Peg Woffington

by Charles Reade

  CHAPTER XI.

  MR. VANE, besides being a rich, was a magnificent man; when his featureswere in repose their beauty had a wise and stately character. Soaper andSnarl had admired and bitterly envied him. At the present moment no oneof his guests envied him--they began to realize his position. And he, ahuge wheel of shame and remorse, began to turn and whir before hiseyes. He sat between two European beauties, and, pale and red by turns,shunned the eyes of both, and looked down at his plate in a cold sweatof humiliation, mortification and shame.

  The iron passed through Mrs. Woffington's soul. So! this was a villain,too, the greatest villain of all--a hypocrite! She turned very faint,but she was under an enemy's eye, and under a rival's; the thoughtdrove the blood back from her heart, and with a mighty effort she wasWoffington again. Hitherto her liaison with Mr. Vane had called up thebetter part of her nature, and perhaps our reader has been taking herfor a good woman; but now all her dregs were stirred to the surface. Themortified actress gulled by a novice, the wronged and insulted woman,had but two thoughts; to defeat her rival--to be revenged on her falselover. More than one sharp spasm passed over her features before shecould master them, and then she became smiles above, wormwood andred-hot steel below--all in less than half a minute.

  As for the others, looks of keen intelligence passed between them, andthey watched with burning interest for the _denouement._ That interestwas stronger than their sense of the comicality of all this (for thehumorous view of what passes before our eyes comes upon cool reflection,not often at the time).

  Sir Charles, indeed, who had foreseen some of this, wore a demure look,belied by his glittering eye. He offered Cibber snuff, and the twosatirical animals grinned over the snuff-box, like a malicious old apeand a mischievous young monkey.

  The newcomer was charming; she was above the middle height, of afull, though graceful figure, her abundant, glossy, bright brown hairglittered here and there like gold in the light; she had a snowy brow,eyes of the profoundest blue, a cheek like a peach, and a face beamingcandor and goodness; the character of her countenance resembled "theQueen of the May," in Mr. Leslie's famous picture, more than any face ofour day I can call to mind.

  "You are not angry with me for this silly trick?" said she, with somemisgiving. "After all I am only two hours before my time; you know,dearest, I said four in my letter--did I not?"

  Vane stammered. What could he say?

  "And you have had three days to prepare you, for I wrote, like a goodwife, to ask leave before starting; but he never so much as answered myletter, madam." (This she addressed to Mrs. Woffington, who smiled bymain force.)

  "Why," stammered Vane, "could you doubt? I--I--"

  "No! Silence was consent, was it not? But I beg your pardon, ladiesand gentlemen, I hope you will forgive me. It is six months since I sawhim--so you understand--I warrant me you did not look for me so soon,ladies?"

  "Some of us did not look for you at all, madam," said Mrs. Woffington.

  "What, Ernest did not tell you he expected me?"

  "No! He told us this banquet was in honor of a lady's first visit to hishouse, but none of us imagined that lady to be his wife."

  Vane began to writhe under that terrible tongue, whose point hithertohad ever been turned away from him.

  "He intended to steal a march on us," said Pomander, dryly; "and, withyour help, we steal one on him;" and he smiled maliciously on Mrs.Woffington.

  "But, madam," said Mr. Quin, "the moment you did arrive, I kept sacredfor you a bit of the fat; for which, I am sure, you must be ready. Passher plate!"

  "Not at present, Mr. Quin," said Mr. Vane, hastily. "She is about toretire and change her traveling-dress."

  "Yes, dear; but, you forget, I am a stranger to your friends. Will younot introduce me to them first?"

  "No, no!" cried Vane, in trepidation. "It is not usual to introduce inthe _beau monde."_

  "We always introduce ourselves," rejoined Mrs. Woffington. She roseslowly, with her eye on Vane. He cast a look of abject entreaty on her;but there was no pity in that curling lip and awful eye. He closed hisown eyes and waited for the blow. Sir Charles threw himself back in hischair, and, chuckling, prepared for the explosion. Mrs. Woffington sawhim, and cast on him a look of ineffable scorn; and then she held thewhole company fluttering a long while. At length: "The Honorable Mrs.Quickly, madam," said she, indicating Mrs. Clive.

  This turn took them all by surprise. Pomander bit his lip.

  "Sir John Brute--"

  "Falstaff," cried Quin; "hang it."

  "Sir John Brute Falstaff," resumed Mrs. Woffington. "We call him, forbrevity, Brute."

  Vane drew a long breath. "Your neighbor is Lord Foppington; a butterflyof some standing, and a little gouty."

  "Sir Charles Pomander."

  "Oh," cried Mrs. Vane. "It is the good gentleman who helped us outof the slough, near Huntingdon. Ernest, if it had not been for thisgentleman, I should not have had the pleasure of being here now." Andshe beamed on the good Pomander.

  Mr. Vane did not rise and embrace Sir Charles.

  "All the company thanks the good Sir Charles," said Cibber, bowing.

  "I see it in all their faces," said the good Sir Charles, dryly.

  Mrs. Woffington continued: "Mr. Soaper, Mr. Snarl; gentlemen who wouldbutter and slice up their own fathers!"

  "Bless me!" cried Mrs. Vane, faintly.

  "Critics!" And she dropped, as it were, the word dryly, with a sweetsmile, into Mabel's plate.

  Mrs. Vane was relieved; she had apprehended cannibals. London they hadtold her was full of curiosities.

  "But yourself, madam?"

  "I am the Lady Betty Modish; at your service."

  A four-inch grin went round the table. The dramatical old rascal,Cibber, began now to look at it as a bit of genteel comedy; and slippedout his note-book under the table. Pomander cursed her ready wit, whichhad disappointed him of his catastrophe. Vane wrote on a slip of paper:"Pity and respect the innocent!" and passed it to Mrs. Woffington. Hecould not have done a more superfluous or injudicious thing.

  "And now, Ernest," cried Mabel, "for the news from Willoughby."

  Vane stopped her in dismay. He felt how many satirical eyes and earswere upon him and his wife. "Pray go and change your dress first,Mabel," cried he, fully determined that on her return she should notfind the present party there.

  Mrs. Vane cast an imploring look on Mrs. Woffington. "My things are notcome," said she. "And, Lady Betty, I had so much to tell him, and to besent away;" and the deep blue eyes began to fill.

  Now Mrs. Woffington was determined that this lady, who she saw wassimple, should disgust her husband by talking twaddle before a band ofsatirists. So she said warmly: "It is not fair on us. Pray, madam, yourbudget of country news. Clouted cream so seldom comes to London quitefresh."

  "There, you see, Ernest," said the unsuspicious soul. "First, you mustknow that Gray Gillian is turned out for a brood mare, so old Georgewon't let me ride her; old servants are such tyrants, my lady. And myBarbary hen has laid two eggs; Heaven knows the trouble we had to bringher to it. And Dame Best, that is my husband's old nurse, Mrs. Quickly,has had soup and pudding from the Hall everyday; and once she went sofar as to say it wasn't altogether a bad pudding. She is not a verygrateful woman, in a general way, poor thing! I made it with thesehands."

  Vane writhed.

  "Happy pudding!" observed Mr. Cibber.

  "Is this mockery, sir?" cried Vane, with a sudden burst of irritation.

  "No, sir; it is gallantry," replied Cibber, with perfect coolness.

  "Will you hear a little music in the garden?" said Vane to Mrs.Woffington, pooh-poohing his wife's news.

  "Not till I hear the end of Dame Bess."

  "Best, my lady."

  "Dame Best interests _me,_ Mr. Vane."

  "Ay, and Ernest is very fond of her, too, when he is at home. She is inher nice new cottage, dear; but she misses the draughts that were inher old one--they were like old friends.
'The only ones I have, I'mthinking,' said the dear cross old thing; and there stood I, on herfloor, with a flannel petticoat in both hands, that I had made for her,and ruined my finger. Look else, my Lord Foppington?" She extended ahand the color of cream.

  "Permit me, madam?" taking out his glasses, with which he inspected herfinger; and gravely announced to the company: "The laceration is, infact, discernible. May I be permitted, madam," added he, "to kiss thisfair hand, which I should never have suspected of having ever madeitself half so useful?"

  "Ay, my lord!" said she, coloring slightly, "you shall, because you areso old; but I don't say for a young gentleman, unless it was the onethat belongs to me; and he does not ask me."

  "My dear Mabel; pray remember we are not at Willoughby."

  "I see we are not, Ernest." And the dove-like eyes filled brimful; andall her innocent prattle was put an end to.

  "What brutes men are," thought Mrs. Woffington. "They are not worthyeven of a fool like this."

  Mr. Vane once more pressed her to hear a little music in the garden;and this time she consented. Mr. Vane was far from being unmoved byhis wife's arrival, and her true affection. But she worried him; hewas anxious, above all things, to escape from his present position, andseparate the rival queens; and this was the only way he could see to doit. He whispered Mabel, and bade her somewhat peremptorily rest herselffor an hour after her journey, and he entered the garden with Mrs.Woffington.

  Now the other gentlemen admired Mrs. Vane the most. She was new. She wasas lovely, in her way, as Peggy; and it was the young May-morn beautyof the country. They forgave her simplicity, and even her goodness, onaccount of her beauty; men are not severe judges of beautiful women.They all solicited her to come with them, and be the queen of thegarden. But the good wife was obedient. Her lord had told her she wasfatigued; so she said she was tired.

  "Mr. Vane's garden will lack its sweetest and fairest flower, madam,"cried Cibber, "if we leave you here."

  "Nay, my lord, there are fairer than I."

  "Poor Quin!" cried Kitty Clive; "to have to leave the alderman's walkfor the garden-walk."

  "All I regret," said the honest glutton, stoutly, "is that I go withoutcarving for Mrs. Vane."

  "You are very good, Sir John; I will be more troublesome to you atsupper-time."

  When they were all gone, she couldn't help sighing. It almost seemed asif everybody was kinder to her than he whose kindness alone she valued."And he must take Lady Betty's hand instead of mine," thought she. "Butthat is good breeding, I suppose. I wish there was no such thing; weare very happy without it in Shropshire." Then this poor little soul wasashamed of herself, and took herself to task. "Poor Ernest," said she,pitying the wrongdoer, like a woman, "he was not pleased to be so takenby surprise. No wonder; they are so ceremonious in London. How good ofhim not to be angry!" Then she sighed; her heart had received a damp.His voice seemed changed, and he did not meet her eyes with the look hewore at Willoughby. She looked timidly into the garden. She saw the gaycolors of beaux, as well as of belles--for in these days broadcloth hadnot displaced silk and velvet--glancing and shining among the trees; andshe sighed, but, presently brightening up a little, she said: "I will goand see that the coffee is hot and clear, and the chocolate well mixedfor them." The poor child wanted to do something to please her husband.Before she could carry out this act of domestic virtue, her attentionwas drawn to a strife of tongues in the hall. She opened thefolding-doors, and there was a fine gentleman obstructing the entranceof a somber, rusty figure, with a portfolio and a manuscript under eacharm.

  The fine gentleman was Colander. The seedy personage was the eternalTriplet, come to make hay with his five-foot rule while the sun shone.Colander had opened the door to him, and he had shot into the hall. Themajor-domo obstructed the farther entrance of such a coat.

  "I tell you my master is not at home," remonstrated the major-domo.

  "How can you say so," cried Mrs. Vane, in surprise, "when you know he isin the garden?"

  "Simpleton!" thought Colander.

  "Show the gentleman in."

  "Gentleman!" muttered Colander.

  Triplet thanked her for her condescension; he would wait for Mr. Vane inthe hall. "I came by appointment, madam; this is the only excuse for theimportunity you have just witnessed."

  Hearing this, Mrs. Vane dismissed Colander to inform his master.Colander bowed loftily, and walked into the servants' hall withoutdeigning to take the last proposition into consideration.

  "Come in here, sir," said Mabel; "Mr. Vane will come as soon as he canleave his company." Triplet entered in a series of obsequious jerks."Sit down and rest you, sir." And Mrs. Vane seated herself at the table,and motioned with her white hand to Triplet to sit beside her.

  Triplet bowed, and sat on the edge of a chair, and smirked and droppedhis portfolio, and instantly begged Mrs. Vane's pardon; in taking it up,he let fall his manuscript, and was again confused; but in the middleof some superfluous and absurd excuse his eye fell on the haunch; itstraightway dilated to an enormous size, and he became suddenly silentand absorbed in contemplation.

  "You look sadly tired, sir."

  "Why, yes, madam. It is a long way from Lambeth Walk, and it is passinghot, madam." He took his handkerchief out, and was about to wipe hisbrow, but returned it hastily to his pocket. "I beg your pardon, madam,"said Triplet, whose ideas of breeding, though speculative, were severe,"I forgot myself."

  Mabel looked at him, and colored, and slightly hesitated. At last shesaid: "I'll be bound you came in such a hurry you forgot--you mustn't beangry with me--to have your dinner first!"

  For Triplet looked like an absurd wolf--all benevolence and starvation!

  "What divine intelligence!" thought Trip. "How strange, madam," criedhe, "you have hit it! This accounts, at once, for a craving I feel. Nowyou remind me, I recollect carving for others, I did forget to remembermyself. Not that I need have forgot it to-day, madam; but, being used toforget it, I did not remember not to forget it to-day, madam, that wasall." And the author of this intelligent account smiled very, very, veryabsurdly.

  She poured him out a glass of wine. He rose and bowed; but peremptorilyrefused it, with his tongue--his eye drank it.

  "But you must," persisted this hospitable lady.

  "But, madam, consider I am not entitled to--Nectar, as I am a man!"

  The white hand was filling his plate with partridge pie: "But, madam,you don't consider how you overwhelm me with your--Ambrosia, as I am apoet!"

  "I am sorry Mr. Vane should keep you waiting."

  "By no means, madam; it is fortunate--I mean, it procures me thepleasure of" (here articulation became obstructed) "your society, madam.Besides, the servants of the Muse are used to waiting. What we are notused to is" (here the white hand filled his glass) "being waited uponby Hebe and the Twelve Graces, whose health I have the honor"--(Deglutition).

  "A poet!" cried Mabel; "oh! I am so glad! Little did I think ever to seea living poet! Dear heart! I should not have known, if you had not toldme. Sir, I love poetry!"

  "It is in your face, madam." Triplet instantly whipped out hismanuscript, put a plate on one corner of it, and a decanter on theother, and begged her opinion of this trifle, composed, said he, "inhonor of a lady Mr. Vane entertains to-day."

  "Oh!" said Mrs. Vane, and colored with pleasure. How ungrateful she hadbeen! Here was an attention!--For, of course, she never doubted that theverses were in honor of her arrival.

  "'Bright being--'" sang out Triplet.

  "Nay, sir," said Mabel; "I think I know the lady, and it would be hardlyproper of me--"

  "Oh, madam!" said Triplet, solemnly; "strictly correct, madam!" Andhe spread his hand out over his bosom. "Strictly!--'Blunderbuss' (mypoetical name, madam) never stooped to the taste of the town.

  'Bright being, thou--'"

  "But you must have another glass of wine first, and a slice of thehaunch."

  "With alacrity, madam." He laid in a fresh stock of provisions.


  Strange it was to see them side by side! _he,_ a Don Quixote, withcordage instead of lines in his mahogany face, and clothes hanging uponhim; _she,_ smooth, duck-like, delicious, and bright as an opening rosefresh with dew!

  She watched him kindly, archly and demurely; and still plied him,countrywise, with every mortal thing on the table.

  But the poet was not a boa-constrictor, and even a boa-constrictor hasan end. Hunger satisfied, his next strongest feeling, simple vanity,remained to be contented. As the last morsel went in out came:

  "'Bright being, thou whose ra--'"

  "No! no!" said she, who fancied herself (and not without reason) thebright being. "Mr. Vane intended them for a surprise."

  "As you please, madam;" and the disappointed bore sighed. "But youwould have liked them, for the theme inspired me. The kindest, the mostgenerous of women! Don't you agree with me, madam?"

  Mabel Vane opened her eyes. "Hardly, sir," laughed she.

  "If you knew her as I do."

  "I ought to know her better, sir."

  "Ay, indeed! Well, madam, now her kindness to me, for instance--a poordevil like me. The expression, I trust, is not disagreeable to you,madam? If so, forgive me, and consider it withdrawn."

  "La, sir! civility is so cheap, if you go to that."

  "Civility, ma'am? Why, she has saved me from despair--from starvation,perhaps."

  "Poor thing! Well, indeed, sir, you looked--you looked--what a shame!and you a poet."

  "From an epitaph to an epic, madam."

  At this moment a figure looked in upon them from the garden, butretreated unobserved. It was Sir Charles Pomander, who had slipped away,with the heartless and malicious intention of exposing the husband tothe wife, and profiting by her indignation and despair. Seeing Triplet,he made an extemporaneous calculation that so infernal a chatterboxcould not be ten minutes in her company without telling her everything,and this would serve his turn very well. He therefore postponed hispurpose, and strolled away to a short distance.

  Triplet justified the baronet's opinion. Without any sort of sequencyhe now informed Mrs. Vane that the benevolent lady was to sit to him forher portrait.

  Here was a new attention of Ernest's. How good he was, and how wickedand ungrateful she!

  "What! are you a painter too?" she inquired.

  "From a house front to an historical composition, madam."

  "Oh, what a clever man! And so Ernest commissioned you to paint aportrait?"

  "No, madam; for that I am indebted to the lady herself."

  "The lady herself?"

  "Yes, madam; and I expected to find her here. Will you add to yourkindness by informing me whether she has arrived? Or she is gone--"

  "Who, sir? (Oh, dear! not my portrait! Oh, Ernest!)"

  "Who, madam!" cried Triplet; "why, Mrs. Woffington!"

  "She is not here," said Mrs. Vane, who remembered all the namesperfectly well. "There is one charming lady among our guests, herface took me in a moment; but she is a titled lady. There is no Mrs.Woffington among them."

  "Strange!" replied Triplet; "she was to be here; and, in fact, that iswhy I expedited these lines in her honor."

  "In _her_ honor, sir?"

  "Yes, madam. Allow me:

  'Brights being, thou whose radiant brow--'"

  "No! no! I don't care to hear them now, for I don't know the lady."

  "Well, madam, but at least you have seen her act?"

  "Act! you don't mean all this is for an actress?"

  _"An_ actress? _The_ actress! And you have never seen her act? What apleasure you have to come! To see her act is a privilege; but to actwith her, as _I_ once did! But she does not remember that, nor shallI remind her, madam," said Triplet sternly. "On that occasion I washissed, owing to circumstances which, for the credit of our commonnature, I suppress."

  "What! are you an actor too? You are everything."

  "And it was in a farce of my own, madam, which, by the strangestcombination of accidents, was damned!"

  "A play-writer? Oh, what clever men there are in the world--in London,at least! He is a play-writer, too. I wonder my husband comes not. DoesMr. Vane--does Mr. Vane admire this actress?" said she, suddenly.

  "Mr. Vane, madam, is a gentleman of taste," said he, pompously.

  "Well, sir," said the lady, languidly, "she is not here." Triplet tookthe hint and rose. "Good-by," said she, sweetly; and thank you kindlyfor your company.

  "Triplet, madam--James Triplet, of 10, Hercules Buildings, Lambeth.Occasional verses, odes, epithalamia, elegies, dedications, squibs,impromptus and hymns executed with spirit, punctuality and secrecy.Portraits painted, and instruction in declamation, sacred, profane anddramatic. The card, madam" (and he drew it as doth a theatrical fophis rapier) "of him who, to all these qualifications adds a prouderstill--that of being,

  "Madam,

  "Your humble, devoted and grateful servant,

  "JAMES TRIPLET."

  He bowed in a line from his right shoulder to his left toe, and movedoff. But Triplet could not go all at one time out of such company; hewas given to return in real life, he had played this trick so often onthe stage. He came back, exuberant with gratitude.

  "The fact is, madam," said he, "strange as it may appear to you, a kindhand has not so often been held out to me, that I should forget it,especially when that hand is so fair and gracious. May I be permitted,madam--you will impute it to gratitude rather than audacity--I--I--"(whimper), "madam" (with sudden severity), "I am gone!"

  These last words he pronounced with the right arm at an angle offorty-five degrees, and the fingers pointing horizontally. The stage hadtaught him this grace also. In his day, an actor who had three words tosay, such as, "My lord's carriage is waiting," came on the stage withthe right arm thus elevated, delivered his message in the tones of afalling dynasty, wheeled like a soldier, and retired with the leftarm pointing to the sky and the right hand extended behind him like asetter's tail.

  Left to herself, Mabel was uneasy. "Ernest is so warm-hearted." This wasthe way she put it even to herself. He admired her acting and wished topay her a compliment. "What if I carried him the verses?" She thoughtshe should surely please him by showing she was not the least jealousor doubtful of him. The poor child wanted so to win a kind look fromher husband; but ere she could reach the window Sir Charles Pomander hadentered it.

  Now Sir Charles was naturally welcome to Mrs. Vane; for all she knew ofhim was, that he had helped her on the road to her husband.

  _Pomander._ "What, madam! all alone here as in Shropshire?"

  _Mabel._ "For the moment, sir."

  _Pomander._ "Force of habit. A husband with a wife in Shropshire is solike a bachelor."

  _Mabel._ "Sir!"

  _Pomander._ "And our excellent Ernest is such a favorite!"

  _Mabel._ "No wonder, sir!"

  _Pomander._ "Few can so pass from the larva state of country squire tothe butterfly nature of beau."

  _Mabel._ "Yes" (sadly), "I find him changed."

  _Pomander._ "Changed! Transformed. He is now the prop of the'Cocoa-Tree,' the star of Ranelagh, the Lauzun of the green-room."

  _Mabel._ "The green-room! Where is that? You mean kindly, sir; but youmake me unhappy."

  _Pomander._ "The green-room, my dear madam, is the bower where hourisput off their wings, and goddesses become dowdies; where Lady Macbethweeps over her lap-dog, dead from repletion; and Belvidera soothes herbroken heart with a dozen of oysters. In a word, it is the place whereactors and actresses become men and women, and act their own parts withskill, instead of a poet's clumsily."

  _Mabel._ "Actors! actresses! Does Mr. Vane frequent such--"

  _Pomander._ "He has earned in six months a reputation many a finegentleman would give his ears for. Not a scandalous journal his initialshave not figured in; not an actress of reputation gossip has not givenhim for a conquest."

  "How dare you say this to me?" cried Mrs. Vane, with a sudden flash ofindignation, and then the tear
s streamed over her lovely cheeks; andeven a Pomander might have forborne to torture her so; but Sir Charleshad no mercy.

  "You would be sure to learn it," said he; "and with malicious additions.It is better to hear the truth from a friend."

  "A friend? He is no friend to a house who calumniates the husband to thewife. Is it the part of a friend to distort dear Ernest's kindliness andgayety into ill morals; to pervert his love of poetry and plays into anunworthy attachment to actors and--oh!" and the tears would come. Butshe dried them, for now she hated this man; with all the little powerof hatred she had, she detested him. "Do you suppose I did not know Mrs.Woffington was to come to us to-day?" cried she, struggling passionatelyagainst her own fears and Sir Charles's innuendoes.

  "What!" cried he; "you recognized her? You detected the actress of allwork under the airs of Lady Betty Modish?"

  "Lady Betty Modish!" cried Mabel. "That good, beautiful face!"

  "Ah!" cried Sir Charles, "I see you did not. Well, Lady Betty was Mrs.Woffington!"

  "Whom my husband, I know, had invited here to present her with theseverses, which I shall take him for her;" and her poor little liptrembled. "Had the visit been in any other character, as you are sobase, so cruel as to insinuate (what have I done to you that you kill meso, you wicked gentleman?), would he have chosen the day of my arrival?"

  "Not if he knew you were coming," was the cool reply.

  "And he did know--I wrote to him."

  "Indeed!" said Pomander, fairly puzzled.

  Mrs. Vane caught sight of her handwriting on the tray, and darted to it,and seized her letter, and said, triumphantly:

  "My last letter, written upon the road--see!"

  Sir Charles took it with surprise, but, turning it in his hand, a cool,satirical smile came to his face. He handed it back, and said, coldly:

  "Read me the passage, madam, on which you argue."

  Poor Mrs. Vane turned the letter in her hand, and her eye becameinstantly glazed; the seal was unbroken! She gave a sharp cry of agony,like a wounded deer. She saw Pomander no longer; she was alone with hergreat anguish. "I had but my husband and my God in the world," criedshe. "My mother is gone. My God, have pity on me! my husband does notlove me."

  The cold villain was startled at the mighty storm his mean hand hadraised. This creature had not only more feeling, but more passion, thana hundred libertines. He muttered some villain's commonplaces; whilethis unhappy young lady raised her hands to heaven, and sobbed in a wayvery terrible to any manly heart.

  "He is unworthy you," muttered Pomander. "He has forfeited your love. Hehas left you nothing but revenge. Be comforted. Let me, who have learnedalready to adore you--"

  "So," cried she, turning on him in a moment (for, on some points,woman's instinct is the lightning of wisdom), "this, sir, was yourobject? I may no longer hold a place in my husband's heart; but I ammistress of his house. Leave it, sir! and never return to it while Ilive."

  Sir Charles, again discomfited, bowed reverentially. "Your wish shallever be respected by me, madam! But here they come. Use the right of awife. Conceal yourself in that high chair. See, I turn it; so that theycannot see you. At least you will find I have but told you the truth."

  "No!" cried Mabel, violently. "I will not spy upon my husband at thedictation of his treacherous friend."

  Sir Charles vanished. He was no sooner gone than Mrs. Vane crouched,trembling, and writhing with jealousy, in the large, high-backed chair.She heard her husband and the _soi-disant_ Lady Betty Modish enter.During their absence, Mrs. Woffington had doubtless been playing hercards with art; for it appeared that a reconciliation was now takingplace. The lady, however, was still cool and distant. It was poorMabel's fate to hear these words: "You must permit me to go alone, Mr.Vane. I insist upon leaving this house alone."

  On this, he whispered to her.

  She answered: "You are not justified."

  "I can explain all," was his reply. "I am ready to renounce credit,character, all the world for you."

  They passed out of the room before the unhappy listener could recoverthe numbing influence of these deadly words.

  But the next moment she started wildly up, and cried as one drowningcries vaguely for help: "Ernest! oh, no--no! you cannot use me so!Ernest--husband! Oh, mother! mother!"

  She rose, and would have made for the door, but nature had been toocruelly tried. At the first step she could no longer see anything; andthe next moment, swooning dead away, she fell back insensible, with herhead and shoulders resting on the chair.