The Maid of Maiden Lane | Page 9

of many songs and dances. Well, then, we must admit
that he danced to perfection. One may dislike the creature, and yet tell
the truth."
"Do you truly believe that Cornelia is in love with him?"
"Rem, there are things a woman observes. Cornelia is changed to-night.
She did not wish me to stay and talk about this man Hyde--she
preferred thinking about him--such reveries are suspicious. I have felt
the symptom. But, however, I may be wrong. Perhaps Cornelia was
angry at Hyde, and anxious about you--Do you think that?"
Rem would not admit any such explanation; and, indeed, Arenta only
made such suppositions to render more poignant those entirely
contrary.
"Ever since she was a little girl, twelve, eleven years old, I have loved
her," said Rem; "and she knows it."
"She knows it; that is so. When I was at Bethlehem, I read her all your
letters; and many a time you spoke in them of her as your 'little wife.'
To be sure, it was a joke; but she understood that you, at least, put your
heart in it. Girls do not need to have such things explained. Come,
come, we must go to our rooms; for that is our father I hear moving
about. In a few minutes he will be angry, and then--"
She did not finish the sentence; there was no necessity; Rem knew what
unpleasantness the threat implied, and he slipped off his shoes and stole

quietly upstairs. Arenta was not disinclined to a few words if her father
wished them; so she did not hurry, though the great Flemish clock on
the stair-landing chimed eleven as she entered her room. It was an
extraordinarily late hour, but she only smiled, as she struck her pretty
fore-fingers together in time with it. She was not disposed to curtail the
day; it was her method, always, to take the full flavour of every event
that was not disagreeable.
"And, after all," she mused, "the evening was a possibility. It was a
door on the latch--I may push it open and go in--who can tell? I saw
how amazed he was at my beauty when I first entered the parlour--and
he is but a man--and a young man who likes his own way--so much is
evident." She was meanwhile unclasping her pearl necklace, and at this
point she held it in her hands taking the fourth bead between her fingers,
and smiled speculatively.
Then she heard her brother moving about the floor of the room above
her, and a shadow darkened her face. She had strong family affections,
and she was angry that Rem should be troubled by any man or woman,
living:
"I have always thought Cornelia a very saint," she muttered; "but Love
is the great revealer. I wonder if she is in love--to tell the truth, she was
past finding out. I cannot say that I saw the least sign of it-- and
between me and myself, Rem was unreasonable; however, I am not
pleased that Rem felt himself to be badly used."
It was to this touch of resentment in her drifting thoughts that she
performed her last duties. She did not hurry them. "Very soon there will
be the noise of chairmen and carriages to disturb me," she thought;
"and I may as well think a little, and put my things away."
So she folded each dainty blue morocco slipper in its separate piece of
fine paper, and straightened out her ribbons, and wrapped her pale blue
robe in its holland covering, and put every comb and pin in its proper
place, all the time treading as softly as a mouse. And by and by the
street was dark and still, and her room in the most perfect order. These
things gave her the comfort of a good conscience; and she said her

prayers, and fell calmly asleep, to the flattering thought, "I would not
much wonder if, at this moment, Lieutenant Hyde is thinking about
me."
In reality, Lieutenant Hyde was at that moment in the Belvedere Club,
singing the Marseillaise, and listening to a very inflammatory speech
from the French Minister. But a couple of hours later, Arenta's
"wonder" would have touched the truth. He was then alone, and very ill
satisfied; for, after some restless reflections, he said impatiently--
"I have again made a fool of myself. I have now all kinds of unpleasant
feelings; and when I left that good Doctor's house I was well satisfied.
His daughter is an angel. I praise myself for finding that out. She made
me believe in all goodness; yes, even in patriotism! I, that have seen it
sold a dozen times! Oh, how divinely shy and proud she is! I could not
get her one step beyond the first civilities;