Mrs. Trent

“ Trent," Doctor McMurray said in a low voice, "you ought to hate no-one, not even if he uses you as Mrs. Withey has used you. If we keep on hating the clouds will never lift."
Mrs. Trent rose heavily from her chair and labored from her window that she might look out across the valley toward the Peak. Her voice was hoarse as she answered:
"Oh, I'm afraid the clouds will never lift. The hatred of that woman is like a fog which closes in upon my soul, and shuts off every beam of sunshine. I can't see through it, and the heaviness of it chokes me. The clouds will never lift." ”

“ THE following two months were a period in Trent's life that he has never since remembered without shuddering. He met Mrs. Manderson half a dozen times, and each time her cool friendliness, a nicely calculated mean between mere acquaintance and the first stage of intimacy, baffled and maddened him. At the opera he had found her, to his further amazement, with a certain Mrs Wallace, a frisky matron whom he had known from childhood. Mrs. Manderson, it appeared, on her return from Italy, had somehow wandered into circles to which he belonged by nurture and disposition. ”

“ A vague uneasiness stirred within him, and it was his ardent hope that when the home-returning party took the train for Marion the old sharpshooter would rejoin them.
“Mrs. Trent will be grieved if he forsakes Sobrante now that Jessica is gone. The old man is ‘touchy,’ as the boys say; and he has never quite forgiven his old mates for that temporary doubt of his honesty. The ‘house’ will be lonely, indeed, if neither he nor the little ‘Captain’ goes in and out of it. Yes, I hope he’ll be on hand; and till that time I’ll not mention him to the lady of the ranch.” ”

“ In her pale composure, worn as the mask of distress, there was no trace of the emotion that had seemed a halo about her head on the ledge of the cliff. She spoke the appropriate commonplace in a low and even voice. After a few words to Mr. Cupples she turned her eyes on Trent again.
'I hope you will succeed,' she said earnestly. 'Do you think you will succeed?'
He made his mind up as the words left her lips. He said, 'I believe I shall do so, Mrs. Manderson. When I have the case sufficiently complete I shall ask you to let me see you and tell you about it. ”

“ Oh, I do not recognize you at all–you seem another man. We are not children; have you forgotten that? You speak like a boy in love for the first time. It is foolish, unreal–I know that if you do not. I will not hear it. What has happened to you?' She was half sobbing. 'How can these sentimentalities come from a man like you? Where is your self-restraint?'
'Gone!' exclaimed Trent, with an abrupt laugh. ”

“ Cupples simply, 'I love my niece. She is the only child that there has been in our–in my house. Moreover, my wife brought her up as a girl, and any reflection on Mabel I could not help feeling, in the heat of the moment, as an indirect reflection upon one who is gone.'
'You turned upon him,' suggested Trent in a low tone. ”

“ Call him. You have only to say, ‘Captain Monmouth, this woman whom you love is a notorious criminal. All Europe knows her as the Countess. The money that she wants to build her house of love with is stolen money. She will assuredly disgrace your name as she has that of the great family from which she sprang.’”
She looked supplicatingly at Anthony Trent. “You have only to tell him that and there is no happiness left for me in all the world.” ”

“ Come on, boys. It’s the Westminster—for all of us. Here? Ready, every one? This car then for you and we’ll meet you there. Come, Aunt Sally. Eh? What?”
For as the one-time reporter of the Lancet, and now manager of the Sobrante, hailed a carriage to convey Mrs. Trent and Mrs. Benton hotel-ward, the latter fell into a tragic attitude and wildly waved her “reticule” eastward, whither Jessica’s train had gone, and as wildly thrust her free hand skyward, exclaiming:
“I’d ought to be kicked by cripples! I certainly had! If I ain’t the foolishest, forgettin’est woman ’twixt the two oceans! ”

“ Yet that old Wolfgang finally got it through his head–he appeared duller of wit than his wife–that to lose sight of Ephraim was to lose the money forever. Your little daughter promised to produce him when needed, and after considerable opposition they allowed him to come away. I fancy they began to suspect me even. I fear, madam, I have visited Sobrante at an unfortunate time.”
Mrs. Trent was paying but slight attention to his words. Her mind was already disturbed by many inexplicable things and would revert to Antonio’s insinuations which, without Jessica’s knowledge, she had also overheard. ”

“ I am getting to be an old man, and a great many people have been good enough to confide their matrimonial troubles to me; but I never knew another case like my niece's and her husband's. I have known her since she was a baby, Trent, and I know–you understand, I think, that I do not employ that word lightly–I know that she is as amiable and honourable a woman, to say nothing of her other good gifts, as any man could wish. But Manderson, for some time past, had made her miserable.'
'What did he do?' asked Trent, as Mr. Cupples paused. ”

“ When these estimable maidens had finished, Anthony Trent knew all those particulars he desired. It was not the first time amiable gossips had aided him. But he played his part so well that Miss Fannie chided her sister.
“He wasn’t a bit interested in the Dangerfield wealth,” she said. “All a young man like that thinks of is golf.”
“Well,” said her sister, “I am interested and I’m frightened, too. When I think of all that amount of precious stones in the hotel safe, I’m positively alarmed. Every night she wears something new, her maid told the girl who looks after our rooms.” ”

“ Certainly Mr. Marlowe never knew what was suspected of him. He and I remained good friends, though we never spoke of anything intimate after that disappointment of his; but I made a point of seeing no less of him than I had always done. Then we came to England and to White Gables, and after that followed–my husband's dreadful end.'
She threw out her right hand in a gesture of finality. 'You know about the rest–so much more than any other man,' she added, and glanced up at him with a quaint expression.
Trent wondered at that look, but the wonder was only a passing shadow on his thought. ”

“ Manderson had talked herself into a more emotional mood than she had yet shown to Trent. Her words flowed freely, and her voice had begun to ring and give play to a natural expressiveness that must hitherto have been dulled, he thought, by the shock and self-restraint of the past few days. Now she turned swiftly from the window and faced him as she went on, her beautiful face flushed and animated, her eyes gleaming, her hands moving in slight emphatic gestures, as she surrendered herself to the impulse of giving speech to things long pent up.
'The people,' she said. 'Oh, those people! ”

“ I have not been so delighted for many years. To think,” he reflected aloud as the waiter filled his glass, “of the Manderson mystery disposed of, the innocent exculpated, and your own and Mabel’s happiness crowned—all coming upon me together! I drink to you, my dear friend.” And Mr. Cupples took a very small sip of the wine.
“You have a great nature,” said Trent, much moved. “Your outward semblance doth belie your soul’s immensity. I should have expected as soon to see an elephant conducting at the opera as you drinking my health. Dear Cupples! ”

“ Manderson,' said Trent, slowly measuring his words, 'I won't make it worse for you than I can help. But I am bound to make it bad for you–only between ourselves, I hope. As to whether you can properly tell me what I shall ask you, you will decide that; but I tell you this on my word of honour: I shall ask you only as much as will decide me whether to publish or to withhold certain grave things that I have found out about your husband's death, things not suspected by any one else, nor, I think, likely to be so. ”

“ Had the man died——"
"Enough!" he said sternly. "You say you believe in her as you do in Paula. No shadow of suspicion can ever cross my mind or yours. We need not consider the world——"
"But, my son, she will consider it. She does consider it. Her letter to me shows it. That letter was no easy one for a woman to write. Do you think she would even indirectly have disclosed your secret to me, except that she believed it necessary for your good? I do not doubt, Mark, that she has renounced your love even to you. ”

“ Allen Trent is a tall, slim, brown-haired man of twenty-eight, with a slight stoop, an agreeable aspect, well-bred voice, and the gleaming brown eye of the visionary. Behind these two, looking on or talking among themselves, are several other carelessly dressed women; one, better turned out than the rest, is quite young, very slight and gracefully built, with round, very pink cheeks, full, scarlet lips, naturally waving brown hair, and an air of childish gravity. ”

“ You never knew my wife, Trent. Mabel is my wife's child.'
The younger man bowed his head. They paced the length of the lawn before he asked gently, 'Why did she marry him?'
'I don't know,' said Mr. Cupples briefly.
'Admired him, I suppose,' suggested Trent.
Mr. Cupples shrugged his shoulders. 'I have been told that a woman will usually be more or less attracted by the most successful man in her circle. Of course we cannot realize how a wilful, dominating personality like his would influence a girl whose affections were not bestowed elsewhere; especially if he laid himself out to win her. ”

“ Trent got up at the same moment, and took his envelope from the table; his manner said that he perceived the interview to be at an end. But she held up a hand, and there was colour in her cheeks and quick breathing in her voice as she said: “Do you know what you ask, Mr Trent? You ask me if I perjured myself.”
“I do,” he answered unmoved; and he added after a pause, “you knew already that I had not come here to preserve the polite fictions, Mrs. Manderson. The theory that no reputable person, being on oath, could withhold a part of the truth under any circumstances is a polite fiction.” ”

“ I certainly should never think of accepting anything from a man who is being treated so badly by my sister.”
“Ethel, you are impertinent,” Lady Mildred replied angrily.
“Perhaps so, but I was only paying you back in your own coin. But don’t let us quarrel, dear. I can see that John is utterly miserable, and you don’t strike me as being a very happy woman. Ah, here is ‘King Baby.’ Give him to me, nurse,” Lady Ethel cried eagerly and held out her arms. ”

“ Both attitudes aroused his ire.
"My dear Claghorn," urged his connexion, the Marquise de Fleury, "why not leave these matters to Père Martin, as I do? I assure you it is comforting," and the little matron shrugged her rather sharp shoulder-blades and nestled more snugly in the corner of her blue-silk sofa.
"It is degrading to the intellect."
"Ah! The intellect—I have none; I am all soul."
"You—the brightest woman in Paris!"
"Too broad, mon ami. Exaggeration destroys the delicate flavor of a compliment."
"Louise, you are in a bad humor. Evidently, you don't like your gown." ”

“ He little knew the resolve that hung upon his words.
"I should say he was not wholly responsible. I should attribute much to the worry, the vexations, to which you have alluded."
With all her firmness she shrank as from a blow. Thinking to comfort her, he had driven a knife into her heart.
"And now, my dear Mrs. Claghorn, since we are upon this subject—a subject from which I admit I have shrunk—let me tender you some advice. You have saved your husband's life; let that be your solace. It will not be for his happiness that you sacrifice your own." ”

“ On her part, Natalie had been no less gracious. "She'll be one of them in a year," said Mrs. Joe, alluding to the matrons. "She'll be whatever Leonard says."
"I wish Father Cameril could talk with her," sighed Paula.
"He lost his chance when he contradicted Leonard at my dinner."
"She certainly is very loyal to her husband," admitted Paula.
"Altogether too subservient," observed Mrs. Joe testily. "No woman should permit her whole nature to be absorbed in that manner. No wonder he's bumptious." ”

“ Trent believes in women leading a sheltered life. Dew-sprinkled flowers and bloomy grapes and that sort of thing. He was distressed at the idea of your going among the girls, who don't meet his ideas of nice people. And on the other hand he seemed to fear that you would prove a channel for Rosemary's revolutionary doctrines—want to hand over the business to the London County Council, or whatever the theory of the moment is."
Mary could laugh. "Dear Trent—to tell you the truth, though I wouldn't care to admit it to Rosemary, I've only the dimmest notion of her theories! ”

“ There was fresh sorrow, even consternation, in the beloved face of Sobrante’s mistress, fresh insolence in that of her chief assistant. He was not one to hesitate when his friends were in trouble, and turned to Antonio with an angry demand:
“What have you been worrying your betters with now, senor?”
“Keep a civil tongue in your head, rascal.”
“Returnin’ the compliment, if you please. All the same, don’t you know that a man–a man–doesn’t go around worrying women as you worry Mrs. Trent? ”

“ It's only that you look at things and people as I've seen artists do, with an eye that moves steadily from detail to detail–rather looking them over than looking at them.'
The boy came up panting. 'Telegram for you, sir,' he said to Trent. 'Just come, sir.'
Trent tore open the envelope with an apology, and his eyes lighted up so visibly as he read the slip that Marlowe's tired face softened in a smile. ”