Ernest Maltravers — Volume 05 eBook

Maltravers found himself ushered into a vast dressing-room, and was informed, by a French valet, that in the country Lord Doningdale dined at six—­the first bell would ring in a few minutes.  While the valet was speaking, Lord Doningdale himself entered the room.  His lordship had learned, in the meanwhile, that Maltravers was of the great and ancient commoner’s house whose honours were centred in his brother; and yet more, that he was the Mr. Maltravers whose writings every one talked of, whether for praise or abuse.  Lord Doningdale had the two characteristics of a high-bred gentleman of the old school—­respect for birth and respect for talent; he was, therefore, more than ordinarily courteous to Ernest, and pressed him to stay some days with so much cordiality, that Maltravers could not but assent.  His travelling toilet was scanty, but Maltravers thought little of dress.

CHAPTER VIII.

  “It is the soul that sees.  The outward eyes
   Present the object, but the mind descries;
   And thence delight, disgust, or cool indifference rise. 
     “CRABBE.

WHEN Maltravers entered the enormous saloon, hung with damask, and decorated with the ponderous enrichments and furniture of the time of Louis XIV. (that most showy and barbarous of all tastes, which has nothing in it of the graceful, nothing of the picturesque, and which, nowadays, people who should know better imitate with a ludicrous servility), he found sixteen persons assembled.  His host stepped up from a circle which surrounded him, and formally presented his new visitor to the rest.  He was struck with the likeness which the sister of Valerie bore to Valerie herself; but it was a sobered and chastened likeness—­less handsome, less impressive.  Mrs. George Herbert—­such was the name she now owned—­was a pretty, shrinking, timid girl, fond of her husband, and mightily awed by her father-in-law.  Maltravers sat by her, and drew her into conversation.  He could not help pitying the poor lady, when he found she was to live altogether at Doningdale Park—­remote from all the friends and habits of her childhood—­alone, so far as the affections were concerned, with a young husband, who was passionately fond of field-sports, and who, from the few words Ernest exchanged with him, seemed to have only three ideas—­his dogs, his horses, and his wife.  Alas! the last would soon be the least in importance.  It is a sad position—­that of a lively young Frenchwoman entombed in an English country-house!  Marriages with foreigners are seldom fortunate experiments.  But Ernest’s attention was soon diverted from the sister by the entrance of Valerie herself, leaning on her husband’s arm.  Hitherto he had not very minutely observed what change time had effected in her—­perhaps he was half afraid.  He now gazed at her with curious interest.  Valerie was still extremely handsome, but her face had grown sharper, her form thinner and more angular; there was something in her eye and lip, discontented, restless, almost querulous:—­such is the too common expression in the face of those born to love, and condemned to be indifferent.  The little sister was more to be envied of the two—­come what may, she loved her husband, such as he was, and her heart might ache, but it was not with a void.