Lady Jim

“ Lady Canvey scowled like the fairy Caraboss, and continued, without heeding the impertinence, "Joan is the daughter of Lionel's vicar."
"I see, and he intends to be the vicar's son-in-law."
"What is that to you?"
"News!" expressed Lady Jim, serenely. "I never knew such a prig as Lionel could fall in love."
"His love is the love of an honest man," declared the old dame, striking her crutch on the carpet.
"I hope so, for the sake of his cloth."
"Chinese metaphysics indeed!" grumbled Lady Canvey. "The poor child did not know what you meant." ”

“ Lady Jim shrugged. "If you expect miracles!"
"Really, Leah!" Her visitor became pinker than her rouge.
"I mean that men are selfish, dear. They always have their eye on the cash-box, you know."
"I hope that won't be your fate, darling," was the spiteful reply, for Lady Richardson always scratched back.
"Oh, my face is my fortune, Fanny. Jim, poor dear spendthrift, has left me with only a few thousands, which won't last long."
"I should think not, in your hands, dear. But there is Mr. Askew and Dr. Demetrius--both admire you."
"Admiration does not necessarily mean marriage. ”

“ While at Lord Sargon's seat in Shropshire, she met Askew in the company of the fixture. The young man's betrothed was extremely like a dairy-maid, and her frocks set Lady Jim's teeth on edge. If she could combine colours that did not match, she always did so, and her character was as colourless as her wardrobe was gaudy. Marjory was the creature's name, and her conversation was the "Pa-pa!" "Mam-ma!" of a squeaking doll.
"How much are you paying for her?" asked Leah, after satisfying herself that the young lady was really a woman.
"Five thousand a year," replied the lieutenant, sulkily. ”

“ Lady Canvey, whose ill-humour was mostly surface-crabbedness, for she preferred losing a friend to withholding an epigram, could not refrain from grudging compliments. But between women these rang hollow.
"You look charming to-night, my dear."
"After the storm, the sunshine," said Lady Jim, smiling at such novel civility. "Well, I appreciate the change. Whatever my faults may be, godmother, you cannot say that I am disagreeable. I always call, in spite of your--your--what shall we say?"
"Home-truths! And you call when it suits you. Humph! Perhaps I am a trifle short-tempered." ”

“ This fortunate illness kept Lady Jim at Firmingham when the house-party disintegrated. But as the Duke was a twaddling old ass, and Jim the most trying of patients, Leah looked upon her ten days' boredom as a kind of Lenten penance. Besides, she had frequent confabulations with Demetrius, to settle details of the plot. Already the doctor had explained to the Duke that Garth would die easier in the tropics, and Funchal had been selected as the most agreeable place for his demise.
"And then?" asked Lady Jim.
"Your husband must go to Jamaica, to wait events." ”

“ Lady Jim looked at him imperiously, and softened her voice to a very direct whisper. "Don't make trouble," she said, in a somewhat domineering tone; "that will do no good and much harm. And after all, married or unmarried, every man has a right to admire a pretty woman."
"But not to make love to her," muttered the young man, with another vengeful glance.
"I am no casuist," replied Leah, calmly; "and you should be pleased that things are as they are. You can now return to Lima, or Rosario, and marry the lady."
"She wouldn't have me!"
"Is she so much in love with Mr. Berring, then?" ”

“ For weeks she had associated with the octogenarian; many months had she superintended the well-being of pauper hags in Lambeth slums; and in the nursing of an ailing mother many precious years had been expended. No wonder the fire of being burnt low; no marvel that for long the eyes had lacked lustre and the cheeks colour. It was truly a case of the old eating the young--stealing by contact, as it were, the vitality of youth to reanimate waning life.
Now Lady Jim, playing fairy-godmother, had transformed this Cinderella, and the grub of Lambeth soared a splendid dragon-fly. ”

“ People wouldn't understand if I talked like Lady Jane Grey or Elizabeth Fry."
"They were good women."
"But so dull," objected Lady Jim. "Why is it good women are always dull and dowdy?"
"They are getting ready for the next world," mumbled Lady Canvey, solemnly.
"Their outfit can't cost much, then," declared Leah, flippantly; "but aren't we going to talk business? Think of that poor French, sitting in the motor-car all this time." ”

“ But Jim's my husband, after all. And he has his good points."
"What are they?"
Lady Jim was not prepared with a catalogue of her husband's perfections. "Oh, I don't know," she murmured vaguely; "he drinks in moderation, you know. That's something."
"There's no virtue in resisting a non-existent temptation," said the Marquis, grimly. "Jim doesn't come of a drinking family."
"Of a consumptive one, I believe," retorted Leah, softly.
Frith was nettled at the implied slight. "Not at all," he said, with unusual gruffness. "Look at me." ”

“ Then danced in the mummers, villagers all, tricked out as Robin Hood and Maid Marian, as the Terrible Turk, Santa Claus, St. George and the Dragon--a most meek beast--and with hordes of merry, laughing children. The Christmas-tree dropped its costly, many-coloured fruits into expectant laps, and a chorus of praise hymned the munificence of the gratified Duke. Even Lady Jim thanked him for the dainty gold-net purse which she received, and if she did peep in slyly to see whether it was lined with a cheque or a bank-note, that was only out of compliment to her father-in-law's known generosity. ”

“ Lady Jim, less philological, gave him to understand, that a single word could by no means embrace such various interpretations. She again emphasised her matronhood, called Askew's attention to the spotless reputation he wished to smirch, and intimated that poor Jim's illness precluded her from thinking of anything save poor Jim's possible decease. "In which sad case," mourned Leah, "we could renew our conversation without reproach."
"A widow has no bridesmaids, I believe?" hinted Askew, reflectively. ”

“ Her husband is the Duke's second son, at present in the clutches of that little harpy, Mrs. Penworthy. Don't you make love to Lady Jim, or you'll burn your fingers. I mistrust red-haired women, myself. But she and Jim match each other capitally. Their marriage was made in heaven;" and Lady Canvey chuckled.
"Is her husband here?" asked Askew, looking round, anxious to see who owned Circe-of-the-many-wiles. ”

“ Besides, after the interview with the new Duke she felt able to command her feelings better. It is only possible to act perfectly when the emotions are under control, as Lady Jim found; and if she said what she did not mean, and acted as she did not feel, well, that was the fault of the circumstances into which her treacherous fetish had thrown her. But at heart she really had some pity for this useless doll of a woman, who sobbed in her arms.
"Don't cry, dear," said Leah, ardently, beginning to console; "you know how I feel for you. I also have lost a husband." ”

“ Penworthy, when the unexpected death of Freddy, from overwork, left that evergreen hack a widow whom no admirer wished to marry. Lady Canvey was most tenderly considered, and Wallace, the globe-trotting cynic, on Leah's introduction, amused the stay-at-home old lady by special command. The sedate Hengists thought even more of the Duchess than they had done of Lady Jim, and she was often asked to bore herself in their protective company. She gave Sir Billy Richardson a smiling time at one of the ducal seats, and invited Joan Kaimes to Curzon Street for a week of shopping and frivolity. ”

“ Frith will be delighted."
"On Jim's account?" inquired Leah, dryly. "Rather an effort, Duke."
"On my account," rebuked the old man. "Frith knows that if Jim is to leave us"--his voice faltered and fell--"I should like to see him depart."
"Why does the prodigal son always banquet on the calf?" mused Lady Jim, restoring the letter to her pocket.
"My dear, many failings require many excuses."
"So it seems. Selfish people receive more praise for one creditable action, than do those kind-hearted fools who spend their lives in self-denial." ”

“ Leah became nervous and anxious. Had Jim been obliterated at last? "What is it?" she demanded irritably. "Is he--is he?" her tongue could not form the lying word.
"Worse--yes, much worse," said the Duke, rubbing his forehead and producing a letter. "This is from Demetrius. We may expect--oh, my poor son!" and he almost broke down.
"I don't trust these doctors," remarked Lady Jim, skimming the letter with a feeling that Demetrius was really too imaginative. "They always shout wolf, when the animal is miles away. Don't worry." ”

“ The scraping of feet, the heavy breathing of ladened men, the bumping and humping of something soft (horrible suggestion) --they could hear these intimations of removal very plainly. Leah sat on the bed with tightly clasped hands between slack knees. "Augh!" said Leah.
"It is all right, Lady James," said Joan, petting her. "Poor M. Demetrius will soon be all right. I wonder what made him ill?"
"I wonder," echoed Lady Jim, and wondered very truly. ”

“ Other people's affairs always bore me. I am not like his reverence here," and she waved her ebony cane towards the young curate, who laughed cheerfully.
"I admit there is some lack of resemblance," assented Lady Jim, dryly.
Then she looked from the young man to the old woman. Lionel was her husband's cousin, and should death make a clean sweep of the Duke, and Frith and Jim, he would inherit the title and the fifty thousand a year which Lady Jim coveted. This possibility, which it must be admitted was sufficiently remote, did not make Leah love the young man any the more. ”

“ Lionel has great influence with the Duke."
"Frightens the old man to death with texts and Tophet, I expect," said Jim, crossly. "I know these parsons."
"I was not aware that your circle of friends included such respectable acquaintances."
"Oh, I can hold a candle to a certain person as well as you, Leah. Who do we meet at Firmingham?"
"The usual dull lot," said Lady Jim, with a yawn. "Frith and his stupid little wife, who seems to model herself on David Copperfield's Dora. Then Lady Canvey, with her new companion, is sure to be present." ”

“ Therefore did she compromise with the laugh, which Lionel, misunderstanding, resented with the warmth of a generous nature.
"That is positively cruel," said he, indignantly.
"Very human, I think," said Lady Jim, yawning away the reaction.
Following his own line of thought, the curate did not traverse this statement. "A woman can make of a man what she pleases."
"Possibly; but I had a beast to deal with."
"Can't you think more kindly of him, now that he is gone?"
"No," said Leah, decisively. "I would not say so to every one, but I do to you, out of respect for your character." ”

“ To prevent interruption, Leah closed the door herself, and switched on the electrics, before she returned to her untimely visitor.
"Will you be long, Duke?" she asked, again consulting the clock. "I have to dress for dinner. Mrs. Martin's, you know: a stupid woman with a bad cook. Such a bore!"
"I wonder you care to see people when Jim's away," said Pentland, fretfully, and she noted suddenly his aged looks.
Lady Jim felt inclined to retort with the proverb of the absent cat and the jubilant mice, but she really felt sorry for the old man's drooping mouth and additional wrinkles. ”

“ Lionel felt helpless. "You don't understand!"
"Oh yes, I do. You mean to be nasty. If I were a vindictive woman I would drop you into the river, car and all"--they were crossing Westminster Bridge by this time--"but I always like to be nice. Being nasty brings wrinkles, and makes one so old. But about our trouble," she went on, determined to have her own way. "Lady Canvey won't help us, and no one else either. There's the Duke----"
"He has done enough for you."
"Not at all," Lady Jim assured him coolly. "He's kept us on bread and water--that's all." ”

“ Jim and I have been brought up to better things."
"To better worldly things," corrected Lionel, bitterly.
"And very pleasant they are, my dear man."
"It is people such as you and your husband who make the poor discontented," insisted the curate.
"I'm sure I don't see why the poor should be," murmured Lady Jim, vaguely; "there are lots of shelters and soup-kitchens and workhouses. And I always put ten shillings into the plate on Hospital Sunday, not to speak of the way in which I've danced and sung at performances--got up to help people who don't need the money so much as I do." ”

“ The motor-car outside, and the old lady in the red velvet armchair, represented widely-severed eras. And even Joan the saint and Lionel the curate seemed alien to the world Lady Jim inhabited. For that world closely resembled the one Noah had fled from into the ark, when the denizens "were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage"--though, to be sure, marriage nowadays, save as a visible sign of respectability, was not much considered. ”

“ I am still my Master's servant. He has merely raised me to a higher and more responsible position in His household."
"Raised your wages also," murmured Leah, shrugging. "I beg your pardon, Lionel, I should not have said that."
"You should not, indeed," was the pained response.
"It's a kind of hysteria," apologised Lady Jim, almost at a loss for an excuse, "like that man who botanised on his mother's grave, you know. Besides, people who really feel, laugh awfully when sorrow comes. And Jim's death took most of my tears--poor dear Jim! I daresay you think that I am unfeeling ”