The Claverings eBook

She had undertaken to be back in London early in May, by appointment with her lawyer, and had unfortunately communicated the fact to Madame Gordeloup.  Four or five days before she was due in Bolton Street, her mindful Sophie, with unerring memory, wrote to her, declaring her readiness to do all and anything that the most diligent friendship could prompt.  Should she meet her dear Julie at the station in London?  Should she bring any special carriage?  Should she order any special dinner in Bolton Street?  She herself would of course come to Bolton Street, if not allowed to be present at the station.  It was still chilly in the evenings, and she would have fires lit.  Might she suggest a roast fowl and some bread sauce, and perhaps a sweetbread—­and just one glass of champagne?  And might she share the banquet?  There was not a word in the note about the too obtrusive brother, either as to the offence committed by him, or the offence felt by him.

The little Franco-Polish woman was there in Bolton Street, of course—­for Lady Ongar had not dared to refuse her.  A little, dry, bright woman she was, with quick eyes, and thin lips, and small nose, and mean forehead, and scanty hair drawn back quite tightly from her face and head; very dry, but still almost pretty with her quickness and her brightness.  She was fifty, was Sophie Gordeloup, but she had so managed her years that she was as active on her limbs as most women are at twenty-five.  And the chicken and the bread sauce, and the sweetbread, and the champagne were there, all very good of their kind; for Sophie Gordeloup liked such things to be good, and knew how to indulge her own appetite, and to coax that, of another person.

Some little satisfaction Lady Ongar received from the fact that she was not alone; but the satisfaction was not satisfactory.  When Sophie had left her at ten o’clock, running off by herself to her lodgings in Mount Street, Lady Ongar, after but one moment’s thought, sat down and wrote, a note to Harry Clavering.

    “Dear harry—­I am back in town.  Pray come and see me to-morrow
    evening.

    “Yours ever,

    “J.  O.”

Chapter XIV

Count Pateroff

After an interval of some weeks, during which Harry had been down at Clavering and had returned again to his work at the Adelphi, Count Pateroff called again in Bloomsbury Square; but Harry was at Mr. Beilby’s office.  Harry at once returned the count’s visit at the address given in Mount Street.  Madame was at home, said the servant-girl, from which Harry was led to suppose that the count was a married man; but Harry felt that he had no right to intrude upon madame, so he simply left his card.  Wishing, however, really to have this interview, and having been lately elected at a club of which he was rather proud, he wrote to the count asking him to dine with him at the Beaufort.  He explained that there was a stranger’s room—­which Pateroff knew very well, having often dined at the Beaufort—­and said something as to a private little dinner for two, thereby apologizing for proposing to the count to dine without other guests.  Pateroff accepted the invitation, and Harry, never having done such a thing before, ordered his dinner with much nervousness.