Lady Maude's Mania Part 28

"I'm ashamed to sit here and listen to such hints."

"Ah, well, I'll say no more," said the cook, oracularly; "but I have a heart of my own, and I know what hearts is."

"Trumps," exclaimed the b.u.t.tons.

"Henery! silence!" cried the butler sternly. "You go and see to the things in the pantry. Mrs Downes, as the oldest servant in her ladys.h.i.+p's establishment, I have a right to take the lead. Such remarks as these are not seemly."

"I only want to say, Mr Robbins," cried the stout lady, with her heart doing its work well, "that if you check true love in one direction, out it comes in another. It will have its way. There, look at that."

The demon of Portland Place was at the edge of the pavement turning the handle of his organ, and as a matter of fact, Maude Diphoos stepped slowly out of the French window in the drawing-room, and stood looking down at the Italian's swarthy, smiling face.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

LADY BARMOUTH PUTS DOWN HER FOOT.

Lady Maude sat in her dressing-room once more with her back hair down, listening to the strains of Luigi's organ as it discoursed a delicious waltz, while Dolly Preen, who was rapidly developing a vicious-looking mouth, brushed away at the beautiful golden cascade, which rippled quite to the ground. The lady's head swerved softly to the rhythm of the music, and it proved infectious; for though Dolly knew little of dancing, the music was pleasant to her soul, and she swayed her head and brushed softly with an accentuated beat at the beginning of every bar.

Just in the middle of the most sostenuto strain, and just as the ivory-backed brush was descending low, its long bristles dividing the golden threads, which crackled again in the warm air of that gloriously suns.h.i.+ny day, there was a sharp tap at the dressing-room, and her ladys.h.i.+p entered.

"Ah, just in time," she exclaimed, raising her gold-rimmed eye-gla.s.s.

"I wanted to see your hair, Maude."

"My hair, mamma?"

"Yes, child. Let me see; you went to Monsieur Launay's yesterday?"

"Yes, mamma."

"I have been telling Justine that I shall not go to any further expense over it. I have just sent him a cheque for his account, and your head looks so much better that I think we may be satisfied now."

Maude's cheeks turned scarlet, and so did her temple and neck, but her beautiful hair made a magnificent veil, and hid her confusion from her ladys.h.i.+p's view as she examined the parting, drew it away from the temples and poked it about just at the poll.

"Don't you think, mamma, I had better keep on for a little longer?"

"No," said her ladys.h.i.+p, peremptorily. "Your hair is in beautiful condition. I grudged paying that man; but he has saved your hair, and he deserves what he has received. He is very clever."

"I should like to continue a little longer, mamma."

"You'll do nothing of the sort," said her ladys.h.i.+p tartly. "Your hair is perfect."

"I must go and say that I am not about to continue his course of treatment."

"No, you must not. I shall write to Monsieur Launay myself and tell him. I cannot afford these expenses, the demands for money are dreadful. I am always spending. Go away, Preen."

"Yes, my lady," said the little maid, and she "made a face" as she left the room.

"The preparations for your marriage will be more than I can afford."

"Oh, mamma, must that go on?" cried Maude.

"Now, now, now, Maude, no more of that, please. I will not have it.

Silence. The expenses will be terrible, and I shall be very glad when it is over, and so will you be, and I must say I am pleased to find you are coming more to your senses. Oh, that odious wretch. Go away, do!"

Her ladys.h.i.+p crossed to the window and shut it down with a crash, deadening the sound of Luigi's minstrelsy as she returned to her daughter's side.

"Really the expenses of our establishment are maddening. I have had the wine merchant's bill in this morning, and it is outrageous. The man must be a swindler. Case after case of dry champagne charged for that I cannot remember having. But I must see into it at once; and, yes: I am quite satisfied there is no need for you to go to the hairdresser's any more."

Her ladys.h.i.+p gave a quick glance round the room--a glance that took in everything, the furniture, the davenport at which her daughter wrote, the books she had been reading, even to the tiny cobweb left by a careless housemaid in one corner, and then in a very dissatisfied frame of mind she descended to write to Mr Launay, leaving her daughter looking speechless with misery, and gazing wildly at the closed window.

"Shall I finish your hair, ma'am?" said a voice which made her start, for she had not heard the door opened.

"If you like, Dolly," said Maude despairingly; and with a curiously furtive glance at her mistress, caused by her wonder what her ladys.h.i.+p had said, the girl went on with her interrupted work till she had done; and then when certain hooks had been persuaded to enter certain eyes, and as many b.u.t.tons to pa.s.s through their b.u.t.ton-holes, as she could obtain no further orders, Dolly left the room, and Maude walked to the window, opened it, and sat down with her elbow on the sill to listen to the distant strains of music which came from the top end of the place near Park Crescent, and as she listened the tears stole down her cheeks, for the fiat must be obeyed. There would be no more pleasant visits to the coiffeur's--those little trips which relieved the monotony of her life so deliciously, and made her better able to bear the coming of Sir Grantley Wilters.

No more--no more! she was to be a prisoner now till she was to be decked out with garlands, and sent like a lamb to the sacrifice, and served up with mint sauce, for Sir Grantley was going to be very rich. Life was becoming an empty void with nothing to fill it. No Charley Melton allowed to visit; no a.s.sistant to arrange her hair--and Monsieur Hector Launay's aide was so very, very nice.

Maude's sad musings were interrupted by the door being opened quickly, and the head of Justine thrust in.

"Oh, mademoiselle--_chere_ miladi, have you heard?"

"Yes, Justine. It is all over."

"All ovaire, miladi? _c'est atroce_, but not ovaire; I will take counsel wiz M'sieu Hector, and all will be well."

"Justine! Justine!"

"Coming, milady; I descend directly. Have a good heart, still yet, and all shall be well. _Oui_, milady, I come."

Justine descended, and Maude melted into tears.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

THE CHANCE LOOKS BAD.

That same afternoon Monsieur Hector Launay's a.s.sistant entered the business place hurriedly, followed by Joby, and exclaimed--

"I am rather late. Has she come?"

"Come, _non_, M'sieu; she comes no more."

"What?"

"I have a letter from my lady in which she say I have done her daughter's hair so much good that the visits will cease. I am paid, and _voila tout_."

"Good heavens! Does she suspect?"