Luiza

“ Luiza’s tastes were different; her ambition was to have a coupé. They talked of what they would do if they were rich. Luiza’s desire was to travel,—to go to Paris, to Seville, to Rome. The desires of Leopoldina were more ambitious; she wished for a long life, carriages, a box at the theatre, a season at Cintra, suppers, balls, dresses, play. She loved monte, she said, which it made her heart beat to play; and she felt sure that she would adore roulette.
“Ah!” she exclaimed, “men are happier than we are. Nature meant me for [Pg 212] a man. ”

“ At this unexpected mention of Bazilio’s name a sudden ecstasy of happiness took possession of Luiza. Everything seemed to her delightful,—to exist, to go out, to visit the Encarnação, to think of her lover,—and she went about as if she floated on air, without even feeling the weight of her own person. Where had she left her keys? She wanted them to get something she needed. On the bureau? Perhaps. She went to see. She ran out, giddy with happiness, singing,—
“Amici, la notte è bella. ”

“ Luiza lowered her eyes, and Bazilio began at once to talk of the little Viscountess of Azeias; when he left Lisbon she was looking charming. And what had become of her elder sister?
These inquiries concerning ladies of the nobility whom Julião did not know excluded him completely from the conversation, and covered him with humiliation. He felt his neck bathed in perspiration, and he began to open and shut mechanically the thick yellow-covered volume he carried.
“Is that book you have there a novel?” Luiza asked him. ”

“ With such fine dresses, why should she not take a walk occasionally? She must make the most of her opportunities. One very cold morning she remained in bed till nine o’clock, with the shutters open, and the sunshine falling across the matted floor. She explained the occurrence coolly to Luiza by saying that she had overslept herself. Two days afterwards Joanna came to her mistress at ten o’clock, saying,—
“The Senhora Juliana is still in bed, and everything is yet to be done.”
Luiza was terrified. What! must she endure her neglect of her duties as she had endured her exactions? ”

“ It is on account of the neighbors.”
“But what can they say?” asked Luiza, in a voice trembling with passion, and clasping her hands together. “It is in truth strange! I have but one relative in the world, with whom I was brought up, and whom I have not seen for years; he comes to see me a few times, stays [Pg 200] each time a few moments, and people begin to gossip about it already!”
She spoke as if she really believed what she said, forgetful of Bazilio’s words, of his kisses, of the coupé. Sebastião stroked his hat with a trembling hand. ”

“ Joanna went and seated herself in a low chair by the window, her large feet, encased in listing slippers, stretched out before her, and began to scratch her arms softly, enjoying to the full these few moments’ rest.
The bell sounded violently.
“Stay there, idiot!” growled Juliana, without moving.
But the angry accents of Luiza ascended from the floor below,—
“Juliana!”
“One cannot even eat in peace. Detestable house, plague take it!” exclaimed Juliana, striking the table violently with the bowl of her spoon.
“Juliana!” called Luiza a second time. ”

“ Donna Felicidade came in one day unexpectedly, and saw Luiza sweeping the parlor.
“It is all very well for one who has no servant to do that,” she said; “but for you—”
Juliana had such a quantity of clothes to starch, Luiza replied.
“You should not excuse her from any of her duties; far from thanking [Pg 372] you, she will laugh at you. You are giving her bad habits. She must learn to put up with her lot.”
Luiza smiled, and said,—
“It is only for this once.”
Her sadness went on increasing. She took refuge in Jorge’s affection as her sole consolation. At night she could breathe ”

“ Luiza did not comprehend.
“The man of Tuy. I took him my likeness and Accacio’s, and he left the city a week ago. The woman has begun already to stick the needles in the heart.”
“What needles?”
Donna Felicidade, standing close beside Luiza, near the dressing-table, continued with a mysterious air, “The woman makes a waxen heart; she fastens it on the likeness of the counsellor, and for a week sticks [Pg 400] into it every night at midnight a needle anointed with a preparation she has, and at the same time recites a prayer.” ”

“ They were school-fellows, and continued to be friends, and now Luiza has not the courage to break with her. It is all the result of her timidity of character, of her amiability; I can [Pg 62] understand it very well. But society has its exactions. Therefore, Sebastião,” he added, after a pause, “if you should have cause to suspect, during my absence, that Leopoldina comes here, give some good advice to my wife. ”

“ And Luiza, what had she been doing? Leopoldina thought her looking stouter. She observed Luiza attentively, wrinkling her brows as she did so, for she was somewhat near-sighted. Her lips, which were slightly parted, were of a beautiful red, though perhaps too full, and her teeth were small, white, and even.
“Happiness gives everything, even a good complexion,” she sighed, after her inspection was completed. She had come, she added, to learn the address of the French milliner who made Luiza’s bonnets. Besides, she [Pg 30] was distressed at not having seen her friend for so long a time. ”

“ But among us—and I say it with pride—the sanctity of the domestic hearth is respected. I, for instance, among my numerous acquaintances know only model husbands and wives.” And he added, [Pg 347] turning to Luiza with a courteous smile, “Among the latter of whom the mistress of this house is queen.”
Donna Felicidade glanced up at Luiza, who was leaning over her chair, and touching her on the arm, said,—
“She is a jewel!”
“Our dear Jorge deserves her,” continued the counsellor. “For, as the poet says,
‘His noble heart, his haughty brow. ”

“ And leaning back in the carriage, she burst into a convulsive fit of weeping.
[Pg 297]
CHAPTER XV.
THE TELEGRAM. BAZILIO left the house very much agitated. Luiza’s pretensions, her bourgeois terrors, and the vulgar triviality of the whole affair irritated him to such a degree that for a moment he thought of breaking off with her, and letting things quietly take their course. But she inspired him with pity. Without being in love with her, he admired her; she was so beautiful and so tender. It was, besides, a manner of passing away the time while he remained in Lisbon. ”

“ At this, Ernesto, his hair carefully curled, and with a placid expression on his countenance, made his appearance. He bowed to the audience with a sigh of pleasure, and each time he made his bow he jumped to one side and another, that he might not stain his patent-leather slippers with Cousin Luiza’s blood. She felt herself expiring, when suddenly she heard confusedly a voice saying,—
“Hello! How is every one here?”
It sounded like Jorge’s voice. Whence did it come? From the sky? From the pit? From the hall? She heard a noise as of luggage being thrown on the floor, and she sat up in bed. ”

“ GETTING LOST. One afternoon, a short time after dinner, Lucy was sitting upon a seat under a trellis, near the door which led towards the garden, when her mother came out.
“Lucy,” said she, “I have got some rather bad news for you.”
“What is it?” said Lucy.
“I am rather afraid to tell you, for fear it will make you cry.”
“O no, mother; I shall not cry,” said Lucy.
“Well,” said her mother, “we shall see. The news is, that we are all going away this afternoon, and are going to leave you at home.”
“What, all alone?” said Lucy.
“Not quite alone; for Joanna will be here,” said her mother. ”

“ If only her mother had proposed that she should bring home Emmie or Phyllis with her as a companion, it would not have been so bad. But to be shut up in a cottage with nurse and five tiresome children—
And then the quiet face of her aunt's housekeeper rose up before her mental vision, and she could almost hear her say, "Dear Miss Lucia, it makes all the difference if we love to do the Lord's will, and not our own. His will is always kindest and best." ”

“ Anyway, Lady Lucy, it was not much like hating you when God brought back your father from the prison and gave you such a nice home and such a nice lady to take care of you."
Lucy looked puzzled. "Did he do that? I never thought of that."
"Of course he did. He gives us all things. That is the reason we call him our Father, I suppose."
"I never thought of that," said Lucy, again. "I thought he was like a great king, who sat up in heaven and did not care what happened, only to punish people when they do wrong. I never thought of his being any thing like my father." ”

“ Lucy said these words with all energy which showed that she was thoroughly in earnest, and which made the gentle little Dulcie look up with surprise and horror.
"Oh, Lady Lucy, you should not feel so! It is not right. If she has treated you ever so bad, you ought to forgive her."
"Aunt Bernard never forgave me or anybody," returned Lucy. "She said once that she never forgave or forgot; and I have heard Margery say that she would never answer her own son's letter, when he wrote begging her pardon for running away to sea." ”

“ No, indeed! We meet at home, and out of doors," said Lucy; "my friend Annie and I walk together."
"Walk together! what, in the street? Shocking! You cannot be a lady."
"Indeed I am," said Lucy, colouring up. "My Papa is a gentleman. And see how many books we have, and how much we have to learn! French, and music, and sums, and grammar, and history, and geography."
"I will not be a Frank! No, no! I will not learn," said the alarmed Amina on hearing this catalogue poured forth.
"Geography is very nice," said Lucy; "here are our maps. I will show you where you live. ”

“ I cried exultantly, as I again pressed Lucia to my heart, and showered passionate kisses upon her lips, “we shall sail, Lucia my dearest; on, and on, and on, to the north-west, my beloved, till we come to our journey's end, and you and I shall never part again, no never, never, my dearest.”
“Ay, never, never shall ye two part again,” cried Niâbon, casting down her torch; “man with the strong and daring hand, and woman with the fond and tender heart. Thy lives are forever linked together. Quick, give me thy hand, Lucia, my dove, my own, my own!” ”

“ Mrs Quantock's Guru would become Lucia's Guru and all Riseholme would flock hungrily for light and leading to The Hurst. She had written to Lucia in all sincerity, hoping that she would extend the hospitality of her garden-parties to the Guru, but now the very warmth of Lucia's reply caused her to suspect this ulterior motive. She had been too precipitate, too rash, too ill-advised, too sudden, as Lucia would say. She ought to have known that Lucia, with her August parties coming on, would have jumped at a Guru, and withheld him for her own parties, taking the wind out of Lucia's August sails. ”

“ For, as with blushing, smiling face the little girl made a deep obeisance to her Sovereign, that gracious lady rose in her carriage, and, all unseen by any other eyes, bowed to the lonely little girl in the lonely country road.
"I wonder if I shall see the Queen?" questioned May that morning, as she carried armful after armful of clothes from the boxes to the drawers.
"Very likely you will," answered Lucia, "if we go into Windsor. It is but a chance thing to see the Queen out here, but of course she does drive every day somewhere when she is at home." ”

“ Lucia looked puzzled; she glanced out of the window, and then back at their little eager faces.
"I do not suppose you could come to any harm," she said; "but I wish you had been happy to stay here to-day."
"Oh, do let us!" coaxed Ivor. "We have been awfully good now, haven't we? Not a bit of trouble; and we will be back by dinner time."
"I should think so!" exclaimed Lucia. "Of course you will, long before that." ”

“ Lucia received the information with the utmost good-humour, merely saying, "No doubt dear Mrs Quantock forgot to tell you," and did not announce acts of reprisal, such as striking Daisy off the list of her habitual guests for a week or two, just to give her a lesson. She even, before they sat down to lunch, telephoned over to that thwarted woman to say that she had met the Guru in the street, and they had both felt that there was some wonderful bond of sympathy between them, so he had come back with her, and they were just sitting down to tiffin. ”

“ Then came the sewing; and Lucy's heart sank as Cousin Debby opened the work-box.
Strangely enough, however, she did not appear to miss the thimble, although the little satin-lined compartment where it belonged was plainly empty.
"Now let me see how diligent you can be," said she, as she unfolded the little petticoat. "You have done this very neatly, Lucy,—as well as I could have done it myself. Aunt Bernard must have taken great pains with your needlework. There are very few girls of your age who can work so neatly. You see you have at least one thing for which to thank her." ”

“ Lucia pressed her finger to her forehead.
"Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday," she began. "No, not Tuesday, I am doing nothing on Tuesday. You want to be the death of me between you. Why?"
"I hope that my dear friend, Princess Popoffski, will be staying with me" said Mrs Quantock. "Do get over your prejudice against spiritualism, and give it a chance. Come to a seance on Tuesday. You, too, of course, Georgie: I know better than to invite Lucia without you."
Lucia put on the far-away look which she reserved for the masterpieces of music, and for Georgie's hopeless devotion. ”

“ If we only trusted our heavenly Father as those children in their play-houses trust their earthly father, how different life would be!"
She turned round and retraced her steps, without disturbing the little party; but though she left them behind, she did not leave the thoughts which they had suggested.
She entered the cottage, fetched her easel and her painting materials, and sat down under the elms to sketch, while the bees buzzed dreamily, and the birds sang a ceaseless song.
That quiet morning was a turning-point in Lucia's life. ”