Lady O'Gara

“ While:
"Mercy on us!" rippled the lady. "I protest, 'tis the drollest scene. Oh, Sir Jasper, Sir Jasper, see what jealousy may bring a man to!"
"Musha, it's neither head nor tail I can make of the game," said O'Hara, "but sure it's like an angel choir to hear you laugh again, me darling."
The guileless gentleman approached his mistress as he spoke, and prepared to encircle her waist. But with a sudden sharpness she whisked herself from his touch.
"Pray, sir," she said, "remember how we stand to each other! If I laugh 'tis with relief to know myself safe." ”

“ Millar took a turn up and down the room, his up-slanting eyebrows drawn together in deep thought.
"This afternoon he tried to shoot me when I told him I would make you fall in love with me," he said, stopping in front of Olga. "That means love. Don't speak to me of respect or regard, my dear lady. They fire off [Pg 114] cannons in salute out of respect, but when they draw pistols, that means love. Now, you think Karl loves this little girl. Suppose we find out who is right. We will make Karl tell us himself." ”

“ Karl's arm slipped down to Olga's waist. He felt himself drawing her closer to him.
"Don't be a liar," Millar urged, his eyes still burning into them; "don't be a hypocrite. Be a rascal, but be a pleasant rascal and the world is yours. Look at me; all the world is mine, and what I have told you is the honest confession of all the world. We are baptized, not with water, but with fire. Love yourself; only yourself; wear the softest garments, sip the sweetest wine, kiss the prettiest lips."
No subtler tempter ever spoke to the hearts of a man and a woman. Karl was leaning over Olga now ”

“ Almost to herself Olga whispered her next words:
"This afternoon he wanted to kill you when you only spoke of making love to me, and now—he saw you whisper in my ear, [Pg 113] hold my hand, touch my shoulders. Why, he must have fallen in love with——"
"Don't you think it silly to shoot a friend on account of a woman?" Millar interrupted, before she could pronounce Elsa's name.
"Oh, he's fond of me—perhaps you said something about me," Olga stumbled on hurriedly. "Karl holds me in high regard, but, there is no doubt of it, these young people are in love." ”

“ Olga had matched her woman's intuition against his cunning and had won. But his bewilderment gave way to undisguised admiration, and, bowing as gallantly as a youthful sweetheart, he gave her his arm.
As they were about to leave, however, Karl suddenly barred their way, coming hurriedly in from the ballroom.
[Pg 131] "Are you coming in with us, Karl?" Olga asked, as they paused.
"No," Karl almost shouted; "and you are not going—you stay here."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean what I said. You stay here. And you, too," he added to Millar. ”

“ Then she turned her eyes, humid with tenderness and pity and bright with unquenchable mirth, toward her stately young daughter.
"Don't repeat your mother's mistakes, dear child, dear daughter," she said. "Don't be a petulant little girl. Be the woman you are. Be glad with all your heart that your husband's interests are large, impersonal ones, not petty, selfish, frivolous affairs. Dear, I'm not a lecturing mama. I talk to you as woman to woman"—she gave a sudden little laugh as the words struck her ears. "Come back with us, and enter your husband's life and seek no other. Look at me, Romola. ”

“ The heat stood fiercely about the bungalow, and it was so silent that a pair of sparrows scolding in the verandah made the most unseemly wrangle.
Bundal Singh had not the look of business. He sat immovable upon his haunches, with his hands hanging between his knees. His head fell forward heavily, his eyes were puffed, and he regarded Hari Lal with indifference.
“O most excellent, how can a poor man seeking justice speak with the Lât Sahib? The matter is a matter of goats——”
“Bus! The Lât Sahib died in the little dawn. This place is empty but for the widow. ”

“ All this you will realize when she has slipped through your fingers. You might have become a master—a giant. Not by loving your art, but by loving her. Oh, to be kissed by her, to look into her burning eyes and to kiss her warm, passionate mouth."
Karl covered his face with his hands. Millar picked up the delicately scented shawl which had covered Olga's bare shoulders. ”

“ I want to be strong, to be happy. If I only had that letter now."
Karl took her hands in his, and comforted her.
"Never mind it, Olga; it has served its purpose. It has taught us ourselves, our hearts."
"It has taught us that we must be strong, brave and loyal," Olga declared warmly.
They stood thus, looking into each other's [Pg 181] eyes, sanely, clearly, each ready to renounce. The door of the studio opened and Millar stood before them again, holding in his extended hand a letter.
"I beg a thousand pardons again," he said. "I find I gave Karl an old tailor's bill instead of madam's letter." ”

“ Judith wanted to know how soon one might repeat the dose of chlorodyne. She was very much awake, and had that serious, pale decision with which women take action in emergencies of sickness.
Later still they stood outside the door of his room and looked at each other. “There is a European doctor at Bhai Gunj,” said Captain Sparks. “He may be here with luck by six o’clock to-morrow afternoon—this afternoon.” He looked at his watch and saw that it was past midnight. “Bundal Singh has gone for him, and Juddoo for the native apothecary at Bhugsi—but he will be useless. ”

“ It was finally settled that the first sitting should be the [Pg 12] following day at Karl's studio, where Olga would be left with him alone.
It was there that Olga was then to encounter the materialization of the impulses she had been, only half unconsciously, struggling against for six years; the spirit of evil purpose against which good contends; the incarnation of the arch fiend in the attractive shape of a suave, polished, plausible, eloquent man of the world, whose cynicism bridged the years of married life ”

“ Rose told him, presenting her daughter's pomposity drolly enough and yet with a sort of tender pride.
"Gad! She's a wonder. Where did she ever acquire—forgive me, Rose—her amazing lack of tact?"
"You mean her principles? My good man, all her ancestors had them. You forget that I myself am a clergyman's daughter, and that Frank's people have been serious time out of mind! Principles! Even I have not been quite without them." ”

“ He wheeled Red Beauty suddenly round. A surly-looking postboy, with eyes well-nigh as furtive as those of his recent road acquaintance, pulled the horses to a standstill.
"By my noble father's thirst, whom have we here?" cried O'Hara.
The clamour in the chaise was succeeded by a hush. Then, "Gracious!" rose a voice, quavering in terror, "is this another of them?" Upon which, the shrill accents which O'Hara seemed to have recognised cut in, acid: "Get out your pistals, paltroon. A carse on my good nature—that I should have ever have cansarted with a City dag! ”

“ Olga asked, falling in once more with the devil's humor of the man.
"I observe that you have a new hat, and a very pretty one; surely you want a new gown."
"You must be married."
"Married! not I," he exclaimed. "A wife is like a monocle; it looks well, but one sees more clearly without it."
"Your views seem against marriage; why?" Olga asked.
The tone of Millar became suddenly serious as he said:
"You want Karl to marry; I want to prevent him from marrying."
"Please let's not discuss that," Karl protested.
"Pardon me, Karl, but an artist should [Pg 55] not marry," he went on. ”

“ How are you, Goodspeed? Am I too late for a cup of tea, Rose?"
"Of course not," Rose assured her husband politely. "Will you ring for the lights, Frank? I can't see to make it."
She was very grateful to him for coming in. She divined his purpose well enough; he had somehow always managed to shield her from publishing her folly to the servants by prolonged twilight tête-à-têtes and the like. And beyond her appreciation of that gentle, unobtrusive protection, she was glad tonight to have the period put to her conversation with Warren Goodspeed. ”

“ Generations of conventional treatment will try to prevent you from doing so, by pretending it is impossible. But down in your hearts, in their depths where truth is not perverted by the veneer of convention, I know and you know that it is the simplest thing on earth. Here you are full of talent and longing; here is a woman, beautiful, passionate——"
Karl made a last struggle against the inevitable consequence of this demon's urging, drawing Olga away from him. ”

“ Karl threw himself moodily into a chair as Olga fled into the outer studio, and sat there, not looking at his unwelcome visitor. Dr. Millar seemed to find his dejection amusing. He allowed the silence to remain undisturbed, while he puffed a cigarette. Then he said, half to himself, half to Karl:
"Full of temperament, that woman, and pretty, too; extremely pretty."
"Yes, she is pretty," Karl acquiesced, without looking at him.
"It's a pity she doesn't love her husband," was the next cynical remark that fell on Karl's ears. ”

“ Do you want her to be loyal to [Pg 146] that big boor of a husband when she loves you?"
"I refuse to listen to you any further. Now, let me tell you this. I am going away. I shall not see Olga again. I shall close my studio and return to Paris. And I wish not to see you again. Do you understand? I am going to bed now. When I awake I want you to be gone. Don't let me find you here."
"You are not hospitable, my dear young friend," Millar said, smiling and bowing. He seemed genuinely amused at the passionate outburst of the young artist.
"I believe you are the devil!" Karl cried. ”

“ Anna and Brockton sustained the weight of conversation. Millicent smiled in vague sympathy with their laughter and joined at random in the talk. Obstinately her mind had stayed behind her—with the men of Warren, with the round-faced child, and the woman to whose life love and not art gave all its beauty.
They approached one of the larger old towns of the country—a place with a bustling main street and elm-shaded thoroughfares branching from it. Here were ample, well-kept lawns and houses of prosperous dignity. ”

“ Karl was about to retort when the studio door opened and Olga entered. He turned quickly toward her and she went to him without noticing Millar.
"What time is it?" she asked.
"Your husband will be here in ten minutes," Millar interposed.
Olga turned toward him and cried accusingly:
"Then you were not asleep in that chair when my husband was here. You heard him say when he would return."
"Madam is mistaken. Feminine presentiment always feels the approach of the husband ten minutes ahead of time. ”

“ Olga looked at Millar a moment in silence. There flashed instantly through her mind the full meaning of his daring suggestion, and at first she was on the point of indignant refusal. Then she as quickly resolved to carry out the scheme; to beat the [Pg 116] man at his own cunning game; to find out for herself what Karl really felt. ”

“ As she sat there, the tall, sinister figure of Millar, in his fur overcoat and his top hat, passed the window.
"It would be better if I went to sleep," Olga repeated to herself slowly.
Just then the shadow of Millar, as he passed in front of one of the garden lamps, was thrown against the white wall of the room, and she could hear distinctly his cynical chuckle. With a cry of horror she raised herself to her full height, put out her hands to ward off the evil spell, and shrieked:
"No! no! no!" ”

“ Karl cried wildly; "like a young tiger. I'm mad with joy. I will get drunk to-night. I will drink, drink drink until the angels in heaven sing to me—as you said this afternoon," he added, turning to Millar.
"No, no, Karl," Olga pleaded, thoroughly frightened. "Why, you never drank. Why should you drink to-night?"
"Because I am doing things to-night I never did before," Karl replied bitterly. "I have never been engaged before; to-night I shall be engaged."
"Good! fine, Karl," Millar exclaimed. "She is a splendid girl."
"Splendid girl! What do I care what sort of a girl she is? It's not the girl ”

“ I am proud. Sometimes women do not write what they want, Karl, but they always want what they write. Karl, I would like to read that letter over again in your arms."
That letter meant much to Olga; it was her only love letter. She had never written to Karl before, except in the conventional boy and girl fashion, when she did not know how to express love. Her correspondence with Herman had always been of the most perfunctory sort. Never before had she poured out her soul as she did in this letter. ”

“ The coat doesn't quite fit across the shoulders."
"You're a dandy, kid, a regular dandy," observed O'Hara, with humorous gravity.
After a few moments Archibald rushed off again, and Gabriella made an uncertain movement to follow him. "I must go," she said, without rising, and added abruptly: "So you got on in spite of everything?"
"Right you are!" He leaned back in his chair and regarded her with benevolent optimism. "You can always get on if the stuff is in you. I meant to get on, and a steam engine couldn't have kept me back. ”

“ After fifty years told, when ordinary mortals have long since given their measure in heart and brain, Lady Ogram steadily advanced. Solitary possessor of wealth, autocrat over a little world of her own, instead of fossilising in dull dignity, she proved herself receptive of many influences with which the time was fraught. ”