art."
I then sang my one song, enduring the odious proximity of this mostunpleasant man. I fancied I saw a conscious expression on the faces ofseveral of our guests, and resolved that whatever happened, Mr.Fanning must leave on the following day. Such a man could not bepermitted to remain in the place.
Later on, as I was going to bed, there came a tap at my door. I openedit, half hoping, half fearing, that Jane herself might have come tosee me. On the contrary, somewhat to my surprise, I saw Mrs. Furlong.She asked me if she might come in. I eagerly begged of her to do so,and drew a comfortable chair forward for her acceptance.
"What is the matter?" I said. "Do you want to say anything special?"
"I do, my dear Miss Wickham," replied the lady. "I have come for thepurpose."
"Yes?" I said in a slight tone of query.
"How did that objectionable man, Mr. Fanning, get here?"
"I suppose he came because he wanted to," I replied. "The house isopen to any one who will pay, and who bears a respectable character."
"The house ought only to be open to those who bear agreeablecharacters, and know how to act as gentlemen," replied Mrs. Furlongstoutly. "Now my husband and I dislike that person extremely, butafter all the fact of whether we like him or not matters but little;it is because he tries to annoy you that we are really concerned.Would you not rather at dinner come and sit at our end of the table?It always seems very hard to us that you should sit with yourhousekeeper, Miss Mullins, and amongst the least nice members of theestablishment."
"But you must please remember," I said, "that Jane is not ahousekeeper, she is one of the partners in this concern. It is kind ofyou to think of me, but I cannot do what you propose. I must help Janein every way in my power. You do not know how good and true she is,and how little I really do for her. If I sat with you we should have aregular clique in the place, and by degrees the boarders would go, atleast those boarders who were not included in our set."
"I see," answered Mrs. Furlong. "It is all most unsuitable," sheadded, and she stared straight before her. After a moment's pause shelooked at me again.
"It is the queerest arrangement I ever heard of in all my life. Don'tyou think you are peculiarly unsuited to your present life?"
"I don't know; I hope not."
"You are a lady."
"That is my birthright. The boarding-house cannot deprive me of it," Ianswered.
"Oh, I know all that, but the life is not suitable. You will find itless and less suitable as time goes on. At present you have got yourmother to protect you, but----"
"What do you mean by at present I have got my mother?" I cried. "Mymother is young, comparatively young; she is not more than three andforty. What do you mean, Mrs. Furlong?"
"Oh nothing, dear," she said, colouring, "nothing at all. One alwayshas, you know, in this uncertain world to contemplate the possibilityof loss, but don't think again of what I have said. The fact is thelife is quite as unsuitable for her as for you. You are put in aposition which you cannot possibly maintain, my dear Miss Wickham.That awful man felt to-night that he had a right to pay youdisagreeable attentions. Now is this thing to go on? I assure youCaptain Furlong and I were quite distressed when we saw how he behavedto you when you were at the piano."
The tears rushed to my eyes.
"It is kind of you to sympathise with me," I said. "I am going tospeak to Jane Mullins to-morrow. If possible Mr. Fanning must go."
"But there is another thing," began Mrs. Furlong. She paused, and Isaw that she was about to say something, even more disagreeable thananything she had yet uttered.
"You have your mother, of course," she continued slowly, "but youyourself are very young, and--now I don't want to compliment you--butyou are much nicer looking than many girls; you have quite a differentair and appearance from any other girl in this house. Oh, I hateinterfering, but your mother, Miss Wickham, must be a particularlyinnocent woman."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I mean Mr. Randolph," she answered, and she raised her eyes and fixedthem on my face.
"Mr. Randolph?" I said. "Surely you must admit that he at least is agentleman?"
"He is not only a gentleman, but he is more highly born and has moremoney than any one else in the house; he does not belong to the setwho fill this house at all. Why does he come? This is no place forhim. In one way it is quite as unsuitable to have him here as it is tohave a man like Mr. Fanning here. Those two men represent oppositeextremes. People will talk."
"What about?" I asked.
"About you, dear."
"They cannot. I will not permit it." Then I said abruptly, standing upin my excitement, "After all, I don't care whether they talk or not; Iwas prepared for misunderstandings when I came here. Mother likes Mr.Randolph; he at least shall stay."
"But, my child, it is not nice to be talked about; it is never nicefor a young girl. People like my husband and myself quite understand.We know well that you and your mother are at present out of your rightposition, but others will not be so considerate. Mr. Randolph isalways here."
"You think," I said, stammering, "that he comes because----"
She smiled, got up and kissed me.
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br /> "What else could he come for, Westenra?" she said softly.
"He comes because--because of mother," I answered. "He likes her; hetold me so. He is anxious about her, for he thinks she misses her oldlife very much; he wants to make things easier for her. He is a verygood man, and I respect him. I don't mind what any one says, I know inmy heart he comes here because----"
"No, you do not," said Mrs. Furlong, and she looked me full in theeyes, and I found myself colouring and stammering.
"Believe me I have not intruded upon you this evening without cause,"said the little woman. "I talked the matter over with my husband. Iwould rather Mr. Fanning were here than Mr. Randolph. Mr. Fanning isimpossible, Mr. Randolph is not. He does not come here on account ofyour mother, he comes here because he likes you. I am very sorry; Ifelt I must speak; my husband agrees with me."
"Do not say another word now," I said. "I am sure you mean all thiskindly, but please do not say any more now. I will think over what youhave said."
"I will leave you then, dear," she said.
She went as far as the door; she was a very kindly little woman, shewas a real lady, and she meant well, but she had hurt me soindescribably that at that moment I almost hated her. When she reachedthe door she turned and said--
"If ever my husband and I can help you, Miss Wickham (but we are poorpeople), if ever we can help you, we will be glad to do so. I know youare angry with me now, but your anger won't remain, you will see whoare your true friends by-and-by."
She closed the door softly, and I heard her gentle steps goingdownstairs. I will frankly say that I did not go to bed for some time,that I paced indignantly up and down my room. I hated Jane, I hatedMr. Fanning, I still more cordially hated Mr. Randolph at that moment.Mr. Fanning must go, Mr. Randolph must go. I could not allow myself tobe spoken about. How intolerable of Mr. Randolph to have come as hehad done, to have forced himself upon us, to have invited us to go outwith him, to have----and then I stopped, and a great lump rose in mythroat, and I burst into tears, for in my heart of hearts I knew wellthat I did not think what he did intolerable at all, that I respectedhim, and--but I did not dare to allow my thoughts to go any further.
I even hated myself for being good-looking, until I suddenlyremembered that I had the same features as my father had. He hadconquered in all the battles in which he had borne part through hislife. My face must be a good one if it was like his. I would try tolive up to the character which my face seemed to express, and I wouldimmediately endeavour to get things on a different footing.
Accordingly, the next day at breakfast I studiously avoided Mr.Randolph, and I equally studiously avoided Mr. Fanning. Theconsequence was that, being as it were between two fires, I had a mostuncomfortable time, for Mr. Randolph showed me by certain glanceswhich he threw in my direction that he was most anxious to consult meabout something, and Mr. Fanning seemed to intercept these glances,and to make his own most unpleasant comments about them; and if Mr.Fanning intercepted them, so did Mrs. and Miss Armstrong.
Miss Armstrong had now given up Mr. Randolph as almost hopeless withregard to a flirtation, and was turning her attention in thedirection of Mr. Fanning. She talked Art _at_ Mr. Fanning assiduouslyall during breakfast, and having learned by some accident that he wasa publisher, boldly demanded from him if he would not like her toillustrate some of his books. In reply to this he gave a profound bow,and told her, with a certain awkward jerk of his body, that he nevergave orders in advance, that he never gave orders on the score offriendliness, that when it came to the relations between publisher andartist he was brutal.
"That's the word for it, Miss Armstrong," he said, "I am brutal whenit comes to a bargain. I try to make the very best I can for myself. Inever think of the artist at all. I want all the _L s d_ to go into myown pocket"--and here he slapped his waistcoat loudly, and uttered aharsh laugh, which showed all his broken teeth in a most disagreeablemanner. Miss Armstrong and her mother seemed to think he was excellentfun, and Mrs. Armstrong said, with a quick glance first at Mr.Randolph and then at me, that it was refreshing to hear any man sofrank, and that for her part she respected people who gave themselvesno h'airs.
Breakfast came to an end, and I sought Jane in her sanctum.
"Now, Jane," I said, "you must put away your accounts, you must ceaseto think of housekeeping. You must listen to me."
"What is it, Westenra?" she said. "Has anything vexed you?" shecontinued; "sit down and tell me all about it."
"Several things vex me," I answered. "Jane, we must come to anunderstanding."
"What about?" she asked in some alarm; "an understanding! I thoughtthat was all arranged when our legal agreement was drawn up."
"Oh, I know nothing about lawyers nor about legal agreements," Ianswered; "but, Jane, there are some things I cannot put up with, andone of them is----"
"I know," she answered; "Mr. Fanning."
"He is horrible, hateful; he is going to make himself most hateful tome. Jane, dear Jane, he must go."
Jane looked puzzled and distressed. I expected her to say--
"He shall certainly go, my dear, I will tell him that his room isrequired, and that he must leave at the end of the week." But on thecontrary she sighed. After a long pause she said--
"You want this house to be a success, I presume."
"I certainly do, but we cannot have it a success on the presentarrangement. Mr. Fanning must go, and also Mr. Randolph."
"Mr. Randolph, Mr. James Randolph!" said Jane, now colouring high, anda sparkle of something, which seemed to be a curious mixture of fearand indignation, filling her eyes. "And why should he go? You do notknow what you are talking about."
"I do. He must go. Ask--ask Mrs. Furlong. They talk about him here,these hateful people; they put false constructions on his kindness; Iknow he is kind and he is a gentleman, but he does me harm, Jane, evenas much harm as that horrible Mr. Fanning."
"Now, look here, Westenra Wickham," said Jane Mullins. "Are you goingto throw up the sponge, or are you not?"
"Throw up the sponge! I certainly don't mean to fail."
"You will do so if you send those two men out of the house. If youcannot hold your own, whatever men come here, you are not the girl Itook you for. As to Mr. Randolph, be quite assured that he will neverdo anything to annoy you. If people talk let them talk. When they seenothing comes of their idle silly gossip, they will soon cease toutter it. And as to Mr. Fanning, they will equally cease to worryabout him. If he pays he must stay, for as it is, it is difficult tolet the first-floor rooms. People don't want to pay five guineas aweek to live in Bloomsbury, and he has a small room; and it is a greatrelief to me that he should be here and pay so good a sum for hisroom. The thing must be met commercially, or I for one give it up."
"You, Jane, you! then indeed we shall be ruined."
"I don't really mean to, my dear child, I don't mean for a singlemoment to desert you; but I must say that if 17 Graham Square is to goon, it must go on commercial principles; and we cannot send our bestboarders away. You ask me coolly, just because things are a littleuncomfortable for you, you ask me to dismiss ten guineas a week, forMr. Randolph pays five guineas for his room, and Mr. Fanning fiveguineas for his, and I don't know any other gentleman who would pay anequal sum, and we must have it to balance matters. What is to meet therent, my dear? What is to meet the taxes? What is to meet thebutcher's, the baker's, the grocer's, the fishmonger's bills if wedismissed our tenants. I often have a terrible fear that we were rashto take a great expensive house like this, and unless it is full fromattic to drawing-room floor, we have not the slightest chance ofmeeting our expenses. Even then I fear!--but there I won't croakbefore the time; only, Westenra, you have to make up your mind. Youcan go away on a visit if you wish to, I do not counsel this for amoment, for I know you are a great attraction here. It is because youare pretty and wear nice dresses, and look different from the otherboarders, that you attract them; and--yes, I will say it--Mr. Randolphalso attracts them. They can get no s
mall change out of Mr. JamesRandolph, so they need not try it on, but once for all we cannotdecline the people who are willing to pay us good money, that is aforegone conclusion. Now you have got to accept the agreeables withthe disagreeables, or this whole great scheme of yours will tumbleabout our heads like a pack of cards."
