and led them into a dusky, fady, gloomy-looking chamber, whose carpet, curtains, and chair coverings seemed all of mingled hues of browns and grays, and from their fadiness and dinginess almost indescribable in color.
The waiter set the candle on the tall wooden mantelpiece and inquired:
"What would you please to order for supper?"
"What will you have, madam?" inquired Lord Vincent, referring to
Claudia.
"Nothing on earth, in this horrid place! I am heart-sick," she added, in a low, sad tone.
"The lady will take nothing. You may send me a beefsteak and a bottle of Bass' pale ale," said his lordship, seemingly perfectly careless as to Claudia's want of appetite.
"Yes, sir; shall I order it served in the coffee room?"
"No, send it up here, and don't be long over it."
The waiter left the room. And Lord Vincent walked up and down the floor in the most perfect state of indifference to Claudia's distress.
She threw herself into a chair and burst into tears, exclaiming:
"You do not care for me at all! What a disgusting place to bring a woman—not to say a lady—into! If you possessed the least respect or affection for me you would never treat me so!"
"I fancy that I possess quite as much respect and affection for you,
Lady Vincent, as you do, or ever did for me," he answered.
And Claudia knew that he spoke the truth, and she could not contradict him; but she said:
"Suppose there is little love lost between us, still we might treat each other decently. It is infamous to bring me here."
"You will not be required to stay here long."
"I hope not, indeed!"
At this moment the waiter entered to lay the cloth for the viscount's supper.
"What time does the first train for Aberdeen leave?" inquired the viscount.
"The first train, sir, leaves at four o'clock in the morning, sir; an uncomfortable hour, sir; and it is besides the parliamentary, sir."
"That will do. See if my people have come up from the custom house."
"Yes, sir; I beg your pardon, sir, what name?" inquired the perplexed waiter.
"No matter. Go look for a fellow who has in charge a large number of boxes and a party of male and female gorillas."
The man left the room to do his errand and to report below that the person in "Number 13" was a showman with a lot of man-monkeys from the interior of Africa.
But Claudia turned to her husband in astonishment.
"Did I understand you to inquire about the train to Aberdeen?"
"Yes," was the short reply.
"But—I thought we were going to London—to Hurstmonceux House—"
"Belgravia? No, my dear, we are going to Scotland."
"But—why this change of plan? My father and myself certainly understood that I was to be taken to London and introduced to your family and afterwards presented to her majesty."
"My dear, the London season is over ages ago. Nobody that is anybody will be found in town until February. The court is at Balmoral, and the world is in Scotland. We go to Castle Cragg."
"But why could you not have told me that before?"
"My dear, I like to be agreeable. And people who are always setting others right are not so."
"Is Lord Hurstmonceux at Castle Cragg?"
"The earl is at Balmoral, in attendance upon her majesty."
"Then why do we not go to Balmoral?"
"The queen holds no drawing rooms there."
Claudia suspected that he was deceiving her; but she felt that it would do no good to accuse him of deception.
The waiter returned to the room, bringing Lord Vincent's substantial supper, arranged on a tray.
"I have inquired below, sir; and there is no one arrived having in charge your gorillas. But there is a person with a panorama, sir; and there is a person with three negro persons, sir," said the waiter.
"He will do. Send up the 'person with three negro persons,'" said the viscount.
And once more the waiter left the room.
In a few moments Lord Vincent's valet entered.
"Frisbie, we leave for Scotland by the four o'clock train, to-morrow morning. See to it."
"Yes, my lord. I beg your lordship's pardon, but is your lordship aware that it is the parliamentary?"
"Certainly; but it is also the first. See to it that your gorillas are ready. And—Frisbie."
"Yes, my lord."
"Go and engage a first-class carriage for our own exclusive use."
"Yes, my lord," said the man, with his hand still on the door, as if waiting further orders.
"Lord Vincent, I would be obliged if you would tell him to send one of my women to me," said Claudia coldly.
"Women? Oh! Here, Frisbie! send the female gorillas up."
"I said one of my women, the elder one, he may send."
"Frisbie, send the old female gorilla up, then."
The man went out of the room. And Claudia turned upon her husband:
"Lord Vincent, I do not know in what light you consider it; but I think your conduct shows bad wit and worse manners."
"Lady Vincent, I am sorry you should disapprove of it," said his lordship, falling to upon his beefsteak and ale, the fumes of which soon filled the room.
But that was nothing to what was coming. When he had finished his supper he coolly took a pipe from his pocket, filled it with "negro- head," and prepared to light it. Then stopping in the midst of his operations, he looked at Claudia and inquired:
"Do you dislike tobacco smoke?"
"I do not know, my lord. No gentleman ever smoked in my presence," replied Claudia haughtily.
"Oh, then, of course, you don't know, and never will until you try.
There is nothing like experiment."
And Lord Vincent put the pipe between his lips and puffed away vigorously. The room was soon filled with smoke.
