Part 12 (1/2)
”Now time is something to have gained! Janet, thou must go to yonder monastery and bring a priest to shrive Christopher.”
”And how didst thou know Christopher was shriveable?”
”'Tis unseemly of thee to make jest of divine ordinances.”
”Nay, I would not jest but know where 'twas thou learnt of his religion?”
”All of the Catholic faith know one another by intuition; 'tis G.o.d-given.”
”Then thou didst also know him to be a rascal?”
”Neither do I know it now. Wilt thou not find some way to bring a priest hither? Pray, Janet, do; for if I let it go past, 'twill bring me miserable thoughts and wicked dreams. Janet, thou didst once love me and hadst a fond way of antic.i.p.ating my desires; but thou hast on a sudden forgotten thine whilom usages. Beshrew thee for falling away from thine old friends and taking up with new ones. Lord Cedric's nurse watches him from morn until eve and deigns not to cajole him or win his desires from their natural bent.”
”'Tis wisely said; for his desires are inclined in the right direction. 'Twas but last night when he was well-nigh distraught with thy absence with the Russian Jew that doth ogle thee, that Angel brought his riding-cloak and threw it over his shoulders as he tore up and down his chamber; and she said, lowly,--'Go, my lord, 'twill ease thy mind to ride,' and he flew to horse. She is ever helping him to thee.”
”And now I would have thee to help me to my lord's good graces and my desires; but thou art evil bent.”
”Nay, my precious Lambkin, if I could I would help thee this night to the nuptial altar; but as to helping thee to thy desires, 'twould be helping thy peace of mind and him to utter ruin; and such calamity would render thy young life incomplete; for without this n.o.ble lord thy perfectness will be unfinished.”
”Cease carving epitaphs, Janet, and help me a.s.sist this poor unfortunate. How long will my lord be gone?”
”He has only gone to the village to meet the workmen who were to renovate the nurseries and ride home with Lady Constance, who rode away early this morning when thou were dreaming of Russia.”
”Then I will write him my pet.i.tion, and thou shalt give it to Angel to give my lord, immediately upon his return.” She sat down with parchment and quill and wrote rapidly; and as Janet noticed not, she wrote two letters instead of one. The first she folded evenly and put beneath a book, the other she gave to Janet, who took it and left the chamber to seek Angel. Mistress Penwick, thus left alone, wondered how she should convey her other letter to Count Adrian. She approached the window, and lo! upon the upper terrace paced her Grace of Ellswold and Cantemir. 'Twas not the first hour that day the latter had so paraded the sward, ever and anon casting glances toward Mistress Penwick's windows. Again he glanced up and saw her wave a white paper and immediately leave the window. He guessed at once 'twas something more than indisposition that held her to her room. Again she looked; they had turned from the window. She flung forth the paper and it floated down as Janet came into the room.
'Twas late that evening Katherine sat in _peignoir_ and unbound hair, ready for retiring, when there came a soft rap and a pleading voice asking for admission. Now Janet was not one whit afraid of double dealing when she was present, and being proud of Mistress Penwick and not wis.h.i.+ng it to appear that she was a prisoner, she opened the door and in came Lady Constance smiling and shy, a hollow-hearted creature of the world. Now it so happened that Lady Constance had kept herself from Katherine for some little time, wis.h.i.+ng not to be disturbed by the maid's beauty; as it usually stirred her to frenzy and she wanted perfect quiet for calm reasoning. It took some time to plan her campaign that was already full started, and she now came forth from her chamber refreshed, the course of her slothful blood hastened; her eyes gleamed with impatience for action; her whole being changed, rejuvenated, filled with a new life. She came also with a full knowledge of all that had taken place in the _interim_ of her absence from Katherine. She came well prepared for a bout, and blushed not at the subterfuges and mean, paltry artifices, aye, a full battery of chicaneries that awaited her use, as she crossed the maid's chamber threshold. ”'All is fair in love and war,'” she quoted--”'Tis an egregious plat.i.tude adopted alike by king and fool!”
”I could not sleep without first seeing thee and knowing thy condition. It must be more than hard for thee to keep thy chamber?”
said Constance.
”Nay, thou art wrong; the convent doth inure one to quiet and solitude.”
”Dost think thy ailments will allow thee to go abroad on the morrow?”
”I know not, I am at Janet's mercy and I cannot leave my seclusion without her permission. I feel quite well, but Janet says I am ill.”
”Oh! that I had a nurse to so fondle me; indeed, she has kept all looks of illness from thee; thy face is as clear as if thou hadst been fed on wild honey all thy days;--and such hair! Dost leave it thus for the night?”
”The tangles would never submit, should I so leave it.”
”'Tis my delight to fuss with hair and thine is so beauteous--” she arose and went to Katherine and smoothed the amber threads--”See, when I turn it thus, 'tis like rare bronze, and when I place it to the light, 'tis a glorious amber. May I plait it for thee,--I should love so much to do it?”
”If 'twill give thee pleasure thou mayest a.s.suredly plait it,” replied Katherine. Janet now watched for a whispered word or some sign of intercourse; but her vigilance was of no avail, for Lady Constance deftly placed a tiny paper in Mistress Penwick's hair and plaited tightly over it.
”'Tis such a pleasure to fuss with hair--and such fine threads, too; indeed, I have half a mind to become a _peruquier_,--there, 'tis finished!”
”How is his Grace, Lady Constance?”