My Brilliant Career Part 11

Part of the old Caddagat house was built of slabs, and one of the wooden walls ran along the veranda side of the drawing-room, so the songs aunt Helen and Everard Grey were trying to the piano came as a sweet accompaniment to my congenial task.

Presently they left off singing and commenced talking. Under the same circ.u.mstances a heroine of a story would have slipped away; or, if that were impossible without discovery, she would have put her fingers in her ears, and would have been in a terrible state of agitation lest she should hear something not intended for her. I did not come there with a view to eavesdropping. It is a degradation to which I never stoop. I thought they were aware of my presence on the veranda; but it appears they were not, as they began to discuss me (wonderfully interesting subject to myself), and I stayed there, without one word of disapproval from my conscience, to listen to their conversation.

"My word, didn't gran make a to-do this morning when I proposed to train Sybylla for the stage! Do you know that girl is simply reeking with talent; I must have her trained. I will keep bringing the idea before gran until she gets used to it. I'll work the we-should-use-the-gifts-G.o.d-has-given-us racket for all it is worth, and you might use your influence too, Helen."

"No, Everard; there are very few who succeed on the stage. I would not use my influence, as it is a life of which I do not approve."

"But Sybylla _would_ succeed. I am a personal friend of the leading managers, and my influence would help her greatly."

"Yes; but what would you do with her? A young gentleman couldn't take charge of a girl and bring her out without ruining her reputation. There would be no end of scandal, as the sister theory would only be nonsense."

"There is another way; I could easily stop scandal."

"Everard, what do you mean!"

"I mean marriage," he replied deliberately.

"Surely, boy, you must be dreaming! You have only seen her for an hour or two. I don't believe in these sudden attachments."

Perhaps she here thought of one (her own) as sudden, which had not ended happily.

"Everard, don't do anything rashly. You know you are very fickle and considered a lady-killer--be merciful to my poor little Sybylla, I pray.

It is just one of your pa.s.sing fancies. Don't wile her pa.s.sionate young heart away and then leave her to pine and die."

"I don't think she is that sort," he replied laughingly.

"No, she would not die, but would grow into a cynic and sceptic, which is the worst of fates. Let her alone. Flirt as much as you will with society belles who understand the game, but leave my country maiden alone. I hope to mould her into a splendid character yet."

"But, Helen, supposing I am in earnest at last, you don't think I'd make her a bad old hubby, do you?"

"She is not the girl for you. You are not the man who could ever control her. What I say may not be complimentary but it is true. Besides, she is not seventeen yet, and I do not approve of romantic young girls throwing themselves into matrimony. Let them develop their womanhood first."

"Then I expect I had better hide my attractions under a bushel during the remainder of my stay at Caddagat?"

"Yes. Be as nice to the child as you like, but mind, none of those little ladies'-man attentions with which it is so easy to steal--"

I waited to hear no more, but, br.i.m.m.i.n.g over with a mixture of emotions, tore through the garden and into the old orchard. Bees were busy, and countless bright-coloured b.u.t.terflies flitted hither and thither, sipping from hundreds of trees, white or pink with bloom--their beauty was lost upon me. I stood ankle-deep in violets, where they had run wild under a gnarled old apple-tree, and gave way to my wounded vanity.

"Little country maiden, indeed! There's no need for him to bag his attractions up. If he exerted himself to the utmost of his ability, he could not make me love him. I'm not a child. I saw through him in the first hour. There's not enough in him to win my love. I'll show him I think no more of him than of the caterpillars on the old tree there. I'm not a b.o.o.by that will fall in love with every gussie I see. Bah, there's no fear of that! I hate and detest men!"

"I suppose you are rehearsing some more airs to show off with tonight,"

sneered a voice behind me.

"No, I'm realisticing; and how _dare_ you thrust your obnoxious presence before me when I wish to be alone! Haven't I often shown--"

"While a girl is disengaged, any man who is her equal has the right to pay his addresses to her if he is in earnest," interrupted Mr Hawden. It was he who stood before me.

"I am well aware of that," I replied. "But it is a woman's privilege to repel those attentions if distasteful to her. You seem disinclined to accord me that privilege."

Having delivered this retort, I returned to the house, leaving him standing there looking the fool he was.

I do not believe in spurning the love of a blackfellow if he behaves in a manly way; but Frank Hawden was such a drivelling mawkish style of sweetheart that I had no patience with him.

Aunt Helen and Everard had vacated the drawing-room, so I plumped down on the piano-stool and dashed into Kowalski's galop, from that into "Gaite de Coeur" until I made the piano dance and tremble like a thing possessed. My annoyance faded, and I slowly played that saddest of waltzes, "Weber's Last". I became aware of a presence in the room, and, facing about, confronted Everard Grey.

"How long have you been here?" I demanded sharply.

"Since you began to play. Where on earth did you learn to play? Your execution is splendid. Do sing 'Three Fishers', please."

"Excuse me; I haven't time now. Besides I am not competent to sing to you," I said brusquely, and made my exit.

"Mr Hawden wants you, Sybylla," called aunt Helen. "See what he wants and let him get away to his work, or your grannie will be vexed to see him loitering about all the morning."

"Miss Sybylla," he began, when we were left alone, "I want to apologize to you. I had no right to plague you, but it all comes of the way I love you. A fellow gets jealous at the least little thing, you know."

"Bore me with no more such trash," I said, turning away in disgust.

"But, Miss Sybylla, what am I to do with it?"

"Do with what?"

"My love."

"Love!" I retorted scornfully. "There is no such thing."

"But there is, and I have found it."

"Well, you stick to it--that's my advice to you. It will be a treasure.

If you send it to my father he will get it bottled up and put it in the Goulburn museum. He has sent several things there already."

"Don't make such a game of a poor devil. You know I can't do that."

"Bag it up, then; put a big stone to make it sink, and pitch it in the river."

"You'll rue this," he said savagely.

"I may or may not," I sang over my shoulder as I departed.

CHAPTER TWELVE

One Grand Pa.s.sion

I had not the opportunity of any more private interviews with Everard Grey till one morning near his departure, when we happened to be alone on the veranda.