BE SURE THY SIN WILL FIND THEE OUT
Madame Midas was a remarkably plucky woman, but it
needed all her pluck and philosophy to bear up against
the terrible calamities which were befalling her.
Her faith in human nature was completely destroyed,
and she knew that all the pleasure of doing good had
gone out of her life. The discovery of Kitty’s
baseness had wounded her deeply, and she found it
difficult to persuade herself that the girl had not
been the victim of circumstances. If Kitty had
only trusted her when she came to live with her all
this misery and crime would have been avoided, for
she would have known Madame Midas would never have
married Vandeloup, and thus would have had no motive
for committing the crime. Regarding Vandeloup’s
pretensions to her hand, Mrs Villiers laughed bitterly
to herself. After the misery of her early marriage
it was not likely she was going to trust herself and
her second fortune again to a man’s honour.
She sighed as she thought what her future life must
be. She was wealthy, it was true, but amid all
her riches she would never be able to know the meaning
of friendship, for all who came near her now would
have some motive in doing so, and though Madame Midas
was anxious to do good with her wealth, yet she knew
she could never expect gratitude in return. The
comedy of human life is admirable when one is a spectator;
but ah! the actors know they are acting, and have
to mask their faces with smiles, restrain the tears
which they would fain let flow, and mouth witty sayings
with breaking hearts. Surely the most bitter of
all feelings is that cynical disbelief in human nature
which is so characteristic of our latest civilization.
Madame Midas, however, now that Melbourne was so hateful
to her, determined to leave it, and sent up to Mr
Calton in order to confer with him on the subject.
Calton came down to St Kilda, and was shown into the
drawing-room where Mrs Villiers, calm and impenetrable
looking as ever, sat writing letters. She arose
as the barrister entered, and gave him her hand.
‘It was kind of you to come so quickly,’
she said, in her usual quiet, self-contained manner;
’I wish to consult you on some matters of importance.’
‘I am at your service, Madame,’ replied
Calton, taking a seat, and looking keenly at the marble
face before him; ’I am glad to see you looking
so well, considering what you have gone through.’
Mrs Villiers let a shadowy smile flit across her face.
’They say the Red Indian becomes utterly indifferent
to the torture of his enemies after a certain time,’
she answered, coldly; ’I think it is the same
with me. I have been deceived and disillusionized
so completely that I have grown utterly callous, and
nothing now can move me either to sorrow or joy.’
‘A curious answer from a curious woman,’
thought Calton, glancing at her as she sat at the
writing-table in her black dress with the knots of
violet ribbons upon it; ’what queer creatures
experience makes us.’
