Diana Tempest, Volume I (of 3)

ove of women

ly and a fea

ro

re. But there are fortunate persons who can weave for themselves out of apparently incongruous odds and ends of bric-à-brac, and china, and cretonne, a habitation which

from the ceiling by a gilt chain, not even holding a lamp as an excuse for its presence. Her artistic tendencies required that scarlet pampas grass should stand in a high yellow jar on the piano, and that the piano itself should be festooned with terra-cotta Liberty silk. A littl

ble in countenance. The walls were draped as only young ladies, defiant of all laws of taste or common sense, but determined on originality, can drape them. The portière alone fell all its length to the ground. The other curtains were caught up or tweaked across, or furled like flags against the walls above chromos and engravings, over which i

eplaced it with awe, tongue and all, and then, taking refuge on the hearth-rug, promenaded his pale prawn-like eyes round the apartment to see where he could put down his hat. But app

fallen suddenly and desperately in love, bald head over red ears in love, with Madeleine, after his own fashion, since she had shown him so decidedly that he was dear to her on that evening a fortnight ago when he had hovered round her in his usual "fancy free" and easy manner, merely because she was the prettiest girl in the room. He now thought her the most wonderful and beautiful and religious per

hat mademoiselle could not see monsieur. Mademoiselle ha

omentary pause, he merely nodded to the woman and went out, knocking over the same

the piece of china now permanently tongu

w her breath, as she left

the rose-coloured blinds, and then flung herself with a little shiver on to the couch beside the fire. She was very pretty, very fair, very small, very feminine in dress

e of annoyance. Her eyes-they were pretty appealing eyes, with delicately-bistred eyelashes-fell upon her diamond

ring when the door opened, an

ne?" said a fr

u to come, and so early, too! I have been so longing to see you, so longing to tell you about

isengaging her hand after a moment, and

coat, in which action the engagement-ring took a good deal of exercise. "I

om fishing in Scotland with her face burnt brick red. "One does not generally look one's best af

ken into both Madeleine's small ones again

terrier. She was in reality five or six years younger than Madeleine, but her height and a certain natu

deleine in a shy whisper, evi

mean it was a sudd

of course not; but it cam

O

n by the angler who has long and persistently c

him for a long time, and somehow his bei

ntment of Sir Henry-elderly,

she sai

was a

t," said Madeleine, affectionately. "I

ur to you before he asked you?" said

ight before I

before?"

de of the piano, you know; and, as I told them, they ought not to leave the other girls in the way they were doing. There were two girls who had no one to speak to all the evening. I begged them to go and talk to them, but they would not listen; and Sir Henry stood about near, and would ins

ther, or both at the same time. Yes, it's very s

ust wandered in there to read my letters. It took me entirely by surprise. It

use," said Di, looking

eine, delightedly. "I shall sha

deleine's sheet-anchor in the form

s crossed your mind till a few hours bef

l about it, but with me there is something too solemn, too sacred, in an engagement of that kind to rush into it

g did you th

ord Algy's drag, and I had a new gown on purpose. I suppose most girls would have gone, but I felt I could not. I can't t

he did not

he di

wkward if you had not i

looked int

. "And it was so embarrassing at luncheon-only him and m

your m

I could not have talked about it to her; mamma and I feel so differently. You know she always remembers how much she cared for poor papa. I was dr

nly hid her face in her hands. The

ter a moment's silence, w

e those things are decided for one. And I felt quite peaceful, and I went out for a little bit in the garden, and the sun was setting-I a

fair face was red with-was it envy?-as she raised her head. Two large tears stood in her ind

said, "do you c

would have appealed to a masculine

Di, rather hurriedly. "I never should have thought-when I remembe

ld promise anything I asked; he has already about smoking. I know he has not been

y, without whose co-operation she was aware that nothing matrimonially advantageous could be effected, and in whose powers as a chaperon she placed more confidenc

said Di, who seemed to have frozen perceptibly. "It is nothing peculiar. It is one of t

imes moves reserved people profoundly. They know that only an overwhelming onslaught of emotion would be able to wrest their own self-con

hen I was engaged. And I have chosen the bridesmaids' gowns on purpose to suit you, though I know Sir Henry's niece, that little fat Da

er arms round her. "Never mind about the bridesmaids' gowns, dear. It was very nice of you to think how they would sui

ll very well for you to talk like that; I felt just the same when I was your age. But I shall be twenty-eight this year; and you don't know what it feels like to be getting on, and one's fringe not what it was; and always having to preten

ion of feeling from one who felt, and lived, and talked, and dressed

The bridegroom is part of the wedding, after all; think of what he is. What can you care for in hi

was as nothing to that of continuing to keep it. She did not realize that an entire lack of

and pressed a little frilled

y things are ordered; I have asked the bridesmaids. I can't go back now.

ow nature feels to be prophetic. Madeleine had, in what stood proxy for her imagination, already regarded herself as a bride, as the recipient, not of diamonds in general, but of the Verelst diamonds in particular. Already in maiden meditation she had

er of wiping them, while she favoured Di with minute details respecting those complete sets of under-clothing which so mysteriously enhance and dignify the holy estate of matrimony in the feminine mind. But Di was not

eir faces. I am sure there are some hard times to be lived through even when you care very much. Nothing but a great love, granny says, will float one over some of the rocks ahead. But to marry w

g beside her. It almost seemed as if the u

ame at

t in a moment. Madeleine drew the screen hastily be

f brocade as she had promised, so that mademoiselle might judge of them in the pie

up and gave

l give him up, too," thought D

ou advise, the mauve or the white and go

with astonishment that the Rubicon has been crossed, do we realize that in that half-forgotten instant of hesitation as to some apparently unimportant side issue, in that unconscious movement that betrayed a feeling of which we were not aware, our choice was made. The crises of life come, like th

brocade sprinkled with silver fleur-de-lys. The maid turned it lig

says she will do it for forty guineas, as she is making me other things. The front is to be a silver g

it with a kind of horror. It seemed to her a

strayed across her mind that in the future many gowns of this description, hitherto unobtainable and unsuitable, might

at accompanies relaxation

e on the mauv