THERE was a buzzing, and a thronging round the victorious player.
Ina rose, and, with a delicate movement of her milk-white hand, turned the mountain of gold and column of notes toward Ashmead. "Make haste, please," she whispered; then put on her gloves deliberately, while Ashmead shoved the gold and the notes anyhow into the inner pockets of his shooting-jacket, and buttoned it well up.
_"Allons,"_ said she, calmly, and took his arm; but, as she moved away, she saw Zoe Vizard passing on the other side of the table. Their eyes met: she dropped Ashmead's arm and made her a sweeping courtesy full of polite consideration, and a sort of courteous respect for the person saluted, coupled with a certain dignity, and then she looked wistfully at her a moment. I believe she would have spoken to her if she had been alone; but Miss Maitland and Fanny Dover had, both of them, a trick of putting on _noli-me-tangere_ faces among strangers. It did not mean much;it is an unfortunate English habit. But it repels foreigners: they neither do it nor understand it.
Those two faces, not downright forbidding, but uninviting, turned the scale; and the Klosking, who was not a forward woman, did not yield to her inclination and speak to Zoe. She took Ashmead's arm again and moved away.
Then Zoe turned back and beckoned Vizard. He joined her. "There she is,"said Zoe; "shall I speak to her?"
Would you believe it? He thought a moment, and then said, gloomily, "Well, no. Half cured now. Seen the lover in time." So that opportunity was frittered away.
Before the English party left the Kursaal, Zoe asked, timidly, if they ought not to make some inquiry about Mr. Severne. He had been taken ill again.
"Ay, taken ill, and gone to be cured at another table," said Vizard, ironically. "I'll make the tour, and collar him."He went off in a hurry; Miss Maitland faced a glass and proceeded to arrange her curl.
Fanny, though she had offered no opposition to Vizard's going, now seized Zoe's arm with unusual energy, and almost dragged her aside. "The idea of sending Harrington on that fool's errand!" said she, peevishly. "Why, Zoe! where are your eyes?"Zoe showed her by opening them wide. "What _do_ you mean?""What--do--I--mean? No matter. Mr. Severne is not in this building, and you know it.""How can I know? All is so mysterious," faltered Zoe. "How do _you_know?"
"Because--there--least said is soonest mended.""Fanny, you are older than me, and ever so much cleverer. Tell me, or you are not my friend.""Wait till you get home, then. Here he is."Vizard told them he had been through all the rooms; the only chance now was the dining-room. "No," said Fanny, "we wish to get home; we are rather tired."They went to the rail, and at first Vizard was rather talkative, making his comments on the players; but the ladies were taciturn, and brought him to a stand. "Ah," thought he, "nothing interests them now; Adonis is not here." So he retired within himself.
When they reached the Russie, he ordered a _petit souper_ in an hour, and invited the ladies. Meantime they retired--Miss Maitland to her room, and Fanny, with Zoe, to hers. By this time Miss Dover had lost her alacrity, and would, I verily believe, have shunned a _te'te-'a-te'te_ if she could; but there was a slight paleness in Zoe's cheek, and a compression of the lips, which told her plainly that young lady meant to have it out with her. They both knew so well what was coming, that Zoe merely waved her to a chair and leaned herself against the bed, and said, "Now, Fanny." So Fanny was brought to bay.
"Dear me," said she piteously, "I don't know what to do, between you and Aunt Maitland. If I say all I think, I suppose you will hate me; and if Idon't, I shall be told I'm wicked, and don't warn an orphan girl. She flew at me like a bull-dog before your brother: she said I was twenty-five, and I only own to twenty-three. And, after all, what could Isay? for I do feel I ought to give you the benefit of my experience, and make myself as disagreeable as _she_ does. And I _have_ given you a hint, and a pretty broad one, but you want such plain speaking.""I do," said Zoe. "So please speak plainly, if you can.""Ah, you _say_ that."
"And I mean it. Never mind consequences; tell me the truth.""Like a man, eh? and get hated."
"Men are well worth imitating, in some things. Tell me the truth, pleasant or not, and I shall always respect you.""Bother respect. I am like the rest of us; I want to be loved a little bit. But there--I'm in for it. I have said too much, or too little. Iknow that. Well, Zoe, the long and the short is--you have a rival."Zoe turned rather pale, but was not so much shaken as Fanny expected.
She received the blow in silence. But after a while she said, with some firmness, "Mademoiselle Klosking?""Oh, you are not quite blind, then."
"And pray which does he prefer?" asked Zoe, a little proudly.
"It is plain he likes you the best. But why does he fear her so? This is where you seem all in the dark. He flew out of the opera, lest she should see him.""Oh! Absurd!"
"He cut you and Vizard, rather than call upon her with you.""And so he did."
"He flew from the gambling-table the moment she entered the room.""Behind him. She came in behind him."
"There was a large mirror in front of him.""Oh, Fanny! oh!" and Zoe clasped her hands piteously. But she recovered herself, and said, "After all, appearances are deceitful.""Not so deceitful as men," said Fanny, sharply.
But Zoe clung to her straw. "Might not two things happen together? He is subject to bleeding at the nose. It is strange it should occur twice so, but it is possible""Zoe," said Fanny, gravely, "he is not subject to bleeding at the nose.""Oh, _then_--but how can you know that? What right have you to say that?""I'll show you," said Fanny, and left the room.
