Count Bunker [42]
"tenderer plant" symbolized the lady herself, that she was a person to be regarded with extreme suspicion, and that emphatically the bouquet was never originally intended for the Baroness von Blitzenberg, all became settled convictions. The fact that she knew Tulliwuddle to be an existing peerage afforded her some relief; yet the longer she pondered on the problem of Rudolph's part in the episode, the more uneasy grew her mind.
Composing her face before the mirror till it resumed its normal round-eyed placidity, she locked the letter and its contents in a safe place, and sought out her mother.
"Did you get any letter, dear, by the last post?" inquired the Countess as soon as she had entered the room.
"Nothing of importance, mamma."
That so sweet and docile a daughter should stoop to deceit was inconceivable. The Countess merely frowned her disappointment and resumed the novel which she was beguiling the hours between eating and eating again.
"Mamma," said the Baroness presently, "can you tell me whether heather is found in many other European countries?"
The Countess raised her firmly penciled eyebrows.
"In some, I believe. What a remarkable question, Alicia."
"I was thinking about Russia," said Alicia with an innocent air. "Do you suppose heather grows there?"
The Countess remembered the floral symptoms displayed by Ophelia, and grew a trifle nervous.
"My child, what is the matter?"
"Oh, nothing," replied Alicia hastily.
A short silence followed, during which she was conscious of undergoing a curious scrutiny.
"By the way, mamma," she found courage to ask at length, "do you know anything about Lord Tulliwuddle?"
Lady Grillyer continued uneasy. These irrelevant questions undoubtedly indicated a mind unhinged.
"I was acquainted with the late Lord Tulliwuddle."
"Oh, he is dead, then?"
"Certainly."
Alicia's face clouded for a moment, and then a ray of hope lit it again.
"Is there a present Lord Tulliwuddle?"
"I believe so. Why do you ask?"
"I heard some one speak of him the other day."
She spoke so naturally that her mother began to feel relieved.
"Sir Justin Wallingford can tell you all about the family, if you are curious," she remarked.
"Sir Justin!"
Alicia recoiled from the thought of him. But presently her curiosity prevailed, and she inquired--
"Does he know them well?"
"He inherited a place in Scotland a number of years ago, you remember. It is somewhere near Lord Tulliwuddle's place--Hech--Hech--Hech-something-or- other Castle. He was very well acquainted with the last Tulliwuddle."
"Oh," said Alicia indifferently, "I am not really interested. It was mere idle curiosity."
For the greater part of twenty-four hours she kept this mystery locked within her heart, till at last she could contain it no longer. The resolution she came to was both desperate and abruptly taken. At five minutes to three she was resolved to die rather than mention that sprig of heather to a soul; at five minutes past she was on her way to Sir Justin Wallingford's house.
"It may be going behind mamma's back," she said to herself; "but she went behind mine when SHE consulted Sir Justin."
It was probably in consequence of her urgent voice and agitated manner that she came to be shown straight into Sir Justin's library, without warning on either side, and thus surprised her counsellor in the act of softly singing a well-known hymn to the accompaniment of a small harmonium. He seemed for a moment to be a trifle embarrassed, and the glance he threw at his footman appeared to indicate an early vacancy in his establishment; but as soon as he had recovered his customary solemnity his explanation reflected nothing but credit upon his character.
"The fact is," said he, "that I am shortly going to rejoin my daughter in Scotland. You are aware of her disposition, Baroness?"
"I have heard that she is inclined to be devotional."
"She is devotional," answered this excellent man. "I have taken considerable pains to see to it. As your mother and
Composing her face before the mirror till it resumed its normal round-eyed placidity, she locked the letter and its contents in a safe place, and sought out her mother.
"Did you get any letter, dear, by the last post?" inquired the Countess as soon as she had entered the room.
"Nothing of importance, mamma."
That so sweet and docile a daughter should stoop to deceit was inconceivable. The Countess merely frowned her disappointment and resumed the novel which she was beguiling the hours between eating and eating again.
"Mamma," said the Baroness presently, "can you tell me whether heather is found in many other European countries?"
The Countess raised her firmly penciled eyebrows.
"In some, I believe. What a remarkable question, Alicia."
"I was thinking about Russia," said Alicia with an innocent air. "Do you suppose heather grows there?"
The Countess remembered the floral symptoms displayed by Ophelia, and grew a trifle nervous.
"My child, what is the matter?"
"Oh, nothing," replied Alicia hastily.
A short silence followed, during which she was conscious of undergoing a curious scrutiny.
"By the way, mamma," she found courage to ask at length, "do you know anything about Lord Tulliwuddle?"
Lady Grillyer continued uneasy. These irrelevant questions undoubtedly indicated a mind unhinged.
"I was acquainted with the late Lord Tulliwuddle."
"Oh, he is dead, then?"
"Certainly."
Alicia's face clouded for a moment, and then a ray of hope lit it again.
"Is there a present Lord Tulliwuddle?"
"I believe so. Why do you ask?"
"I heard some one speak of him the other day."
She spoke so naturally that her mother began to feel relieved.
"Sir Justin Wallingford can tell you all about the family, if you are curious," she remarked.
"Sir Justin!"
Alicia recoiled from the thought of him. But presently her curiosity prevailed, and she inquired--
"Does he know them well?"
"He inherited a place in Scotland a number of years ago, you remember. It is somewhere near Lord Tulliwuddle's place--Hech--Hech--Hech-something-or- other Castle. He was very well acquainted with the last Tulliwuddle."
"Oh," said Alicia indifferently, "I am not really interested. It was mere idle curiosity."
For the greater part of twenty-four hours she kept this mystery locked within her heart, till at last she could contain it no longer. The resolution she came to was both desperate and abruptly taken. At five minutes to three she was resolved to die rather than mention that sprig of heather to a soul; at five minutes past she was on her way to Sir Justin Wallingford's house.
"It may be going behind mamma's back," she said to herself; "but she went behind mine when SHE consulted Sir Justin."
It was probably in consequence of her urgent voice and agitated manner that she came to be shown straight into Sir Justin's library, without warning on either side, and thus surprised her counsellor in the act of softly singing a well-known hymn to the accompaniment of a small harmonium. He seemed for a moment to be a trifle embarrassed, and the glance he threw at his footman appeared to indicate an early vacancy in his establishment; but as soon as he had recovered his customary solemnity his explanation reflected nothing but credit upon his character.
"The fact is," said he, "that I am shortly going to rejoin my daughter in Scotland. You are aware of her disposition, Baroness?"
"I have heard that she is inclined to be devotional."
"She is devotional," answered this excellent man. "I have taken considerable pains to see to it. As your mother and