The Actress in High Life | Page 5

Portuguese
provincial town, with its filthy streets and squalid populace, could be
no agreeable place of residence to a British lady. Lord Strathern felt
this, and, looking about him, found a large building in the midst of an
orchard without the walls of Elvas, and more than half-way down the
hill. It had been erected by one of the monastic societies of the city, as a
place of occasional retirement for pleasure, or devotion, or both. The
French had summarily turned them out of it five years before, and so
thoroughly plundered them, at the same time, that they had not since
found heart or means to repair and refurnish it. Accordingly, it was a
good deal dilapidated. But the refectory and the kitchen took his
lordship's eye. The former could dine half the officers of the brigade at
a time, and the latter allowed abundant elbow-room to cooks and
scullions, while preparing the feast. So, here he established the
headquarters of his brigade, and here Lady Mabel Stewart made her
appearance in the new dignity of womanhood, to preside over his
household.
CHAPTER II.
Oh sovereign beauty, you whose charms All other charms surpass;
Whose lustre nought can imitate, Except your looking-glass.
Southey, from the Spanish.
The arrival of Lady Mabel Stewart was a god-send to the young
officers of the brigade. Already the sources of interest afforded by the
country around, began to fail them. Few men can long make a business
of mere eating and drinking; red-legged partridges were getting scarce
in that neighborhood, and boar hunting in the mountain forests was

distant, laborious, and too often, fruitless of game. The scenery of the
country, the costume and habits of the people, now familiar to their
eyes, palled upon their tastes. They wanted something new to interest
them, and were particularly delighted when this novelty came from
home. But, above all, the black-haired, dark-eyed daughters of this
sunny region grew many shades browner in their eyes. We look not at
the daffodils when the lily rears its head. A new and higher order of
beauty, rare even at home, now demanded homage, and it was freely
paid.
Lord Strathern, a social and jovial man, had always been a favorite with
his subalterns, but now his popularity attained its acme. His open house
became headquarters, even more in a social than a military sense. It
was a little court, and Lady Mabel played the queen regnant there.
Justly proud of her, her father encouraged this, taking all the attention
she attracted as compliments to himself; and the gentlemen displayed
great ingenuity in devising various excuses for being in frequent
attendance at headquarters, in the service of her ladyship. Lieutenant
Goring, the best horseman in the ---- light dragoons, a squadron of
which had been sent hither with the brigade, to fatten their emaciated
steeds on the barley and maize of Alemtejo, established himself,
uninvited, in the post of equerry, and sedulously devoted himself to
training the beautiful Andalusian provided for Lady Mabel's own
saddle. Of course, he had to be in attendance when she took the air on
horseback. Major Warren, from a free, heedless sportsman, who
followed his game for his own pleasure, became gamekeeper, or rather,
grand huntsman, bound to lay the feathered, furred, and scaly tribes
under contribution to supply her table and tempt her delicate appetite.
A proud and happy man was he when skill or fortune enabled him to
lay the antlered stag or tusked boar at her feet, and expatiate on the
incidents of his sylvan campaign. He, of course, must be often invited
to partake of the social meal. Captain Cranfield, of the engineers, had
just returned from Badajoz, where he had been repairing shattered
bastions, and patching up curtains sadly torn by shot and shell. He
found Lady Mabel busy renovating, modernising and adorning the rude
and comfortless apartments of her monastic quarters. Immediately his

pencil, his professional ingenuity and skill are devoted to her service.
He appoints himself architect, upholsterer and improver-general to the
household. He designed elegant curtains, with graceful festoons for the
misshapen windows, tasteful hangings to conceal bare walls of
rough-hewn stone, picturesque screens to hide unsightly corners; and
arranged and put them up with as much skill as if, with a native genius
for it, he had been bred to the business. The commonest materials
became rich chintz and costly arras in his hands, mahogany, or
rose-wood, at his bidding. One morning so spent put him on an easier
footing with Lady Mabel than a dozen casual meetings; and he quite
got the weather gage of both equerry and huntsman, securing frequent
and easy intercourse, while advising and assisting her in his
inter-menial capacity, whereas these gentlemen's spheres of official
duty lay properly out of doors. But