Chapter VII: Mrs. Dakin's Reception

MRS. DAKIN was a tall, graceful woman, young-looking for her five-and-forty years, with sparkling dark eyes and a vivacious manner. On the day of her reception, she had a warm welcome for Maud, who, in the pretty gown she had worn at her aunt's wedding, was certainly looking her best.

Mrs. Dakin quickly contrived to say in her ear,—"You look charming to-night, my dear. There is no fear of my New York beauty eclipsing you—" A speech which delighted Maud, and enabled her to meet the young lady with equanimity.

Yet in truth, Miss Blanche Amory was a very fascinating young person. Her beauty was of a purely Grecian type. Her small shapely head, the broad, low brow over which the light brown hair fell in such bewitching little curls, the straight, delicate nose, the small curved mouth, and the lovely violet eyes, were already inspiring every artist present with an eager desire to paint her portrait. Her bearing was marked by a piquant audacity of speech and action which the English ladies present decided to be "thoroughly American," whilst her dress had the quality which Europeans distinguish by the significant word "chic."

"Is this your first visit to Rome?" enquired Maud, by way of opening the conversation.

"No; I was here with my parents five years ago," replied the beauty, with the high nasal intonation peculiar to her nation.

"Then you have seen most of the sights?"

"Yes; I guess I did enough sight-seeing when I was over before. I don't mean to go round with my guidebook any more. If there's anything new to be seen, I'd like to see it—that's all."

"I dare say we can accommodate you," said Julius Dakin, who stood at her elbow. "It will be a refreshing change. Most of our visitors can interest themselves only in the old things of Rome, and despise everything belonging to the present century."

"Ah, I guess—musty old churches, underground tombs, and impossible relics. But that's not my taste. I like to keep above ground whilst I can; and I don't know that I should be any the better for seeing the chains of St. Peter or the head of St. Paul. I went into the burial vaults of the Cappuccini and had a look at the old skeleton monks when I was last in Rome, and it made me feel sort of queer-like."

"It is not an agreeable sight, certainly," said Maud, with a little shudder. "But there are many beautiful things to be seen in Rome, and the country round is most interesting. I suppose you explored it when you were here before."

"You may be sure we did. My father is not one to do things by halves, and I am his own child in that. Before we came to Italy, we were in Greece, and we went all through the mountains on horseback. We roughed it then, I can tell you. Often I was in the saddle for twelve hours at a time; and such riding as it was!—no roads. We just had to make tracks across country, fording streams and leaping gullies. It was hard work—but how I did enjoy it!"

"You are such an experienced traveller, Miss Amory, that you make me feel quite small," observed Julius Dakin. "I have had no adventures that can compare with yours."

"Well, I guess I've travelled all round Europe, anyway," replied the fair American; "but I have not done India yet. I must have a try at that some day."

Not Julius Dakin alone was feeling small. Maud Marian was made aware that she was but an ordinary mortal after all. She could boast no such achievements as the young American continued to describe, and her knowledge of the world she lived in now presented itself to her as pitifully limited.

Enid meanwhile was listening with quiet amusement to all that passed. Maud presently disengaged herself from the group about Miss Amory, and began to move through the rooms, meeting at every few steps with some acquaintance. Enid, who found herself alone amidst strangers, had a momentary sense of dreariness. She glanced round the room, and her eyes at length fell on Julius Dakin, who was making his way to her.

"Found at last!" he said, as he came up. "I was wondering where you had hidden yourself. Will you allow me to take you to the library? There is something there I should like to show you."

Enid consented willingly.

In the library they found Mr. Dakin with one or two visitors. Enid began to examine the books, and was delighted when the old gentleman gave her permission to borrow any she liked, and pointed out those that would be of most interest to her in her study of Roman antiquities. Talking to him, she forgot that she had been brought to the library for a special purpose; but Julius waited patiently till her attention was disengaged.

"Now, Miss Mildmay," he said at last, "I will show you something that I think you will be pleased to see."

He led her into a small ante-room and raised the lamp he carried, so that its light fell upon a picture hanging on the wall. It was a painting of the Campagna with the ruin of an old tomb, and some grand stone pines standing up against the blue sky. It was already familiar to Enid, and a favourite with her. She had thought it one of the best of Miss Strutt's paintings.

"Oh!" she exclaimed involuntarily, in her surprise. "You have bought that of Miss Strutt! How good of you!"

"Not at all," he replied, with a look of pleasure. "It was my father who bought it, and he was only too glad to secure such a charming little picture."

"But you took him to see Miss Strutt's pictures?"

"Why, yes, I was guilty of that, certainly; but you would not have had me keep to myself my knowledge of the good things that were to be seen there?"

This was unanswerable. Enid was perhaps foolishly delighted that the purchase had been made, and she could not rid her mind of the impression that her influence had played a considerable part in the matter. She believed that Julius had wished to give her pleasure. And yet how little ground there was for such a fancy!

If Julius Dakin had been actuated by any such motive, he was rewarded as he watched Enid's undisguised pleasure. They lingered awhile in the ante-room, talking and looking at the pictures. When at last they returned to the drawing-room, they had been absent more than half an hour, but to Enid it had seemed but a few minutes.

Maud Marian was seated near the door by which Enid and Julius entered. Enid moved towards her cousin, intending to tell her of the purchase Mr. Dakin had made; but ere she could reach her side, Maud rose, said a few words to the gentleman with whom she was talking, and passed rapidly to the other side of the room.

Enid was astonished. She felt sure Maud had seen her come in, and wondered that she should turn from her in that way. Had she unwittingly offended her cousin again? Maud had recovered from her annoyance on learning that Herr Schmitz had proposed to give lessons to her cousin. The breach between them was to all appearance mended, but Enid was no longer at her ease with her cousin. She was subject to fear lest her words or actions should be misunderstood, and give offence. As she lanced at Maud now across the crowded room, she could see that something had occurred to disturb her cousin's equanimity, though Maud was making an effort to hide the fact that she was not enjoying herself.

Julius placed Enid under his mother's care, and then strolled off to where the American beauty was still surrounded by a little court of admirers. Enid wondered if the general attention bestowed upon this young lady were a source of mortification to Maud. But now Mrs. Dakin introduced her to two young English girls, who were very pleased to meet with a girl-compatriot. The three chatted together in lively fashion for some time, till the mother of the girls came to take them away. The room was already thinning. The departure of the girls, and of one or two others who moved away at the same time, made a stillness about Enid, in which the words of two ladies of mature age, who were seated on a settee behind her, fell distinctly on her ears.

"Now I wonder if Mrs. Dakin means her son to marry that American beauty," said one.

"No doubt she would like him to wed one of her countrywomen," replied the other; "and the girl is an heiress, I believe."

"As for that, he might afford to marry for love, I should think," returned the first speaker. "It is all very well for his mother to choose for him, but he may be of another mind. Last winter everyone said he would marry Miss Marian."

"Well, he has not paid her much attention to-night, for I have been watching him," remarked the other. "There was another girl he seemed very friendly with."

"Well, really! If you are going to take note of every girl Julius Dakin regards with friendliness, you will have enough to do. He knows how to make himself agreeable to ladies if ever a young man did. He has just that way, don't you know, that makes every girl he talks with suppose that he admires her."

Enid heard no more. She rose and moved away with burning cheeks. She was greatly disturbed by the idle words she had overheard. She resented them for her cousin's sake; but not for that alone. Her own self-esteem was wounded, and she even felt irritated with Julius Dakin.

"I suppose he thinks I admire him," she thought with disdain; "but I do not. He is handsome, of course; but as I have often told Alice, I dislike handsome men."

Julius Dakin was unfortunate that evening, for Maud also was feeling annoyed with him, though from a different reason. Miss Guy, who was staying at the same pension, seeing Miss Marian not far from her, presumed to approach that young lady, and, undeterred by her repellent manner, began to talk to her. It was no liking for Maud which drew her to her side. Miss Guy was not so obtuse as to be unaware that Miss Marian desired to avoid her. She resented warmly the hauteur with which that young lady invariably treated her when they met at table, and it was with a malicious desire to wound her that she now addressed her. It is marvellous how keen such persons are to discern the vulnerable point at which a dart may be aimed.

"Your cousin and Mr. Dakin seem to find the library very attractive, do they not?" she observed, with apparent carelessness.

Maud surveyed her for a moment with haughty astonishment ere she said—

"Excuse me. I do not understand to what you refer." She had missed Julius from the room, but was not aware that he had quitted it in Enid's company.

"Mr. Dakin took your cousin away to show her something in the library. I am quite curious to know what it is that has detained them there for half an hour."

Maud changed colour for an instant, but her self-control did not fail her.

"If you ask Mr. Dakin when he returns, I have no doubt he will be pleased to satisfy your curiosity," she said, in a tone of cold indifference.

"I am afraid I should not get much for my pains," laughed Miss Guy. "When a young gentleman is smitten with a girl, anything will serve as an excuse for taking her aside. It is easy to see that Mr. Julius Dakin takes a warm interest in your cousin; and no wonder! For she is really a nice, compact little person."

Maud rose from her seat, white with anger. "Excuse me, Miss Guy," she said, with icy composure; "I must ask you to reserve your remarks upon my cousin for some other listener."

And she swept away, leaving Miss Guy to experience a sense of discomfiture. But that frame of mind was so foreign to her nature that it could not last long. Her self-complacency quickly revived, and she said to herself, with an agreeable sense of her own cleverness—

"After all, I hit the mark! She would not have been so angry if she had not cared for him."

Maud moved towards the door through which she supposed Enid and Dakin would return from the library. She seated herself in a position to observe their entrance. In truth, it was not many minutes ere they appeared, but the time seemed long to Maud as she watched with jealous eyes, and her anger increased with every minute that passed. When they came in, her indignation had reached such a heat that, fearful of betraying too openly her annoyance, she made a hasty movement to avoid speaking to her cousin.

Her feelings did not soften as the evening wore on; but she got them under control. Annoyed as she felt with Julius Dakin, she was far more angry with Enid, though what she had to resent in Enid's conduct it would be hard to say. But she meant to show no annoyance; she was anxious to maintain her usual demeanour towards them both. So she smiled and spoke brightly as she bade Julius Dakin good-night.

It was Enid whose manner towards him was cold. Maud noticed its constraint, and was puzzled, till it occurred to her that Enid was perhaps seeking to deceive her.

"She does not look deceitful," she thought; "but I have read that there are persons with an open, frank air, who yet have a perfect talent for dissimulation."

As soon as she was in the carriage, Maud gave way to ill-temper.

"It has been a most stupid evening," she said. "If Mrs. Dakin's receptions are all to be like that, I shall not trouble to attend many of them. The fuss made over that Miss Amory was sickening. And after all, she is no great beauty."

"She is very pretty," said Enid, decidedly.

"Not more so than plenty of other girls; and her Yankee accent is terrible."

Enid made no reply, and for some minutes they rolled along in silence.

At last, Enid roused herself and said, "Mr. Dakin has bought one of Miss Strutt's pictures, Maud. Mr. Julius took me into the library to see it."

For a few moments Maud did not respond. Then she said with a strange bitterness in her tones, "He might have spent his money better; but I suppose he bought it out of charity, to help the poor old thing."

"Indeed, I think he had his money's worth," said Enid, with warmth. "It is a lovely little picture."

"Of course you are a judge," said Maud, with quiet sarcasm. "When you have lived a little longer in Rome, you will perhaps see things differently."

Enid felt that she was being made to see things differently now. Certain delusions were vanishing, and leaving in their stead a blank sense of pain. She felt weary and home-sick to-night.

The next morning, as they went to their studio, Enid looked in upon Miss Strutt. The little woman's face wore an unusually serene expression, and she greeted Enid with a bright smile.

"I wanted to see you," she said; "I have to thank you—it was all your doing, I know."

"What was my doing?"

"That Mr. Dakin bought my little painting."

"I had nothing to do with that," said Enid.

"Yes, you had," said Miss Strutt, sagely shaking her head. "I know better; you had everything to do with it."

"Indeed you are mistaken," said Enid. "I am very glad that Mr. Dakin bought it. I saw it last night in his library, and it looks so well where it is hung."

"I am really very grateful to you," said Miss Strutt, who was not to be persuaded that she owed Enid no debt of gratitude. "It is a great help to me. Some day, perhaps, I may tell you why I have to work so hard, but not now. You are impatient to get to your work; but do not work too hard, my child. You do not look so bright as usual this morning. Is it work, or dissipation, that has fatigued you?"

"Dissipation, I fear," said Enid laughing.

Already the heaviness of her mood was gone. She could not help sharing Miss Strutt's pleasure over the purchase of her picture. And as she ascended to the Studio Mariano, she thought more kindly of Julius Dakin.