ACTON B^/IES
.3JT
ROMANCE
"'LET ME BE GOOD!' SHE CRIED. 'LET ME BE GOOD!'
ROMANCE
A NOVEL
BY
ACTON DAVIES
FROM THE DRAMA
BY EDWARD SHELDON
With Picture from thi Play
NEW YORK
THE MACAULAY COMPANY
1913
Copyright, 1913, by
EDWARD SHELDON
Copyright, 1913, by
THE MACAULAY COMPANY
THE SCHILLING PRESS
NEW YORK
CONTENTS
PAGE
PROLOGUE . . . n
"THE TROOPS OF MIDIAN" 93
CHAPTER
I MR. CORNELIUS VAN TUYL INCREASES THE NUMBER OF
His GUESTS BY ONE 9$
II THE REV. THOMAS ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE TO A
MAN AND RECEIVES SOME FROM A WOMAN . . 128
III SUSAN PROVES TO BE A BRICK AND A STOIC AT THE
SAME TIME SHE ALSO TURNS SONGSTRESS, BY
REQUEST 173
IV THE OLD YEAR GOES OUT IN A FLURRY OF SNOW
AND OTHER THINGS 194
V TOM ARMSTRONG FINDS THAT LITTLE MINUTE WHICH
WE CALL TO-DAY 216
VI LA CAVALLINI BIDS HER AMERICAN PUBLIC A FOND
GOOD-BY 258
VII LA CAVALLINI POINTS THE WAY AND TOM FOLLOWS IT 279
THE EPILOGUE . . >. ..; >. .; . > . . . .3"
2135068
ILLUSTRATIONS
Let me be good ! ' she cried, ' Let me be
good ! ' " Frontispiece
FACING
FACE
" She turned toward Van Tuyl, still laughing " . 138
"'You're crushing them!' cried Tom" . . . 166
"'Oh, don' be ang-ree!' cried Rita" .... 226
Good-by, madame I offer you the best of
wishes '" 254
" ' I thank you from the bottom of my soul! ' " . . 290
ROMANCE
PROLOGUE
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY TO THE BISHOP
"A frog he would a-wooing go;
'Heigh ho!' says Roly"
Old Nursery Rhyme
I
"SUSAN!"
A whistle rang down the long hall of the old
house on Washington Square, and young Harry
Armstrong, his hands clutched nervously in the
pockets of his dinner coat, gazed eagerly toward
the closed door of the dining-room awaiting a
reply.
In a moment the door opened gingerly and a
fair haired girl of sixteen poked her head out
cautiously as though to get the lay of the land.
" Is that you, Harry? Did you call? " asked
the girl, closing the door behind her and coming
toward him.
II
12 ROMANCE
* Yes, of course it's me," cried the young man
ungrammatically. " Come along in here. I
want to talk to you. It's important, too," he
added as he led the way into his grandfather's
study. " So shut the door behind you and come
and sit down here. I'll have just time to tell you
before Grandpa comes in. Promise, though, that
you won't tell him a word about it. I'll do that
later on myself. Only you can always do what
you like with him so well that I thought I'd have
you on my side first to make sure, don't you
know? A fellow can't even be perfectly sure of
his own sister when he starts to tell her a thing
like this."
" Well, what on earth is it, Harry? " exclaimed
Susan apprehensively. " Don't tell me you've
been sent down from college again ; because if you
have it will simply break Grandpa's heart."
" No ! no ! It's nothing like that," laughed the
boy, rather enjoying the girl's suspense. Placing
his hands behind his back and striking rather an
important attitude as he stood on the hearth rug,
he went on : " All I ask you is not to cry or do
anything silly. Because it's really a grand piece
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 13?
of news. I know you'll think so once you get
used to it. You've always been such a bully pal
to me, old girl, in all my scrapes that I know
you're going to stick by me in this one. I just
want you to break the ice for me with Grand-
father."
"Yes; that's all very well, Harry. But how
am I going to break the ice if you don't tell me
what's the matter? "
" Oh, I'll tell you right enough ! " exclaimed
young Armstrong. " Only promise me you won't
make a fuss, Susan. And please, for heaven's
sake, don't cry. For Grandpa will be in here in
a moment, and then he'll see your nose is red and
he'll want to know all about it and the fat will be
in the fire before I get a chance to tell it to him
properly and in my own way."
" Don't worry about Grandpa. He's safe for
ten minutes at least. Some of the deaconesses
from the old church, St. Giles's, have just called
to wish him a Happy New Year. And you know
how it is when he gets talking with his old friends,
Harry. They'll c reminisce ' for half an hour at
least. What on earth is it, Harry? Tell me."
i 4 ROMANCE
" Well, Susan," young Armstrong began im-
pressively, while he stroked his back hair with one
hand, " perhaps I'd better break it to you in
pieces. In the first place, Susan, I'm engaged."
"Engaged! To be married! And to that
girl to Lucille Anderson? Oh, Harry!" ex-
claimed Susan all in one breath.
"Why do you say 'that girl,' Susan?" asked
her brother sternly.
" Oh, I didn't mean anything by that, Harry
really I didn't. Just give me half a second to
get used to it. I think she's awfully pretty and
the one time I met her, the day you introduced
us at the skating rink, I thought her hair was
perfectly lovely and she's got a pretty voice. In
fact I liked her voice even better than her hair.
It seemed more real."
11 Good Lord ! What cats you women can be
to each other when you feel inclined. That's
just your nasty way of insinuating that Lucille's
touched up her hair. And why shouldn't she
touch up her hair if she wants to? " he proceeded
indignantly as poor Susan strove to put in a word
of explanation. " That remark was just what I
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY ifl
might have expected from any member of my
family. I might have known! As a matter of
fact she explained to me just why she ' touched
up ' her hair. She did it because she thought it
would help her in her stage career. Her father
was one of the best known lawyers in Toronto,
Canada. I told you that, didn't I? And until
a year ago, when her father died and left no
money, she had never done a stroke of work in
all her life. Naturally she chose the stage as a
career because she is ambitious and artistic and
has a temperament. Just because you and I hap-
pen to have been left plenty of money is no rea-
son for us to jump on a poor girl who's had hard
luck and is trying to earn an honest living. I
know what you're really picking at. You're sore
because I'm going to marry an actress."
" No, I'm not that's not it a bit, Harry,"
expostulated Susan, getting indignant in her turn.
" I can't imagine anything nicer than to have a real
actress someone who's won great triumphs in
Juliet or Camille or Zaza or even one of the mu-
sical comedy girls such as the English nobility are
always marrying a woman like that would be
16 ROMANCE
worth while having for a sister-in-law. I should
adore her. And it would be a splendid thing for
our family too because as far as I can make out
about our stock for the last hundred years or so
we've had more bishops and deans and merchant
princes on our family tree than is good for the
blood. Simply because I'm not ' out * yet you
needn't think, Harry, that I am not a woman of
the world."
Young Susan threw her head up and stared at
her brother with an affronted, injured air Mrs.
Grundy herself could not have excelled.
" I'm not objecting to Lucille anyway," the girl
protested. " And if I was it wouldn't be because
she's an actress. That's just it, you see. She
isn't one. She isn't an actress she's only a
school of acting actress. You told me so your-
self, Harry. You said she was taking a three
months students' course. As far as I can make
out she's just a sweet, nice girl, just as respectable
and just as humdrum and uninteresting as all the
rest of us. If I was a man I might make up my
mind to marry an actress, but you bet she'd have
to be a celebrity."
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 17,
" Well, that's a nice point of view for you to
take, I must say," said Harry sneeringly. " It's
a lucky thing you weren't born a boy or you'd have
disgraced the family even before you got a chance
of being sent down from college. I was prepared
for you and Grandpa to raise Cain about my mar-
rying an actress," he added loftily, " but by God !
Susan, I never dreamed that a sister of mine would
object to my marrying a woman wh'o is well born
and comes of the best people."
" That's just it, Harry. All the stupidest girls
I know come from the best people. I may be an
anarchist, Harry, but when I get a sister-in-law I
want her to be someone worth while a woman
who has lived and done things and can help me to
entertain dear old Grandpa in the evenings."
" Susan, you talk like a fool ! " shouted her
brother. " I'm amazed at you. But if you think
that I'm going to allow Lucille to give up her
career just because she's going to marry me you're
very much mistaken. Do you know what I'm go-
ing to give my little girl for one of my wedding
presents? The finest Shakespearian outfit that
money can buy. She shall play Juliet and Lady
1 8 ROMANCE
Macbeth and any other classics she wants to to
her heart's content. And if she wants it she shall
have her own theater, too. If she can't find one
that suits her I'll build her one myself. Oh, I
can afford it all right! You seem to forget that
I come of age in February, and then not only
Uncle Cornelius Van Tuyl's jolly old house but
half his money comes to me."
"Harry!" cried his sister, springing up and
kissing him, " I believe you really do love her after
all. I was only half in earnest in what I said
I've always had such grand dreams of your mar-
riage. I have always been so ambitious. But if
you really love Lucille I don't care whether she's
an actress or not. Take her off the stage and
make even a fashionable woman of her if you like.
We'll stand by you Grandpa and I. At least
I will and I'll make Grandpa. As he gets
older you know he gets easier and easier for me
to manage. And I'll tell you something else
about him, Harry something that I've never
suspected until very lately. And it's true too.
I'm sure of it."
" What is it? " queried her brother.
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 19
" It's this don't laugh now ! " she leaned to-
ward him half mysteriously and whispered,
" Grandpa has got a past! "
II
" Come off, Susan ! You're talking through
your hat! What! That dear old saint ever
worldly or frolicsome? Don't you believe it.
He was born good."
" Well, even saints, Harry, occasionally break
through the traces or hit the ceiling. If you'd
ever read your Balzac or your Dickens, you'd
know that. But then you never cared a rap for
novels, did you? That's where I've got all my
knowledge of the world. They're the only anti-
dote for a girl who was born the granddaughter
of a bishop and who has to live not only with
him, but according to his lights."
" Don't you believe it, Susan," said Harry in a
superior tone. " You're an impressionable senti-
mental little fool; you know nothing of the
world. You're just young Susan that's all :
just young. Try and live it down. I told
20 ROMANCE
Grandpa that he should have forbidden you to
read ' the Garden of Allah.' "
" Oh, pshaw, Harry, don't be an idiot. I'd
have read it anyway. But about Grandpa
now just listen; what I've learned about him, I
didn't get out of any book it's just from intui-
tion. It's one of those things that every woman
knows, Harry even when she's just a girl who's
not * out ' like me.
" And by the way, Harry," exclaimed Susan
suddenly changing the subject. " You tell Lucille
for me, with my compliments, that when you are
married and have got settled in the Van Tuyl man-
sion the very first thing which I'll expect her to
do will be to give one grand terrific, * bang up '
coming out party for me. There's to be noth-
ing diocesan or Girls-Friendly-Mothers'-Meeting
about it, it's to be one magnificent grand splash
with all the modern improvements, just the sort
of glorious and magnificent affairs which old
Great Uncle Cornelius Van Tuyl used to give two
or three times a season. Grandpa went to one
of his great parties once and even then, mind you,
he was the rector of St. Giles. The only time
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 21;
that he has ever spoken of it was one night when
I started to read to him and there wasn't as much
interesting foreign news as usual in the Evening
Post. He was rather blue that night you know
how he gets sometimes when he goes to his desk
and gets that little box out. I wonder what there
is in that little box. He'll never let me look in it.
I've always been dying and aching to but I
wouldn't do it for worlds. That's the most glori-
ous thing of all the glorious things about Grandpa,
his sense of honor. And he judges everyone
in that respect by himself. Don't you remember,
Harry, years and years ago when we were chil-
dren, it was Grandpa's sense of honor which cured
us both of our pantry habit of stealing jam.
Well, it was something he said one night about
Uncle Cornie which made me first suspicious of
Grandpa's past. You can't tell me, Harry! but
somehow and somewhere he and Uncle Cornie
were rival sweethearts. Who the woman was
I've never been able to find out and oh!
Harry, if you only knew how I'd love to worm it
out of him in an honorable way. At first I
thought it was Adelina Patti. But I was wrong
22 ROMANCE
there; I'm sure of that, for whenever he speaks of
her wonderful voice there's always a ' but ' in his
praise of her. No lover ever uses the word ' but '
when he's praising his lady love, Harry. You
may have the advantage of me in being engaged;
but at least I do know that; it wasn't Balzac nor
Hichens taught me, in spite of all you say."
" No," Susan went on reflectively and with an
assumption of wisdom far, far beyond her years,
" Grandpa's sweetheart wasn't Patti; that I'm sure
of! But she was an opera singer. I'll bet any-
thing you like on that! I'd stake my life on it.
Because from the day you bought him the Victrola
for Christmas I noticed that he only cares for the
old grand opera records. Wagner and all the
German new school composers are like a red rag
to a bull to Grandpa. I only turn them on for
him very occasionally, just for punishment, when
he hasn't been letting me have quite my own way.
Only this afternoon when I was out I bought him
a new record for a New Year's present. It's
Destinn in the aria from ' Mignon.' He's told
me lots of times that ' Mignon ' was the opera he
loved best.
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 23
" And there's something else I've found out
about Grandpa lately, Harry," continued Susan as
she curled herself up before the fireplace in the
Bishop's big armchair. " You see, I've been keep-
ing very close tab on him lately. He interests me
tremendously, Harry, not only as the dearest old
gentleman that ever lived, but as a curious speci-
men of a bygone age."
" Humph ! " exclaimed Harry somewhat con-
temptuously. "What are you, anyway? An
archaeologist or a Sherlock Holmes? I always
thought there was a good deal of the detective
about you, Susan," he added laughingly. " But
what's this other mystery you've solved about
poor old Grandpa? If he could hear us talking
him over like this I believe that, big as we are,
he'd box the ears of both of us and send us off to
bed."
" Well," replied Susan, " this is what I've dis-
covered, Harry; I don't believe that his wife,
Grandmama Armstrong, was really the great love
of his life."
" What makes you think that? "
" Well, listen ! " pursued Susan. " He's al-
24 ROMANCE
ways telling us what a good woman his wife,
Susan, was. Now a man who's been madly in
love with a woman never speaks of her in that
way. He might talk of the love of his life as
anything from an angel to a sorceress, but he
would never harp on the point, as Grandpa does,
that she was so very good. Then besides the
family Bible bears out my suspicions, Harry."
" Why, what's the family Bible got to do with
it?"
" Well, I just thought I'd like to look it over,"
said Susan, somewhat with the air of a Missou-
rian, " so I dug it out of the library the other
day and made a careful study of it. That's
where I made my discovery. And remember
what I'm telling you now, Harry, must never get
outside the family. You mustn't even tell Lucille
about it if she becomes your wife. We must just
regard it as one of our family skeletons and keep
it locked up in the Van Tuyl closet."
" Great Scott, Susan I What was the scan-
dal, " said Harry, eagerly. " You're talking
about poor old grandmother as though she had
been as immoral as those two awful Lady Georges
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 25
that Grandpa always speaks of in a whisper
George Eliot and George Sand."
" Oh, no, she wasn't a bit like them," exclaimed
Susan quickly, as though anxious to save her
Grandmother's escutcheon from any undue blot.
" Grandma was a married woman. The only
trouble with her was she didn't marry until she
was a very old woman, Harry. The record of
her marriage says that she was thirty-two, and
that wasn't the worst of it. Grandpa, when he
married her, was only twenty-nine."
" Well, there's nothing immoral about that."
" Immoral ! Of course not. Who said such
a thing! But it's scarcely the sort of thing that
one's grandparents would wish their younger gen-
erations to talk about. One thing I'm certain of,
Harry, unless some man marries me before I'm
thirty-two I shall either take the veil or become a
beauty lecturer and sell cold creams for relaxa-
tion. However," continued Susan, becoming
more serious, " the fact that Grandma was so
much older than Grandpa proves conclusively to
me that there had been some other woman in his
life. My own opinion is that Grandma caught
26 ROMANCE
him on the rebound. I don't suppose that we
shall ever know the truth about it. But it's ex-
ceedingly interesting all the same. Then there's
another thing. Sometimes when Grandpa's sitting
by the fire here at night after I've finished reading
the Post to him he will gaze into the fire for half
an hour at a time, looking at the coals as intently
as though he were seeing all his life there in the
fireplace. The other night when he was sitting
like that my curiosity got the better of me. I
couldn't stand the silence any longer. So I said
to him: ' What are you thinking about, Grandpa?
What makes you look so sad?' And what do
you think he said to me, Harry? He turned to
me and shook his head and smiled in a whimsical
sort of way and then he said : ' I was thinking,
my dear Susan, of what a dreadful young prig I
used to be before I married your grandmother.
It's a horrible thing to be a prig, my dear, much
worse, to my mind, than to be a sinner. Your
friends will always forgive your sins, but they'll
never forgive your priggishness. I was even
worse than a prig, I think. I had all the arro-
gance and ignorance of youth combined with the
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 27
terrible, unquenchable enthusiasm of the fanatic.
There were times in my youth, I fear, Susan, when
both my family and friends must have found me a
dreadful bore.' And then," continued the girl,
" I thought he was going to open up and confide
in me and tell me all about it. But instead he
just closed those long, thin lips of his very firmly
and smiled and shook his head. I couldn't get
another word out of him. It was maddening.
That's one of the things that most vex me about
Grandpa, he never will quench my curiosity. But
just as he was picking up his cane to start upstairs
he did say this much, and he must have been
thinking about the man all the time, for he hadn't
mentioned his name for at least six months. As
he stooped to kiss me good night he said: ' Susan,
my dear, you and Harry have had at least one
splendid ancestor. I am speaking of your grand-
mother's uncle, Cornelius Van Tuyl. His was
the biggest, noblest nature I have ever known;
he was a man of the world. A man of the wide,
wide world, my dear. There's a difference in
those two phrases which some day, perhaps when
you're older, you'll appreciate. But as for me
28 ROMANCE
I shall always honor the memory of Cornelius
Van Tuyl and blush each time and I am still
able to blush, thank God when I remember
how I misjudged him.' So you see, Harry, from
those few remarks," concluded Susan senten-
tiously, " I have gathered that at some time in
their careers Grandpa and Uncle Cornelius must
have had a frightful row. And it must have
been about a woman, because after all, when you
come down to it, women are the only things that
men fight about really seriously. And now for
me, Harry, as they say in the novels, it's a case
of ' cherchez la femme.' And I'll find her too,
even if I have to give dear old Grandpa the third
degree."
Ill
" Susan, you talk like an idiot," exclaimed
young Armstrong patronizingly. " However,
when I take possession of the Van Tuyl mansion,
if I find any ancient records in the safe I'll let you
have a peep at them if they're not too scandalous.
But shut up now about Grandpa's love affairs.
Listen to mine. I've only told you half my news
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 29
and the old gentleman will be here in a minute."
" Well, what on earth have you wasted all this
time for, Harry? " retorted Susan. "That's the
worst of you you never can keep to the point.
What's the rest of it?"
The boy hesitated for a moment; he waggled
one of his legs nervously to and fro and avoided
his young sister's eye.
" Well, I told you that I was engaged to Lu-
cille, didn't I ? We've settled that point."
" Go on," insisted Susan.
" Well I'm the sort of man, Susan, who
doesn't believe in a long engagement. Father
ran away and got married, you know, before he
was twenty-one."
" Yes, and by doing so he almost broke poor
Grandpa's heart," rejoined the girl instantly.
" It was perfectly shameful of him; I have never
been able quite to forgive father for that. If you
were to do a thing like that, Harry, I'd never
speak to you again. Because you know, now that
we're orphans, I really believe Grandpa loves you
and me better than if we were children of his very
own."
30 ROMANCE
" Well, don't worry; I'm not going to break his
heart again. That's why I'm here to-night.
That's why I'm coming in later to have a talk
with him. And that's why I want you, Susan, to
use a little diplomacy in the meanwhile and get him
into one of his gentlest and most benevolent
moods. Because what I'm going to tell him is
this Susan. I'm going to marry Lucille to-
morrow afternoon at 4 o'clock."
" To-morrow," cried Susan, springing to her
feet. ;t Why, you're mad, Harry; what on
earth's the hurry? Besides to-morrow's New
Year's Day. Oh, you mustn't do it; if you spring
a thing like that on Grandpa to-night why, it will
spoil the whole new year for him. Only to-night
he was saying that he would remember dear old
1912 as one of the happiest years of his life just
because you and I have been so much with him
and helped to keep him young. And now you'd
go and kill 1913 for him by doing such a crazy
thing as this. Grandpa's always said that thir-
teen was his unlucky number anyway. I think
you a beast, Harry, if you do. Wait until Feb-
ruary anyway; give the poor girl time to get her
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 31
trousseau. If Lucille agrees to any such plan as
this the least that I can say about her is that she's
a little designing cat."
" Leave Lucille out of this, if you please.
This is all my doing," cried Harry, angrily.
" Lucille's behaved like a perfect angel. Why,
she even says that she won't consider herself en-
gaged to me until Grandpa's given his consent."
" Well, I don't care ! I think it's simply abom-
inable of you, Harry. I won't raise a finger to
help you now. I won't put in one good word
with "
Unheard by the brother and sister, the door of
the study had opened noiselessly and the old
Bishop, leaning on his walking stick, stood smiling
at them both.
"Why, what's the matter, youngsters? " he ex-
claimed cheerily. " What's this, another war in
the Balkans or merely a duel of the Armstrongs?
Surely you're not coming to blows on New Year's."
" It's nothing to be alarmed about, Grandpa,"
gasped Susan hurriedly. ' Just a little family tiff.
You see," she added with a significant smile, which
instantly brought a scowl of rage to the features
32 ROMANCE
of young Harry, " we were rowing about a New
Year's present which Harry insists on giving me.
But I haven't made up my mind yet whether I'm
going to like it or not. However, it was sweet
of you to think of me, darling," she added as she
kissed Harry. " Run along, now, for Grandpa
and I have heaps of things to talk about, and we
haven't read our Evening Post."
" I won't be long, sir," said Harry, turning to
his grandfather. " I'm just going to 'phone to
Tyson's for some theater tickets for to-morrow
night. The theaters are so crowded on New
Year's I suppose I'll have to go to the speculators
anyway."
"For to-morrow night, Harry?" exclaimed
Susan, taken unawares. " Why, I thought you
and Lucille had another engagement."
" Oh, but that's for the afternoon," retorted
Harry. ;t That engagement is for four o'clock,
Susan, and don't you forget it," he added mean-
ingly as he walked toward the door.
" Really! " exclaimed Susan, lifting her eye-
brows. " Then in that case, Harry, let your
little sister do another good turn for you."
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 33
She picked up an evening paper from the table
and hurriedly turned to the amusement column.
" Let me suggest an appropriate play for you
two. Ah, yes, here's the very thing " as she
ran her finger down the column. " * Years of Dis-
cretion.' "
" Thanks very much, old girl," cried Harry as
he prepared to slam the door behind him. " But
we've picked out our play already. We're going
to the ' Honeymoon Express.' '
;( Who is this Lucille Anderson that Harry is
always talking about lately?" asked the Bishop
as, hobbling across the room on his walking stick,
he let himself down gingerly into his armchair.
" Do you know her? "
" Oh, yes indeed, Grandpa," replied Susan with
well simulated enthusiasm; "she's a perfect dar-
ling. I'm crazy about her. She's such a sweet
girl, with the loveliest voice and hair. And she's
got such a splendid influence over Harry. He's
sobered down tremendously since he met her.
She's a girl of such high ideals. Her father was
one of the greatest lawyers in Toronto, Canada.
But he's dead now and poor Lucille is very poor
34 ROMANCE
and has got to go out in the world and make her
own living."
"Humph!" said the Bishop. "I hope she's
not a suffragette. You're a very subtle little per-
son," he continued, smiling at her questioningly.
" From a remark that you let fall just now I
gathered that you consider either Lucille or Harry
rather light headed."
" What on earth do you mean, Grandpa? " said
Susan, blushing furiously.
" That play which you suggested they should
go to. Tell me, my dear, why did you pick out
1 Years of Discretion '? "
" Oh, just because the title sounded interest-
ing," added Susan lightly. " It was the first one
I saw in the list."
Then, by way of turning the subject, she added
quickly, " But come along, Grandpa, we haven't
read the paper yet. Shall I begin?"
" Very well, my dear, just as you like," said the
Bishop placidly.
Susan complied with a slight yawn. " * Regula-
tion of Skyscrapers.' ' Drastic Measures to Be
Taken by President Taft.' * Earthquake in Apia
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 35
Thousands Reported Killed.' ' Borough Pres-
ident Gives to Board of Estimate the Report on
Improvements.' Oh, dear ! it sounds awfully dull
to-night, doesn't it? " said Susan, looking up from
the paper for a moment. " That's the worst
about newspapers. They're so uninteresting ex-
cept in the society column or when there's an elope-
ment or a divorce case. They never have any-
thing about anything one knows. That's why I'd
so much rather read novels. Because in a novel,
you know, you always get to know everybody in it
intimately before you are half way through the
book. Were you ever fond of Ouida, Grand-
pa?"
" Ouida ! " repeated the old gentleman as
though striving vainly to recall some memory.
" I seem to recall the name. But what was it, my
dear, a tooth powder? Ah, no; I recollect now.
Let me see, wasn't he that automatic checker
player that never lost a game? "
Susan burst out laughing.
" Oh, no, Grandpa ; you're all mixed up. That
fellow was Ajeeb. He's still living. They've got
him over in the Eden Musee. But Ouida was a
36 ROMANCE
great novelist a great lady novelist, you know.
Like those two women whose books you've forbid-
den me to read, George Eliot and George Sand.
Ouida wrote ' Under Two Flags ' away back in the
'6os or '705 somewhere. The reason I asked you
about her was because in that old diary of Grand-
mamma's you showed me the other day there was
quite a piece about her. Grandmamma was evi-
dently quite as dotty about Cigarette and Bertie
Cecil as I am. For in one place she writes : c It
is now nearly four in the morning and I have just
concluded reading Ouida's ' Under Two Flags,'
surreptitiously, for the second time. I consider
this book the most marvelous literary achieve-
ment of our era. It has provided me with the
greatest sentimental treat of my life. I only wish
I could persuade dear Tom to read it. It would
certainly broaden his point of view."
" She was an omnivorous reader, your grand-
mother, Susan," said the Bishop in a reminiscent
tone. " We used to have many little squabbles
about her books. I never approved of novels my-
self, they seemed to me such a waste of time. But
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 37
as I say, your grandmother always took a much
wider point of view of life than I. You see, for
one thing she was brought up in a rather different
world. She was left an orphan almost in her
babyhood and lived with her uncle, old Cornelius
Van Tuyl. She was brought up in the great
house, which is soon to be Harry's now. Old
Van Tuyl, you know, was a very famous person in
his way; quite the Ward McAllister of his period,
though to my mind a much more liberal minded
man. His house was the meeting place, not of
society alone but of all the noted men and women
of his day. He believed in the aristocracy of
brains, my dear. I have met Charles Dickens fre-
quently at his house. Now, there was a real nov-
elist for you, my dear. I have always found his
books most interesting, for even when he dealt
with the lowest types of life his works had always
a moral and uplifting tone."
" Oh, I shouldn't have cared a rap about meet-
ing Dickens," remarked Susan loftily. " I think
his whiskers, which you see in all the pictures of
him, were simply hideous. But tell me, Grandpa,
38 ROMANCE
you who are so fond of all the old operas, didn't
you ever meet any of the great singers or actresses
at his house?"
" A great many of them frequented his house,
my dear, but I met comparatively few. You see,
Susan," continued the Bishop with a whimsical
smile, " I was never what you young people call a
society man. I was the rector of St. Giles's in
those days and almost completely absorbed in my
church and mission work, sometimes I think too
much so for my own good. If I had my life to
live all over again I should take a broader view,
both of affairs and men. But we live and learn,
my dear; we live and learn. I can see clearly
now that in many instances my point of view was
extremely narrow."
" But, Grandpa," said Susan, " surely you can
remember some of the names of these great wo-
men that you met at Uncle Van Tuyl's. Did
Adelina Patti ever go there? Did you ever meet
her?"
" Oh, yes, frequently. Uncle Cornelius's house
was the only private residence at which she ever
sang in New York. It was a great honor, to be
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 39
sure. I remember the night well. Your grand-
mother did the honors. * His little Chatelaine,'
Uncle Cornelius used to call her proudly. And
she certainly made a charming hostess. Watch-
ing you as you preside at my dinner table always
makes me think of her, my dear. I'm so glad
you bear her name of Susan. You have so many
traits in common, though I must confess," he
went on laughingly, " you are really prettier than
my dear Susan ever was. Susan's hair was quite
straight. She was never what one might term a
beauty, but she had charm, my dear; incomparable
charm. How she would have envied those
crinkly little curls of yours, Susan," continued the
old man smilingly as he ran his fingers playfully
through his granddaughter's curls. " That was
always a very sore point with my poor Susan
my curly hair. She used to laugh and say that
there ought to be a law against it, some law which
would prevent men from being born with hair
which curled naturally, while poor women had to
keep their hair in curl papers half the night. And
then it wouldn't stay crimped for more than an
hour or two. It's a very small thing for an old
40 ROMANCE
man to remember, I suppose, little Susan," sighed
the Bishop. " But I was always secretly de-
lighted at the pride which your grandmother took
in my hair. It would have proved a severe trial
to me had I ever grown bald."
V
IV
The girl rose and went to her grandfather.
There were tears in her eyes as she leaned lov-
ingly over him and, stooping, kissed one of his
snow white curls.
" And if she could see them now she'd be
prouder of them than ever, Grandpa. They were
never so beautiful. I shall always pray that if I
live to be an old woman I shall have just such
curls as yours."
" They were almost the only thing I was ever
vain about," pursued the Bishop as he patted
Susan on the cheek. " Otherwise I was never in
the least a dandy. I was always so absorbed in
my work that I never thought about my clothes.
I was a dreadfully untidy person, I'm afraid. It
used to worry Susan a great deal. I remember
how she used always to be picking bits of fluff
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 411
off my shoulder. And sometimes even when I
had remembered to do so I used purposely to
leave my hair unbrushed because I always knew
that at the first sight of me she would put my curls
in place with her dear hand. She had such beau-
tiful hands, Susan," the old man went on enthusi-
astically. " They were her greatest beauty. Just
now, when you touched me on the forehead, it
gave me quite a little start, Susan. And your
voice, too, it is so like hers."
" Really, Grandpa, I'm so proud to know that.
But you're just flattering me to evade my ques-
tion. Tell me, didn't you ever meet any of the
great actresses at Uncle Van Tuyl's? "
" If I did I have forgotten their names, my
dear. You see, I never approved of the theater.
And there was only one very short period in my
life, when I frequented it, and even that was
under protest. I went there simply to oblige a
very charming woman to whom the theater was a
great source of rest and recreation. "
Susan was now hot on the trail.
" What was her name, Grandpa? Do tell me."
" Let me answer your question first, my dear,"
42 ROMANCE
smiled the old gentleman evasively. " You were
asking me about the theater and what I knew of
it. So I'm going to tell you a little story about
the first time I ever stepped inside of one. It was
in the gallery at Niblo's Garden in let me see;
let me think " and the Bishop cudgeled his
brains for a moment. " Yes, it was in '66. A
very notorious play was running there then. They
called it ' The Black Crook.' "
Susan jumped from her perch on the arm of her
grandfather's chair and clapped her hands.
" Why, Grandpa ! " she cried, unable to restrain
her delight. " Do you mean to tell me with your
own lips that you were a gallery god and went to
see ' The Black Crook ' ? Why, even I've heard
about how awfully broad it was. I was reading
about it only the other day in an old book in your
library called ' Sunlight and Shadow.' '
The Bishop began to explain hurriedly.
" I was only there for a very short time. To
be exact, not more than four minutes. I went
there, not out of curiosity but with a very laudable
purpose. I left the very moment that I had
achieved it. I had discovered, by accident, one
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 43
Saturday afternoon that two of my youngest and
most promising choir boys, who had had their
imagination excited by the flaming posters and the
inflammatory articles in the daily newspapers,
which, while they were supposedly denouncing,
were in reality exploiting ' The Black Crook '
I heard by accident, I say, that these two young-
sters had expended their pocket money in gallery
tickets for the performance. I had a meeting of
the deaconesses at the rectory that afternoon, but
I lost no time in dismissing them and I hurried to
the theater. If those young lads had been inside
a burning building I could not have rushed to
save them at any greater speed. I tore up the
gallery stairs; and just as I entered for one brief
moment I caught my one glimpse of the stage. I
must confess, to be fair, that the scene I saw was
very beautiful and not at all demoralizing. If
the rest of the performance, which, of course, I
did not see, was of an equal artistic caliber, I
should have always claimed that ' The Black
Crook ' had been misjudged. But from all I
heard and gathered afterward it appears to me
that I must have arrived at the one psychological
44 ROMANCE
moment when the play was above reproach. The
stage was empty except for one figure a beauti-
ful young woman dressed in very short white tarla-
tan ballet skirts. She was standing apparently on
one toe. Her arms were waving gracefully in the
air above her head, and as I stood, entranced and
forgetful of my boys for the moment, she executed
the most graceful series of postures imaginable.
She was, I discovered afterward what is called
the ' premiere danseuse absoluta.' Her name was
Louise Bonfanti."
"What! " cried Susan, in amazement. "You
don't mean the little, graceful, fat, old, Italian
dancing teacher, who still gives lessons uptown!
Why, Grandpa, I've met her. Why last year
when we got up the kirmess for the working girls'
home she stage managed all our dances for us. I
know her well."
" And so do I," replied the Bishop, looking his
granddaughter smilingly in the eye : " that's the
reason I told you the story. But let me finish it;
it's got a moral. Well, I caught my boys,
dragged them home, gave them a sound scolding
and set them to reading ' Tales of a Grandfather '
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 45
for punishment. That I thought was the end of
the matter, but it wasn't by a very long way."
And the Bishop wagged his head deprecatingly at
the reminiscence. " The next morning to my
amazement, the newspapers were ablaze with
the story. I remember some of those headlines
even yet, my dear. The Herald ran, * Fervid
young rector plucks two boyish brands from the
burning.' The Sun said, ' The Rev. Thomas
Armstrong defies the gods and rescues two of his
choir boys from the wiles of Bonfanti.' Even the
Evening Post, which you're holding in your hand
now, my dear, devoted several lines to the matter,
and was the only paper in all New York which
entirely upheld me in my peremptory action.
The other papers as a rule rather favored the
boys. Persons who understand theatrical matters
always insisted afterward your Uncle Van Tuyl
in particular, I remember that I was the inno-
cent cause of the success of ' The Black Crook.'
However, I think that was an exaggeration,"
smiled the Bishop. " I should scarcely like to
have that crime upon my conscience. But from
all I read of theatrical performances to-day, my
46 ROMANCE
dear, I think that by comparison the poor old
' Crook ' would seem quite insipid. But to my
story! Mme. Bonfanti achieved a world-wide
reputation, as you know. I had not heard her
name mentioned for more than thirty years, when
only a few months ago, when I was attending a
meeting of the working girls' home, it happened
that a number of the young women were rehears-
ing for some sort of benefit. They seemed to
be learning a dance of some kind, when suddenly
I happened to hear one of them refer to their in-
structress as Mme. Bonfanti. I turned and
looked at her closely. There was no mistake.
It was she. I recognized her instantly. The
youth was gone and the tarlatan skirts, but from
behind her spectacles there still gleamed those
wonderful eyes. There was still a fire and an
elusive charm in them. And though, to be sure,
she was stout, she was still graceful in her move-
ments. And then her gestures! Each time she
moved her little gloved hand it was the epitome
of grace. And then I thought of my sciatic back,
my dear, and my old creaky knee joints, and I
groaned inwardly and I said to myself : ' There
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 47
must be some hidden secret of youth, known only
to the stage, which keeps its votaries so young.
I wish we poor, crippled old clergy could fathom
it. 5 "
" But didn't you speak to her? Didn't you even
say how d'ye do? Why, how rude, Grandpa,
after all these years! "
" But, remember, we had never met before.
How could I speak to her? We had never been
introduced. But at all events she forestalled me.
The moment the young women whispered who I
was she turned upon me beamingly and held out
both her hands. The curtsey which she dropped
me, Susan, was exquisite in its grace. Bowing's a
lost art in these days, it seems to me. And as she
held her hands out and smiled so radiantly she
said, in her pretty broken English I have al-
ways been very fond of broken English when it is
spoken by a woman with a musical voice ' My
dear Bishop,' she cried. * All my life ever
since the time I was eighteen year old and played
in " The Black Crook " at Niblo's Garden I
have prayed and hoped for the great honor of
meeting you. I have watch your career with the
48 ROMANCE
ver-ry greta interest, and when many, many year
ago they made you a Bishop I was oh, so proud,
so proud! Without you, my dear Bishop, La
Bonfanti might have become just only a memory,
instead of as I am now, an institution.' Then we
laughed and chatted for some moments and finally
as we shook hands and said good-by she laughed
and called after me, ' Remembair, Bishop, I have
those newspaper cleepings yet.' '
V
" I merely mentioned this little incident to you,
my dear, to show you how, with the best intentions
in the world, one may misjudge another in this
life," pursued the Bishop. " My one short actual
meeting with Mme. Bonfanti completely upset all
my mental conceptions of her. All her life she
had probably been thinking of me as some mad,
intolerant, religious fanatic, while to me she had
always remained that radiant young creature in
the tarlatan skirts, standing on one toe. I may,
in my arrogance, have regarded her as a lost soul,
but now that we have met I think we both know
better. Each has changed the estimate of the
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 49]
other somewhat, perhaps. Old age levels many
prejudices. But I should like to know how she
keeps so young."
11 And the two choir boys, Grandpa ? " inter-
rupted Susan. "What became of them? Did
they survive * Tales of a Grandfather,' or did they
live unhappy ever after from being thus deprived
of 'The Black Crook'?"
" Strangely enough a year or two later, my
dear child, these very boys, unknown to them-
selves, saved your grandfather from a far worse
fate than would have befallen them if they had
witnessed a score of performances of ' The Black
Crook.' They were still in my choir at St. Giles's
and oddly enough to-day is the anniversary of the
occurrence. It took place on New Year's eve,
1868. In those days we celebrated the coming
of the new year more quietly than you do now.
The chimes were always rung at old Trinity and
the streets were thronged with merry-makers as
they are now. But the whistles and the tin
horns were not so much in evidence. You see
we followed more the fashion of the old English
* Waits.' 1 he choirs from the different churches
50 ROMANCE
would, in long procession, march through the city
streets singing carols. It was a pretty old custom
and it ushered in the new year with a greater
show of respect and reverence than usually greets
it now."
"But what happened that night, Grandpa?''
" My dear," said the Bishop somewhat shortly,
" it's not a story for your pretty little girlish
ears. You asked about the choir boys and I
mentioned this incident just to show you, as the
old hymn says, that ' God moves in a mysterious
way His wonders to perform.' Come, now, let
us have some music."
" The incident is closed," sighed Susan to her-
self. Then aloud she asked, " What record shall
we start with, Grandpa? ' Caro Nome?'"
" Anything you like, dear, so long as it isn't
too sad," said the Bishop.
Susan adjusted the record and opened wide the
two little doors of the Victrola.
" Listen, Grandpa ! " cried the girl as she stood
aside to listen. " Isn't that a splendid record? "
"Yes; it is rather a fine voice," said the old
gentleman. "Who is the singer?"
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 51
" Why, Grandpa 1 Do you mean to say you
don't recognize that voice? It's Tetrazzini" an-
swered Susan and her voice took on a tone of al-
most reverence.
" She has a good method and some fine notes,"
said the Bishop, turning musical critic for a mo-
ment. " Ah ! my dear, you should have heard
Adelina Patti sing it at the Academy in '72.
That was a marvelous voice of hers; she was a
wonderful artist, Mme. Patti; with one exception
the most wonderful singer I ever heard."
"And who was that, Grandpa?" asked his
granddaughter eagerly.
" Oh, don't think I am decrying Patti for a
moment," replied the Bishop, quite ignoring Su-
san's query. " From a technical point of view I
suppose her singing was perfect, but, to my mind,
there was a certain tenderness and warmth lack-
ing in her voice which always made the singing of
Margarita Cavallini quite incomparable to me."
" Oh, but, Grandpa," protested Susan with
some fire, " you don't mean to tell me, young as
I am, that our Melbas and Destinns and Farrars
aren't every bit as fine singers as your Cavallinis
52 ROMANCE
and your Pattis and your Crisis. While as for
Caruso now you must know perfectly well,
Grandpa, that there never has been such a tenor
since the world began. Everyone admits that! "
The Bishop smiled and shook his head with an
air of unconverted pride.
" My dear," he said, " you must remember /
have heard Mario."
Susan, squelched for the moment, had no word
to say. Experience had taught her that there
were certain subjects upon which it was just as
well not to argue with her grandfather. So for
a few moments the old man and the girl listened
to " Caro Nome " in silence.
The clock on the study mantelpiece chimed the
half hour after ten and the Bishop in his easy
chair gave a deep sigh as though the striking of
the chimes had just recalled to him how fast the
old year, 1912, was hurrying to its close.
As the record wheezed its way into silence the
Bishop sighed again and said :
" What a pity it is, Susan, that Thomas Edison
could not have been born fifty years earlier.
Think, my dear, of the voices which this great in-
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 53
vention of his might have preserved imperishable
for all posterity. There were vocal giants in my
day, Susan golden nightingales now silenced
forever or, more tragic yet, cracked and broken
with the rust of age. I remember once some fif-
teen or twenty years ago, when the phonograph
was first perfected, reading in some newspaper a
very pretty little story about one of your new
singers Emma Calve, I think it was. She had
left the man she was engaged to behind in Paris
when she came here and every week when the mail
boat came in she shut herself up in her hotel
apartments just to listen to his voice. For, you
see, they corresponded entirely by phonograph;
they talked and sang all their love letters to each
other week by week. And ever since I read that
newspaper paragraph I have thought what an in-
estimable joy it would have brought to an old
man like me if by just opening the two little doors
of that Victrola and adjusting the waxen scroll I
could have heard once more those dear dead
voices of my youth. I don't mean only the great
dead voices; I mean the voices which were near-
est and dearest to me your grandmother's, for
54 ROMANCE
instance. How I should love at this very mo-
ment to hear her singing her favorite hymn ! She
had a very sweet contralto voice, had Susan; but
she played wretched accompaniments, poor dear.
I suppose that was because she studied at that
Springier Institute, of which I never approved."
" What was the hymn, Grandpa ? " asked Su-
san gently.
" It was one of the old Ancient and Modern,
and it had a low setting, which suited her voice
extremely well. I can almost hear her singing
it now."
The Bishop drew a long breath and began to
hum as though half to himself:
Christian, dost thou see them
On the Holy Ground?
How the troops of Midian
Prowl and prowl around?
Christian, up and smite them,
Counting gain but loss;
Smite them by the merit
Of the Holy Cross.
The Bishop's voice died away slowly. Pres-
ently Susan turned to him and asked: "What
were the troops of Midian, Grandpa? That's
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 55
one of the strange things about hymns to me.
I've known them so long and I've sung them so
often that I never know what I'm singing about.
Tell me! Who and what were the troops of
Midian? For honestly, Grandpa, to tell you the
truth, ever since I was about nine years old and
you taught me that hymn I've always thought of
them as being a sort of Old Testament comic
opera company which Moses or Methuselah or
some other old patriarch had told to keep off the
grass."
The Bishop burst out laughing in spite of him-
self.
" To tell you the truth, Susan, when I was a
youngster that was just about my opinion of them,
too. Later, of course, when I grew older and
more bigoted, we'll say, the troops of Midian
came to mean any group of worldly people or
even those theologians who differed with my re-
ligious points of view."
" That means about everybody who wasn't an
Episcopalian, eh, Grandpa?" remarked Susan.
"At one time perhaps, my dear," admitted
the Bishop. " But as I grew older and came
56 ROMANCE
more and more under the influence of your grand-
mother I learned to take a wider and more altru-
istic point of view."
" And now, Grandpa," cried Susan, springing
up gayly, " it seems to me it's about time I gave
you my New Year's present. I didn't know what
on earth to get you, so what do you suppose I
got? And do you know why I got it for you,
Grandpa?" she went on unheedingly. "I tried
to think of something which would make you very,
very soft and sentimental something that would
put you almost in a Bavarian cream sort of
mood."
" My dear child, I assure you," laughed the
Bishop, " that's almost my condition. I'm just
running over the sides of the dish, little Miss
Twentieth Century."
" That's a new name I Why do you call me
that? " and Susan forgot all about the present for
the moment.
" Because, my dear, you have always repre-
sented the twentieth century to me. That was the
first name I ever called you. You probably don't
remember it, Susan, but you were the first living
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY '57
thing I laid my eyes on New Year's morning,
1900. You must have been a little over two, Su-
san, just able to toddle about comfortably by your-
self and show your old grandfather the way he
should go in this new century to which he doesn't
seem quite to belong."
" But do you mean to say, Grandpa, you never
saw me until I was as old as that? And Harry
why, Harry must have been seven by then, at
least. Do you mean to say you had never seen
either of us when we were real babies? "
" Never, dear. That has been the bitterest
punishment of my life, Susan the loss of both
your babyhoods. That's one reason why I've
tried so hard to make up to both of you since, my
dear. I have never spoken of this matter to
either of you for fear it would make you hate me.
Sometimes I think that Harry suspects the truth,
Susan. Bear with me and forgive me as well as
you can."
For censure the young girl snuggled on the arm
of his chair and kissed his white curls reassuringly.
Clearing his voice the Bishop went on slowly:
" I was sitting in this very chair, Susan, when one
58 ROMANCE
night, my Harry your father that was to be
rushed in here and without any preparation
told me that he had run away and got married.
I was furious. There was a quarrel in which
I know now I was entirely in the wrong. Harry
went out of the room slamming the door behind
him and declaring he would never enter my home
again. He never did, poor boy that was all
my fault too. He and your mother went to New
Orleans, where he got employment. Little
Harry was born there and so were you. But even
the coming of you children did not melt the frost
which had gathered round my heart. It was not
until the yellow fever carried off your father and
your mother within three days of each other that
I realized the enormity of what I had done. I
sent for you at once. I was very ill when you ar-
rived on New Year's eve. Remorse, contrition
and the righteous wrath of the Almighty had laid
me low. That afternoon, ill as I was, I made
the nurse carry me from my bedroom into the
study here, for every new year since my mar-
riage I had seen dawn in this old room. They
made a bed for me on the couch and the nurse
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 59;
left me. I was sleeping soundly long before the
old year had passed out and when I woke the
sun was shining in the windows and the new cen-
tury was just six hours old. Before I could move
or even mentally salute the new year there was a
gentle tap at my door. ' Come in,' I said. The
door was opened just a chink and I saw the
nurse's hand push you gently inside. The door
closed to and there you stood, dear, with one fin-
ger stuck debatingly in your mouth. For a mo-
ment we two looked silently at each other, and
there was such a look of unconscious mercy and
of tenderness in your sweet eyes that I always felt
that, all unconsciously, perhaps, you knew all and
forgave me everything even then. * I'm your lit-
tle Toosan,' you said by way of introduction, and
feeble as I was I limped from my bed toward you
and I gathered you into my arms, crying, ' You're
my little New Century, my dear! '
" And ever since," continued the Bishop, " for
twelve years now you have guided this poor
relic of an older era through the mazes of your
new century. I feel like a stranger within your
gates. And I have watched you grow and bios-
60 ROMANCE
som, dear, and thanked God that I had you here
to keep me within your gentle leading strings.
For what should I do without you, Susan; what
should I do without you? You are my eyes when
I tire of reading; it is you who soothes my ears at
night with all the old songs I love for even if
you do not actually sing them to me you manipulate
the Victrola better than anyone else can. But it's
when I'm out, at large in this great maelstrom
which they call New York now it's then that I
miss and appreciate you most. It's then that I feel
lost and all at sea. The taxis make me nervous,
the rush and the swirl of Broadway bewilders me
completely. And then the old landmarks all
gone, my dear, all gone ! Look at Union Square !
Tiffany's, Brentano's, both flown uptown; Spring-
ier Institute vanished completely; the old Everett
House has been razed so long four or five years
at least! that you young people have forgotten
that there ever was such a famous hostelry, just
as you are quite unconscious of the fact that once
upon a time Union Square boasted a high iron
railing. Only the other day, just before Christ-
mas, I walked slowly up Fifth avenue and turned
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 61
west at Fourteenth street to go to Macy's to buy
my gifts as I have done for nearly fifty years
Macy's was gone, my dear. There was no trace
left of the old shop. I should have remembered
that they had moved uptown years ago. But I had
forgotten. It gave me almost a shock when I
realized it. I felt that I had lost still another
old friend and, walking home again, feeling quite
disconsolate, the one sight which was left to glad-
den my heart was the old Van Buren mansion,
standing serene and staunch, like some stately
dowager, oblivious of all its commercial neighbors
and its dingy surroundings. I clutched the iron
fence with a vigorous clasp. It was like shaking
hands with an old comrade whom I hadn't seen
since the war. And then when I turn my eyes
heavenward those dreadful skyscrapers obliterate
all the dear old spires. St. Giles's steeple still
holds its own but its contemporary, St. George's,
has been shorn of both its old brown towers.
You can't see the time of day on Stuyvesant
Square any more unless you have a watch ! Then
when I go to Staten Island it's the same story.
Why, it's all that my poor old eyes can do to iden-
62 ROMANCE
tify the Produce Exchange building once the
proudest edifice on the water front from the
forest of skyscrapers that surround it."
" But there's Liberty, Grandpa," exclaimed Su-
san. " Don't forget our Lady of the Eternal
Torch."
" Quite true. She is still there, my dear
and the sea! God bless the sea. It has its
moods and tenses; but it's always there. It does
not go in for innovations."
" Grandpa, I don't think it's good for you to
1 look back ' so much. What do you say to hear-
ing my present. I had almost forgotten it. It's
the latest Destinn. You know, as I told you just
now," pursued Susan, " I've got some news to
tell you, and before I break it to you I want you
to be very, very soft. I have an idea this will
make you so."
Susan began to hum " Connais tu le pays,"
very softly to herself as she adjusted the record.
Then as Destinn's voice swelled out in the Ger-
man version of the song the girl paused to watch
the melody's effect upon her grandfather.
" Kennst du so wohl?"
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 63
" Please, please, Susan ! not that song," he cried
almost irritably. " It's been running in my head
all day for some reason or other. Stop it, Susan
please! It makes me sad. I may be very
foolish, but I would rather not hear it to-night."
Susan stopped the record abruptly.
" I'm so sorry. I thought you'd like it,
Grandpa. I picked it out especially for you, be-
cause you've always said you were so fond of
{ Mignon.' I went to the trouble, too, of looking it
up in ' The Prima Donna's Album ' just to learn
what it meant in English. But the words are aw-
fully stupid translated, don't you think?
Knowest thou that fair land
Where the oranges grow
Where the fruit is of gold
And so fair the rose?
Now to me that sounds awfully flat, perfectly as-
inine. I don't wonder it makes you melancholy.
But who was it used to sing it in your day,
Grandpa? " went on the girl inquisitively. " Let
me see now! What was her name? Sounds
something like our own Cavallera? Ah! yes,
64 ROMANCE
Cavallini; that was it. Was she very wonder-
ful, Grandpa? "
" Matchless. Incomparable," said the Bishop
rather shortly. " Suppose, now, for a change,
my dear, we have a little of Harry What's-his-
name. You know the man I mean the Scotch-
man."
"Harry Lauder? Certainly," said Susan, dis-
carding the hapless " Mignon " record and put-
ting the Scotchman's most famous ditty in its
place. " This ought to cheer you as well as a
cocktail, Grandpa. Listen I "
I love a lassie,
A bonnie, bonnie lassie,
She's as pure as the lily in the dell:
She's as sweet as the heather,
The bonnie purple heather,
Mary, my Scotch bluebell!
The swing of the song, its lilting rhythm and
the quaint side remarks of the Scotchman between
the verses worked marvels with the Bishop's dol-
drums. They vanished like a mist before the sun.
Susan sighed to herself profoundly as one who
had accomplished something in the way of a mir-
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 65
acle as she saw the smiles breaking out on the old
man's happy face.
The Bishop kept time to the music with his cane
and also with his least rheumatic foot. Presently
he grew bolder and joined bravely in the chorus.
At his request Susan turned the record on for the
second time.
" And you a Bishop of the Episcopal Church
applauding a Presbyterian like that I Why,
Grandpa, I'm amazed at you."
" It's a very good song and it's very well sung.
I should like to shake hands with Mr. Lauder one
of these days. It seems to me that he must be a
man of a very liberal nature and jovial disposi-
tion the Tony Pastor of Scotland, as it
were."
" Well, there's a new one on me ! " exclaimed
Susan. " I never heard his name before. Who
was he, Grandpa, this Tony Pastor? A basso or
a pantomime man?"
The Bishop shrugged his shoulders as one with-
out hope.
" Oh, my dear. Are you really serious? And
he not dead ten years! Is it possible that the
66 ROMANCE
children of this generation don't know the name
of Tony Pastor? Such is fame! "
VI
" Never mind telling me about him now,
Grandpa," interrupted Susan, as the Bishop was
about to explain. " I have something to say
to you, dear something which I'm afraid you
are not going to like very much, Grandpa. I've
been trying to break it gently to you all the even-
ing."
The Bishop smiled and looked at Susan rather
curiously.
" I like everything. It's my greatest fault ! "
" Well, I like that! " laughed Susan. " What
about Wagner? "
u Ah ! yes. Everything, except Wagner. You
are quite right, Susan. Wagner I cannot stand."
" Well, I doubt if you can stand this either."
" Suppose you give me a try."
Well it's about Harry."
" Harry ! " echoed the Bishop. " What about
Harry? "
" He's gone and done it."
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 67
Susan decided to rush matters. She poured
out the balance of her information without paus-
ing once for breath.
" I mean, Grandpa, he hasn't really gone and
done it, because he naturally won't do anything
without her and she says she won't do a thing un-
til you have given your consent and told them that
it's all right, so that's why Harry wanted to speak
to you to-night and you mustn't breathe a word
about my telling you you see he wants to do
that entirely himself; but I thought I'd better
break it to you gently."
Susan paused for breath and then, still gasping,
she added as quickly as she could:
" Don't you think I was wise, Grandpa to
break it to you gently? "
The Bishop patted her hand tenderly and
smiled anew.
" You haven't broken it at all, my dear. I
haven't the remotest idea what you are talking
about."
" Why, grandpa," exclaimed Susan in astonish-
ment. " I've just told you Harry's engaged
to a girl named Lucille Anderson."
68 ROMANCE
" Ah I I must be getting deaf. Dear me ! I
begin to see light on many things now. That is
why you were suggesting that they should go to
* Years of Discretion.' Who is Lucille Ander-
son? Is she so very young in your opinion that
she doesn't know her own mind?"
" Well, that's just it, you see. She is quite
young just about Harry's age, I should think.
And then there's another thing, Grandpa. Lu-
cille's an artist."
"You mean she paints?" asked the Bishop.
" No, she doesn't exactly paint," explained his
granddaughter. " You know there are all sorts
and kinds of artists, Grandpa ; and Lucille's art is
er a very beautiful art. It's the art of
^-er "
"Well, my dear?" queried the Bishop.
11 The art of er impersonation on the
stage."
" An actress I " exclaimed the Bishop quickly,
though not in a hostile tone. He seemed a little
taken aback, that was all. It was Susan who ap-
peared nervous. She kept clasping her hands to-
gether and blinking her eyes incessantly.
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 69
" Yes," she replied nervously. " She's an
actress but a very young one, Grandpa. And
then," she continued in a more reassuring tone,
" after all it makes very little difference nowa-
days. Heaps of nice girls have gone on the
stage."
" An actress ! " repeated the Bishop in a gentle,
ruminating tone. " Strange how. history " he
stopped abruptly and looked at Susan. " Did I
understand you to say you liked her, my dear? "
"Oh, yes, Grandpa; immensely," Susan
plunged into rhapsody without a qualm.
Wouldn't Harry have done just as much for her
under the same conditions? " Don't you remem-
ber, I told you only a few minutes ago. She's
charming; perfectly lovely, and and her in-
fluence over Harry is really the finest thing I've
ever seen. He really begins to think sensibly
about serious things now. And it's all due to
Lucille, every bit of it. And think, Grandpa!
She has positively refused to consider herself en-
gaged to him until you've given your consent.
Once you see her I know you'll love her dearly.
And then, remember," she went on coaxingly,
70 ROMANCE
" even if she wasn't everything we wanted Harry's
wife to be which she is, mind you, for already
I love her still, even if she wasn't, Harry loves
her and we've just got to stand by him, Grandpa,
haven't we? Because, remember, dear, he's our
own Harry, isn't he? And well, you know
as well as I do he's all we've got."
This impassioned plea was a little too much for
Susan. She buried her head on her grandfath-
er's shoulder and all of a sudden and very
much to her own disgust she began to cry.
As for the Bishop, much to Susan's secret aston-
ishment, he had never appeared more placid, more
completely serene. It was this amazing attitude
on the Bishop's part which caused Susan to get a
grip on herself.
" That's just what I am remembering, dear,"
said the Bishop, drily. " Harry always did have
very little sense."
Susan raised her head reproachfully from the
handkerchief with which she had been surrepti-
tiously mopping her eyes.
!< Why, Grandpa ! I don't see how you can
say such a thing as th^t about Harry. I'm
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 71
amazed at you ! " she went on reproachfully.
" Didn't he play quarterback on the varsity?
And didn't you say yourself that that took a whole
lot of brains? "
"Did I?" smiled the Bishop, patting Susan
affectionately on the shoulder. " Well, this
proves that I was mistaken, doesn't it, my dear? "
" Well, even if you are ! You're not going to
desert me now and go back on Harry, are you?
You simply couldn't do it, Grandpa. It isn't in
you."
The Bishop drew her to him ardently.
" Desert you ! " he cried, and the tears stood
in his eyes. " My little Susan, why, what in the
name of common sense do you take me for? Lis-
ten, dear. Let me make a confession. I am not
such an old fool as I look. Do you think I
haven't been watching Master Harry? Do you
imagine for a moment that I don't know all the
symptoms? Don't you credit your old grand-
father with just the least little bit of ' gumption,'
my dear? I love that dear old New England
word ' gumption,' ' said the Bishop suddenly,
changing his tone and speaking as though to him-
72 ROMANCE
self. " It may be slang; I don't know, but at
all events there's no other word in the English
language which at this moment expresses just
what I mean so well. Don't you think in spite
of the fact that I'm a Bishop and have lived for
seventy-two years that I still know just the least
little bit about life? And do you think in spite
of everything, even if Lucille Anderson should
prove to be the original Witch of Endor, do you
think that I could desert you now, you, my little
cicerone, my wisdom cap who has led me by her
gentle hands all through the years and pitfalls of
this bewildering new century? Why, I'd be a
renegade, Susan, a deserter, a Judas, something
to be taken out and shot at dawn, if I left you
now. No matter what Master Harry has done
or intended to do, why, Susan, my dear, if it were
necessary there would be only one thing left for
me to do perjure myself like a gentleman, as
the late King Edward did, and look pleasant
about it too. That particular branch of quixotry
belongs to your grandmother's side of the family
rather than mine, my dear. But I think on some
strenuous occasion I might imitate it," continued
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 73
the Bishop, smiling volubly. " Because once, a
very long time ago, your great grand-uncle Cor-
nelius Van Tuyl set me a superb example. I
heard it with my own ears and ever since, in spite
of all our differences, I have always mentally
coupled King Edward and Cornelius Van Tuyl
together. They perjured themselves like gentle-
men."
VII
Susan was bewildered. Her grandfather, for
all her much vaunted wisdom, might as well be
talking Greek to her. She marveled at the
change which had come over him the fire which
had come into his eyes, the enthusiasm and vigor
which his manner and his gestures showed. Two
decades at least in his excitement seemed to have
fallen from him like a garment. For the first
time in her short career Susan found herself com-
pletely nonplussed.
<f "And here's something else which I must say
to you and which you won't understand ! " ex-
claimed the Bishop. " They say that Shakes-
peare never repeats. Well, my child, in the Arm-
74 ROMANCE
strong family there has never been a Shakespeare
worse luck! None of us except your grand-
mother, who was a Van Tuyl has ever been
accused of being literary. But if Shakespeare
never repeats, history most certainly does, my
dear. That's what I'm thanking God for at this
moment, in a way which you, little Susan, can
never know or realize. God has been good to
your old grandfather!" cried the Bishop excit-
edly. " He has given me another chance. * All
that happens, happens again.' That's an old
proverb which, for the first time, I know to-night
to be true. There was another night long ago,
Susan, when your father my Ha-rry came
to me as your Harry is coming now. Only his
story was in a measure different. He had not
waited to ask my consent. He had taken his love
affairs into his own hands. But the setting was
practically the same. Here was I in this chair, his
judge cold, satirical, just for the moment om-
nipotent, and the poor lad sat there, full of his
love for his young wife, loyal to her, passionate,
imperious, hating me for misjudging her and yet
longing with every fiber of his brave young soul
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 75
that I would hold my hand out and befriend them
both. But I didn't do it, Susan. God help me,
I didn't do it. And he passed out of that door
and it was the end the end of everything be-
tween us, as you know. And now to-night, thirty
and more years later, here's history repeating it-
self. Here's the good Lord giving me a chance
to redeem myself. So don't fear for your Harry
to-night, little Susan. He's your brother; and
more than that, he's your father's son. I, his
grandfather, lie under a double obligation.
Trust me, dear." And the Bishop held out his
hand to Susan, as though he were confirming some
compact with a man of his own age. " Whether
he's right or wrong I shall deal very gently with
Harry. But I shall be politic, too. If without
sternness I can save him, Susan, I shall do it.
But if I discover that it's a love match, not even
you, dear little girl, will prevent me from indors-
ing it and giving them my blessing. But if I
think that I can still persuade Harry from doing
a foolish thing, then trust to me, dear, I shall play
a trump card the only one I have. For his
sake and for yours, too, I shall tell him a story
76 ROMANCE
which has been locked in my breast for forty-four
years a story which I never expected to tell to
any living man."
Somewhere out in the corridor a door slammed
violently. It was Harry returning home. Both
Susan and the Bishop knew that this was often a
manner of his when perturbed or excited to
slam the door.
"There's Harry now!" exclaimed Susan,
feverishly.
" Run along, dear," said the Bishop, serenely.
" And don't worry, child. Come back in half an
hour to see the New Year in, and in the meantime
remember your old grandfather's not going to let
history repeat itself."
" Here I am, sir! " exclaimed Harry, entering
breezily, and Susan, as she threw one furtive
glance at them from the doorway cried as she left
them hurriedly:
" Now, remember, dears. It's New Year's
Eve there's peace on earth and all that sort of
thing. Don't fight. Grandpa won't, I know, but
I'm awfully afraid of you, Harry."
"Well, Harry, so here you are at last!" ex-
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY ,77,
claimed the Bishop genially as the door closed be-
hind Susan. " We'd almost given you up, Susan
and I. What detained you? Couldn't you get
your theater tickets ? "
"No, sir; not a seat to be had in town. It's
an outrage, the way these speculators hold you up
on all the holidays," said Harry, rather nervously.
" So I paid a call instead. I went to see Lucille,
sir. I'm sorry if I kept you waiting."
" Not at all, my dear boy," said the Bishop,
good-naturedly. " It's a pretty old custom, New
Year's calls, even if one pays them as you have, a
few hours ahead of time; but I fear it's gone out,
like the good old fashion of sending Christmas
cards. I'm glad to think that you're preserving
the traditions, Harry."
Then changing his tone somewhat abruptly, the
Bishop said:
" What about our little chat, Harry? "
Harry was nervous palpably nervous.
* You're quite sure your rheumatism isn't both-
ering you too much to-night? To-morrow would
do as well, Grandpa, if you're not feeling quite
up to the handle, you know."
78 ROMANCE
"Not a bit of it!" exclaimed the Bishop.
" I'm feeling as fit as a fiddle, my boy never
felt better in my life. Your sister Susan has
played all my aches away with Harry Lauder.
So put another log on the fire and go ahead."
" All right, sir," said Harry, as he placed the
log on the burning coals, and then turned ab-
ruptly to his grandfather. " Grandpa," he said,
with both hands thrust desperately into the pock-
ets of his dinner coat, " I have something I want
to"
The Bishop interrupted him gently.
" Just a moment, Harry," he said. " If you
go to my desk and open the second drawer from
the top on the left hand side I think you'll find
a box of cigars."
The boy rose from his chair and crossed the
room to his grandfather's desk and drew out the
box.
"Thank you, Harry; won't you have one? I
know they're not as good as yours," smiled the
Bishop deprecatingly. " But then, remember,
I'm not a prospective millionaire like you. I can't
afford the 'very best brands."
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 79
" Thank you, Grandfather, but I don't feel like
smoking just now. You see, this matter's too im-
portant. I've come to you, sir, in order to "
" Er pardon me, Harry," interrupted the
Bishop gently. " Just one moment ! I haven't
a match."
" Oh, lord ! Excuse me, sir," exclaimed
Harry, digging into his trousers pocket for his
match safe. " There, now I Is that all right,
sir? " as he lighted his grandfather's cigar.
" Now, I want to tell you what's on my mind,
sir. It's been there for some time and I
I"
"Yes?" said the Bishop in a kindly, question-
ing tone.
Harry's embarrassment was increasing every
moment.
" I think I ought to to get it off, sir. It's
been bothering me for some time. And I think
it's only fair to you, Grandfather, before I do
anything definite, that I should make a clean
breast of it to you."
" Well," said the Bishop encouragingly.
"That sounds fair, Harry."
8o ROMANCE
" You see it's this way," began the boy.
But suddenly he seemed at a loss for words.
" What way? " said the Bishop mildly.
"Hang it! Grandpa, I don't know just how
to put the thing to you, but but but "
Harry looked up suddenly and caught the
Bishop smiling.
"Well, I'll be darned! You're on! I be-
lieve you've been on all the time."
" You're a mind reader, Harry," chuckled the
Bishop. "Your intuition is overwhelming; but
on the other hand it's quite correct. As you say,
my dear boy I'm on."
Harry cast a wrathful look toward the door
a glance which was obviously intended to wreak
vengeance on the absent Susan.
" I might have known! " he exclaimed surlily;
" no girl could keep a secret ! "
11 Ah I But it was all my fault, Harry," in-
terrupted the Bishop hastily. " Poor Susan was
adamant absolutely adamant ! I wrung it out
of her. I twisted her arms ; I I even kicked her
shins. Really, you mustn't blame Susan, Harry.
It was all my fault."
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 81
Harry's face expressed his profound disgust.
"Yes I And now you're making fun of me!
Well"
He straightened himself up and glared at his
grandfather defiantly.
The Bishop suddenly grew very tender. He
stretched his hand out and touched the boy af-
fectionately on the arm.
" No, I'm not making fun of you, Harry
not a bit, my boy. I think it's fine of you to
come to me this way, outspoken and above board.
You're making me think of another night in this
very room, when your dear father, my Harry, came
to me with a story, perhaps a good deal like
yours. And I was a brute to him, my boy. I
have never forgiven myself. I "
" But wait, sir. Just let me speak for myself
now," the boy blurted out. " I'm on the level,
and so is Lucille, and all I want now is to be
perfectly frank with you. I wanted to tell you
myself about Lucille. Susan had no business to
tip you off, sir. That's a peculiar thing about me.
I don't like anybody to butt in on my private
affairs."
82 ROMANCE
" Of course I know how you feel, my dear boy,
but please don't blame Susan. I was the culprit.
My insatiable curiosity dragged the truth from
her. But tell me about Lucille now, Harry.
You must love her a great deal."
" Well, of course I do," said Harry, a little
sulkily.
"And she's very pretty, isn't she?" pursued
the Bishop.
Harry's face brightened.
"Did Susan tell you that?" he asked eagerly.
" No " and the Bishop shook his head vigor-
ously. " I just guessed it that's all."
" And she's awfully clever, too ! " exclaimed
the boy enthusiastically. " She can act like a
streak. Why, Grandpa, Franklin Sargent told me
himself that he hadn't had a cleverer pupil since
Helen Ware was graduated there. And then
she's got such bunches of character! She's just
full of principle! Why, when it comes down to
cases, sir, she's a million times too good for me ! "
The Bishop leaned forward and patted the lad's
hand once more
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 83
" Of course she is of course of course! "
said the old man corroboratively.
" I met her at the Randalls you know Rand-
all, that painter fellow. And now she's all alone
in a rotten boarding house on Tenth Street and she
has no work, because I simply wouldn't allow her
to go on as a ' flapper ' at the Winter Garden.
And her family are all dead, and if she doesn't
finish her course at the school of acting her artistic
career will be ruined so I really think I ought
to marry her right off. Don't you think so?
Don't you agree with me? "
The boy paused and looked anxiously at his
grandfather.
"Well, now, don't you!"
" Just a moment, Harry," said the Bishop curi-
ously. " Let me interrupt you for one second.
What is a flapper? "
" Oh, a flapper! " exclaimed Harry, irritated at
the interruption. " A flapper let me see."
He cudgeled his brains for a moment. " Why, a
flapper is a London Gaiety Theater term for what
we call a * broiler ' or a ' pony ' you know, a
84 ROMANCE
pretty girl, very young, who can dance a bit."
"Ah! I understand," said the Bishop.
" Of course, she never intended to do anything
like that for a moment even if I hadn't come
in and put my foot down ! " exclaimed Harry.
" But don't you think I'm doing right, Grandpa,
in marrying her right away?"
The Bishop roused himself with a slight effort
and leaned forward in his chair.
" I'm not quite sure, Harry. You see, you're
so young both of you. You're just beginning
life, and you may change and grow, my dear boy
she, as well as yourself. As for you, Harry,
there may come a time when you'll need more than
any little actress can give you "
Harry made a slight movement of impa-
tience.
" Oh, it's all right now," pursued the Bishop,
"because you love her I know that! But are
you quite sure, Harry, that you'll always love her
just the way you love her now? Are you certain
that nothing hidden in the future or in the past
can ever shake your faith in her and beat you
down and break your heart?"
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 8$j
" I don't know what you mean, sir," exclaimed
Harry.
" You must be very, very sure, my boy," con-
tinued the Bishop gravely, " or else you're not
fair to yourself and what's worse I'm afraid
you're not fair to her."
"Oh, what's the good of talking?" the boy
burst out impatiently. " I just knew it would be
this way ! There's absolutely no use trying to do
things with my family they're all alike, nar-
row, conventional, dry as dust! "
He turned away from his grandfather suddenly
and walked angrily across the room.
"If only dad and mother were alive, they'd un-
derstand ! "
The Bishop winced.
" Don't say that, Harry. You know I've done
my best for Susan and for you."
" Oh, I didn't mean that, Grandpa," said the
boy penitently. " But you see it's an awfully long
time now since you were young, and I think it's sort
of hard for you to remember back and sympa-
thize with a fellow. Oh, I know you're awfully
wise," he went on quickly. " And you can see
86 ROMANCE
clear through people and understand them that
way, and you're a great student of human nature
and all that, but this is different. I I don't
believe you ever felt the way I'm feeling now
and oh, well ! What's the use of talking about
it. Thanks for trying, Grandpa I won't keep
you up any longer ! "
The boy started toward the door.
"Where are you going, Harry?" cried the
Bishop.
"I'm going to get married I" exclaimed
Harry defiantly.
"To-night?"
" Yes ! To-night or to-morrow. I got the
license this afternoon."
" Come here, Harry," said the Bishop, almost
sternly, " and please shut the door."
Harry obeyed without a word and resumed his
seat beside his grandfather.
By this time the Bishop, much to Harry's sur-
prise, was chuckling softly to himself.
14 What's the joke, Grandpa? I don't see
any! " exclaimed the boy querulously. " I never
felt more, serious in my life."
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 87
" Pardon me, Harry. I wasn't ridiculing you.
Far from it," said the Bishop. " I was merely
thinking of an old friend of mine by the way
he was a bishop, too he died only a few years
ago, full of good works; a noble man through all
his life, he had given all his powers and service
to his church and people. But he was scarcely
what one would have termed a wit, and yet, curi-
ously enough, in spite of all his good works, his
philanthropies and his achievements, he will be
known in history on the strength of his one bon
mot. A young relative of his a nephew, if I
remember right, married an actress. Everyone
expected the Bishop to storm and rage, but like a
wise man he did nothing of the sort. He was a
philosopher, Harry. He merely smiled and
shrugged his shoulders and said, ' Actresses will
happen in the best regulated families.' It's only
now," smiled the Bishop, " when I find myself in
a similar predicament, that I realize how very
wise that saying of my old friend was."
" Well, I don't see what that's got to do with
my case," cried Harry, more indignant than ever
as he started toward the door again. " If you're
88 ROMANCE
trying to make a joke of Lucille and me "
" Hush, Harry," said the Bishop, decisively.
"Don't be foolish, lad; come and sit down here.
No, not in that chair, where I have to turn my head
to look at you, but here in front of me, on the
footstool, where the fire lights up both our faces;
there where your dear father sat the last time
that I ever saw him."
" But what more is there to be said, sir? " ex-
postulated Harry, as he took his seat upon the
footstool. "You've expressed your opinion;
you've relieved your mind. You're against us."
"No, I'm not, Harry don't say that! Be
fair," said the Bishop. " You said just now I
couldn't look back and remember how I felt when
I was young. Well, I do remember, Harry; be-
lieve me, I do ! Because no matter how old one
grows there is always something which keeps a little
youth still burning in one's heart."
" I beg your pardon, sir," said Harry, contritely.
" I just lost my temper for a moment. I didn't
mean to hurt you, Grandpa."
" You didn't, my dear boy," smiled the Bishop.
" But you've made me think of something that I
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 89.
had almost persuaded myself I had quite forgot-
ten. It all happened so long ago, Harry, and yet,
strangely enough, all to-day for the first time in
many years the whole eposide has been constantly
in my mind. Perhaps the dying of the old year
has made me sentimental; I don't know, perhaps
that's it. At all events, it's something I have never
told to anyone I used to think I never would,
Harry. In fact, I made a vow to that effect as
I remember, but, as well ! times change. I
didn't realize then I was to have a grandson like
you, Harry, of whom I might make a confidant.
I wonder if you've got time to wait and hear
about it? "
Harvv oeered at his grandfather rather distrust-
fully.
" I should be very glad to hear your story, sir,"
he said grimly. " But if you think there's any-
thing in it that's going to change my mind about
marrying Lucille you might as well stop right
here."
The Bishop rose with difficulty from his chair
and limped slowly across the room towards his
desk. Harry sprang to his feet.
90 ROMANCE
" What is it, Grandpa ? Can't I get it for
you?"
A twinge in his back made the Bishop pause
midway across the room and give vent to a poig-
nant "Ouch!"
" Your rheumatism bad to-night, sir? " said
Harry sympathetically.
In spite of the pain the Bishop turned and smiled
benignly on his grandson.
" Don't mention rheumatism now, my boy! "
He had reached the desk and was fumbling in
his pocket for his bunch of keys. As he spoke
again he half closed his eyes.
" Remember, I'm only twenty-eight years old,
Harry; only twenty-eight years old! "
He opened the lower drawer and, after groping
among its contents, he drew forth a small ma-
hogany box.
" Do you know what's in this little box, Harry? "
said the Bishop, fondling the box reverently as he
held it in his hand.
"No, sir; what is it?" said Harry. "The
family jewels? "
" No," said the Bishop, with a radiant smile.
SUSAN BREAKS IT GENTLY 91
" It's more precious than jewels, Harry; and
rarer, too ! It's romance, my boy the perfume
of romance ! "
" How do you mean, sir? I don't quite follow
you," said Harry.
" Look! " said the Bishop.
He opened the box and took out tenderly a
little wisp of yellow lace.
" Why, it's a handkerchief ! " said Harry, awed.
" Yes," nodded the Bishop, speaking as though
half to himself. " A little handkerchief ! That's
all."
He opened it and from its folds there dropped
a few crisp and withered flowers.
" White violets ! " he exclaimed as he held them
in his hand and sniffed at them, then sighed and
shook his head, and dropped them back into the
box. " They're dry and yellow now their
sweetness is all gone I'm an old man, Harry
but somehow why, it seems only like yesterday."
: ' What does, sir? " said the boy, wonderingly.
The Bishop turned out the desk lamp and hold-
ing the box very tenderly in his hands crossed to
his seat before the fire.
92 ROMANCE
" Ah ! That's what I'm going to tell you now.
Sit down, Harry. Are you comfortable there?
That's right. Well, it was over forty years ago
forty-five would be nearer the mark. How the
time does fly ! and I was the young Rector of
St. Giles, you know; that was before I married
your grandmother God bless her ! Although
I had known her nearly all my life. Well, Harry,
one night in November, it was, I went to an
evening party at old Cornelius Van Tuyl's and
there in the kaleidoscope of music and beauty and
fashion, the great adventure of my life began."
'THE TROOPS OF MIDIAN '
CHAPTER I
MR. CORNELIUS VAN TUYL INCREASES THE NUM-
BER OF HIS GUESTS BY ONE
My thoughts at the end of the long, long day
Fly over the years and far away.
" The Troops of Midian" by Edward Sheldon.
LIGHTS blazed from all the windows of tEe old
Van Tuyl mansion. Fifth Avenue, all the way
from Washington Square to Fourteenth Street,
seemed to be fully aware that some event quite
out of the ordinary was in the air. That Cornelius
Van Tuyl was about to give one of his famous
musical soirees was a self-evident fact; for there,
down the long stoop of the old mansion, was tHe
wide strip of red velvet carpet and the famous
red and white striped canopy which all Fifth Ave-
nue living south of the Hotel Albemarle had long
since learned to know. Whenever that famous
canopy and its attendant carpet made its appear-
93
94 ROMANCE
ance the denizens of all the fashionable and un-
fashionable boarding houses of the town the next
morning devoured the fashion notes of their news-
paper with an avidity which they never displayed
for their matutinal stewed prunes. For even the
Charity Ball itself never elicited more elaborate
and minute descriptions from the newspapers than
any festivity which took place at Cornelius Van
Tuyl's. It was not because he was a man of
fashion or because of his great wealth, his splen-
did charities or his sybaritic inclinations that these
entertainments of his always received such wide
publicity. The man was a personality, that was
all. " Cornelius Van Tuyl is unique. He never
does anything like anyone else," used to be said
of him in every quarter.
But to-night, as many theatergoers from Wai-
lack's, where " The Lancashire Lass " was playing,
wended their way homeward across Fifth Avenue,
it was not of " Corny " Van Tuyl, the town's
political idol, they paused to speak as they caught
sight of the gay canopy. The name on every lip
that night was Margherita Cavallini Cavallini,
the young Italian opera singer, who six weeks be-
VAN TUYL INCREASES HIS GUESTS 95
fore, fresh from her European triumphs, had
swept into the Academy of Music in " Mignon "
and captured all the town.
To the newspapers, which had vied with each
other in heralding her triumph; to the musical
critics, who, for want of more appropriate phrases
had hailed her as " The Golden Nightingale " or
the " Grand Opera Lotta," and to those other
enthusiasts who, from their seats in the boxes and
the orchestra had bombarded her every appearance
with fusillades of flowers, La Cavallini had per-
sistently turned the colder of her two beautiful
shoulders. Madame Cavallini had refused to be
interviewed; Madame Cavallini declined positively
to talk for publication; she refused to allow her
pictures to be placed on sale. Her rooms at the
Brevoort House were guarded by a special page
boy night and day, and throughout the six weeks
of her New York engagement no one outside of
her manager, her fellow artists at the theater and
her private waiter at the hotel had had an oppor-
tunity to wish her even so much as a civil " good
morning."
And for all this the public whom she flouted so
96 ROMANCE
persistently adored her all the more. Could any
artist, short of our own modern Mary Garden,
have thought out and achieved so stupendous an
advertisement? And to-night La Cavallini was to
be Corny Van Tuyl's guest of honor. Further-
more, of her own accord she had volunteered to
sing for his guests.
Was it any wonder, then, that the man in the
street wagged his head with a knowing look and
winked his eye at his wife? The clubs and the
cafes, the drawing-rooms and green rooms were
busy with the names of La Cavallini and Cornelius
Van Tuyl. So while the gossips chattered and
surmised in all parts of the town and the invited
guests were giving the last touches to their toilets,
inside the house, standing serenely at the foot of
the broad staircase now casting a last glance
at the decorations in the long drawing-rooms and
throwing a housewife's experienced look into the
oak dining-room where already the Delmonico
waiters were making their preliminary preparations
for the supper, stood a sweet-faced woman with
very straight, fair hair. She wore it in a very
simple fashion; quite out of accordance with the
VAN TUYL INCREASES HIS GUESTS 97
mode of the day. By her looks she might have
been seven and twenty according to the record
in the Van Tuyl family Bible she was thirty-one.
But Susan Van Tuyl was by nature such a sunny
and light-hearted person that she never allowed
even such portentous matters as her age or her
looks to bother her peace of mind. At the moment
Susan was feeling singularly pleased both with her-
self and the world at large. For never since the
day when, as a little girl, she first came to live in
her uncle's house, could she remember a time when
the dear old rooms had looked so beautiful.
Flowers and smilax were everywhere. The deco-
rations had all been Susan's special care, and look-
ing at them she saw that they were exceeding
good.
So, barring the fact that her hair had positively
refused to stay in curl, Susan was congratulating
herself that she hadn't a care in the world, when
a cheery baritone voice from the head of the stair-
case called to her.
"Hello! my little chatelaine, where are you?
Let's hold a council of war."
The man who came toward her was tall and
98 ROMANCE
slender and somewhere about fifty years of age.
His hair, which he wore a trifle long, was begin-
ning to be tinged with gray and his face looked
rather pale and care-worn, but as he smiled down
affectionately at Susan there was a boyish twinkle
in his eyes, which seemed to lift for the moment
at least twenty years from his age. He was a
graceful man and so picturesque in his appearance
that he might just have stepped out of some old
portrait. In his hand he carried a long strip of
paper, covered with names.
" I've just been counting noses, Susan," said Van
Tuyl gaily. " Dividing the sheep from the goats,
as it were, and wondering to just what particular
extent they're all going to disagree. It ought to
be lots of fun, Susan! There will be ninety and
nine of us all told. Sounds quite like the hymn,
doesn't it? But I never can quite remember
whether the plurality consisted of * just persons '
or * lost sheep.' '
" Never mind about lost sheep just now, Uncle,"
laughed Susan. " Tell me about your lions.
How many of them are going to roar for you to-
VAN TUYL INCREASES HIS GUESTS 99
night? And what particular dainties shall I feed
them?"
" Let me see now " and Cornelius Van Tuyl
scratched his head meditatively " there'll be Ole
Bull, the violinist; but then he's no bother; the old
dowagers will keep him amused. It's always a
puzzle to me, Susan, why the oldest and most
respectable ladies invariably dote on the most pas-
sionate type of musician. Then, let me see, Mrs.
Scott Siddons is coming. She's a trifle heavy, but
extremely decorative. Be sure and ask her, my
dear, when she's going to play ' Medea.' I have
an idea that she wasn't completely overjoyed at
Mrs. Bower's great success in that role. Oh ! and
then let me see. Matilda Heron's coming, but then
she, dear soul, is always a host in herself. Oh,
and by the way, Susan, before I forget it, I bought
a box for the matinee at ' Camille,' in which her
protegee, that pretty little red-haired girl, Agnes
Ethel, is to appear. Imagine anybody but Matilda
Heron ever presuming to attempt Camille.' '
"Why, Uncle, was she so wonderful?"
"Wonderful! That's not the word; she was
ioo ROMANCE
terrific. It must be twelve or thirteen years since
I saw her play it first and she remains the first and
only American actress who, to my way of think-
ing, ever played an emotional role like a human
being."
" Why, you surprise me, Uncle, after what Mr.
William Winter said about her ' Camille ' in the
Tribune this morning."
" Good heavens ! " laughed Van Tuyl, " and he's
coming here to-night, too. That will be fun!
Where's the paper? Let me see what he said."
Susan delved into the depths of the butler's pan-
try and emerged in a moment with that morning's
Tribune in her hand.
" Just listen to this, Uncle," and she read.
" Miss Agnes Ethel, a pupil of Matilda Heron,
is to make a private debut good care being taken
to make it as public as possible of course at
Jerome's Theater on the loth inst. next Satur-
day. Miss Agnes Ethel will play ' Camille.' It
is a pity, we think, that Miss Heron has not edu-
cated her pupil in a better school than her own.
Miss Heron ought to be aware that the day of
1 Camile ' is entirely passed. French merriment
VAN TUYL INCREASES HIS GUESTS 101
is now at the top of the tree, but pulmonary disease
and French vice can charm no longer. They con-
stituted a sufficiently nasty mixture in the first place
and they have not improved in the last decade.
The supposition that anybody wants to see a new
actress in * Camille ' in this year of our Lord
1868, is the wildest of all delusions especially
when it is considered that the new actress, as a
pupil of Miss Heron's must have acquired all the
grave defects of the style of that actress. Faults,
as everybody knows, are much more salient and
much more easily copied than merits. If Miss
Agnes Ethel proposes to follow the stage as a pro-
fession she would be wise to learn her business by
a proper apprenticeship and not to wreck her hopes
at the outset on the barren rocks of a worn-out
theatrical sensation. Miss Heron herself, in ' Ca-
mille,' is as much as the public can endure of that
sort of thing, and we believe that Miss Heron is
shortly to play * Camille ' once more on the off
nights of Mr. Edwin Forrest's engagement at
Niblo's."
Van Tuyl dropped the newspaper and throwing
back his head laughed heartily.
102 ROMANCE
" Well, that is rather a hot shot to fire at poor
Matilda, considering that she has been playing
1 Camille ' now for thirteen years. But she'll be
equal to him. Watch ! They'll probably end the
evening in a love feast. Let's put them next to
each other at supper, Susan."
" Winter ought to be here in a minute or two
now," continued Van Tuyl, as he looked at his
watch. " He's reviewing the Barney Williamses
to-night in ' The Family Circle.' But it's a revival,
so it won't take him long. He said he'd write his
* stuff ' at the Albemarle and bring it along with
him and have his young assistant, Dan, call for it
here. Bright lad, that boy Dan ! " continued Van
Tuyl. " He can't be more than fifteen, and yet,
as I said to Winter the other day, he knows more
about the theatrical business than all of us put to-
gether. However, back to our muttons, Susan ! I
don't think you'll have to worry about anybody in
particular to-night, except, of course, Madame
Cavallini. I should like you to make a good deal
of her. This is the first time I've been able to in-
duce her to come out of her shell. In spite of her
great triumph here I think she's extremely home-
VAN TUYL INCREASES HIS GUESTS 103
sick. With her old companion, Vannucci, and that
infernal little monkey of hers, which loathes my
very soul, she sits in her rooms at the Brevoort
and mopes and mopes. Let's try and cheer her
up, Susan! It will be an act of charity. Oh!
And by the way, I forgot to tell you, we are to
have an extra guest, who will make us an even
hundred. Tom Armstrong's coming."
" Tom ! " echoed Susan in amazement. " Tom
Armstrong coming to one of your parties ! Why,
what's come over the boy? "
" Oh, nothing incurable," said Van Tuyl, look-
ing at Susan rather significantly. " I have a sus-
picion, though, he's very much in love. In fact, he
started to tell me so when I met him in front
of St. Giles's this morning. He said he wanted
to talk to me on a very important matter; but
just at that moment that old busybody, Mrs. Ruth-
erford, came along and we hadn't a chance for an-
other word. I told Tom to drop in here to-night
if only for a half an hour and then we could finish
our chat up in the library. So, Susan, you must
look your very bonniest to-night, just to do
honor to his occasion."
io 4 ROMANCE
" What have I to do with the matter? " asked
Susan, looking quite innocent.
"Tut! Tut! My dear. Don't you suppose
I've got eyes in the back of my head? Tom's a
fine fellow, even if he is a bit ponderous and has
difficulty in seeing a joke. But you'll educate
him, Susan. I've no doubt you'll make a splen-
did fellow out of our young rector of St. Giles's.
It's high time, too, Susan. I've stood in your way
long enough. How can I ever recompense you for
these dear sweet teens and twenties, all of which
you sacrificed for me? So to-night when Tom
comes to you, Susan, treat him kindly."
" You're all wrong, Uncle," cried Susan, laugh-
ing, "I'm afraid you're away off the track I
Meantime if Mr. Winter's really coming I think
I'd better run upstairs and hide my copy of ' Tri-
cotrin ' you know what he thinks of ' Ouida'
' pestiferous and trashy ' was what he said of
* Under Two Flags ' when Lotta played in it last
year. And ' Tricotrin ' is such a dear story.
They told me at the library to-day that it's
even more popular than Mrs. E. D. E. N. South-
worth's ' The Hidden Hand.' "
VAN TUYL INCREASES HIS GUESTS 105
" There's one thing about old lady Southworth's
novels," laughed Van Tuyl. " They always make
you so hungry. They're so full of banquets and
dinners and ' high teas ' that I always feel famished
long before I reach * to be continued in our next.'
Before you go let me think if there's anything
else " as Susan was about to run upstairs. " Ah,
yes ! Young Daly will be here to-night the chap
who wrote ' Under the Gaslight.' He let me read
a new play of his the other night and I think it's
uncommonly clever. It's called ' Horizon,' and
there's a little Western girl in it called ' Med '
which pretty Agnes Ethel could, I think, play to
perfection. Bring them together if the chance
arises. I should like to do her a good turn for
Matilda's sake. Ah ! General Sickles, how d'y
do? " and Van Tuyl turned to greet one of several
guests who were entering. " Splendid weather,
isn't it?"
Directly behind General Sickles, a young boy
entered in street clothes, carrying his cap in his
hand.
" Ah ! Dan, how are you, my boy? " cried Van
Tuyl, shaking the youngster by the hand.
io6 ROMANCE
" You've come for Mr. Winter's copy, haven't
you? Well, he hasn't arrived yet. Come along
with me, my lad. Let's go foraging in the butler's
pantry. I'm as hungry as a hunter myself so
busy I didn't eat a scrap of dinner. That's the
worst of giving suppers to other people, you al-
ways forget to eat anything yourself. This time
I shall take precautions. What shall we eat, Dan?
Shall it be chicken sandwiches or lobster salad? "
As he spoke, Van Tuyl, just to make the young-
ster feel perfectly at home, began eating sand-
wiches voraciously.
"What will you drink, my boy?" exclaimed
Van Tuyl, after he had piled the lad's plate high
with salad.
" A glass of champagne, eh? "
" No, thanks, sir," said Dan. " I never drink."
" Quite right, my lad, quite right. I ought to
be ashamed of myself for putting temptation in
your way. But tell me the news, Dan. You're
my chief authority, you know. I was telling Mr.
Winter only yesterday that you're so invaluable to
him the Tribune ought to raise your salary."
" Have you seen the new beauty in 4 Ixion,'
VAN TUYL INCREASES HIS GUESTS 107
sir?" said Dan, forgetting that his mouth was
half full in his enthusiasm.
" Which one, Dan Lydia Thompson or Pau-
line Markham?"
" Oh, neither of them, sir; she's not a principal
she's just one of the extras with only a few lines
to speak," cried the lad, his whole face lighting
up with enthusiasm. " But it's the way she says
them ! Her voice is like a great organ in church.
There's a girl who is going to be a great actress,
sir. If I was Mr. Lester Wallack I'd put her
under contract and make her my leading woman
right away."
" Well, why don't you speak to Mr. Winter
about her. He knows Mr. Wallack very well."
" Ah ! But that's just it, sir. Mr. Winter and
I never do agree about actresses. He believes in
the old school of acting; I'm a realist."
"Ah! So that's the way of it," smiled Van
Tuyl.
" I say, Mr. Van Tuyl," said the boy bash-
fully. " Did you happen to read that article in
the Herald yesterday on ' Realism on Our Stage ' ?
I'd like you to read it, sir. Here it is " and Dan
io8 ROMANCE
pulled a much becrumpled clipping out of his vest
pocket. " I wrote that after hours and a chum of
mine on the Herald put it in for me. You see,
down in our office they keep me writing the
* Among the attractions next week will be,' and
sometimes for a treat they let me write obituary
notices; so you see I don't get much chance to im-
prove my style. Would you mind reading it, Mr.
Van Tuyl? " asked the boy eagerly.
" With the greatest pleasure," said his host; and
his eyes scanned rapidly these lines from the New
York Herald of Nov. 22, 1868.
" Steam is now the most effective agency em-
ployed upon the American stage. With the smok-
ing railroad at Niblo's and the screeching steam-
boat at Wallack's it must be acknowledged that
steam now draws audiences as well as cars and
barges. The railroad scene at Niblo's could be
improved upon but the steamboat scene as done at
Wallack's is the most perfect thing of the kind
ever attempted on the stage in this country. A
large boat with genuine steam and real smoke,
making her landing at a good imitation of a pier
when she lands live and kicking passengers, and
VAN TUYL INCREASES HIS GUESTS 109
then blowing her genuine whistle of steam as her
lines are cast off from the spiles, and her smooth
transit across the stage through the canvas water
is something so novel in itself that it never fails to
bring down the house."
" Why, that's capital, Dan," exclaimed Van Tuyl
with enthusiasm. " It's worthy of Mr. Winter
himself. But tell me now about this new goddess
of yours. I'm expecting Mr. Wallack here to-
night. I might be able to do a good turn for your
divinity. What's her name, Dan? "
" Rose Coghlan, sir," said Dan.
"A pretty name, Dan; I'll remember it," said
Van Tuyl, " and if Mr. Wallack ever should
make her famous I'll see that you get your share
of credit for the deed."
;( Thank you, sir," said the boy gratefully.
" And I say, Mr. Van Tuyl, if the chance comes
up I'd be very much obliged to you if you would
say something to Mr. Winter about raising my
salary. You see, it's not only on my account I'm
speaking, but I've got a little brother Charlie;
he's a good deal younger than me, but he's mighty
ambitious. He's just eating his head off waiting
no ROMANCE
for me to get promoted so that he can step into
my shoes."
" Trust me, Dan, I won't forget," and Van Tuyl
patted the lad kindly upon the shoulder. " By the
way, Dan," he added, " there's one other thing
I want to know; what's your last name? In all
the months we've been acquainted I've known you
merely as ' Dan.' '
" Frohman, sir," replied the boy, " that's my
name Daniel Frohman."
" Mr. Lester Wallack ! Mr. William Winter !
Mr. Augustin Daly! " announced the butler.
Three men chatting volubly entered the house to-
gether.
Van Tuyl advanced to meet them.
" How are you, Wallack, old man? " shaking
hands with a tall, striking-looking man, wearing
a monocle and a drooping, obviously dyed mus-
tache. " I've a great piece of news for you.
We'll talk about it later on. Winter, my dear fel-
low ! " he exclaimed affectionately, as he shook
hands with the distinguished dramatic critic.
" I've just been telling that office boy of yours that
the Tribune ought to raise his salary." Then,
VAN TUYL INCREASES HIS GUESTS in
turning to an extremely handsome but rather stern-
looking man, he said, holding his hand out, " My
dear Daly, I'm delighted to welcome you here to-
night. You've come just in the nick of time."
He drew him slightly to one side and continued
more confidentially. " You remember that play of
yours we read together, ' Horizon ' ? Well, I've
discovered your heroine for you. She'll be here
to-night. One glance at her will convince you that
she'll make an ideal ' Med.' "
While the three other men continued chatting
Mr. Winter stepped into the hall and handed a
large envelope containing his review to young
Frohman.
" Hurry up, Daniel ! " said the dramatic critic,
looking at his watch. " I'm afraid we're a little
bit late for the first edition."
The lad started off on a run.
Strange meetings with many strangers, conse-
quences took place in the old Van Tuyl house that
night meetings which were fraught with fame
and with fortune and celebrity for more than one
woman and one man. But of all the unknowns
who started on the road to success that evening
ii2 ROMANCE
no two were destined to bear a longer and more
illustrious part in the theatrical history of the town
than the lad who carried " copy " to the newspaper
office and his " little brother Charlie."
Guests were arriving in droves. But still there
was no sign of La Cavallini. That she would be
late was to be expected, for she had been singing
her most popular opera, " Mignon," at the Acad-
emy that night. In order that she should avoid
the crush Van Tuyl had thoughtfully arranged with
her coachman to drive to a small door on one of
the side streets an entrance generally used only
by Van Tuyl himself and the members of the
family. As he awaited her arrival a ring came
at the door. Van Tuyl answered it himself. On
the threshold stood a tall young man of seven or
eight and twenty, wearing the cloth of an Episco-
pal clergyman, over which hung a long, rather
shabby-appearing black cloak. He was exceed-
ingly good looking, and as he hastily removed his
hat he revealed a mop of curly light brown hair.
" Good boy, Tom ! " exclaimed Van Tuyl, clap-
ping heartily on the shoulder the Rev. Thomas
Armstrong of St. Giles's. " Run along upstairs
VAN TUYL INCREASES HIS GUESTS 113
by the private staircase if you want to escape the
mob. You'll find Susan on duty up there some-
where. I'll join you in a few minutes."
" Sorry I'm late, sir; but I was detained down
at the Bowery Mission. I hadn't even time to
go home and dress," said the young clergyman.
" Don't apologize, Tom. Your cloth carries
you anywhere, my dear boy. Run along now."
The young man bounded up the stairs. At the
top he paused abruptly at the sound of his own
name. In the room he was about to enter stood
Susan Van Tuyl, surrounded by half a dozen
elderly men and women, most of them members of
his own congregation, as Tom speedily recognized
with a single glance of his eye.
" You can say what you please, Miss Van
Tuyl," exclaimed a stout, elderly woman dressed
in stiff black silk. " I disagree with you entirely.
Mr. Armstrong's nose is not Grecian by any man-
ner of means."
" Dear Mrs. Frothingham," said Susan politely,
" are noses then your only standard of a man of
God? "
" Ah, well, I agree with Mrs. Frothingham,"
II 4 ROMANCE
chimed in another stout dowager, Mrs. Ruther-
ford. " There's something about the young man
I never liked. He's too officious, too dictatorial,
and then his grandfather on his mother's side
came of very doubtful stock, you know an Irish
peasant, I believe, who only landed here some time
about 1805."
Susan raised her eyebrows in astonishment.
" Surely, Mrs. Rutherford," she remarked
blandly, " your memory doesn't take you quite as
far back as all that? "
" And to think," cried De Puyster Putnam,
plucking indignantly at his long " Dundrearies,"
" that we, the very oldest parishioners of St.
Giles's, are condemned to listen to his impertinent
sermons. Why, only last Sunday I woke up just
in time to catch the young puppy making scurrilous
allusions to me! "
Stout Mrs. Frothingham stopped fanning her-
self and displayed a sudden interest.
" Dear me, Mr. De Puyster," she remarked,
" I am exceedingly sorry my neuralgia kept me
from attending church last Sunday. What did he
say about you? "
VAN TUYL INCREASES HIS GUESTS 115
" I'll tell you what he said," said Susan deliber-
ately, taking the conversation into her own hands.
" He said he didn't doubt that several of our
elderly beaux would soon be making heaven fash-
ionable and organizing society among the more ex-
clusive angels."
" Abominable ! " cried Mrs. Frothingham, fan-
ning herself vigorously once more.
" I call it blasphemous ! " said Mrs. Rutherford,
in a tone which was intended to settle the matter
once and for all.
" It was hardly the remark of a gentleman,"
said De Puyster Putnam, still in an injured
tone.
" But he's not a gentleman. What can you
expect? " retorted Mrs. Fothingham.
" I admit he dresses like a penwiper," continued
De Puyster Putnam.
" Yes, and he spends all his spare time with
workingmen," chimed in Mrs. Rutherford.
Mr. Putnam stroked his whiskers once more
before turning his guns full upon Susan.
" My dear young lady," he remarked in a
patronizing tone, " why your excellent uncle ever
n6 ROMANCE
gave him the church is more than I shall ever be
able to understand."
*' Because Uncle knows he's the coming man,
that's why ! " cried Susan with flashing eyes.
" Look what he's done here in these last two
years ! Hasn't he built up the congregation from
nothing at all to the third largest in New York?
Hasn't he started the athletic club for the young
men and the cooking school for the girls? Hasn't
he founded our parish school for poor children
and got people to donate a playground and a
circulating library and a big hall for lectures
and musical entertainments ? Isn't he just as much
at home and just as much loved down in a Bowery
saloon as he is here in a Fifth Avenue drawing-
room ? Isn't he "
But at this moment the Rev. Thomas Arm-
strong decided that he had heard enough about
himself. There was a broad, good-natured smile
upon his face as he advanced toward Susan, who
was standing with her back to him. De Puyster
Putnam was the first to catch sight of Tom. His
tune changed instantly.
He stuttered, and his face flushed.
VAN TUYL INCREASES HIS GUESTS 117
"I er I er quite agree with you,
Miss Van Tuyl ! " he remarked.
" His efforts are very praiseworthy, I'm sure,"
hastily exclaimed Mrs. Frothingham as she also
saw Tom bearing down upon them.
" Quite remarkable, indeed I " gasped Mrs.
Rutherford, equally anxious to save the situation.
Susan, astonished at their change of tone, turned
around suddenly.
" But " she began. Then, seeing Tom, she
burst out laughing and held her hand out to him.
" Ah I I see," she exclaimed. " You've arrived
just in time, Tom. We've been talking about
you."
" So I heard," said Tom, laughing again.
" Thank you, Susan. You're a splendid cham-
pion."
" Oh, but my dear Mr. Armstrong," cried Mrs.
Rutherford, rising hastily, " we were all saying
the most flattering things "
"Yes, indeed, my dear sir!" exclaimed Mrs.
Frothingham nervously, as she, too, prepared to
beat a dignified retreat. " I wonder your ears
weren't burning "
n8 ROMANCE
" By Jove, yes so do I," laughed De Puyster
Putnam nervously.
" Don't let me drive you away, ladies," said
Tom gallantly.
" I must be looking after my Mabel," ex-
plained Mrs. Frothingham. " With all these
extraordinary celebrities on the premises one never
knows whom she might be introduced to. And
dear Mabel is so impulsive ! She might be asking
some of them to tea ! "
" And I was just on the point of offering Mrs.
Rutherford some supper," added De Puyster Put-
nam. " One mustn't forget this is one of the few
houses where Blue Seal Johannisberger flows like
water. Au revoir, Miss Van Tuyl " and he
bowed profoundly " Your servant! "
" Oh, but none of you must go before Madame
Cavallim comes ! " called Susan as all three started
down the stairs. " She's promised to sing for us.
And you know what that means! Au revoir
au revoir "
As they vanished Susan turned with flashing
eyes to Tom.
" Cats ! All three of them ! " she cried furi-
VAN TUYL INCREASES HIS GUESTS 119
ously. " Two tabbys and one old Tom ! Did
you hear what they were saying about you? "
"Oh, just a little," laughed Tom; "but what
does it matter, my dear Susan? They're not the
people that really count! "
" I know ! That's all very well, but I just can't
bear their criticising you ! "
Susan turned to the Rev. Thomas Armstrong
and looked him carefully over from head to foot
with a critical but unbiassed eye.
" Oh, Tom ! You've got your oldest clothes
on ! " she exclaimed as though chiding some
naughty child. " Why couldn't you have stopped
to dress? "
" Well, I was going to, honestly I was, Susan! "
exclaimed Tom. " But this is my night at the
athletic club, and about ten o'clock, just as I
had taken on the heavy work of the ward, little
Jimmy Baxter came running in and said young
Sullivan was drunk again and was killing his wife.
So would I please step over for a minute.
"What's the matter, Susan? What are you
looking at? "
Susan was still gazing at him fixedly. Invol-
120 ROMANCE
untarily Tom's right hand strayed to his left
shoulder as though to remove some possible bit
of fluff.
" It's your hair, Tom your hair ! " exclaimed
Susan.
" What's the matter with it sticking up be-
hind as usual? " And Tom passed his hand heav-
ily over his curly crop.
"Just one lock on the left," said Susan,
coming close to him. " Bend over. I'll fix it for
you."
Tom bent his head obediently and indulged in a
sly smile.
" What an injustice it is that you should have
all these lovely curls, which aren't a bit of use to
you, while my poor locks won't keep in crimp for
five minutes on end. There ought to be a law
against it!" exclaimed Susan laughingly. "A
law making it a criminal offense for any man to be
born with curly hair."
" Oh, come, come, Mrs. Delilah ! " exclaimed
Tom, " don't be so hard on us poor Samsons. We
wouldn't have a hair left on our heads if you had
your way. Well, as I was saying, Susan," he con-
VAN TUYL INCREASES HIS GUESTS 121
tinued, resuming his explanation, " I found young
Sullivan in a fighting mood and rather diffi-
cult to manage. And then in the middle of it
all what do you think? if Mrs. Sullivan
didn't go and have another baby! "
"Good heavens! Poor dear! That makes
the sixth, doesn't it? " remarked Susan, who by this
time, handkerchief in hand, was trying to take out
a spot from the lapel of Tom's coat. " I'll go
around the first thing to-morrow morning and see
how she's getting on."
" Oh, I say, Miss Van Tuyl ! " called a man's
voice from the stairway.
Susan leaned over the balustrade and smiled
down upon a dandified-looking young man of
thirty, who was coming up the stairs as fast as he
could with a plate of lobster salad in one hand and
a dish of macaroons in the other.
"Why, Mr. Livingstone! How kind of you!
Is all this for me? " laughed Susan.
" Yes, indeed, Miss Van Tuyl. You owe that
dab of mayonnaise to no less a person than the
c Golden Nightingale.' "
"Why, Mr. Livingstone?" asked Susan.
122 ROMANCE
" Fact, I assure you. I never could have got a
morsel if it hadn't been for her," continued Fred
Livingstone, helping himself to a macaroon.
" Why, all the literary and artistic talent in New
York were fighting like a band of demons around
the supper when thank the Lord ! the band
struck up and someone cried that Cavallini had
arrived! Two seconds and there wasn't a soul in
the entire dining-room excepting myself, of
course. I'm always far more interested in my
supper than in any prima donna that ever sang.
It's my opinion they should be kept in their place,
behind the footlights or in their own little gilded
cages like our domestic canaries. But they cer-
tainly did make a fuss over her downstairs. Why,
even the caterer's men were standing up on chairs
to catch a glimpse of the ' divinity ' ! "
" Oh, I really must go down and greet her! ''
exclaimed Susan, starting for the stairs.
" If you see your uncle, Susan," said Tom,
" would you mind telling him where I am."
" Very well, Tom," smiled Susan. " Are you
coming along, Mr. Livingstone? "
" Er will you excuse me, Miss Van Tuyl? "
VAN TUYL INCREASES HIS GUESTS 123
said Livingstone. " If you don't mind I'll stay
here. I want to have a word or two with Tom."
" Why, certainly 1 " said Susan, as she vanished.
Livingstone's manner changed instantly.
" Well ! " he exclaimed, fairly quivering with
rage. " This is the last time I bring my wife to
this house ! "
" Why, what's the matter? " said Tom, amazed.
" Why the man must be out of his head," cried
Livingstone.
:< Who? What man ! " exclaimed Tom, grow-
ing curious.
" Why, Van Tuyl, who else do you suppose I
could mean? "
" What on earth's he done? "
" Good Lord, man ! Don't you realize who's
downstairs? Don't you know who's making a
tour of the rooms on his arm? Don't you know
whom he's introducing to every respectable woman
that's been fool enough to come here to-night? "
" No, I don't," interrupted Tom. " Who is
she?"
" Why La Cavallini ! " said Livingstone impres-
sively.
124 ROMANCE
Tom looked puzzled.
"Oh, you mean that foreign opera singer?
Well, what of it?"
" What of it ! " cried Livingstone. " Don't be
a fool, man; she's his mistress, that's all."
"What!" said Tom, controlling himself with
difficulty.
" Oh, I wouldn't have mentioned it to you, his
rector, if he hadn't brought her here to-night.
I'm a man of the world; in fact, I'm exceedingly
broad minded, I believe in letting a man's private
affairs strictly alone. But, by gad, sir; I do ex-
pect him in return to show a little common
decency."
"I see!" said Tom, grimly; and he clenched
his hands.
" And look here, Tom," Livingstone went rat-
tling on. " So long as you are his rector and all
that, I think you ought to speak to him about it
haul him over the coals and haul him jolly hard! "
" And this is what you wanted to say to me? "
asked Tom, still keeping a tight rein on himself.
" Yes."
VAN TUYL INCREASES HIS GUESTS 125
Tom took a step toward Livingstone and looked
him in the eye.
" And I have one or two things to say to you,"
he said decisively. " And I'll just begin by telling
you what you are you're a miserable gossiping
old woman ! "
" Wait hold on I " cried Livingstone taken
aback. " Who are you talking to? "
" I'm talking to you," continued Tom grimly.
" A pitiful fool who hears a dirty story and can't
rest until he's passed it on! Why, you apology
for the male sex, do you know what you're doing?
You're a guest in a gentleman's house you've
eaten his food and drenched yourself in his wine
and shaken him by the hand and now you're turn-
ing around and circulating rotten lies behind his
back"
" They're not lies," interrupted Livingstone,
more outraged than ever. " It's the truth I'm
telling you, he's lived with her for years. She has
a villa on the Riviera that Van Tuyl gave her.
It's called Millefleurs. Jack Morris saw them
there together "
126 ROMANCE
" Be still! " thundered Tom.
Livingstone, awed by the fury in Tom's voice,
retreated behind the sofa but continued to talk
volubly from behind it.
" I won't be still. Why, all the fellows know
what Rita Cavallini is. Ask Guvvy Fisk; he knew
the French musician chap that found her singing
under hotel windows years ago in Venice. And
Guvvy knows just when she kicked him out and
went off with that Russian Grand Duke and lived
with him in Petersburg until the Prince de Join
Ville set her up in Paris ! Why, she's notorious
all over Europe her name's a byword in every
capital she's ruined whole families run
through fortune after fortune. It was outside her
door that that young English poet shot himself
the Emperor borrowed money from the Roths-
childs just to buy her diamonds the King of
Naples gave her "
" Stop it, Livingstone ! " cried Tom, breaking in.
" Stop it, or I'll break your neck! "
From his intrenchment behind the sofa Living-
stone was now making warily for the head of the
stairs.
VAN TUYL INCREASES HIS GUESTS 127
" And as for Van Tuyl well, everybody
knows what he's been like "
Tom made a bound toward him.
" You little cur, you "
But the rest of Tom's phrase was never spoken.
Just at that instant Van Tuyl's handsome head ap-
peared above the balustrade.
" Well, my young friends ! " said their host, se-
renely. "What's the matter? What's it all about? "
" Oh, nothing, Tom and I were having a little
argument; that's all," said Livingstone politely, as
he pulled his watch out and looked at it in order
to cover his confusion. " Good gracious twelve
o'clock. You haven't seen my wife anywhere
about, Mr. Van Tuyl?"
" But you're not going? " said Van Tuyl, in
seeming astonishment. " Why, the party hasn't
begun yet. Haven't they told you? Madame
Cavallini is going to sing."
" Thank you, Mr. Van Tuyl," said Livingstone
with dignity. " I'd rather my wife hear Madame
Cavallini across the footlights. A touch of preju-
dice on my part perhaps, but don't let it bother
you. Good night, sir."
CHAPTER II
THE REV. THOMAS ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE TO A
MAN AND RECEIVES SOME FROM A WOMAN
When Eve upon the first of men
The apple pressed with specious cant,
Oh, what a thousand pities then
That Adam was not Adamant!
Hood.
Surely a woman's affection
Is not a thing to be asked for, and had for only the asking.
When one is truly in love, one not only says it, but
shows it.
Longfellow.
" WELL, Tom, here we are at last," exclaimed
Van Tuyl cheerily. " Now, what have you to say
to me, my dear boy? "
" I'd have gone downstairs, but I'm not dressed,
as you see."
" Nonsense, my boy, I think you're very good
to come at all."
Then in order to allow Tom to come to the
128
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 129
question in his own good time, Van Tuyl began to
chat of other matters.
" I don't remember if you're interested in terra
cottas, Tom, but if you are "
He lifted a small vase from off the mantelpiece.
" Here's something that came in last week. It's
a lekythos of the time of Pericles. Look at the
exquisite grace and freshness of those figures 1
And to think that the hand that made them has
been dust two thousand years! "
" Er very pretty very pretty indeed ! "
said Tom, not in the least interested.
Van Tuyl replaced the vase on the mantelpiece
with a sigh.
;< Two thousand years! I wonder where we
were then, eh, Tom? But I think you care more
for pictures than for terra cottas, don't you?
Come and look at my new Millet. It's in my
room where I can see it every morning just as soon
as I wake up. By Jove ! He's a wonderful fel-
low, that Millet, and some day he's bound to be
recognized, even if "
Tom stood his ground.
;t Thanks, sir, but if you don't mind I'd rather
130 ROMANCE
stay here," he said firmly; " I want to to talk
to you "
" Of course, just as you say."
Tom was growing more awkward and embar-
rassed every moment.
" I don't quite know how to begin, sir, as it's a
rather important and at the same time a rather
a rather delicate matter, but but I'm not
by any chance keeping you from your guests? "
" Not at all. Fire away ! " smiled Van Tuyl.
" But it's er er something that I really feel
I ought to er I mean to say er I er
consider it in the light of an obligation to
er to "
" Tom ! " interrupted Van Tuyl.
" Yes, sir."
Van Tuyl put his hand confidentially on Tom's
shoulder.
" It's about Susan, isn't it? "
"Yes in a way, but " replied Tom, still
more awkwardly.
" Then it's all right, my boy," said Van Tuyl
heartily. " I'm as glad as I can be."
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 131
" But what's all right? " asked Tom perplexed.
" I'm afraid, sir, I don't follow you."
" Why, aren't you asking me if " Van Tuyl
paused and looked at him sharply.
" I'm sorry, sir, but it's advice I wish to offer
you."
" Advice? " echoed Van Tuyl.
'* Yes, I regret it, sir, but I consider it my duty."
Van Tuyl took a long, questioning look at Tom
and seated himself.
" In that case, pray go on ; won't you sit
down?"
Van Tuyl lighted a cigar.
" No, thanks, I think I'd rather stand. Mr.
Van Tuyl ! " he burst out ingenuously, " I suppose
some people would say that after all you've done
for St. Giles and me it wasn't in my place to sug-
gest anything."
" Nonsense, Tom," said Van Tuyl lightly, then
he added as he took another long look at the
young clergyman. " Do you know you're getting
to look like your dear mother every day? "
" No, am I? " smiled Tom, and for the moment
132 ROMANCE
his face lost its determined, dogged expression.
But instantly he returned to the attack and assumed
what Susan was wont to call " his preachy, pulpit
manner." " But after all I'm your rector and I
feel I've got to to "
" Quite right, my boy," said Van Tuyl, realiz-
ing for the first time something of what was com-
ing, " I respect your feelings. Well? "
" Do you know, Mr. Van Tuyl, there's a woman
downstairs whose reputation is is well
questionable, to say the least?"
" Whoever she is, Tom, she's one of my
guests," said Van Tuyl calmly.
" But don't you realize, sir," persisted Tom,
" she's a woman whose whose immoralities are
notorious? "
" Tom ! Tom ! " said Van Tuyl sternly.
" Excuse me, sir, I'm speaking as the rector of
St. Giles."
Van Tuyl bowed his head.
" Go on," he said in an ominous tone.
Unconsciously Tom's " pulpit manner " became
more pronounced: "A type that disgraces even
the effete and vice worn civilization from which it
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 133
springs, but from which, thank God, our country
has been comparatively free."
" Ah! " said Van Tuyl politely.
" We have our sins, sir. I know them well,"
said Tom. " But vice till now was forced to crawl
her way through poverty and darkness or bask in
the false light of an abandoned stage. She never
dared to rear her slimy head and look into our
homes, nor touch the white hands of our wives and
daughters ! "
"And nieces?"
" And nieces," added Tom hastily. " And is it
time now, after all these years of honest decency
to open wide our doors to a Du Barry? To wel-
come Messalina to our hospitable board?" re-
sumed Tom.
11 It isn't Sunday, Tom," said Van Tuyl,
mildly.
" I ask you, sir, as friend and clergyman, is it
fair, is it wise, is it right that your pure thres-
hold should be crossed by Madame Cavallini?"
There was a pause, while Van Tuyl looked
steadily at the clergyman.
" How old are you, Tom? " he said at last.
134 ROMANCE
" Er er twenty-eight," answered Tom,
lamely.
" I wish I were twenty-eight," said Van Tuyl
with a wistful smile. " Life's a simple thing
when you're twenty-eight."
" Yes," said Tom, loftily. " If one has stand-
ards yes! "
"Standards?"
11 Of right and wrong, I mean," persisted Tom.
" Oh, yes I had those standards once."
"Once, sir? " echoed Tom in a sharp tone.
11 And then one day I got 'em all mixed up
and the right seemed wrong and the wrong seemed
right, and I just didn't know where I stood."
" Oh, come, sir ! "
" And now I'm fifty-one years old and "
Van Tuyl gave a chuckle " well, I'm dashed if
I ever got 'em straight again."
" Oh, sir, don't talk that way," said Tom, dis-
tressed. " It isn't worthy of you you're too
big a man to "
" Oh, I've learned a few things, though stray
spars which I clung to through all this storm and
ocean just a few stray spars, Tom, but some-
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 135
how they managed to hold me up. One is how
to value people that are good that's why you're
rector of St. Giles's, my boy. And another's how
to pity people that are "
" Bad? " said Tom, promptly.
" No, not bad, my boy there are no people
that are utterly bad. But there are some poor
devils who find it harder to be good than you
that all."
" I've been a fool, sir," said Tom, impulsively.
" I might have known there wasn't a word of truth
in what that puppy said."
"What puppy?" said Van Tuyl, looking up
suddenly.
"A young he-gossip, sir, who reeled off lies
about this woman. And I was ass enough to be-
lieve him and come to you and talk like a like
a confounded prig. I wonder you don't throw
me out of the house, sir! "
" You're my rector, Tom," said Van Tuyl with
a twinkle in his eye.
" Do you think you can forgive me, sir? " ex-
claimed Tom, penitently.
" There's nothing to forgive, my boy," smiled
136 ROMANCE
Van Tuyl, as he arose from his seat. " And now
run downstairs and ask Susan for some supper."
" But I'm not dressed," said Tom.
" Oh, nonsense ! Still, if you'd rather go up to
the library she'll bring it to you there. Don't tell
me you're not hungry! " exclaimed Van Tuyl,
clapping Tom on the shoulder. " You're twenty-
eight years old, Tom Hello! Who's this?"
Van Tuyl turned toward the staircase. There
was the sound of many voices and of laughter; the
orchestra in the drawing-room had just struck up
the strains of a beguiling, slow Strauss waltz.
Then above all the babble and the tumult and the
laughter came the sound of a woman's voice, speak-
ing in broken English.
" Go Vay go 'vay ! You must not come vit'
me! No! No! I 'ave to rest jus' for von
leetle minute bevore I sing ! " cried La Cavillini.
She stood at the top of the staircase for one
moment, laughing gayly down upon the group o'f
men of all ages, who were imploring her to dance
with them. She was a bewitching little foreign
creature very beautiful, in a dark, Italian way.
She was marvelously dressed in voluminous gauze,
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 137
over both the bodice and skirt of which were scat-
tered tiny roses. Her black hair hung in cork-
screw curls on either side of her face and three
long, soft curls hung down her low cut back.
Crowning her hair was a wreath of roses. She
wore long diamond earrings, a riviere of diamonds
was about her neck, and many jewels gleamed upon
her corsage and on her wrists and hands. She
carried a fan and a bouquet of white violets in a
silver filigree holder. Her voice was soft and her
gestures quick and birdlike. Indeed, as Tom
Armstrong caught his first glimpse of her she
seemed like some exquisite, gleaming, little hum-
ming-bird which had that moment alighted at the
head of the staircase. Her back was toward both!
Tom and Van Tuyl.
" But it is my waltz, Madame ! " cried one of
the young men, three steps below her.
" Don't listen to him, Madame ! " exclaimed an-
other young man, striving to thrust his rival aside.
'* You know you promised me "
" Oh, gentlemans, vhy you make such a beeg,
beeg noise? " cried Cavallini, saucily.
" Because you're driving us crazy, Madame! "
i 3 8 ROMANCE
called a deep bass voice. " We want to dance
with you! Can't you understand? "
The little prima donna raised her eyebrows and
struck a mock serious gesture.
"Vhat? Me poor little me? You beeg,
bad boys, you make of me 'ow you say? vone
seelly joke ! "
" We don't ! " " It's true ! " " Of course it
is! " came the chorus.
La Cavallini threw back her head and laughed.
" Gentlemans ! Gentlemans! " she said. " Vy
don't you go and make de love to dose be-e-auti-
ful American ladies vaiting for you downstairs? "
" But I want to make love to you! " called one
gallant.
"And I!" "And I!" "Me, too!" came
the babble.
"Ouf!" and the little singer shrugged her
shoulders. " You cannot all make de love to me
so look so look I tell you ve will make
a bargain."
The men were clustering about her now, the
staircase was crowded.
" You shall not any of you make de love to me 1
"SHE TURNED TOWARD VAN TUYL, STILL LAUGHING
139
I stay here vit Meestaire Van Tuyl until I sing.
But leesten, now ! Vhich one of you, 'e catch this
preety flower?" from the flowers of her cor-
sage she plucked a pink camelia and held it aloft
above their heads.
" Look ! Vhich one of you 'e catch dis 'e
drive me 'ome ! "
The babble on the staircase rose into a gentle-
manly riot. Rita threw the flower. There was
a mad scramble down the stairs, while La Caval-
lini, watching the fracas, clapped her hands.
" Run run queek qvick ! 'E has fallen
himself down, that little Meestaire! Povrino!
All r-r-right, all r-r-right you, Meestaire, vit
de beeg mustache Bene capito ! You take
me 'ome! "
She kissed her hand to the rescuer of her
flower and turned toward Van Tuyl, still laugh-
ing.
" Dey are so frightfully funnee, dese American
gentlemans "
The words died upon her lips as, for the first
time, La Cavallini caught sight of Tom. He had
been standing perfectly still, staring at her,
140 ROMANCE
throughout the entire scene on the staircase.
There was an instant's pause, during which the
diva stared at the clergyman. Her glance seemed
to embarrass Tom.
" I beg your pardon! " he exclaimed, and, bow-
ing, went quickly down the stairs.
Leaning forward, across the balustrade, La
Cavallini followed him with her eyes. Then,
turning to Van Tuyl, she asked quite simply:
" Please, who is dat young man? "
" Tom Armstrong," answered Van Tuyl.
11 He's my rector."
"Rectore?" echoed the singer. " Vhat is
dat?" she asked vaguely.
" He's a clergyman."
" Cler-gee-man? Vhat is dat, please?"
" He's an abbe a priest, you know," ex-
plained Van Tuyl.
" Ah-h ! " said La Cavallini, comprehending at
last.
" Ah ! " she continued, almost to herself.
" Den it vas dat."
"What?" questioned Van Tuyl.
The singer turned away.
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 141
" Oh, I dunno. Jus' somet'ing in his eyes
it was so deefferent to de odder American gentle-
mans."
" My dear Rita ! " laughed Van Tuyl, as he
gazed at her admiringly. " I don't suppose he'd
ever seen anything like you in all his life."
"No? My Lor-rd! 'Ow very sad!" said
Rita, impishly.
She leaned across the balustrade again, as
though to catch another glimpse of the young man.
" An 'e vas 'an'some, too ! So 'an'some ! " she
cried, provokingly, turning to Van Tuyl.
Van Tuyl gave a chuckle.
Hearing him, La Cavallini turned and caught
his eye. They both laughed.
Van Tuyl, still laughing, came toward her. He
took her in his arms.
" Rita, you little monkey, you 1 " he cried, half
chidingly.
La Cavallini closed her eyes. There was a
smile of quiet triumph on her lips.
" De beeg Amer-r-ican, 'e like 's leetle frien'
to-night eh yes?" said La Cavallini, teas-
ingly.
142 ROMANCE
" I don't think he could help it if he tried! "
laughed Van Tuyl.
" Den, if 'e like 'er " Rita paused and looked
at him doubtingly.
" Well," asked Van Tuyl, " what were you go-
ing to say? "
" Den, please, vy don' 'e keess 'er? " she purred
softly.
" There," said Van Tuyl, as he kissed her.
"There, now! How about that?"
La Cavallini drew away from him suddenly,
and crossed the room.
" My Lor-r-rd ! I 'ave forgot somet'ing I "
"What is it?" asked Van Tuyl, following
her.
" I have forgotten dat I am, oh ! mos' fr-r-
rightfullyee angree ! "
"Not with me?"
" Si si ! " said Rita, nodding her head.
"But why? What have I done? My dear
child"
" You know," she retorted briefly.
"My dear, I don't. Frankly, I haven't the
least idea."
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 143
La Cavallini sat down and gazed at him very
seriously.
" Ssh ! You mus' not say t'ings like dat dey
are not tr-r-rue ! You 'ave treat me ver' bad to-
night ! Yes, you 'ave tr-r-reat me qvite, qvite
onspikable ! "
Van Tuyl looked at her in astonishment.
" Why, I've invited you to my house, Rita.
I've introduced you to my friends. I've enter-
tained you before all the world. Isn't that ex-
actly what you wanted? "
" You ask me to your soiree dat is tr-r-rue ! "
cried La Cavallini, indignantly. " But you aske
me as an artiste not as a f emme du monde ! "
" That is not so ! " declared Van Tuyl.
"Ah, no?" she retorted In a flash. "Den,
please vhy you ask de odder singers, too? "
" Now, Rita, listen "
" I vill not leesten ! You t'ink I am a leetle
vhat you say donnacia une p'tite gris-
ette "
" My dear, you know I don't think anything of
the sort "
"An' eet is not to-night a-lone oh, no!
144 ROMANCE
Eet is two t'ree mont's all de time since
fir-r-r-rst I come to your mos' ver' diz-a-gree-a-
ble countree! A-ah! Eet vas not like dis at
Millefleurs I vas not dere a singer- r-r-r from
de opera at Millefleurs I vas a qveen ! "
" Millefleurs ! Our palace of a thousand flow-
ers ! " sighed Van Tuyl at the recollection.
La Cavallini's face softened.
" Do you r-r-remember de night I sing to you
de Schubert Serenade, vhen you walk up an' down
below de vindow ye-es ? An' all de r-r-roses in
de vor-r-rld, dey blossom in de moonlight? Dere
vas no vind de sea vas qvite still an' you
valk up an' down up an' down an' alvays I
sing to you an' sing an' sing an' de vind
an' de sea an' de beeg gol' moon dey all of dem
leesten to me! "
" Ah ! " said Van Tuyl, rousing himself.
" That was Millefleurs. The roses there had
brought me back my youth. I came home and
lost it, dear. I'll never find it again ! "
" What you mean please? " asked Rita, per-
plexed.
" I'm fifty-one years old," answered Van Tuyl.
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 145
Rita instinctively drew away from him a little.
"That frightens you?"
"Ah, no but "
11 1 know how you must feel," said Van Tuyi
very gently. There was a pause. Neither of
them spoke for several moments. Then:
"Rita!"
"Veil? "said La Cavallini.
" Rita, suppose we finish our our friendship
suppose we end it here to-night."
"To-night? "said Rita.
" Give me your hand ! " exclaimed Van Tuyl.
i{ There ! Now we can talk ! I'm fond of you,
dear I always shall be that but already I'm
beginning to disappoint you. And I'm afraid I'll
do it more and more as time goes on. Look at
my hair! There wasn't any gray in it last year
at Millefleurs! But now and next year
there'll be more! And I've begun to be a little
deaf and fall asleep In chairs and dream about to-
morrow's dinner. My rheumatism, too, came
back last week " Rita winced and drew away
her hand. " Don't blame me, dear. I can't help
getting old."
146 ROMANCE
" Don* don' talk dat vay ! " she cried nerv-
ously.
"God knows I'm not complaining!" Van
Tuyl went on quickly. " I've lived my life and
it's been very sweet! I've done some work, and
done it pretty well, and then I've found time to
enjoy a great many of the beautiful things that fill
this beautiful world I Among them, my dear "
and he bowed profoundly " I count your voice
and you ! And yet the fact remains I've lived
my life. I'm in the twilight years. Oh!
They're golden yet, but that won't last, and they'll
grow deep and dim until the last tinge of the sun-
set's gone and night comes and it's time to
sleep. But you ! Good Lord ! your life has just
begun, Rita! Why, the dew's still on the grass
it's sparkling brighter than your brightest dia-
monds!" He touched her jewels playfully.
" You wear the morning like a wreath upon your
hair. Don't lose all that, my dear don't waste
your springtime on a stupid fellow fifty-one years
old!"
" All r-r-right ! " she said coldly, and turning
away she began to whistle softly to herself.
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 147
" What's the matter? " said Van Tuyl, watch-
ing her closely.
Rita shrugged her shoulders.
" Vone more 'ow you say? frien'sheep
feenishedl " she cried in a hard voice. 'Vone
more ! " Again she gave a shrug. " Oh, che
m'importa ce ne sono altri ! " She yawned
ostentatiously and sniffed her bouquet.
Van Tuyl looked at her keenly. " Rita?"
" Veil Meestaire Van Tuyl? "
"Haven't you ever loved someone?" he
asked her.
" 'Ow you talk? 'Ave I not love you two
three years! "
" I don't mean that," Van Tuyl went on
gently. " Isn't there someone whose memory is
dear and and sort of holy like an altar-
candle burning in your heart? "
" No," she said in a bitter, hard voice.
" Think back way back," he continued, still
very gently. " Didn't someone ever make you
feel so tender that you didn't know whether to
laugh or cry at the thought of him? Wasn't there
ever someone you wanted to help so much that
148 ROMANCE
it it hurt you, like a living pain? Wasn't there
someone who "
Rita sprang to her feet.
" Basta ! Basta ! Stop eet don' don' "
A moment later more softly she asked : " 'Ave
you felt like dat? "
" Yes," Van Tuyl nodded.
" Who was she? " asked La Cavallini.
" Just a girl. Not wonderful or beautiful or
gifted and yet she meant the world to me."
"What 'appened?"
" She died before I ever told her that I loved
her."
La Cavallini turned her head away.
" Eet vas a good t'ing dat she die so soon."
"What?" asked Van Tuyl.
" Sometime I vish dat I had died before I
ever-r 'ear-rd dose vor-r-ds, ' I lo-ove you,' " said
Rita.
" What do you mean? "
La Cavallini was ironic now, and as she spoke
she gave a curious little shiver. " I never-r tol'
you of my fir-r-rst so bee-eautiful r-romance?
No? Veil, I do not often t'ink of eet eet make
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 149
me feel not nize." She paused and then
continued. " Eet vas in Venice. I vas jest six-
teen years ol' I play de guitar wid de serenata.
Ah, Madonna ! Come sembra lontano ! " she
sighed.
Again as she spoke, La Cavallini turned her
head away from him. " Dere was a young man
come sing vit us Beppa 'is name vas Beppa
Aquilone. 'E was 'an'some an' 'e 'ad nize
voice oh, very light, you know but very sim-
patico. Ve stan' together-r an' have I dunno
vone, two duets. An' so eet goes for two
t'ree veeks, an' every time 'e smile an' look at me
my 'eart-r-t is full wid gr-r-reat beeg vishes an' I
feel like everyt'ing in all de vor-r-rld is new an*
bor-r-rn again an' so vone evening 'e tells me
dat 'e love me an' I feel 'is 'ot br-r-reat' like
fir-r-re upon my face an' de beating of 'is
'ear-r-rt like str-r-rong blows 'ere against my
own an' den 'e sleep. But I I do not sleep.
I lie so steel an' qviet, an' in my mind I have
vone t'ought ' Is dis vhat people mean vhen dey
say lo-ove? ' An' so de 'ours go by, vhat, an'
de night is feenish, an' a a 'ow you say?
150 ROMANCE
a long theen piece of sunlight, it c-r-reep in through
my leetle vindow an' it shine on Beppa vhere 'e
lie. An', oh 1 'e look so young an' den de sun-
light 'ow you say? eet tease him, an' so half
vake up, an' 'e veenk 'is eyes an' say, * Ah ! Rita,
ti amo ! ' an' den 'e sigh an' put 'is 'ead 'ere on
my shoulder like a leetle bab-ee dat is tir-r-red,
an' 'e go to sleep again. Ah oh 1 " With pas-
sionate tenderness she went on. " I put my
ar-rrm about 'im an' I smile an' t'ink, * For lo-ove
I vaited all night long, an' wid de day it
come!'"
" And so it does, my dear," said Van Tuyl.
"You t'ink so? Vait!" cries La Cavallini in
a bitter voice. " In tvelve 'our tvelve 'our
'e sell me to an English traveler for f eefty lire !
At fir-r-rst I t'ink I die I soffer so. An' den
at las' I on'erstan' an 1 laugh an' know dat
I 'ave been vone gr-r-reat beeg fool "
She clenched her hands and struck them to-
gether. " A fool to t'ink dere vas some better-r
love a love dat come at mor-r-ning an' shine
like sunshine " she threw out her arms in a wide
gesture " yes, all t'rough de day."
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 151
" There is," said Van Tuyl, positively.
" Dat is vone lie! You 'ear? Vone lie I"
cried Rita, fiercely. " Love is a str-r-ruggle
ver' cr-r-ruel an' sveet all full of madness an'
of vhisper-r-red vor-r-rds an' leetle laughs dat
br-r-reak into a sigh! Love is a hunger! "
" My dear," interrupted Van Tuyl gently, " I
think you must have suffered a great deal."
" Yes ; because I 'ave believe vonce in a lie,
but" and she shook her finger -" not any
mor-r-re ! " She made a grimace at him. " Oh,
vhy ve talk about dose bad oF t'ings see 'ere
I blow dem far avay ! Pst I pouf ! " with an
enchanting smile. "Now, look! Dey are all
gone ! " Van Tuyl looked at her steadily but she
did not answer. "You know vhat I t'ink
ye-es?"
" I never know what you think, my dear,"
smiled Van Tuyl. " I am far too wise ! "
" I t'ink dat you an' I have not come qvite to
de end eh?" She burst out laughing. He
patted her affectionately on the arm.
" My dear, you make me very happy," he said.
" So you vill drive wid me to-mor-r-row
152 ROMANCE
after-r-noon at four? " inquired Rita, as though
making some great concession.
"I'm honored!"
" I tell you somet'ing " cried the little singer,
cuddling up to him once more.
"Well?"
" You are naught-tee but I like you f-r-r-
rightfull-ee much I "
Downstairs a waltz was playing. Van Tuyl
hastily kissed Rita's hand.
" Good Heavens 1 I've forgotten I'm a host !
What will those wretched people think! My
arm!"
" Vhen mus' I sing? " asked La Cavallini.
" Let's see. I've asked Artot and Capoui to
do the duet from ' La Traviata ' and then I
want the sextette from * Lucia ' and after that
we'll all be ready for the Golden Nightingale ! "
She threw herself upon the sofa and gave a
long sigh of relief. " De Golden Nightingale vill
r-r-rest alone 'ere till de time is come. An', oh!
Sen' someone vid r-red vine an' lemon juice
she is so tir-r-red she cannot sing vidout! "
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 153
"That's all? You're sure there's nothing else
you want? "
" Dat's all."
Van Tuyl paused at the top of the stairs.
" You're beautiful to-night," he said, ardently,
as he leaned on the balustrade.
Rita roared with laughter. She stared at him
defiantly. " Vhy not? My star-r-r is Venus I
vas bor-r-n for love ! "
" O love forever in thy glory go ! " he quoted
tenderly, and with a farewell kiss of his hand he
went downstairs.
For a few moments La Cavallini lay listening
to the insistent rhythm of the waltz. She whis-
tled it under her breath, looking straight up into
the air and " conducted " it gently with one sway-
ing hand. Then her whistling ceased; she hud-
dled herself up on the sofa and began to smile
reminiscently. Finally, growing really drowsy,
for she had had an exhausting night's work at the
theater, she stretched herself out slowly like some
dangerous young panther and closed her eyes.
She heard footsteps behind her, but not so much
154 ROMANCE
as an eyelid quivered. Then she heard Tom's
voice exclaiming:
" Mr. Van Tuyl, your Oh I I beg your
pardon. I did not know I was disturbing you. I
was looking for Mr. Van "
"Eh? Vat?" La Cavallini suddenly opened
her eyes and gazed up at the clergyman saucily,
like some inquisitive little squirrel.
Tom grew more and more embarrassed. His
cheeks were fiery red. He turned to go.
" You ar-r-r-re going? " she exclaimed in a half
imploring tone which seemed meant to insinuate
he was leaving her all alone in this world.
" I beg your pardon? " said Tom, pausing, and
then, Adamlike, taking one step toward her.
" Don't go please." She smiled still more
imploringly.
" But I I " stuttered Tom, at a loss for
words.
La Cavallini went on beguilingly: " I vas jost
begun to be a leetle ow you say ? lone-lee ?
An' now a nize young man come Oh 1 My
Lord ! I am so gla-ad I "
She smiled at him bewitchingly.
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 155
" You're sure I'm not intruding ? " said
Tom, still bashfully.
"But no! Come in an' 'ow you say?
Oh, yes ! make your-r-rself qvite to 'ome ! "
" Er thank you." Tom sat down on a chair
some fifteen feet away from the sofa.
" Vhy you sect vay, vay over der-re?" cried
La Cavallini.
"Why er er I don't know I"-
Tom rose and came nearer. She was cajoling him
sweetly now as she might some tiny baby that
wouldn't go to sleep.
" Ar-r-r-re you afr-r-r-raid of me? I vill not
'urt you no ! I like de young men. Please
come ! Sect 'ere ! "
She pointed to a chair at the foot of the
couch.
" You're very kind," said Tom as he sat
down.
La Cavallini lay back and gave a sigh of sat-
isfaction.
" A-ah ! " She smiled at him. There was a
pause, and then she asked roguishly: "What
makes your-r-r face so r-r-red? "
156 ROMANCE
" My face ! " cried Tom in consternation.
"Why, what's the matter with it?"
" Eet is de r-r-reddest t'ing I evair see in all my
life ! " said La Cavallini, in a dreamy voice.
" It's rather warm in here, don't you think? "
cried Tom in agony.
"You t'ink so? I am qvite, qvite cool," said
Rita, provokingly.
"That's very odd," pursued Tom. "I'm
afraid I I haven't the honor of being pre-
sented er er my name's Armstrong."
" Ar-rm-str-rong ! But dat is not all eh?
Now wait no yes ecco ! I 'ave it!
Teem!"
" Not Tim," said Tom, slightly nettled.
" Tom."
" Tome ! " repeated La Cavallini, vainly trying
to catch his accent.
"Not Tome! Tom!"
" Tom. Dat's r-r-right Tom ! Tom ! "
She laughed as she repeated it to herself. " My
Lor-r-rd what a funnee name ! "
" It's not a real name," explained Armstrong.
" It's just short for Thomas."
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 157
La Cavallini's mind became instantly illumi-
nated.
" Ah Tomasso ! Si si ! Now I on'ner-
stan' ! I vonce 'ave a frien' name' Tomasso
oh, yes, ver' long a-go! 'E 'ave jost vone leg; 'e
vas 'ow you say? r-r-ragpicker-r-r ! "
"Was he?" said Tom, somewhat abashed.
Rita surveyed the young man critically. " You
look mos' ver' much like 'im," she remarked.
" Do I ? " said Tom, pulling uncomfortably at
his coat.
Rita was seized with a sudden happy thought.
True to her race she expressed it immediately.
" Maybe you, too, are fine, beeg Amer-r-r-rlcan
r-ragpicker eh no ? "
" Madame," said Tom, severely, " I am the rec-
tor of St. Giles's!"
" R-r-rector? "
" Yes I mean I I'm its minister it's
clergyman "
" Oh, cler-gee-man ! I have forgot ! " said
Rita, quickly. " 'Ow beautiful! An' St. Giles
who vas 'e? Some leetle Amer-r-r-rican
saint?"
i 5 8 ROMANCE
" St. Giles," said Tom, sternly, " is one of the
most important figures in the great history of the
Church of England ! "
" Is dat so? Anodder cler-gee-man ye-es? "
said Rita. " 'Ow fr-r-r-rightfull-ee nizel Ve
never-r 'ear of 'im in Ital-ee ! "
"In Italy! Why, you don't live in Italy?"
A thought had suddenly struck Tom. His look
of astonishment showed it.
" I have a house in Florr-rence an' a villa on
de Lake of Como yes."
Tom gave a nervous, relieved little laugh.
" Oh, that's all right, then," he said. " Do you
know what I thought for just a moment? "
"No. Vhatyou t'ink? "
" I thought that you might be Madame Cavarini
or lini or whatever her name is 1 You know
i the opera singer?"
La Cavallini hugged herself with glee.
" You funnee man I " she cried as tears of
laughter came into her eyes.
" Forgive me do 1 " said Tom.
" It vill be 'ar-rd I " said Rita with mock stern-
ness. " You 'ave not seen La Cavallini, den? "
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 159
"I? Oh, no. I don't go to the opera."
Rita leaned forward confidentially.
' You have not meess much vhen you mees La
Cavallini. She is of a fatness " She made an
expressive gesture with both arms. " Oh, like
dat!"
"You're sure?" asked Tom, doubtfully.
Rita nodded. " Vhy, she eat tvelve poun' of
spaghetti every day ! "
"No!"
" Eh, yes," Rita went on enthusiastically.
" An' ugly oh, Madonna ! 'Ow dat womans is
ug-leel Jost to look at 'er give vone de nose
bleed!"
" But everybody says "
Rita interrupted him with a gesture of her hand.
" Leesten ! Vone eye is made of glass an' 'er
nose my Lor-r-rd ! her nose ! "
"What's the matter with her nose?" asked
Tom, thoroughly interested.
La Cavallini covered her face with her hands.
" She 'as not got vone ! "
" But surely you're mistaken why "
Tom's serious face grew graver.
i6o ROMANCE
" Jost papier-mache ! " shuddered Rita.
" Stuck on to 'er face ! O Dio ! "
" Well, I suppose it is her figure which makes
them say "
Again Rita interrupted eagerly.
" I tell you somet'ing ter-r-rible. She 'as a
'umpl "
"A what?"
" A 'ump ! " explained Rita with tragic empha-
sis. "A 'ump upon 'er back! "
" You mean a hump ? "
" Si, si ! " said Rita, nodding. " 'Er dress-
maker in Paris she tell me dat ! Now, vhat
you t'ink eh?"
Tom rose quickly and gazed sternly down upon
the glittering little creature.
" Do you really want to know? " he said, in his
pulpit voice.
"Yes tell me, please!"
" I think, madame, you have been guilty of the
greatest cruelty! "
" What? " cried La Cavallini in amazement.
He fixed her coldly with his eye.
"Yes, cruelty; I repeat the word! " exclaimed
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 161
Tom oracularly. " To hear a woman on whom
an all wise Providence has showered its choicest
gifts deride, hold up to scorn and gloat over the
physical failings of a less fortunate sister for,
madame, you are sisters in the sight of God I
say this heartless act deserves a far more serious
rebuke than any I'm at at liberty to offer."
La Cavallini could restrain herself no longer.
This joke it was too good! She covered her
face with her pocket handkerchief.
" Ah don' don' " she gasped, shaking
with laughter.
" What if this unhappy lady does suffer from
exaggerated fleshiness," Tom went on relentlessly.
" Beneath that bulk may beat the tenderest of fe-
male hearts. What if one eye is glass? The
other, doubtless, is the window of a noble soul.
And even though she bears a hump upon her back
she may, with Christian patience, change it to a
a cross."
" Don' don' Dio mio ! I cannot bear-r-r
it! " cried Rita, still shaking with laughter.
By this time nothing could stop Tom. He was
absolutely pompous as he continued:
1 62 ROMANCE
" I am glad my few poor, simple words have
touched you. Never forget them ; and should the
temptation come again, remember that a soft,
sweet tongue is woman's brightest ornament."
"Tschk! Tschk! Tschk!"
Rita pressed her handkerchief over her mouth.
" Madame ! " cried Tom, seeing for the first
time that she was laughing at him.
" I cannot 'elp it. Oh, oh I "
Tom ground his teeth and struck one palm
against the other as he turned away.
" Madame you, a-ah ! "
Rita, exhausted, gasping, wiped her eyes.
"Oh oh! My Lor-r-rd!"
A liveried servant came from downstairs carry-
ing a silver tray with glasses, a carafe and a de-
canter of wine.
"The wine, madame," said the servant, bow-
ing.
" P-put it 'ere on dis leetle table."
She indicated a little table by the head of the
couch. The servant placed the tray upon it.
"Is that all, madame?"
" Yes dat is all."
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 163
" Good night," said Tom stiffly, about to fol-
low the servant downstairs.
"You are not going?" gasped La Cavallim.
" After what has occurred I see no reason for
staying."
" All r-right," she said carelessly as she rose
and occupied herself with an elaborate mixing of
the wine and lemon juice and water.
Tom lingered. She paid no attention to him.
He might have been a mile away for all she cared
seemingly.
" Aren't you sorry for making fun of me? " he
asked.
" Oh so fr-r-rightfull-ee sorr-r-ry ! "
And Rita began to toss the wine from one
glass to another.
' You don't look it," said Tom doubtfully.
" Is dat so? Gooda-by! " said Rita calmly.
Tom walked to the stairs, paused, hesitated,
then slowly came back and sat down in his old
chair.
" Madame " Tom spoke apologetically.
" Oh, I t'ought you gone ! " she sniffed in a
superior manner.
164 ROMANCE
" So long as you're sincerely sorry," said Tom
with dignity, " so long as you truly repent, I don't
suppose there's any need of me going."
La .Cavallini paid no attention to him. She
kept on whistling gayly.
"Look! See how bee-eautiful I do it!" she
exclaimed, her voice softening as she poured the
drink from one glass to another. " Some vone
who vas vonce ver' fon' of me 'e teach me
dis."
Tom stared at her hypnotized. She filled both
glasses.
" Der-re, dat is for you."
Tom roused himself into an effort. " Thanks,
I I don't take stimulants."
" Not even vhen I give dem? " she said softly.
She held out the glass and smiled. Reluctantly
he took it.
"Ah, dat isr-r-right!"
She lifted her own glass.
"Now vhat ve dreenk to, eh?" Suddenly:
" Ecco, dat nice ol' cler-r-gee-man, St. Giles !
You don't like dat, no?" Then, seeing his dis-
gust, she added: "Den, 'ow you like it if I
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 165
dreenk to vhat I see in your eyes an' you dreenk
to vhat you see in mine? "
She stared at him steadily with a mysterious
look in her eyes. He could not take his gaze
away from her. Eye to eye, neither faltering for
an instant, both raised their glasses and drank.
From below could be heard 'voices singing the
sextet from "Lucia." "What are you? Tell
me. I don't understand," said Tom in an odd
tone.
Strange and broken as her accent was La Caval-
lini's knowledge of English was by no means as
primitive as her speech proclaimed. She had
studied the language zealously under good
teachers for years. Her mental grasp of it was
excellent, so as Tom put this strange " What are
you? " to her, some old lines from a half forgot-
ten speech in an Italian drama in which she had
played a sorceress came to her mind. Slowly,
laboriously, as well as her mastery of the language
would permit her, with her eyes still fixed on
Tom, she translated this high-flown speech from
her language into his :
" I am a cup all full of priceless vine ! I
1 66 ROMANCE
stan' upon an altar built of gol' an' pearls an'
paid for wid de blood an' tear-rs of men! De
steam of per-rfume dat fills all de air; it is de
t'oughts of me in poets' 'ear-rts de vhite flowers
lying at my feet, dey are de young boys' bee-auti-ful
deep dr-r-reams! My doors are open vide to
all de vor-r-rld! I shine in dis gr-r-reat dar-rk-
ness like a living star, an' somevhere sometime
every man 'as 'ear-rd my voice ' Come, O you
t'ir-rsty vones come, dere is vine for all! '
Tom drew toward her.
"Who are you? What's your name?" he
asked mysteriously.
"Oh, vhy you ask?"
Tom, never taking his eyes from her, said:
" Because I want to see you again and again
I want to ask you things. I want to know
you"
" Ah, poor young man," interrupted Rita; " all
dat can never-r be ! "
Tom rose to his feet.
" It must it's got to be ! " he cried.
"Ssh!" said Rita gently. " Don' make a
noise." Then impulsively: "Come 'ere!"
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 167
He came to the side of the couch.
" Kneel down dere like dat. Close
close, so ve can talk."
She picked up her bouquet.
" You see my violets 'ere so sveet an' f r-r-
resh an' bee-eautiful? 'Ow long you t'ink dey
last?"
" A long time, if you treat them well," an-
swered Tom.
"Now look!"
She pulled the flowers in handfuls from the
bouquet.
" I pr-r-ress dem on my face an' neck; I feel
dere fr-r-reshness on my eyes an' 'air-r; I dreenk
dere sveetness like I dreenk new vine."
" You're crushing them I " cried Tom warn-
ingly.
" Vhat does it matter? I have keess dem
an' dey vere bor-r-rn to die."
She snatched up two great handfuls and cov-
ered his face with them.
" Don' t'ink sad t'oughts of vhat mus' be
jost laugh an' love dem. Dat is all dey need."
She plied him with more blossoms.
1 68 ROMANCE
" Take dese an' desc take mor-r-re. Oh,
take dem all."
She threw a last handful into the air. The
flowers fell all about them.
" Dere " showing the bouquet holder "it
is empty. Not vone is left to take home vhen
I go. You on'erstan'?"
"No; tell me"
" Our meeting 'ere to-night," said Rita, tend-
erly. "What is it but a bunch of violets? Of
flower-r-rs dat ve smell an' love an' t'row into
de air-r? Vhy should ve take dem 'ome vid
us an' vatch dem die? I t'ink it is, oh! much
mor-r-re vise to leave dem here-re like leetle
memor-r-ries all sveet an' white an' scatter-r-red
on the gr-r-oun' ! "
"Couldn't I keep just one or two?" said
Tom, in a low voice.
La Cavallini smiled.
" Dey vere not meant for keeping. Dere
whole life was to-night! "
" I know," said Tom simply. " But I'd like
to try."
She looked at him and shook her head.
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 169
" Ah, you are so young ! " cried La Cavallini.
She picked up a few flowers from where they
had fallen and put them in his buttonhole as he
knelt beside her.
" Dere ! " Then with her fingers still in his
buttonhole " I wish " She hesitated.
"What do you wish? " asked Tom.
Rita answered him simply almost like a
child. " I vish I knew some flower-r-rs dat
would never-r die ! " He seized her hands and
kissed them again and again. She tried to wrench
herself free.
" No stop it what you do ? " she cried.
At that moment Van Tuyl appeared at the head
of the stairs.
" Ah, 'ow nize you are to come ! " she said
smilingly and with perfect self-control.
" You're ready, madame," said Van Tuyl with
a formal bow.
" Qvite, qvite r-r-ready," said La Cavallini.
She turned to Tom and held her hand out.
" T'ank you, m'sieur, for-r your-r kin' polite-
ness. Gooda-by! " She bowed and gathered up
her fan and gloves.
170 ROMANCE
" But I want to see you again ! " cried Tom
hoarsely, quite oblivious of Van Tuyl.
"You are sure?" said Rita doubtfully.
" Yes," gulped Tom.
Rita became instantly the woman of fashion.
" Den vould you come to my 'otel to-mor-r-
row after-rnoon at four-r? It is de Br-r-revoor-
rt House, you know."
" All right; delighted," gasped Tom.
Rita smiled on him indulgently while from one
corner of her eye she watched Van Tuyl.
" An' I vill take you for a leetle drive upon
you-r bee-eautiful Fift' Avenue."
Van Tuyl bowed ceremoniously.
" And our engagement, madame what be-
comes of that? "
" Our leetle engagement is is 'ow you
say?"
" Postponed," suggested Van Tuyl.
" Een-definite-lee," replied Rita, as she snapped
her fan with an air of finality.
Van Tuyl bowed. She moved toward the
stairs.
There was a murmur from below.
TOM ARMSTRONG GIVES ADVICE 171
Tom, who had never taken his eyes from her,
now stepped forward as he saw her leaving.
" Wait," he exclaimed, " I'm awfully sorry, but
I I don't know your name ! "
"Oh, of course; I 'ave forgot; so stupeed.
Vill you tell 'm, Meestair Van Tuyl? "
She turned at the head of the stairs and gave
each man a sweeping bow. At sight of her the
crowd at the foot of the staircase began to ap-
plaud La Cavallini. As she stood there poised
like some beautiful humming-bird again her hand-
kerchief fluttered to the floor. Tom, springing
forward, picked it up. But before he could hand
it to her she had vanished. He stood gazing at
it blankly. The monogram, " M. C." in one cor-
ner of it, had caught his eye. Tom turned dumbly
toward Van Tuyl.
" Do you mean to say you really didn't know
who she was? " said Van Tuyl gently as he saw
Tom's amazed look.
Tom shook his head.
" No. I hadn't the least idea." He paused
and leaned eagerly across the balustrade. From
below rose a woman's voice:
172 ROMANCE
" Non conosci il bel suol
Che di porpora ha ha il ciel?
II bel suol i de' re
Son piu tersi i color!
Ove 1'aura e piu dolce
Piu lieve 1'angel * * * "
Tom stood leaning over the balustrade en-
tranced, transfixed.
Van Tuyl gazed at him sadly. A world of re-
morse lay in the older man's eyes.
CHAPTER III
With a smile on her lips and a tear in her eye.
Sir Walter Sc6tt f " Marmion."
'Tis well to be merry and wise,
'Tis well to be honest and true,
'Tis well to be off with the old love
Before you are on with the new.
C. R. Maturin.
The fat is in the fire/
Heywotd.
" O my prophetic soul! my uncle! "
Shakespeare.
SUSAN PROVES TO BE A BRICK, AND A STOIC
AT THE SAME TIME SHE ALSO TURNS
SONGSTRESS, BY REQUEST
LA CAVALLINI sang three times. Each song
created a greater furor than its predecessor. Her
final bow was the signal for a tumult of applause
during the course of which the Rev. Thomas Arm-
strong very craftily made his escape. Tom paused
not on the order of his going either to say
a perfunctory " Good night " to Susan or a word
173
174 ROMANCE
of farewell to his host. That was one of the
most human things about Tom Armstrong
when he was excited or hurt or had had his pride
stepped on he invariably dropped his good man-
ners and thought only of himself; after all it's
a failing common to man !
While La Cavallini was singing he stood at the
head of the staircase, holding hard to the balus-
trade, entranced completely. He was not even
capable of summoning up his grievances against
her while she sang. But when at length the
" Golden Nightingale " paused for breath, Tom
came to earth with a sudden thud. He turned
quickly to see if Van Tuyl was still beside him;
but that courtly gentleman had long since vanished
to fulfill his duties as host.
Tom snatched up his cloak and hat, hurried
down the staircase and went out through the
private door. He walked the streets for miles
and miles that night before he finally reached the
door of his rectory. And while he walked and
thrashed the whole matter out with himself and
cursed the woman as far as a clergyman can !
for her impudence and her effrontery, there was
SUSAN TURNS SONGSTRESS 175
always before him, like some gleaming star, the
knowledge that he was to drive with her at four
o'clock to-morrow ! So, eventually, Tom went to
bed and slept like a plow boy.
La Cavallini meantime had become thoroughly
bored. She lost no time in assuring Van Tuyl
that she was tired to death and desired to go
home at once.
Van Tuyl escorted her to her carriage. She
refused to allow him to accompany her and when
he held his hand out to bid her good night she
greeted him with one cold little finger.
The night was wearing on, the ballroom was
already half deserted, even the " Boston dip "
and the two orchestras were beginning to lose their
charm. The supper rooms were still crowded, so
passing quickly through them, leaving Susan to
act the role of hostess, Van Tuyl slipped quietly
upstairs to the library, where he knew by this
hour he would find his own little coterie. For
them, and for him, it was still " the shank of the
evening." At a small card table Lester Wallack
and Miss Heron were playing a game of bezique.
Surrounding them like a halo in evening dress
176 ROMANCE
were half a score of men and women. Mr.
Winter was there, Mrs. Scott Siddons, Ole Bull;
close by Miss Heron's chair, watching her as she
played her cards, stood a slim young girl with
beautiful red hair. This was Agnes Ethel. Be-
side her chatting eagerly stood Augustin Daly.
Everybody seemed to be talking at once. One thin
man in particular, who had very small, snappy
eyes and very large diamond shirt studs, was talk-
ing a very great deal.
"Who is that?" half whispered Agnes Ethel,
leaning over Miss Heron's chair.
" My dear," said the actress behind her cards,
" look out for him. That's Allston Brown. If
you meet him assure him that you're only just fif-
teen, because, my dear, although in all other ways
a perfectly charming man, he's a devil for dates.
He's the bete noir of every editor in the city.
Ask Charlie Dana or Horace Greeley they
know ! He makes their lives a burden ; he would
rather write letters of protest and correction to the
newspapers than eat. And he has a very good ap-
petite, too! He can tell you the precise hour
when Queen Cleopatra swallowed her first pearl
SUSAN TURNS SONGSTRESS 177
and the exact moment when the Sphinx cut its first
eyetooth. And the worst of it is he's usually
right, or at least not a living soul of us has the
courage to contradict him. But never mind, as
I often tell him, one of these days he'll be an
historian and then if we're still alive ! we can
all get on our hind legs and call him liar! "
She laid her cards down and raised her voice
just a little.
" Allston, old man ! " she exclaimed. " Just a
moment! I want you to meet my young pupil,
Miss Agnes Ethel. You're coming to our matinee
of ' Camille ' on Saturday, of course? I'm rely-
ing on you and Mr. Winter to see us through,"
and smilingly she shook her head significantly in
the direction of the dramatic critic.
As Mr. Brown, full of ceremony, advanced to
greet Miss Ethel, Daly turned to Miss Heron.
" A charming girl, Matilda. Where on earth
did you find her? Do you know I think I'll give
her a chance. She'd make an adorable little West-
ern girl for my new play * Horizon.' '
" Her red hair will carry her through, my
dear boy!" said Miss Heron, " to say nothing
178 ROMANCE
of her beauty. Technically of course, she knows
nothing, so don't be too hard on her on Saturday.
But she has grace and charm, and best of all
as you and I know, now that we're getting fat
she's got youth. After all that's the main thing
youth!"
" I was never thinner in my life, my dear Ma-
tilda," laughed the young manager. " But why
on earth don't you go in for banting, or if that's
too strenuous, why not take up the Boston dip?
They tell me Mrs. Landor has lost pounds and
pounds by it. They say she dances every morn-
ing for hours. It's simply killing the theaters,
this infernal new dance. You can't drive the
young people to see a play any more. This dip's
become a mania. Why, at Delmonico's and other
first class restaurants they're giving tea dances in
the afternoon killing the matinees as well as
the night performances, confound them ! "
"And why not?" replied Miss Heron. " It's
a healthy exercise. Dancing keeps lots of young
people out of mischief. Since you advocate it so
strongly, I think I'll take it up myself. But as
to the Boston dip keeping them away from the
SUSAN TURNS SONGSTRESS 179
theaters, that's ridiculous, my dear boy. They'll
go quick enough when there's a play worth seeing;
but now, when only this morning Mr. Winter as-
sured me that my poor dear ' Camille ' is dead
and buried and when even you .must admit, Augus-
tin, that your * Leah ' has long since forsaken her
first youth, what on earth is there worth going to
see?"
"Ah," said Daly with a sigh, "if only I
could find another theme like ' Leah ' ! What a
chance that was! It raised me out of Grub
Street!"
" But you never will, old man," chimed in Wil-
liam Winter. " And I'll tell you why. It's only
once in a lifetime that one finds a theme in which
pity and terror are so marvelously mingled."
" But I say, talking of themes," broke in Lester
Wallack. " Have any of you boys stopped to
notice what an extraordinary run of luck that old
fox Dion Boucicault's having in London? Think
of it ! I was counting them up only this morning.
That lucky devil's got eight big whacking suc-
cesses all running at once."
" Eight ! " echoed several voices incredulously.
i8o ROMANCE
" Yes, eight," continued Wallack, beginning to
count them on his fingers. " And every damn one
of them a hit. There's the * Flying Scud,' * Ar-
rahnapogue,' * Hunted Down,' * After Dark,*
' The Streets of London,' ' Elfie of the Cherry
Tree Inn,' at the Gayety and," he paused to think,
" just at the moment I can't remember the other
two. But they're over there, and they're doing
business, that's the great thing! By Jove! No
wonder the old devil sits up and has the cheek to
say : * I can't understand why anybody should go
to anybody else for a play but me. I can supply
the world.' It's genius, that's what I call it
absolute genius ! "
" Genius ! Fiddlesticks ! " retorted Agnes
Heron. " Unless by genius you mean an infinite
capacity for taking pains, and other persons' plots.
I diagnose his case quite differently. The man's
a linguist. The trouble with you, Augustin, and
all the rest of you c original American dramatists,'
is that you acquired a knowledge of French and
German too late in life. Dion has forestalled you,
that's all. He imbibed all of the tongues of Babel
with his mother's milk."
SUSAN TURNS SONGSTRESS 181
Two young men approached Miss Heron
rather bashfully.
" Pardon me, Miss Heron," stammered one.
" But we've made a bet and we would like you
to be our Portia. My friend wagers me that
Douglas Stuart was your original Armand Du-
val. While I claim and I know I'm right
that your original Arm&nd was Edward
Sothern."
" Gentlemen, you both win," laughed Miss
Heron, as she rose. " Douglas Stuart was Ed
Sothern. But he never had the courage to use
his own name until after his success as Lord Dun-
dreary in ' Our American Cousin,' with Miss
Laura Keene. My vis-a-vis here," and she waved
her hand smilingly toward Mr. Wallack, " was
equally delinquent in that respect. Doubtless,
when you two young gentlemen were children or
mere babies in arms, you frequently had cause
to applaud and appreciate the histrionic endeavors
of John Lester. Well, there's your man ! " and
once more she waved her hand gracefully toward
the actor. " It was not until the recent death of
his father that he presumed to call himself by such
1 82 ROMANCE
an illustrious name as Lester Wallack. As for
me, I never could see the sense of it all. Thank
God, I always stuck to my own. Heron's a good
old name and I'm proud of it."
An old white haired gentleman who had just
entered, approached young Winter, who by all
manner of means was the handsomest man in the
room:
" My dear sir," he said, " though I've never had
the pleasure of meeting you, I wish to thank you
for that splendid article of yours in this morn-
ing's Tribune."
II Heavens ! " exclaimed Miss Heron in a whis-
per to Daly. " The old gentleman's going to
thank him for damning my poor * Camille ' ! "
II 1 referred, of course, to your article on the
* speculator nuisance,' " continued the old gentle-
man. " Four times in the past fortnight dur-
ing the absence of my wife and daughters in the
country I have endeavored to witness a perform-
ance of Miss Lydia Thompson at Wood's Mu-
seum, and each time, unable to secure seats at
the box office, I've been assailed by hordes of
minions on the steps of the theater thrusting pack-
SUSAN TURNS' SONGSTRESS 183
ages of tickets in my face, which they endeavored
to make me purchase at advanced prices. But
much as I admire the theater in all its branches
and burlesque in particular, I'm a free born citizen
and I will not be imposed upon. If what you say
in your article is true, that hereafter these sharpers
will not be permitted within forty feet of the
theater, I shall endeavor to secure seats for to-
morrow night's performance, as my wife does not
return until Saturday. I thank you, sir, for your
efforts on the public's behalf."
"Good Lord!" cried Miss Heron. "You
don't mean to tell me they're reviving that old
gag again ! It's as old as Adam's wet nurse.
Why, thirteen years ago, when I first played ' Ca-
mille,' we used to make that announcement, as reg-
ular as clockwork every week. It's as ancient as
the old excuse for bad theatrical business de-
claring there are too many theaters in town. I
read an editorial on that the other day which
amused me immensely. After all, including the
two circuses, we've only got twenty, and you must
remember how the town is growing."
"That's true enough," said Van Tuyl. "It
1 84 ROMANCE
simply goes to show how history repeats itself.
Why, only the other day Charlie Dana took me
down to Horace Greeley's office. We were look-
ing over some old newspaper files there. The
first one I opened was a copy of the old Mirror, a
paper long since dead and gone. Its date was
1826, and what do you suppose the leading edi-
torial of the day was headed? ' Our Superfluity
of Theaters.' Just for fun Charlie and I looked
up the advertisements and counted 'em. They
had four!"
A deep voice broke into the conversation.
" The whole trouble with the theatrical situation
is that there are too many of these infernal drama-
tized novels; what with old Lady Southworth's
1 Hidden Hand ' and Miss Braddon's ' Lady Aud-
ley's Secret ' and all these damnable mushy, sen-
timental Dickens' pot boilers, the American stage
is going to the dogs."
The speaker, an extremely powerful and formi-
dable looking young man, McKee Rankin by
name, was just then luxuriating in his first New
York success as the hero of the Boucicault melo-
drama " After Dark " at Niblo's.
SUSAN TURNS SONGSTRESS 185]
" I've just left Miss Thompson," exclaimed a
young newspaper man, Bronson Howard by name,
who many years later was to turn playwright him-
self. " Good Lord ! What a jolly woman she
is! But just at present she's furious threatens
to return to England and all sorts of things. And
one can't blame her. What do you suppose that
fool manager of Wood's Museum has done?
Not content with the crowds she's drawing in
* Ixlon,' he wants to make a little extra money, so
he's going to install a wild animal show down in
the basement. Miss Thompson," continued the
young man proudly, " showed me the note she's
sending. It wasn't a note at all, really; it was an
ultimatum. She ended by saying, c I haven't the
least objection to elevating the American stage
as high as you please, but, my dear sir, I assure
you I haven't the least intention of permitting
either myself or my company to perform over a
Yankee Augean stable.' Oh! And by the way,
have you heard the latest one on P. T. Barnum?
He's building a grand mansion in the country,
you know; or rather his wife is. He gave her
carte blanche and told her to spend as much as
1 86 ROMANCE
she liked. So, among other things she engaged a
foreign painter to come over here and decorate
the three bathrooms. He painted the ceilings of
these rooms exquisitely in little naked Cupids.
The day the house was finished P. T. drove up
to inspect it. It was his first glimpse of it, you
see. The moment he saw the Cupids he sent
for the town sign painter and three pots of paints.
When poor Mrs. Barnum came in from her drive
she found every mother's son of her blessed little
Cupids enveloped in an impromptu pair of panta-
lettes. Some of them were yellow, some green,
the others blue. The poor lady nearly swooned
of course, but Barnum's excuse was extremely
characteristic. * After running the greatest moral
shows on earth for all these years,' he said, * I'll
be damned if I'll let my reputation be jeopardized
by a lot of babies without any clothes on.' "
Presently when Miss Heron and Miss Ethel
rose to go, young Daly came forward and asked
if he might see them to their carriage. As the
actress was preceding them downstairs little Miss
Ethel turned to the manager and said timidly:
" Mr. Daly, it seems almost too good to be
SUSAN TURNS SONGSTRESS 187
true that you're going to give me this great op-
portunity in * Horizon.' But there's one thing
I want to ask you now before we go any further.
Miss Heron mustn't hear this because she doesn't
agree with me on this subject at all," the girl ex-
plained hurriedly. " It's this. Of course, if I'm
playing a simple Western girl, I'm only too willing
to wear calico or print or any cheap little dress;
but if I should succeed and later on you should
cast me for a princess or a grand dame or even
for the role of any ordinary rich American I'm
perfectly willing to buy my own dresses, but won't
you please let me wear real silk or real satin or
real brocade? Because, really of course, I'm
simply a novice. I don't know anything about it
'from a professional point of view but just as a
young girl constantly going to the theater it
does seem to me " and here she almost whis-
pered " that on the stage all the greatest act-
resses wear the most shocking clothes."
Augustin Daly had a singularly beautiful smile.
For the first time that evening his whole face was
alight with it as, leaning toward little Miss Ethel,
he said:
i88 ROMANCE
" My dear child, let me tell you a secret. I,
too, have my dream of the theater a dream I've
never mentioned to a living soul until now.
You're quite right about the actresses' clothes
they're beyond words ! Nothing but make believe
rags and fustian ! But this is my dream, my dear.
Twant to have a stock company a company ab-
solutely and utterly within my own control. And
when I've got that I want to put on a play with
real rooms in it not these rotten canvas con-
traptions which we've been suffering from for
years, but rooms with real doors, my dear real
doors!"
" What's that you're saying about real doors? "
exclaimed Miss Heron turning round.
They were at the curb now and young Daly was
assisting the two women into their cab.
" For once you've hit the nail on the head, my
dear boy. In real life there is nothing half so
blasphemous as a real door when it's properly
slammed. An artist can express in that one slam
a whole volume of expletives which no dictionary
would dare print. In emotional drama particu-
larly, a real door could be made a crescendo. So
SUSAN TURNS SONGSTRESS 189
by all means, Augustin, when you bring this little
girl out let us have real doors."
She held her hand out and said " Good night "
to him with one of her rare and wonderful smiles.
" God bless you, old man, and your real doors
and good luck to our ' Horizon.' '
" Good night." Young Daly waved his hand
gallantly toward the girl, who less than two years
later was to create the roles of Frou Frou and
Agnes under his management. " Remember,
Miss Ethel, you're the charter member of the Au-
gustin Daly Company; you shall have all the real
frocks and furbelows you want while I will startle
the dear public with my real doors."
So with Matilda Heron as witness that famous
company was organized which was to give to the
public in due turn its Clara Morris, its Fanny
Davenport and its Ada Rehan.
The last man to leave the Van Tuyl house that
night was young Tangier Floyd- Jones, the youth
who had caught La Cavallini's camelia and while
waiting for her to redeem her promise had fallen
asleep in one of the anterooms, with the flower
still in his buttonhole.
190 ROMANCE
u Party's over, thank the Lord ! " exclaimed
Van Tuyl to Susan, as he closed the front door
behind his final guest and cast his eyes gloomily
about his deserted rooms. Susan thought to her-
self that she had never seen her uncle look so old.
" Don't go to bed just for a moment, dear," he
said. " Let's get a whiff of fresh air."
He walked to one of the long drawing-room
windows, and raising it, stood drinking in the
early morning air. Susan sat down at the piano
and half unconsciously began to strum. Van Tuyl
sank wearily into an arm chair.
" That's right, my dear. Play me something.
Or, better yet, sing."
" Sing! Me sing! At this hour and after La
Cavallini why, uncle, it would seem like a
sacrilege."
" Don't you believe it, my dear," he answered,
with a wry smile. " One tires of grand opera
arias very quickly. I've got a headache and my
nerves are all on edge. Your voice will soothe
my fevered brow, my child," he went on, trying
to be jocular. " What's that song Tom makes
SUSAN TURNS SONGSTRESS 191
you sing for him on Sunday afternoons sing
that."
" Do you mean * Christian ' ? " said Susan,
rather astonished at his request, for she knew that
as a rule he detested hymns.
" Yes, that's the one I mean ! "
So Susan turned to the piano again and sang:
" Christian, dost thou see them
On the Holy Ground?
How the troops of Midian
Prowl and prowl around ? "
"The troops of Midian! " repeated Van Tuyl
to himself. " I never appreciated that phrase be-
fore," and he smiled grimly. " Don't stop, my
dear," he exclaimed, as Susan paused at the end
of the stanza. " What's the next verse about?
You know there's something very soothing about
that soft sweet voice of yours to a tired old man."
Susan began to sing again:
"Well I know thy trouble,
my servant true.
Thou wast very weary,
1 was weary too.
i 9 2 ROMANCE
But this toil shall make thee
Some day all my own
And the end of sorrow
Shall be near My Throne! "
" Not so effective as the first verse, is it, Su-
san?" he said when she had finished. "Sounds
rather too much like a promissory note, don't you
think?" Then changing his tone, he asked
gently: "What about Tom, my dear? Was
I right? Hadn't he something to say to
you?"
Susan laughed merrily. " Tom ! Why, we
hadn't a moment to ourselves. How could he?
Besides, as I warned you, I don't believe he had
anything to say."
" Listen, dear," said Van Tuyl, and he took the
girl's hand and patted it fondly. " You mustn't
worry about the boy just because he threw a few
sheep's eyes at a pretty woman to-night."
" Worry! Why, you silly old darling, what
on earth should I worry about? It's the best
thing in the world for Tom, Uncle. An infatua-
tion like this will do him a world of good. It
will make a human being of him. No," continued
SUSAN TURNS SONGSTRESS 193
Susan, laughingly, " it's not Tom I'm worrying
about, it's Mme. Cavallini."
" Why do you say that? "
" For this reason, Uncle. Because I like her
for one thing, and then because I have a woman's
intuition and I'm afraid Tom's going to break her
heart"
" Never mind about them, it's of you I'm think-
ing." Van Tuyl went on hurriedly. " Why, Su-
san, dear, if I thought that my bringing her here
to-night was going to bring down any unhappi-
ness on you "
" Don't think anything of the kind, dear," said
Susan, as she kissed him good night. " It can
only last for a few weeks. You know she sails
on January first. And in the meantime I'm going
to assist Madame Cavallini in every way I can
to give Tom a liberal education." She seized
him by the lapels of his coat and shook him play-
fully. " Now don't worry any more about me,
dear. Just you go to bed."
" Good Lord ! " said Van Tuyl, as the door of
the bedroom closed behind him. " What an aw-
ful mess I've made of it all ! "
How sad and bad and mad it was
But then, how it was sweet!
Robert Browning.
THE OLD YEAR GOES OUT IN A FLURRY OF
SNOW AND OTHER THINGS
THE last day of '68 was slowly merging into New
Year's Eve, as Susan suddenly blew into the
library of St. Giles's rectory, much to the astonish-
ment of Miss Elizabeth Armstrong, Tom's maiden
aunt.
" Why, Susan, my dear! This is a pleasure! "
exclaimed the old lady, pausing in her task of ar-
ranging a huge bouquet of roses which had just
arrived for her by special messenger.
" I've just dropped in for a moment to wish
you a Happy New Year, Miss Armstrong," said
Susan, shaking the snowflakes from her muff and
stole.
194
THE OLD YEAR GOES OUT 195
"But aren't you a little premature?" smiled
Miss Armstrong. " It's only New Year's Eve,
my dear. What nice, cold cheeks you have, Su-
san ! " she said as she returned her kiss.
" I ought to ! " laughed Susan. " I've been
walking for miles and miles. It's one of those
glorious days, you know, which just makes you
thankful for being alive. Tom asked me to drop
in at four and hear about the final arrangements
for to-night."
" To-night ! " echoed Miss Armstrong with
some apprehension in her tone.
" Yes, you know the midnight New Year
service for the lost and friendless. It's going to
be much more elaborate than usual. Tom's hired
a brass band and torches, and the choir boys are
to parade the streets singing hymns for half an
hour before the service just like the old English
waits. He's laid out a much longer route than
usual for them, too. They're to march from St.
Giles's down to Eighth Street, then across to
Washington Square, then up Fifth Avenue."
"Past the Brevoort, I suppose?" said Miss
Armstrong with slight sarcasm. " He certainly
196 ROMANCE
is leading them round Robin Hood's barn!
When did he tell you all this, my dear? "
" Why, yesterday, at the circus," replied Susan
enthusiastically.
" At the circus ! My nephew, the Rev. Thomas
Armstrong, at a circus I What are we coming to ?
This is an innovation ! I sincerely hope, my dear
Susan, that you were not responsible for taking
him there."
" Oh, no," explained Susan gayly. " I was
there with a big party. We'd all gone to see the
new bareback rider, Melville. He's glorious ; and
such a figure. I ran into Tom by chance ; he was
escorting Madame Cavallini."
Susan paused and, watching Miss Armstrong
narrowly, she began to hum.
" ' We met; 'twas in a crowd. And I thought
he would shun me.' But he didn't at all. On the
contrary, Madame Cavallini asked us all down to
the Brevoort to tea. I don't know when I've
had so much fun. She's perfectly charming, Miss
Armstrong. You know she sang at the Girls'
Friendly the other night, and all the girls are
simply mad about her. And she's got the sweetest
THE OLD YEAR GOES OUT 197
little monkey, Adelina you'd love Adelina!
And she's sent me a box for her farewell perform-
ance at the Academy to-night. Wasn't that sweet
of her? But, by the way, where is Tom, Miss
Armstrong? Is he upstairs?"
" No, he hasn't come in yet," said Miss Arm-
strong nervously. " He went out immediately
after luncheon er to pay a call."
" At the Brevoort House? " smiled Susan mean-
ingly.
" I don't know, my dear. Thomas never con-
fides in me nowadays," said Miss Armstrong, still
flustered. " But I'm sure he'll be here if you wait
a few moments. He has a Deaconesses' meeting
at a quarter of five and I know he never would
miss that."
"Wouldn't he? Well, we'll see," laughed Su-
san; then noticing the flowers which Miss Arm-
strong was arranging in a bowl, " Oh, what lovely
roses ! "
;< They're mine," beamed Miss Armstrong
proudly. " They came just a moment ago, with-
out any card, too. I can't imagine who can have
sent them."
198 ROMANCE
"Ha, ha!" said Susan chaffingly. "An
anonymous admirer "
" My dear, how foolish ! " Miss Armstrong
blushed and looked embarrassed but exceedingly
pleased. " It is rather strange, though, I must
admit. It's the first time in years that anyone has
sent me flowers."
On the desk where she had evidently just ad-
dressed and stamped it lay an envelope directed
to " Horace Greeley, Esq., the Tribune, New
York City." Of course it was very bad manners
on Susan's part, but as her eyes fell on the en-
velope she could not resist exclaiming slyly:
" But surely, Miss Armstrong, you don't sus-
pect Mr. Greeley. Of course I knew you were
very old friends."
" Certainly not ! " said Miss Armstrong, snatch-
ing up the letter. " Even if he had been the mys-
terious donor, I don't think Mr. Greeley will ever
send me flowers again after he receives this note.
I have just written to order him to cancel my
subscription to the Tribune. If I have anything
to say about it that newspaper will never darken
these doors again."
THE OLD YEAR GOES OUT 199
"Why, what's the poor old Tribune done?"
asked Susan, exceedingly interested.
" It's a matter I shouldn't talk to you about,
Susan a matter which has upset me terribly.
I wouldn't speak to you of it for worlds, my dear,
only you look so gay and radiant to-day, I feel
sure now that my fears with regard to you were
quite unnecessary. So I don't mind telling you
after all. Not half an hour ago, Susan, a young
reporter from that impertinent paper stood in this
ve'ry room and what do you suppose he asked
me, my dear? Me, Thomas Armstrong's only
aunt!"
Miss Armstrong could no longer conceal her
agitation. Her lips were quivering, her cheeks
were red with indignation. Susan was leaning for-
ward expectantly. Miss Armstrong, in order to
gain control of herself, began to walk up and
down.
" He asked me if it was true that before that
Italian woman sails for Europe to-morrow morn-
ing, my nephew, Thomas Armstrong, intended to
announce his engagement to the creature."
" But, Miss Armstrong, you can't blame the
200 ROMANCE
poor man for asking you that," said Susan gayly.
11 And surely you can't blame the Tribune for try-
ing to get the news. Why, as far as that goes,
everybody's been asking me the same question for
a fortnight at least."
"What presumption! What effrontery!" ex-
claimed Miss Armstrong.
Then turning questioner for the moment, she
asked :
" What did you say to them all, my dear? "
" I didn't say anything not a word ! I
merely smiled; a smile's as good as an alibi, you
know, if a woman only knows how to deliver it.
And," added Susan with rather a boastful air,
" I do flatter myself, Miss Armstrong, that I know
something about smiles. I could have talked my
head off to all my questioners, and not one of
them would ever have believed me, but when I
smiled in that superior ' inside-information ' sort
of way I squelched the story once and for all.
For, believe me, Miss Armstrong, there's not the
slightest cause for either you or me to worry.
Rita Cavallini is not going to marry Tom Arm-
strong. She isn't such a fool."
THE OLD YEAR GOES OUT 201
"But what about Thomas, my dear? Of
course I'd never breathe this subject to anyone
but you, Susan, but certainly that woman has de-
moralized him. She's taken him to the theaters;
she's persuaded him to drag her to his Girls'
Friendlys, and now you tell me yourself that she
dragged him to a circus."
" And what of it? " interrupted Susan.
" Hasn't it done them both a lot of good? * That
Woman,' as you call Madame Cavallini, has done
more for Tom and taught him more of the things
he's got to know than you and I, Miss Arm-
strong, and all his deaconesses could have done in
a lifetime. If ever I consent to marry Tom I
shall never rest until I've had him made a bishop,
and in order to become an effective and efficient
bishop one must at some time in one's life have
been for a few weeks at least a man of the world.
So please don't worry, dear Miss Armstrong.
Tom's merely going through a chrysalis state.
He has an obsession and it's going to do him a
great deal of good. Obsessions, you know,"
concluded Susan sagely, " never last very
long."
202 ROMANCE
There was a ring at the doorbell, and the man-
servant announced " Mr. Van Tuyl."
" Ah, here's uncle," cried Susan cheerily. " He
promised to call for me and drive me home."
" How d'ye do, Miss Armstrong ! Real New
Year's weather, eh ! " he exclaimed as he took off
his fur coat and driving gloves. " Well, Susan 1
I thought I'd find you and Tom here waving your
arms and singing hymns and generally getting up
steam for to-night's procession."
" Tom's out," smiled Susan. " I'm going to
leave you here for a little chat with Miss Arm-
strong. Ralph will drive me home."
" Good idea, my dear! You know I never like
to keep my horses standing." Van Tuyl walked
to the window and gazed proudly down into the
street. " Have you seen my new team, Miss
Armstrong? Prettiest sight in New York!
Look at that off mare there! Isn't she a little
witch? The highest stepper on the avenue and a
mouth like a French kid glove ! "
" She certainly looks very wild indeed," said
Miss Armstrong as she cast a brief and thoroughly
uninterested glance out of the window. " Good-
THE OLD YEAR GOES OUT 203
by, my dear," she added as she kissed Susan.
" Tell Ralph to be very careful of you, I always
have such a terror of high steppers of every kind."
" Good-by, dear Miss Armstrong," said Susan;
then added in a lower voice, " and please don't
worry, I'm a weather prophet, you know; and
though it's rather a stormy New Year's eve, I feel
in my bones that we're all going to have a lovely
Easter."
The moment the door closed behind Susan Miss
Armstrong burst into tears.
" Oh, Mr. Van Tuyl, I I am in great in
very great distress ! "
"My dear lady, what's the trouble?" asked
Van Tuyl in his tenderest way.
" I'm really ashamed to act like this but
it's been so hard carrying it all on my mind all
alone"
"There! There! Elizabeth," said Van
Tuyl soothingly. " Count on me."
' You're Tom's oldest friend and his father's
and mother's before him and you're his leading
parishioner, too and the chairman of the ves-
try"
204 ROMANCE
" I know I know ! " interrupted Van Tuyl
comfortingly. " And a very disreputable vestry-
man at that."
" Oh, save him, Mr. Van Tuyl I " cried Miss
Armstrong, breaking down completely. " Save
him from this dreadful woman."
" I've done my best," said Van Tuyl. " He
came to me on Saturday about the new gymnasium.
I talked to him as I would have done to my own
son."
"What did he say?" exclaimed Miss Arm-
strong, drying her eyes quickly.
" He was very sweet, but somehow he wasn't
there the real Tom, I mean. It was only the
outside shell of him that I was speaking to."
"I know what you mean! I've seen it! No
matter whether he's here or in the pulpit or at his
mission, he's with her ! "
" Oh, come, come, Miss Armstrong; you mustn't
be alarmed," Van Tuyl went on reassuringly.
" She sails to-morrow morning, remember we've
less than a day to get through. Hello ! What's
this " with a sudden change of tone as he glanced
out of the window.
THE OLD YEAR GOES OUT 205
"What's the matter?" exclaimed Miss Arm-
strong apprehensively.
" Why, her carriage and, by Jove ! It's she.
She's stopping at your door! "
" Not Madame Cavallini ! " cried the old lady
in amozed horror.
" She's evidently going to pay a call," said Van
Tuyl coolly.
Miss Armstrong was on her feet in an instant;
in another she was pulling at the bell rope.
" What are you going to do? " he asked.
" Tell Roger to tell her I'm not at home," she
said decisively.
" Don't do that, my dear," he cautioned kindly.
" Let her come in. Perhaps I could say a word
or two "
" You'll make her promise not to write to him,"
she cried earnestly.
" I'll do my best," said Van Tuyl.
" There ought to be a law against such
women ! " Miss Armstrong went on vehemently.
" Why, I'd sooner have a hungry tigress walk into
this room than "
" Madame Cavallini," announced the servant.
2o6 ROMANCE
" My dear mees, 'ow you do, I cum in for vone
meenute just to say gooda-by "
She was dressed in a wonderful black velvet
and ermine coat. In her arms, as if it were a
baby, she carried a great ermine muff. From one
end of the muff peeped a little monkey's head,
adorned with a tiny pink satin turban with a long
aigrette.
"Oh what's that?" Seeing the monkey
Miss Armstrong drew back with a startled cry.
" Vhat? " exclaimed Rita, noting her look.
" An' I breeng my leetle bab-ee to show you. I
call 'er bab-ee because I am so lone-lee
you too 'ave no bab-ee, so you on'erstan' ye-es? "
Seeing Van Tuyl, her tone changed.
"Oh! 'Ow you do, Meestaire Van Tuyl?"
They shook hands.
" How do you do? It seems a long time since
we've met," said he.
" De night I sing at you-r so bee-eau-ti-ful
soiree ! To me, also, it seem a long, long time."
" And Adelina - " Van Tuyl held out a finger
to the monkey.
"Comment ?a va, mademoiselle hein?"
THE OLD YEAR GOES OUT 207
" Adelina? " exclaimed Miss Armstrong, shrink-
ing still further into her skin.
" Ye-es; dat's her name because she look so
much like Patti in * La Traviata.' I t'ink she 'ave
forgot you, sir," she said to Van Tuyl.
" Ah I You ladies can forget so quickly."
" Ye-es? Sometime I vish you men for-rget
a leetle too ! " Rita took the monkey out from
the muff and began to chatter Italian to it.
" Why, it's all dressed up ! " cried Miss Arm-
strong.
" But sure-lee she is dr-ress ! " echoed Rita.
"Do you vant she go 'ow you say? na-ked?
Dat vould be ah ! Shock-eeng ! "
" The horrid little animal ! " said Miss Arm-
strong.
"Tschk! Tschk!" cried Rita, warningly.
" You 'ur-r-rt 'er feelings ! Ecco ! See 1 She
begin to cr-r-y! Bellaza mia! Tu un' faresti
male a nessuno ! " she soothed the monkey, taking
her. " I t'ink she is like me, Meestaire Van
Tuyl," she continued, with a reproachful glance
toward Miss Armstrong. " She is not 'app-ee
when de peoples do not lo-ove 'er 1 " She slipped
208 ROMANCE
the monkey into the muff again. " Ti amo
bambinello mio si ti amo ! "
"Ugh! " cried Miss Armstrong, watching her.
Rita placed Adelina and her muff in a big chair
by the fire.
" I put 'er 'ere an' she will take vone leetle
nap. Dormi, bebina cara di mamma I " Rising
and turning quickly to Miss Armstrong, she ex-
claimed: "Santi! I 'ave for-get! I 'ave a
somet'ing to tell you fr-r-om Meestaire Tom ! "
" You've seen him? "
" But ye-es 'e dr-r-rive wid me," said Rita,
innocently. " I leave 'im at de oh, vhat you
say? de con-firm-a-tion class "
" Isn't he coming home? "
" Ye-es jost a leetle vhile, 'e say." The lit-
tle singer held out her hand to Miss Armstrong.
" So I come fir-r-rs' to make my r-r-respec' to you,
dear mees, an 1 say gooda-by."
Miss Armstrong, paying no attention to the
outstretched hand, turned to Van Tuyl. " When
Madame Cavallini goes, I hope you'll step up to
my sitting-room and have a cup of tea ? "
He bowed.
THE OLD YEAR GOES OUT 209
La Cavallini's eyes fell on the flowers.
" A-ah ! De r-r-oses dey ar-rive all r-r-
right ? You like dem ye-es ? I 'ave chose each
vone myself! " She smiled winningly at Miss
Armstrong.
" You sent me those? " said Miss Armstrong in
amazement.
" Jost a leetle sur-r-prise," she answered wist-
fully, " to r-r-remembair me two-t'ree days aftair
I 'ave gone so far! "
For a moment Miss Armstrong was speech-
less. Then :
" Thank you ! " She picked up the bowl of
roses from the desk and held them at arm's length
as she left the room. " Mr. Van Tuyl will put
you in your carriage whenever you're ready.
Good-by, Madame. I wish you a pleasant voy-
age!"
" Vhat for-r she go avay so queeck?" asked
Rita in wonderment at her repulse.
" I asked her to. Come here ! " said Van
Tuyl.
She looked at him and smiled.
" You little monkey, you 1 " and he smiled too.
2io ROMANCE
" Now pretend for five minutes I'm your father
confessor I "
"You vant to sco-old me ye-es?"
Van Tuyl took her gently by the shoulders.
" Well, that depends. Has Tom asked you to
marry him ? "
" No."
"And if he did?"
Rita turned her head away and spoke with sulky
defiance.
" I vould not marr-ee Mm an Amer'can cler-
gee-man 'e vould vant I stop sing-ing an' be
so fr-r-rightful goo-ood an' live 'ere in dis 'orri-
ble New Yor-r-rk mos' col' diz-a-gree-a-ble
place I evair see! Adelina, in two, t'ree mont's
she die ye-es ! And 'e vould not let me go to
Paris vhen I need de dress an' I vould be all
bor-red an' seed- Mebbe I die too an' den
every vone is gla-ad ! " She dried her eyes
resolutely with her handkerchief. " Oh, no, my
frien', I vould not marr-ee 'im. No no dat
vould be vone beeg meestake ! "
" Then why do you lead the poor boy on? "
"Lead'im?"
THE OLD YEAR GOES OUT 211
" He's not like the young gentlemen you're ac-
customed to have circling round you remember
that, my dear! He's not a Baron Vigier or a
Capt. Ponsonby "
" But no, my f rien* but no I "
" Well, isn't that the way you're treating
him?" interrupted Van Tuyl. "Aren't you
amusing yourself just a little bit at his ex-
pense?"
" No you do not on'erstan* ah 1 It is so
'ar-r-rd to say ! Now leesten 1 " She spoke very
seriously. " 'Ow long I know 'im ? Two
mont's? Ver' veil. In all dat time 'e 'as not
spik to me a vor-r-rd of lo-ove no, not vone
leetle vor-r-rd ! "
" What! " said Van Tuyl, amazed.
" At fir-r-rst I try to make 'im oh, you
know f or-r fun 1 An 1 den ome'ow I am
so sorr-ee for-r 'im an' I don' tr-r-y any
mor-re ! "
f She sat down on a hassock at his feet and leaned
against his knees. Van Tuyl put his hand on her
shoulder.
" My poor little Rita ! " he said, tenderly.
212 ROMANCE
" Don't you know there's nothing in all this, dear,
for you? "
" Oh, yes! " with a sigh. " I've so often say,
* Seelly voman, do not see 'im vhen 'e come to-
day. Jost tell de gentleman down-stair-r-r you
vant to sleep an' no-bod-ee shall vake you up ! * "
"Well, why didn't you?"
"I say no-bod-ee like dat! No-bod-ee in
the vor-r-rld," she added shamefacedly, " ex-cep'
jost Meestaire Tom! O Dio, come e dura la
vita I " she sighed.
" So that's the way it went ! " said Van Tuyl.
She glanced up at him, inquisitively.
" I t'ink you smile a leetle yes? "
" No, I'm not smiling, dear," said Van Tuyl,
kindly.
There was a short pause. La Cavallini gave
a sigh.
" Ah, my frien', I am vone gr-r-reat beeg fool
I who 'ave believe I vas so vise ! " She
smiled at him and shook her head.
" Never mind, my dear," said Van Tuyl.
" You're leaving us to-morrow."
Rita glanced up quickly.
THE OLD YEAR GOES OUT 213
" You t'ink 'e vill f or-r-get me ye-es ? "
" I'm sure you hope he will."
Rita looked away.
" I t'ink I vill not for-get 'im or if I do
it take a long, long time ! "
" Ssh ! Nonsense ! Now think of all that's
waiting for you over there ! Rome and the
spring in Florence and Como, with the snow
still on the mountains and Paris too why,
you'll see the first acacias on the Boulevard St.
Germain you'll smell the lilacs when you're
driving in the Bois and Gounod will be there
and your dear old friend Rossini ! Think of
the dinners at the Maison Doree and the violets
in the forest of Compiegne! Think of the sup-
pers Cora Pearl will give ! Why, don't you know
what fun you're going to have? "
Rita shook her head despondently.
" Oh, dere is on-lee vone t'ing dat I know! "
"What's that?"
" I lo-ove 'im ! " she cried, passionately. " I
lo-ove 'im I "
" You're going to make him suffer a great
deal," said Van Tuyl, warningly.
214 ROMANCE
Rita unpinned a bunch of white violets from
her wrap.
" Vhen 'e ask for-r me jost give him dese
an* say it is adieu." She kissed the vio-
lets and held them to her face in a sort of pro-
longed caress.
The door opened suddenly. Tom burst in.
" Well, did you think I was never " His
face flushed as he saw Van Tuyl. " Oh, is that
you, sir ? How do you do ? "
They shook hands.
" I'm glad Madame Cavallini hasn't been wait-
ing here alone ! Whew 1 It's cold outside ! " said
Tom, pulling off his gloves. " I'm nearly frozen
and I ran home, too! I'll just put some more
coal on the fire and then we'll all sit down and "
" I think, Tom, Madame Cavallini was just go-
ing," said Van Tuyl.
" Going? " echoed Tom, astonished.
" Ye-es, I mus' sleep a leetle befor-re to-night
my las' per-rfor-r-mance I so vant to give
my bes' "
Rita moved slowly toward the door.
" Oh, come now, you're not going 1 " said Tom,
THE OLD YEAR GOES OUT 215
taking her hand and leading her toward her chair
again.
" Please Meestaire Tom, de per-r-for-r-r-
mance " faltered Rita.
"Oh, that's all right it's Mignon, and you
know it backward ! " Tom said as he drew her to
the fire.
" You see ! " she exclaimed, turning helplessly
to Van Tuyl.
Roger, the man servant, appeared at the door.
" Miss Armstrong's compliments, Mr. Van
Tuyl, and tea is served in the sitting-room up-
stairs."
" We'll come up later ! " said Tom, quickly.
Van Tuyl looked at Rita. Rita turned appeal-
ingly to Van Tuyl.
" In jost vone leetle vhile!" she said, implor-
ing his consent with her eyes.
Van Tuyl shrugged his shoulders and passed
out of the room. As the door closed behind him
Tom gave one great " Ah ! " of satisfaction and
moved instinctively toward Rita's side.
CHAPTER V
" I know that I have but the body of a weak and feeble
woman; but 1 have the heart of a king, and of a King of
England too" Queen Elizabeth.
Perdition catch my soul,
But I do love thee! and when I love thee not,
Chaos is come again.
r Shakespeare.
TOM ARMSTRONG FINDS THAT LITTLE MINUTE
THAT WE CALL TO-DAY
"THERE! Now isn't this fine? I tell you it's
like a dream."
Tom drew a long breath again and gazed at
her triumphantly.
" Vhat dr-r-ream please ? "
" You here is my big armchair in front of
my fire in my study."
" A d-r-r-ream ah, dat is vhat I am ! " said
Rita, wistfully. " A leetle dr-r-ream dat lose 'er
way an' rest vone meenute in your sleep-ing
'ear-r-tl"
216
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 217
" One minute? Always ! "
" Ah, no, my frien' to-morrow you vake up
an' pouf! Dat leetle dr-r-ream she is all
gone!"
She smiled and snapped her fingers.
"Please don't!"
" You 'ave been 'appee den dese las' veeks
- ye-es? " she asked softly.
Tom looked her squarely in the eyes. * You
know I have," he said.
" I 'ave been 'app-ee too ! " she whis-
pered.
" I say, don't go to-morrow, Rita," cried Tom,
impulsively.
" Vhat you say?"
" Stay on till spring," he went on.
" But 'ave I not tell you I mus' sing in R-r-rome
nex' mont' ? An' I go to Venice for de new opera,
' Ai'da,' Verdi 'ave compose "
"Don't go. Oh, please don't go!"
"An' den I mus' see Mapleson in London
an' de R-r-russian concert tour begin in May.
And dere in Petersburg Moussorgsky 'e 'ave com-
pose an opera for me too ' Boris Godunuff,' 'e
2i 8 ROMANCE
call it. And poor Arrigo Boito 'e 'as for me
1 Mephistofele ' "
" I don't care how many operas they've got for
you. I just can't say good-by."
Rita's face became suddenly illumined.
" Den come wid me ! " she cried.
"What?"
" Go queeck an' buy de ticket ! " cried Rita,
becoming practical at once.
" Ticket? " exclaimed Tom.
" Ye-es befor-re dey are all gone I " she
cried, carried away by her own enthusiasm. " An'
to-morrow ve stan' on de boat you an' me an'
Adelina an' ve vave de 'an'kerchief an' trow
de kiss an' laugh. Oh, my Lor-rd, 'ow ve laugh
at all de stup-eed peoples ve leave behin' ! Hein?
Vhat you t'ink of dat?"
" I think it's a wonderful idea," said Tom.
" But I've got a meeting of the board of charities
to-morrow at eleven, Patrick Crowley's funeral
at twelve, and after dinner I offer my annual re-
port to the vestry committee, and in the evening
my boys "
Rita gave a gesture of despair.
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 219
" I 'ave for-r-get," she cried, " you are a clerg-
er-man ! "
" And I forgot you were a golden nightingale."
After a short pause Rita nodded her head re-
flectively.
" I t'ink it is a vary good t'ing I go avay to-
morrow."
Tom looked a picture of gloom.
" But you're coming back next year? "
La Cavallini made an impatient gesture.
"Ah, vy talk about nex' year it is so far
avay."
" In my profession one has to think a great deal
about things that are far away."
" Den you are vary fo-olish yes, you are.
Leesten, I am ol' an' I know de vorl-ld. Do vhat
I tell you now. You mus' r-r-remembair al-
vays "
"Well?"
" Yesterday," she said, tenderly. " It is a
dr-r-ream ve 'ave forget. To-morrow just de
'ope of some gr-r-reat 'appiness some joy dat
nevair come. Before, behin' all clouds an'
star-r-rs an' shadow nodings, nodings dat is
220 ROMANCE
r-r-real, onlee de leetle minute dat we call to-day."
" To-day's so short." Tom's voice was bitter.
Rita smiled at him in a superior sort of way as
though she were his senior by many years.
" Ah, you are young, my frien'. Jus' twenty-
eight, you say. De time will come vhen you are
glad to 'ave leetle meenute so gla-ad you vould
not t'ink to ask for-r mor-r-re."
Tom was beside himself.
" Madame Cavallini Margherita I "
Rita shrank away from him nervously.
"No no!"
A hand organ outside the window began to
grind out " II Bacio."
" Drat that hurdygurdy! " cried Tom.
" I t'ink it come jost in time I " said Rita, with
a sly smile.
Tom goes over to the window and looks out.
Meanwhile, she danced lightly and gayly about
the room whistling and snapping her fingers in
time with the waltz, while Tom gazed angrily out
of the open window.
"Hi!" cried Tom. "Go away."
The waltz continued.
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 221
" Hi you there ! Stop that racket ! Stop
it this minute ! "
The waltz broke off in the middle of a phrase.
" Take that monkey off my gate ! " cried Tom,
spluttering with rage.
At the word monkey, Rita rushed to the win-
dow.
u Mon-kee? Bon giorno, amico!"
And she broke into a wild storm of Italian
phrases while Tom stood bored and disgusted.
She tripped gayly about the room, whistling
and keeping time to the music.
" Hi, there ! " cried Tom at the open window
to the organ grinder in the street. " Take that
monkey off my gate post ! "
"Monkee?" cried Rita, picking up Adelina
from the chain and hastening with her to the win-
dow.
" Bon giorno amico ! " she cried, holding
Adelina aloft for the organ grinder to see. She
and the hurdygurdy man began to exchange com-
pliments. In a moment she had possessed herself
of the most important facts in both his and the
monkey's family history.
222 ROMANCE
" 'Ow funnee ! " she cried, turning to Tom.
" 'Ees name it is Tomasso. You and de mon-
kee 'ave the same name."
" Tell him to go away," ordered Tom, angrily,
as he threw a quarter to the man. " Tell him to
go away at once."
As Rita closed the window, Tom said, coldly,
" You talk to that man as if you had known him
all your life."
"Ah! veil," cried Rita, shrugging her shoul-
ders. " Vy not? Ve hot' maka de music."
Her eyes fell on a daguerreotype lying upon
Tom's desk. "Who is dot young lady?" she
asked.
" That's my mother," said Tom.
"You let me look at 'er ye-es?"
" Of course."
She took up the picture very tenderly and stud-
ied it. Rita's whole face softened.
" Oh! she is bee-eau-ti-full ! "
" That was taken before she was married,"
said Tom, looking at the picture over her shoul-
der. " My father always had it on his dressing
table."
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 223
"I t'ink you look like 'er."
" She died when I was fifteen. It was my first
winter at the boarding school. She'd come up
to see me only two weeks before and brought me
this " picking up a small, worn book from the
desk " my little Testament. I'd expected a
fruit cake you can imagine how I felt. But
now there's nothing else I value quite so
much."
Rita was still studying his picture.
" She look like she 'old somet'ing in 'er 'eart
somet'ing dat make 'er 'app-ee an' dat no
vone know," she whispered. " Per'aps per-
'aps it is de t' ought dat vone day she 'ave a son
like you "
Tom crossed his room and opening a drawer
in the little cabinet began fumbling for something
in a box. While his back was turned to her, Rita
kissed the daguerreotype reverentially and laid it
down.
" For-r-give " she said to the picture as she
laid it on the table.
" There's something here I've been meaning to
show you," he said. " I keep it in this box with
224 ROMANCE
my mother's little souvenirs." He took out a
small package done up carefully in tissue paper.
As he did so, a tiny little shoe m the box brushed
against his hand. He laid it on the table and was
about to read the contents of the package when
Rita picked up the little shoe. There was a card
tied to it with some words written upon it. Rita
began to read it laboriously.
" First shoe worn by my son, Thomas Arm-
strong, June seex, eighteen 'undred an* "
" Oh, yes ! " said Tom, slightly embarrassed.
" That's my first shoe. Let's see ! I must have
been three months old."
" An' she 'ave keep it wit* such care an'
write upon it."
La Cavallini's eyes were full of tears as she
fondled the little shoe.
" Oh, she did that because she was very
sentimental, I'm afraid," half apologized
Tom.
" She did it because she lo-ove you such a
much ! "
" Here's what I really wanted to show you,
though." Tom unwrapped the little package he
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 225
had been holding in his hand. " Now ! Look
at these ! "
" A necklace ear-r-rings ! "
"They were father's wedding present!" He
held up a necklace made of seed pearls to which
was attached a little gold locket of no particular
value. " There! Isn't that pretty? "
" Oh, mos' bee-auti-ful ! " cried Rita, admir-
ingly.
" There's one of my baby pictures in the locket.
I wonder how oh, yes, I remember you
press the back and then it opens ! There ! "
He gave her the opened locket. She took it
eagerly, looked at it, glanced at him, then broke
out into irrepressible laughter.
" What's the matter? " asked Tom, abruptly.
"You are so so fat!"
"Fat!" frowned Tom.
' You 'ave such beeg cheek just like dis "
She puffed up her own cheeks, lost her breath and
started laughing again. " You are de mos'
funn-ee baby I ever see in all my life ! "
" Well, my nurse didn't think so ! " said Tom,
defending himself.
226 ROMANCE
He thrust his hands in his pockets and turned
away.
"Vhat ? Oh, my Lor-r-rd!" cried Rita,
startled. Then she began to laugh again, which
only increased Tom's rage.
" Oh, very well. I'm sorry I showed it to you !
I might have known that "
" Ah, don' be ang-ree! " cried Rita.
11 I'm not angry," he answered, without turning
round.
"So? Den von' you tur-r-rn your 'ead
please?
" I go avay to morr-r-row ! " She paused and
looked at his back, lovingly.
" Mebbe I nevair-r come back. I t'ink you are
de mos' bee-auti-ful bab-ee in de whole vor-r-rld ! "
"No, you don't either! "
" Si si ! " It is tr-r-rue ! " she went on ea-
gerly. Then softly to the picture:
"So good-by, leetle fat boy good-by
good-by! " She kissed it twice and laid it down.
Tom turned just in time to see her kiss his
locket.
" Thank you," he said.
'OH, DON' BE ANG-REE !' CRIED RITA'
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 227
Rita shut the locket.
" Dat vas for-r 'im my frien' not you I "
She held out the necklace for him to take.
" Er don't you want to keep him then?"
asked Tom, awkwardly.
"Keep 'im?"
" Yes, and the necklace too ! I wish I mean
I hope you will ! "
" But it is your-r modder's "
"I know that's why!" he explained, ea-
gerly.
" But she vould not like it "
" Of course I realize how you feel about ac-
cepting presents of jewelry from men, but I think
in this case it's er quite all right."
Around her neck was a magnificent string of
pearls from which, at her waist, hung a diamond
cross. Instinctively her hand went to her neck to
unclasp the necklace.
"What are you doing?" asked Tom.
" I make for-r it de place."
She dropped her string of pearls upon the
desk.
"Aha! I knew you would," cried Tom, giv-
228 ROMANCE
ing her the rest of the package. " Here! Take
the earrings too."
" Dio mio, dey are so lo-ove-lee!" said Rita,
enthusiastically, as she laid her necklace on the
mantelpiece.
" Can you see to put them on? " asked Tom,
solicitously.
By this time the room was filled with twilight
shadows. The fire, warm and mellow, was the
only light.
" Oh, yes, I can see ! " cried Rita at the mir-
ror.
Tom watched her lovingly.
" You know how it clasps? "
" Ye-es, it is all r-r-right. Ecco ! Are dey not
becoming? Vhy you look at me like dat? Vhat
you t'ink of hein? "
" I was just thinking," said Tom, simply, " how
mother would have loved you."
"Ye-es?"
" She loved everything that was beautiful and
sweet and good. And then your music that
would have interested her so much. She was
musical too, you know."
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 229
" Is dat so? " said Rita, intensely interested.
"Yes; that's why I kept her piano when the
Worth Street house was sold. I put it over there,
so when I'm writing sermons and get all mixed up
I can just look at it and imagine I'm eight years
old again and hear her dear voice singing * Annie
Laurie.' "
" An-nie Laur-r-ree?" repeated Rita, softly.
" That was her favorite song," he said. " I
wish I wish you'd sing it once before
you go."
" I tell you vhat I play an' you vill sing."
" But I can't I haven't any voice "
" Come where is it in dis book'ook? "
She picked up one of the bound volumes of
music lying on the piano.
" No the big one underneath page twenty-
seven. But really, it's foolish; the idea of my
trying to."
" Ah, here it is. Now light de candle, please."
She put the volume on the rack and seated her-
self at the piano.
" It goes up to E that's pretty high, you
know. Of course I wouldn't mind if you weren't
230 ROMANCE
a professional," he said, nervously, as he took his
place beside her at the piano. " Give me the note
when you come to it."
Rita played the little prelude.
"Is dat too fas'?"
" A little bit. That's better."
She struck his note and paused glancing up at
him. He hesitated.
" Just wait till I clear my throat. It's so long
since I've sung. Now I'm ready; go ahead."
" Maxwelton braes are bonnie
Where early fa's the dew.
And it's there "
The door opened and Roger appeared.
" Beg pardon, sir, the deaconesses are wait-
ing."
" Get rid of them I " cried Tom, angrily, with-
out turning around.
"What, sir?" said Roger, aghast.
"I said, 'get rid of 'em!'"
Roger bowed and closed the door behind him.
Tom sang " Annie Laurie " through to the bit-
ter end. When he had finished, Rita, without
looking up at him, said softly:
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 231
" It is a song of lo-ove."
" Yes, but I never knew it until now. Do you
know why? "
Tom leaned down toward her eagerly.
"No; te-ell me."
" Because I never knew what love was until
now."
" An' vhat is lo-ove to you? "
She played a little idly as she watched
him.
He turned and leaned on the piano so he could
see her face.
" It's finding the woman you want to live with
all your life the woman who'll show you the
right way and follow it with you side by side
shoulder to shoulder making all the good
things seem a little better and all the hard
things well, not quite so hard ! It's knowing
she'll be with you at your journey's end when
you're old and she's old and when you can
smile and look into each other's eyes and say:
' We've done our work together, dear and I
think we've done it well ! '
Rita's eyes were full of tears as she answered:
232 ROMANCE
" Oh, my f rien', dat lo-ove it is for-r some,
ye-es, but it is not for-r me."
"I don't understand "
" For-r me love is jost a leetle light in all dis
dar-rk-ness a leetle varmt' in all dis col' a
leet-tle flame dat bur-r-rn not long an' den go
out. A star dat come an' is so bee-eau-ti-ful it
bre-eng beeg teers an' vhen ve dry de eyes an'
look again de star is gone. I t'ink it is to be a
leedle 'appier togeder den ve are apar-r-t von
meenute to lie steell in de beloved's ar-r-rm
vone leetle meenute to forget, my frien' an' dat
is all!"
Tom gathered her into his arms and held her
tightly.
" My dear," he began, brokenly. But Rita
tried to free herself from his arms.
" Oh, vhat you do? " she cried in alarm.
Tom pressed her to him.
"I love you!"
" Don't."
" And you love me. Now say it," he insisted.
" No," she cried, piteously.
" You must," said Tom, through his shut teeth.
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 233'
" All r-r-right I lo-ove you ! Now ve are
alone you 'ear an' dare is nodings in de
vor-r-rld but you an' me Dis is our time our
leetle meenute dat vill nevaire come again so
shut your eyes an' 'old me close an'
lo-ove I "
She threw her arms about his neck in complete
abandon.
"But, dear, I"
' 'Ush ! " she cried, as she kissed him.
At that moment from the parish house next
door came the sound of singing. The choir boys
were practicing the hymns for the New Year's
service. They were singing " The Church's One
Foundation " and each line of it could be heard
distinctly.
" The Church's one foundation,
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord.
She .is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His Holy Bride;
With His own Blood He bought her,
And for her life He died."
Rita was the first to speak.
234 ROMANCE
" Vhat is dat? " she asked.
"It's just the choir; they're practicing for to-
night. I love you. When will you marry me ? r '
She slowly disengaged herself from him and
turned away.
" I 'ave not t'ink de en' vould be so soon ! "
she whispered, half to herself.
;< When please tell me when?" he cried,
eagerly.
" Ask me anodder time no, nevair ask me ;
it is jost not possible," said Rita, as she wiped her
eyes.
" But what's the matter? I don't understand."
" Vhy you in such a 'urr-ee? You mus' vait,"
she went on in a more matter of fact tone.
" I'd wait forever if there's any hope."
Rita moved away from him.
" Please don' come near "
"There is hope, isn't there?"
"No no; I 'ave made vone beeg mistake."
"What"
" I t'ink I 'ave been mad for jost vone leetle
vhile, but now I cannot marr-ee you. Good-
by."
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 235
She started for the door, but he stopped
her.
"Why not?"
" Oh, let me go ! " she cried.
" Not till you've told me why. 1 *
" Can you not see vhat is so plain an* clear?
Your frien's dey know De night I meet
you, you 'ave see de young men look at me "
" Rita ! " Tom stood, paralyzed with a sudden
suspicion.
" Dey know vy 1 can nevaire marr-ee you
de whole vor-r-rld know "
Her voice softened and she smiled a little.
" An' now I t'ink if you don' min' I go avay."
" No, my dear not yet," said Tom, very ten-
derly.
He led her to the settee by the fire.
" I think I think you have something to tell
me."
" I cannot no please do not ask "
" I'm not going to ask I'm just going to sit
here and hold your hand and listen."
He takes her hand.
" That's what I'm here for, you know just
236 ROMANCE
to help people when they're in trouble and need
a friend."
" You are so goo-od ! " said Rita, shaking her
head.
" No. I'm not but you'll find I'm very
sympathetic. Why, I remember one day last
week Tuesday it was that a little tenement
girl named McDougal, came in to see me. We
sat here just as we're sitting now and after a while
she told me all about it. She was going to be
married the next day to a young carpenter over
on Eighth street, but there was something she
hadn't told him poor child ! She didn't dare !
She'd been treated badly by some brute of a
man when she was only sixteen years old. Of
course he'd left her and she'd tried to put to-
gether the pieces of her life and go on with her
work and then she met the carpenter and fell
in love and was going to marry him and at the
last moment her conscience began bothering her
so she came to me."
"An' vhat did you tell 'er? "
"Oh, I didn't say much! I just suggested
things here and there. And in the end, God
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 237
bless her! she made up her mind to do the right
thing!"
"De r-r-right "
" She went home and told him all about it."
" An' den "
" Oh ! " went on Tom, cheerfully, " he was a
decent sort of fellow and he loved her so of
course he understood and well I married
them Wednesday morning and now they're two
of the happiest people in New York! "
" An' vould you feel dat vay, too? "
"Me?"
" If someone dat you lo-ove No, don't look
at me ! If somevone dat you lo-ove come an*
say, ' I am not goo-ood I must tell you now be-
cause ve lo-ove each oder! You are de fir-r-rst
man I 'ave ever lo-ove you are de fir-r-rst man
I 'ave ever toP ! ' "
"Well?"
" Could you forgive 'er, Meestaire Tom?"
c You poor little child ! " said Tom, brokenly,
as he took her in his arms.
" No, no ! " she cried despairingly, " you do not
onderstan' it is I who am not goo-ood."
238 ROMANCE
" There, darling, there ! Don't cry, it's all
right, you've been fair and brave and honest,
you've told me and I forgive you from the bottom
of my heart! "
" Oh ! Oh I I do not see 'ow it is possible !
no I do not see I don't, I don't! " she sobbed.
"Why not? It was a long time ago, wasn't
it? When you were poor and struggling and
lonely, you didn't know anything about the world
how could you? And you had to live."
"Yes! oh, yes!"
" But you mustn't think of it any more ! You
must just remember how afterward you pulled
yourself together and raised your head and said
to yourself, ' I have sinned, but that's all over,
and from now on, I'm going to be a good woman I
I'm going to turn the rest of my life into a splen-
did, beautiful thing! I won't stop until I can be
proud of myself!' And oh, my dear, I'm so
glad, I'm so glad that you can be now ! "
"An' is dat vhy you can for-give me?"
" Is what, dear? " he asked, not understanding
her.
" Because it 'appen' so long ago? "
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 239
Just for an instant there was a touch of Tom's
pulpit manner as he said:
" I naturally believe that all sins, finished and
truly repented of, should be forgiven by every
Christian man or woman."
" I see I see," she sighed, and rising she
walked away from him.
Tom was a boy again in a moment; all trace
of the priest was gone.
" And now that everything's cleared up be-
tween us, do you know what we're going to
do?"
"Do? Tell me."
" Go right upstairs, of course, and announce
our engagement to Aunt Emma and Mr. Van
Tuyl. Come on ! " he laughed. " Come on I "
" No no not now."
" What? "
" Vait a leetle," she said, wheedlingly, " vait
until to-morr-row."
" But you're sailing to-morrow! "
"Ye-es dat is vhy "
" Nonsense ! If you don't look out I'll begin
to think you're ashamed of me. Come along! ''
2 4 o ROMANCE
He put his arm about her waist and started to-
ward the door. Rita freed herself.
" No. I say it is too soon I am not
r-r-ready ve mus' vait."
"Wait? What for?"
" Mebbe mebbe dey do not like it vhen ve
telldem!"
" Now don't you bother about Aunt Elizabeth.
She's"
" Ah, no I I do not bodder about 'er !
But"
She stopped abruptly. Tom gave her a ques-
tioning look.
" It surely isn't Mr. Van Tuyl that's worrying
you? Why, he's my oldest friend and fath-
er's and mother's too. He's just like one of the
family. Of course we must tell him right off ! "
" Vhy von't you let me tell 'im? " she suggested.
"What?"
" To-night vhen I can see 'im all alone !
Oh, please please let me tell 'im," she cried.
Tom was puzzled. There was a pucker in his
brow.
" But why? What's the matter? "
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 241
" If ve tell 'im now, 'e vill be so angr-ee ! "
" Nonsense ! And even if he is, we don't
care!"
" 'E vill say t'ings about me oh, yes, 'e vill I "
" But he doesn't know anything about you ! "
Rita did not reply.
" Rita, he doesn't know anything about you,
does he?"
" No I mean not ver' much 1 "
"What"
" Jost a leetle I tell 'im a leetle vone night
in Paris"
"You don't mean what you've told me?"
' Yes, an' so if ve go upstairs now an' "
" But you said just a minute ago that I was the
only man you'd ever told because I was the
only man you'd ever loved."
Rita looked frightened, bewildered.
" I 'ave forget oh, it vas two t'ree years
ago"
Tom began to think.
" But wait ! He talked to me very openly
about you why, only last Saturday when I went
to see him about the new gymnasium "
242 ROMANCE
"Vhat "
" He used every possible argument except
that one. Why he never said so much as a word
against "
" I know," she answered calmly, "I I ask 'im
not to."
" You ? But but he wouldn't take your side
where I'm involved why, it's incredible ! "
11 Oh, ye-es, 'e vould you do not know ! "
"But why"
"Vhy?" echoed Rita, fighting for time.
" Yes there must be a reason."
" Can you not guess? "
" No. Tell me "
" It is because oh, long ago, you on'erstan'
'e vas foolish enough to like me jost a lee-
tie"
"What"
" It vas not my fault," she went on quickly, " I
cannot 'elp it vhen peoples "
"When was this?" he asked sternly.
" Oh, two t'ree year ago ! I did my bes*
t' stop 'im it vas not easy I tell you dat 1 "
" Did he want you to marry him? "
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 243
She was trying to speak lightly.
" No no it vas noddings noddings at
all 'e jost like to sen' me flowers an' 'ear . . ."
"How long did his attentions last?"
"I I dunno."
Tom took a step toward her.
" You mean he's in love with you still? "
She turned to him with sudden abandon.
" Oh, don' talk about dat any more ! Jost take
me in your arms an' keess me till "
Tom's eyes were flashing.
" And you knew he felt that way you knew
it all this time?"
"Yes, I knew"
" Then why didn't you tell me? "
" I did not t'ink you vould like it."
"Like it! Why, it was all right. He can't
help loving you, I suppose. There isn't anything
to conceal " he stopped suddenly " Rita, there
isn't anything to conceal ? "
"Vhat?"
"Tell me there isn't tell me"
" I don' know vhat you mean "
" Quick, for the love of God ! " cried Tom.
244 ROMANCE
She put her hands before her face.
" Don' look at me," she cried.
" Not Mr. Van Tuyl? Not he? "
" Please oh, please "
Rita was terror stricken.
Tom gave a cry of anger. He clenched his
teeth.
" It is not true," she cried, frantically. " I say
it is not true."
"What?"
" Dere 'as been noddings you make vone ter-
rible meestake."
" How do I know? " he asked, coldly.
Tom was a skeptic now.
" I tell you I," she went on, beating her
breast.
" But you kept back something before.'*
" No."
" How do I know you're not doing it again? "
"No I am not! I tell you I am not!"
Tom pulled himself together.
" Ssh be quiet! They'll hear you upstairs."
His voice was shaking. " Now we must be calm,
both of us quite calm and sensible. We must
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 245
settle this matter here once and for all. If it's
true, I beg you for both our sakes as you
will answer on the day of judgment I beg you
to tell me now ! "
" If I say * Yes, it is true ! ' would you would
you again forgive me? "
"Ah! then it is it is " he cried.
"No! no!"
" You've said so. I heard you say it."
" Dat is not so ! "
"Well, didn't you?"
" No ! no ! no ! " she cried, passion-
ately.
" Will you swear it? "
Ye-es I vill swear."
He picked up a small book from the table and
held it out to her.
" Put your hand here on my mother's Testa-
ment."
"So?" said Rita, obeying him.
" And look me in the eye and say after me "
"Ye-es?"
" I swear there has been nothing wrong be-
tween Mr. Van Tuyl and me."
ROMANCE
Rita gave a piteous little moan and closed her
eyes.
"Oh, Madonna !"
" Swear it! " cried Tom, in a shrill voice.
" Vhat? " Rita opened her eyes.
"You won't?"
"I swvar dere 'as been vhat you say?
nodding wrong betveen Meestaire Van Tuyl
an' me."
She swayed and would have fallen, but Tom,
with a sob of relief, caught her in his arms.
" Oh, my darling forgive me I've been a
brute to doubt you, I'm What's the matter?
Rita Rita !"
Her head had fallen forward. She had
fainted. He carried her over to the settee, laid
her on it, poured out a glass of water and tried to
make her drink it.
" My poor little girl there ! It's all right
I'm never going to bother you again. Forgive
me oh ! my darling, just forgive me this once.
I was out of my head. I didn't know what I was
saying. Please please "
Rita, still dazed, sat up.
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 247
"What's the matter? Aren't you going to
speak to me? "
She rose unsteadily to her feet.
"Rita!"
He took her hand, but she snatched it away.
" I van' to go avay," she cried. " You don*
believe me you don' lo-ove me "
" Yes, I do I love you more than anything
in the world. I love you and I'm going to marry
you "
She turned on him furiously. Her eyes were
blazing.
" Vhy you make me svear dose t'ings? Vhy
you make me "
" Forgive me, dear please "
11 Gooda-by."
"No, wait!"
He stopped her as she reached the door, tak-
ing hold of both her hands.
" I say gooda-by ! "
He stared into her face. Her eyes dropped.
" Oh, let me go, please ! I mus* r-r-re-tur-rn
to de 'otel it is so late you know I al-vays
sleep before I sing an' -
248 ROMANCE
" Vhat for you look at me like dat? Let go,
I say let go ! "
" I believed you when you swore just now I
want it understood that I believed you "
"Veil?"
" So if you don't mind I think I think
I'll ask Mr. Van Tuyl to come down here "
"Vhat "
" And then we'll tell him we're engaged ! "
" Ah, no no don't do dat," Rita cried, in
sudden fright, " vait a leetle vhile "
" Not a minute ! Not a second ! "
He pulled at the bell rope madly.
"Please"
"I won't!"
"No no "
"Oh, my God "
There was a knock at the door.
" Come in ! " cried Tom, trying to control his
voice.
"You rang, sir?" said Roger.
" Yes. Please ask Mr. Van Tuyl to step down
here. Tell him I'll keep him only a moment."
" Very good, sir."
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 249
As the door closed, Rita turned on Tom
vehemently.
" Ver' veil, I vill not stay."
Tom planted himself before the door.
"You've got to!"
" Remembair my per-r-for-rmance," she
pleaded.
Tom snapped his fingers in her face.
" I don't give that for your performance."
" 'E come; I 'ear 'im," she cried, in desperation.
"Oh, let me go!"
Tom recoiled as though someone had struck
him a blow.
" Rita, don't tell me you're afraid ! " he ex-
claimed.
" Oh, let me see 'im fir-r-rst," she pleaded, coax-
ingly, " for jost vone leetle meenute; it vill be all
r-r-right."
" I won't," he shouted, all his suspicions aroused
again.
Rita shrugged her shoulders and, sitting down
at the piano, began to play a Chopin waltz.
"Ver' well. I don' care; I 'ave done my
bes'."
250 ROMANCE
" Ah ! " said Van Tuyl, genially. " Still here?
We thought you'd Why, what's the matter,
Tom?"
Rita stopped playing. She stared from one
man's face to the other.
" Nothing, sir. I asked you to come down
because I wanted you to be the first to know of
my good luck," said Tom, trying to speak calmly.
" Good luck? " questioned Van Tuyl, in a sur-
prised tone.
" Yes. Madame Cavallini has been good
enough to we're engaged."
"Engaged?" echoed Van Tuyl, in a toneless
voice.
"Yes, engaged engaged to be married," re-
peated Tom, harshly.
" My dear boy, I congratulate you."
Quite calmly, Van Tuyl held out his hand.
"What?" cried Tom, almost choking.
" I congratulate you," Van Tuyl went on se-
renely. " Madame Cavallini stands alone, as I
have always said. And while I confess I am a
bit surprised, I am flattered " he turned to Rita
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 251
and bowed " that she has chosen one of my
friends and countrymen for this great honor."
"Then it's all right?" cried Tom in delight.
"You approve you give us your consent? "
Van Tuyl gave a broad smile.
" Yes for the parish, I mean represented
by yourself as senior warden and chairman of the
vestry."
" Most certainly, my dear boy. You know you
can always count on me to wish you every hap-
piness."
Tom looked baffled.
" Why, you talk as if you liked it "
Van Tuyl looked puzzled.
"I don't quite"
" All I can say is, you must have changed your
mind since Saturday."
" Since Saturday? " questioned Van Tuyl.
" Why, don't you remember warning me, with
tears in your eyes, to keep away from this this
lady"
Van Tuyl turned to Tom in astonishment.
" Ah, but that was Saturday! " he exclaimed.
252 ROMANCE
" And now, sir I I want to ask you here
before us both if you were absolutely
frank"
" What's that? " said Van Tuyl a little sternly.
"If there were any arguments against my
my attachment which you did not see fit to offer
at the time "
" Why, Tom, I don't understand "
" If there was, sir, tell it now tell it, for
God's sake or else forever after hold your
peace! "
There was a pause. Both Tom and Rita had
their eyes fixed on Van Tuyl's face.
" I don't see why you're so excited but if
it gives you any satisfaction to know I said all
I could on Saturday "
"You held nothing back?" asked Tom.
" Why, no of course not ! " said Van Tuyl
coolly. "What's the matter, Tom?"
Tom turned away in silence. Rita made a sud-
den movement. Van Tuyl suppressed her with a
glance. Tom faced them again, controlling him-
self with difficulty.
" Sit down, sir, please," he said.
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 253
"Well?" remarked Van Tuyl, as he seated
himself.
"I I want to apologize beforehand for what
I'm going to say. I know I'm acting outra-
geously, but I can't help it ! No, wait ! You're
my best friend, Mr. Van Tuyl " He turned
to Rita. " And you're the woman I want to make
my wife, so I I'm sure you'll both of you be
sympathetic and make allowances for me."
" Of course, my boy, of course ! " said Van
Tuyl heartily.
Tom was embarrassed, but he went bravely on.
" Madame Cavallini has been very frank and
open with me, sir. She's just told me about cer-
tain portions of her career, and of course, know-
ing as I do, how hard it is for girls when they're
poor and young, and alone why, I should be
only too glad to tell her it's all right and blot it
out from my memory forever, but but "
He paused, unable to go on, then gripping the
edge of the desk with both hands and leaning over
it, haggard and terrible, he said:
" Before I can do that, there's one thing I've
got to be sure of "
254 ROMANCE
"Yes, Tom?"
" It seems, you've been an an admirer of
hers for some time "
Van Tuyl glanced at her involuntarily.
" For God's sake, don't look at her now 1 And
what I've got to be sure of is that there never has
been anything between you two "
" What ! " Van Tuyl shouted his amazement.
" I've asked her and she's denied it, and I be-
lieve her, implicitly, of course, but if if you'll
be good enough to deny it, too oh, merely as a
matter of form ! why, I I shall be much obliged.
Well?"
Van Tuyl turned toward Rita before he spoke.
He gazed at her steadily.
" There's one thing I'm not going to deny, and
that is my very deep and very true affection for
Madame Cavallini. It is a sentiment none the
less deep and true, because it has lived for years
with no response from her, and I am proud of my
hope and my belief that it will continue so long as
I'm alive to cherish it. As for the rest of your
question, Tom, when you're yourself again, you'll
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 255
agree with me that it deserves no answer.
Good-by!" He rose.
" Good-by, madame I offer you the best of
wishes "
He turned toward the door, but Tom stopped
him. He seized Van Tuyl by his hand gratefully.
" No, wait you shan't go until I've begged
your pardon. I've been a fool, sir a perfect
fool, but if you can I want you to forgive me ! "
" Don't you think, my boy, you'd better ask
Mme. Cavallini's pardon first? " said Van Tuyl.
Tom turned to Rita.
" Rita, darling I don't know just what to
say but I think if you forgive me again I
can promise I'll never never You do for-
give me, dear don't you? Please "
Rita pulled herself together. There was a
grim, determined look on her face.
" No no I cannot ! It is too much ! " she
exclaimed.
"What!" cried Tom.
She looked at him very tenderly.
" I lo-ove you I mus' spik de trut' "
256 ROMANCE
" Be quiet ! " cried Van Tuyl, realizing what
was coming.
It was Rita who was merciless now.
" It is all lies vhat ve 'ave said all lies all
lies! I vas 'is mistr-r-ress till de night I meet
you!"
"Not Mr. Van Tuyl not !" cried Tom,
choking.
" Tom, listen to me for one minute ! " expostu-
lated Van Tuyl.
Tom turned on him furiously.
"You thief liar!" he cried.
Van Tuyl, still calm, was white as a sheet.
" For God's sake, Tom, don't"
Tom rushed at Van Tuyl to strike him down,
but Rita like a flash was between the two men,
holding them apart.
" 'E lied for me," she gasped. " I tell you
'e lied for me."
Tom's arm dropped to his side.
" Please go both of you," he said huskily.
He stooped to pick up the little Testament
which had dropped to the floor. He replaced it
on his desk, Van Tuyl came toward him.
TOM FINDS TO-DAY 257
Rita meanwhile had put on her cloak. Slowly
she went to the mantelpiece and took off his
mother's necklace and earrings. She kissed the
little locket as she laid it down. Her own pearl
necklace with its diamond cross she forgot en-
tirely as she picked up her muff and Adelina and
slowly turned to go. Tom was sitting in his arm-
chair, his face buried in his hands.
" Meestaire Meestaire Tom," she began
contritely. But at the sound of her voice Tom
shuddered. As she reached the door she turned
again and looked at him very tenderly. " I 'ank
you for 'aving loved me," she said as she
passed out.
CHAPTER VI
What care I, if for love of your fair face,
To the wide winds my work and place I throw!
My work is just to love you, and the place
Just where you are, the only place I knew.
Richard Le Gallienne.
LA CAVALLINI BIDS HER AMERICAN PUBLIC A
FOND GOOD-BYE
SIGNORA VANNUCCI, La Cavallini's chaperone,
major domo, watchdog and intimate all rolled into
one, left the Academy long before the opera was
over that night and hurried back to the Brevoort
House. From the moment, late that afternoon,
when Rita, a red-eyed, white-faced wraith of her
usual self, had returned from her drive and thrown
herself down sobbing on the bed, good-hearted,
vagrant, slipshod old Vannucci had realized by
instinct that something serious had come to pass.
And her heart rejoiced within her and even the
disreputable sprig of mustache which decorated
one side of her lip took on a cheerful, upward,
258
LA CAVALLINI'S GOOD-BYE 259
exuberant turn, as though expectant of happier
days to come when there would be no Rev.
Thomas Armstrongs to poison the purely artistic
atmosphere of their menage. For between Van-
nucci and Tom there had waged a furious an-
tipathy from the first day of their meeting. Van
Tuyl had always been the old woman's favorite
of all La Cavallini's swains, and to see this courtly
gentleman suddenly flouted, disregarded and
treated with a silence which was far more igno-
minious than contempt was too much for her to
stand silently. So, when she dared not relieve
her mind and air her views directly to Rita, she
talked by the hour to Adelina and cursed Tom
cordially, consistently, and consecutively in all the
half dozen languages which in a more or less
broken state always hung on the end of her poly-
glot tongue. And Adelina, with a perversity
characteristic of her species, would listen by the
hour, look wise as she lay chattering to herself in
her beautifully upholstered and gayly caparisoned
little cradle, and at the first approach of Tom
would evince every evidence of enthusiasm and
delight. Van Tuyl, the monkey had always de-
26o ROMANCE
tested, not because she held anything particularly
against his habits or his character, but simply be-
cause Van Tuyl had a playful habit of sticking
out his finger at her whenever he approached
a custom which infuriated Adelina almost to the
point of jibbering madness. So to state the cir-
cumstances mildly, throughout the past five weeks,
Vannucci and Adelina had scarcely been on speak-
ing terms. At least what each had to say about
the other was certainly not fit to print.
Once at Rita's suggestion, Tom, by way of
currying favor with the vehement old Italian, had
sent her a bunch of roses. But the garbage pail
finale which speedily overtook the bouquet was no
whit less dire and instantaneous than the similarly
sinister fate which befell the roses La Cavallini
had in the kindness of her heart sent to Miss
Armstrong. Fate had ordained that these two
old women were never to meet; which was rather
a pity, as they most assuredly could have relieved
each other's minds on a number of subjects thor-
oughly. But to-night, one glance at Rita's
stricken, tearstained face convinced the old woman
that the best thing in the world had happened.
LA CAVALLINI'S GOOD-BYE 261
The break with the heathen heretic had come at
last. Her soul was glad within her; but out-
wardly she gave no sign. Rita, shut up in her
bedroom until the hour of her departure for the
theater, spoke no word to her, and Vannucci, by
long experience, knew better than, in such a crisis,
to venture even a chance remark. There was a
great deal of electricity in the air of the diva's
apartments.
But once the curtain had risen on the last act
of the opera the faithful old Italian slipped quietly
away from the Academy, leaving Rita to the
tender mercies of her regular dresser, and was
now by slow degrees broiling her already too
rubicund features over the grate fire, where, with
the aid of a saucepan and various condiments
known only to herself, she was concocting a species
of spaghetti which La Cavallini particularly
adored. The table was spread for supper, and
Adolph, the fat German waiter, was making him-
self as officious as possible bustling about the place.
But both the sitting-room and La Cavallini's bed-
room, which opened off of it, were in an extraor-
dinary state of dishabille. Trunks with their
262 ROMANCE
lids still yawning open occupied three-quarters
of the floor. Dresses, hats, all sorts of feminine
impedimenta were scattered everywhere. And
while Vannucci watched the macaroni simmer and
Adolph dexterously laid his covers, they chatted
indiscriminately of the days when, according to
their views, grand opera had really been grand
opera.
" Madame, she vill be hungry vhen she back
comes from de opera," ventured Adolph.
" She eata noddings before she go she
dreenka a leetle vine an' coffee, dat is all," ex-
claimed Vannucci.
" Ach ! No great artiste will eat pefore she
sing ! Do I not know ? Have I not de first tenor
of de Royal Court Opera of de city of Steichen-
blatter been? Do I not remember how I feel
vhen"
" You 'ave forgetta da cheese," Vannucci in-
terrupted him gloomily.
" Du lieber Gott! " cried Adolph, crushed only
for a moment. As he returned with the cheese
the old woman was smiling retrospectively.
" Ah, when I was a prima donna at Bologna
LA CAVALLINI'S GOOD-BYE 263
an maka my debut as Linda de Chamonix in da
gr-r-reat, da bee-autiful, de gala per-for-rmance
an' 'is 'ow you say 'Is Excellenza da duca
di Modena, 'e stan' an' clapa de 'an's an' say
so loud 'Bravo, Vannucci! Bravo! Bravissi-
mo ' "
" Your sauce, it burn," Adolph, avenging the
cheese, interrupted at the first opportunity.
Vannucci rushed to the fire and stirred her
sauce.
" Madonna santa proteggeteci ! " she cried.
" Ach ! so ! De good old days dey are all
gone ! " sighed Adolph, as he began to mix the
salad.
"Da opera now vhat is eet? Von beeg
noise! "
Adolph wagged his head in corroboration.
" Dis ' Faust ' an' ' Mignon ' "
Vannucci covered one ear with one hand. The
other hand still stirred the sauce.
" Impossibili ! " she cried.
" Ungeheuer I " agreed Adolph.
" But * La Favorita ' ! " Vannucci's face was
beaming. She kissed her hand ecstatically.
264 ROMANCE
" * Der Freischutz ! ' " And Adolph rolled his
eyes in his enthusiasm.
"Bellissima!"
"Wunderschon!"
" Celestial! !"
"Kolossal!"
" But ah ! who now gotta da voice to seeng
dere ! " sighed Vannucci as one without hope.
"Mario? Bah! " Adolph spat on the floor.
" Grisi? Pouf ! " Vannucci snapped her fingers
contemptuously.
" Guiglini ? Ein schwein ! M cried Adolph.
" La Patti ? Un pulce ! " Vannucci's face was
a malediction.
"La Cavallini?" continued Adolph in a ques-
tioning way, as he watched to see which way the
cat was going to jump. He had been present on
occasions when hoth women had expressed their
minds about each other and their art freely.
"Ah! si la Cavallini!"
Vannucci's face was radiant now.
" She haf a leedle somet'ing " began Adolph
patronizingly.
" Ah, sometime vhen I stan' in de veengs an*
LA CAVALLINI'S GOOD-BYE 265
'old er shawl an' leesten I t'ink it is myself
again come back f r-rom long ago ! "
" Ach, Gott! I, too, haf treams! " Adolph ex-
claimed. " An' vhen I my half dollar pay on de
stairs up climb an' de orchestra begin I shut
my eye an' yet vonce more again I am in Steichen-
blatter"
" The opera. It is * Norma,' " volunteered
Vannucci, catching his enthusiasm.
" I am * Pollio ' "
"The great duet "
" Act three it comes at last! " Adolph began
to sing softly in German.
Vannucci, all on fire now, was leading the or-
chestra with her spoon.
" Piu forte ! Cosi ! Ora ! Crescendo ! "
Each struck an attitude and, tremendously in
earnest, began to sing. When Adolph success-
fully scaled the final high note of the aria Van-
nucci threw herself violently into his arms. Both
were still gasping for breath when a page en-
tered with a card.
"Where's the madam?' 1
" She 'ave not yet r-r-return," said Vannucci,
266 ROMANCE
once more watching her macaroni. " Give me da
car-rr-d queeck, leetle animal! Queeck, I
say!"
Vannucci snatched the card and read it.
"A-ah! It is milor! 'E 'ave come back!
Santi benedetti ! Go breenga him in " then
turning to Adolph:
" An' leesten, my f rien', a bottle of champagne !
Queeck! "
" Champagne ! "
" Da besta you got ! " she cried joyously . id
began to unpin her skirts.
Van Tuyl came in in evening dress.
" Well, signora ! " he exclaimed genially. " I
haven't seen you for some time, have I? You're
younger and more beautiful than ever! "
Vannucci shook hands with him vehemently.
" Ah, milor you maka da joke as alvays !
But I don' care I am so full of joy be-cause
you 'ave come ! "
" Thanks, very much," said Van Tuyl, glancing
at the two parrots dozing in their cage. " How's
the menagerie? Remember me, old lady
eh?" He crooked his finger at the birds.
LA CAVALLINI'S GOOD-BYE 267
" Dey are full of lo-ove for-r milor ecco 1
See! Manrico, 'e visha to keess 'is 'andl" ex-
claimed Vannucci.
" Bite it, you mean 1 " laughed Van Tuyl.
"Where's Adelina?"
He walked to her gay cradle by the fire, where
the monkey, at the sound of his voice, had begun
to chatter viciously.
" She 'ave jost eata vone greata beeg suppair,"
said Vannucci, anxious to apologize for Adelina's
hostile bearing.
" Six olives, strawberry jam, a few hothouse
grapes the same old menu, I suppose," laughed
Van Tuyl.
" An' da cupa of chocolate ! Ah, milor you
1 ave r-r-recolleck ev'ryt'ingsl "
Van Tuyl's eyes strayed to the saucepan.
" What's that you're cooking not your fa-
mous macaroni? "
" It is for madame. She eata noddings alia da
day. I coma 'ome ear-liee an' maka dis for a
sur-r-pr-rise ! "
" How did she get through the performance? "
asked Van Tuyl.
268 ROMANCE
" Un triomfo enorme ! Eet maka me t'ink of
dat so splendeed night I seeng Lucrez'ia Borgia
an' 'is Excellenza da Duca di Modena, 'e "
" Yes, I remember," interrupted Van Tuyl,
looking at his watch. " Madame is late."
" She say addio to Signor Strakosch an' de oder
ar-r-rtistes an' r-r-receive de pr-r-resents."
"Really?"
" Da peen vid da beeg r-rubie, an' de br-race-
let wid many pear-r-rl, an' ah I Madonna !
da di-mon' crown fr-rom alia da signora of New
Yor-rk "
" Wait! What's that? " exclaimed Van Tuyl,
listening.
From far away came the distant strains of
" Yankee Doodle," played by a brass band. The
cheering of the crowd could be heard distinctly.
As Van Tuyl quickly raised the window the mur-
mur swelled into a babel.
" Santi Benissini 1 " cried Vannucci, clapping
her hands like a schoolgirl.
" It's a brass band, down Fourteenth Street ! "
exclaimed Van Tuyl. " They're coming from the
Academy."
LA CAVALLINFS GOOD-BYE 269
"Ecco! See"
" Torches ! By jove ! It's a regular Repub-
lican rally I "
" More peoples an' more an' more, an*
more dey come 1 " Vannucci was half way out
of the window.
" Every fellow with his hat off and zero
weather, too ! " shivered Van Tuyl.
" See I " pointed Vannucci. " Do peoples in de
vindows! Dat so fat man vat is dat 'e say? "
" Listen I They're cheering her. They're
cheering Cavallini."
" Ah ! She come she come ! "
" Where? " cried Van Tuyl, leaning out of the
window, too.
" Dere do you not see da car-r-riage ? "
" But where's the coachman where are the
horses? " exclaimed Van Tuyl. " Good Lord! if
those young fools aren't dragging it themselves ! "
" Ah ! vhen I was prima donna at Bologna
an' singa Lucrezia Borgia for-r" suddenly
"You see 'er yes?"
" Ah I there she is! " cried Van Tuyl.
"By Jove! By Jove!"
270 ROMANCE
He stared spellbound. The band, now much
nearer, slowly began " Way Down Upon the
Suwanee River." The torchlights from the pro-
cession illumined the two figures on the balcony.
The crowd was almost underneath them. Pres-
ently the music stopped. There was a burst of
cheering. Vannucci waved her handkerchief
wildly.
" Eviwa ! Evivva ! Brava Cavallini I
Brava regina ! Ah ! Ecco ! Cos! va bene ! "
She laughed and waved her handkerchief once
more.
11 She look up she see us 1 "
Van Tuyl removed his hat and bowed in his
most stately way.
Suddenly there was the splutter of a rocket.
Vannucci clutched Van Tuyl by the arm and
crossed herself.
" It's all right those fellows on the corner
are just setting off some fireworks. They're bound
to bid farewell to '68 and La Cavallini with a
blaze of glory! "
" She come ! She descend fr-r-rom da car-
riage. Look ! 'ow da young mans kissa 'er 'and ! "
LA CAVALLINPS GOOD-BYE 271
cried Vannucci. "Queeck! Shuta da window.
Dis room is all dam col'."
Vannucci flew to the grate and threw another
log on. Van Tuyl closed the window. Faintly
the band could be heard still playing. The tune
now had changed from " Suwanee River " to
" Knowest Thou That Fair Land? '* And at the
first strains of La Cavallini's favorite aria the
crowds in the streets burst into cheers again. Van
Tuyl turned to the old Italian with a beaming
smile.
" I'm proud of young New York to-night," he
said. " They're applauding one of the world's
great artists, and they're not ashamed, God bless
'em, to show their feelings in a perfectly normal,
animal way. I'm glad that Providence cast my
lot in this dear old town at a time before it grows
so big and vast and rich as it is bound to do,
of course that no one will have time to see
their old friends any more and indulge in a little
human friendliness and sentiment. The town's
bound to become the world's great mart and me-
tropolis beyond a doubt, and it will be all very
gigantic and beautiful, but " and Van Tuyl
272 ROMANCE
shook his head with a regretful shake "but it
won't be the old New York. I'm rather glad that
I shan't have to be here to see it."
" Ecco ! Ecco ! " Vannucci was screaming, not
paying the slightest attention to Van Tuyl's
municipal prophecy. " Vill milor' 'elp me vid dis
chair? and the table, more near the fire.
Madonna mia! I 'ave forgot!"
She rushed into the bedroom and from the mass
of materials scattered on the canopied bed, she
snatched an elaborately embroidered white silk
dressing gown and a tiny pair of bedroom slip-
pers lined with fur. She placed the slippers on
the hearth to warm and hung the dressing gown
close to the fire on the back of the chair.
"Milor, 'e recolleck 3is robe at Millefleurs?"
she asked with a meaning little smile. " Ah I
vhat gooda times milor' 'e giva us dere ! "
There was a knock, the door burst open and
in came Adolph, bursting with excitement and im-
portance. He was carrying a champagne bucket.
Behind him came a troop of servants bearing fleets
of floral pieces all decorated with the entwined
colors of Italy and the United States.
LA CAVALLINI'S GOOD-BYE 273
" You haf hear? You haf seen? Look dere
at the firevorks. It is almost as magnificent as a
var in my own country."
" Holy cats ! " exclaimed one diminutive page
boy as he dragged in a floral harp twice as big
as himself. " This town ain't seen a night like
this since the Prince of Wales was here!""
The waiters were gabbling in French. Adolph
was spluttering and gesticulating in German,
Vannucci was calling on all her Italian patron
saints to bless the occasion fittingly, and even
Adelina In her cradle, aroused by the excitement,
was indulging in a few monosyllabic monkey
shines which seemed quite as intelligible as any
of the remarks of the humans. Shrieking, com-
manding, cursing in her politest manner Vannucci
was everywhere at once. At the height of the
excitement the door flew open again and hind-
first, bobbing and bowing as he preceded La
Cavallini, Baptiste, the manager of the hotel,
came in proffering all sorts of compliments in
French.
" Ah, madame I nous sommes infiniment heureux
de prendre part dans le triomphe d'une artiste si
274 ROMANCE
celebre et, si je 1'ouse dire, une cliente si ex-
quise ! "
" Merci m'sieur merci, mille fois. Vous
etes trop amiables," La Cavallini was saying as
she entered. Then at sight of Vannucci, she
cried in Italian : " Per Pamor di Dio, mettili
fuori I Non posse piu "
The cheering from without became louder, more
furious.
La Cavallini paused and stood listening for a
moment. She looked fagged and weary. The
diamond crown which had just been presented to
her by the women operagoers of New York
made her look ten years older than she really
was. She was in evening dress and in one hand
she carried a wreath of laurel leaves tied with a
golden ribbon a little parting token from Cor-
nelius Van Tuyl. With her other hand she held
close against her body a huge cluster of white
roses. She was very pale, but in spite of her
fagged condition the triumphant farewell of the
public had unquestionably pleased her infinitely.
As the cheering from outside continued Van Tuyl
stepped forward and took her hand.
LA CAVALLINI'S GOOD-BYE 275
" Madame," he said firmly, " they are calling
for you. They won't go away. Speak just one
little word of good-bye to them. You really must.
It's their due."
" Je vous prie, madame pour 1'honneur de
1'hotel! " pleaded Baptiste excitedly.
Rita turned on the Frenchman in a flash of
petulance.
"Non! Je refuse entendez vous? Je re-
fuse absolument! "
" Madame, your public's calling you," said Van
Tuyl, and without further parley he led her toward
the window.
" Vat? " exclaimed La Cavallini, still petulant.
"You must obey!" said Van Tuyl firmly.
"Oh, very veil! Open de vindow," cried
Rita.
She stepped out on the balcony without any
further protest. At sight of her the crowd
cheered wildly. The excitement on Fifth Avenue
grew louder than ever. Holding one end of the
heavy window curtain in front of her bare neck
to protect it from the cold, Rita leaned forward
and in her clear, high voice said simply:
276 ROMANCE
" Sveet ladies gentlemans dear-r peoples
who 'ave been so goo-ood to me. I do not know
your-r names an' faces I can-not follow you
into your-r 'omes. I can Jos' seeng a leetle
an' pr-r-ray de saints dat somet'ing in my song
vill spik to you an' say
" I lo-ove you ! You are all I 'ave to lo-ove
in dis beeg vor-r-rld. Mebbe you don' on'erstan'
Jos' what dat mean you who 'ave 'usban's,
vives an' leetle child-ren, too!
" Ah, veil ! " She smiled down on the sea of
upturned faces. " I vould not like it dat you
should! I on-lee tell you so you feel like doing
for-r me vone las' gr-r-reat kin'ness "
There were cries of "What is it?" "Tell
us!" "Give us a chance," from below. She
took a step forward and spoke very earn-
estly.
" To-mor-r-row I go far-r avay. Mebbe some
time I seeng for-r you again " La Cavallini held
up her hand for silence " an' mebbe not. Who
knows? But if t'rough all your-r 'app-ee, 'app-ee
lives you carr-ee, vay down deep, vone leetle
t'ought of me vone golden mem-o-ree of my
LA CAVALLINI'S GOOD-BYE 277
song vher-e-ever I am, dear-r f rien's, oh 1 I vill
know it an be gla-ad! "
There were shouts of " We will!" "That's
easy ! " " Couldn't help it ! " " Trust us ! "
Her tone changed. She continued with tender
playfulness :
" In my countr-ee ve 'ave a leetle vhat you
say? flng ve tell each oder vhen ve say ' addio '
* Che le rose floriscano nei vostri cuori fin ch'io
ritorno a coglierle ! ' ' May de r-r-roses blossom
in your-r 'ear-rt until I co-ome to gadder dem
again!'"
It was Van Tuyl who helped her very tenderly
in through the window. La Cavallini was crying.
The crowd was cheering more madly than ever.
Baptiste in an ecstasy was proclaiming his raptures.
Vannucci hustled him and his waiters out of the
room.
(C
She 'ave eat nod'ings for vone t|ro days ! "
she cried. " Alons ! vous comprenez ? Getta
out!"
The waiters flew, but Monsieur Baptiste, un-
able to restrain himself any longer, snatched at
her hand and kissed it convulsively.
278 ROMANCE
" A demain, madame ! Et dormez bien ! "
As the door closed behind Baptlste and his
crew La Cavallini turned listlessly toward the fire.
" Oh, my 'ead ! " she exclaimed in her broken
English. " Eet is so ti-r-red ! Eccola ! "
She lifted the diamond crown from her head
and let it fall upon the table. One by one she
took off her diamond necklace, her bracelets,
medals, and her rings and threw them carelessly
haphazard on the table. Then, turning to the
fire again, she sat herself disconsolately before it
all in a little heap. Vannucci, gabbling softly to
her in Italian, picked up the jewels and placed
them carefully in the jewel case. Van Tuyl, lean-
ing against the piano, was carelessly rolling a
cigarette. When he had finished and lighted it,
he took it to Rita. She took it eagerly and for
the first time that evening greeted him with a
friendly smile.
CHAPTER VII
LA CAVALLINI POINTS THE WAY AND TOM
FOLLOWS IT
I would not spend another such a night,
Though 'twere to buy a world of happy days.
Shakespeare.
Do you hear the Little Voices all a-begging me to go?
All a-begging me to leave you. Day and night they're
pleading, praying,
On the North-wind, on the West-wind, from the peak
and from the plain;
Night and day they never leave me do you know what
they are saying?
" He was ours before you got him, and we want him
once again/' Robert W. Service.
She sees a sea of faces like a dream;
She sees herself a queen of song once more;
She sees lips part in rapture, eyes agleam;
She sings as never once she sang before.
She sings a wild, sweet song that throbs with pain f
The added pain of life that transcends art
A song of home, a deep, celestial strain,
The glorious swan-song of a dying heart.
Robert W. Service.
" 'EE vould not spik to me vone leetle vor-r-rd,"
she said, looking up to Van Tuyl for sympathy.
279
280 ROMANCE
" I say, ' T'ank you for-r 'aving 1-o-oved me ! '
jos' like dat! an' den I vait but 'e say noddings
so I go avay "
" Don't, dear it's no use ! Don't let's talk
about it."
" 'Ow long, you t'ink, befor-re 'e vill for-get?
'E veep jos' like a leetle boy vhen fir-r-rst *e
meet the bad-ness of de vor-r-rld "
" Ah, don't, my dear ! Don't think of it any
more ! "
She reached up to the mantelpiece for a pack
of cards and began to sort them out in various
packages like an old-fashioned fortune teller.
Rita looked down at the cards.
" T'ree club dat mean a long, long jour-
ney"
" Clever work I You're certainly going away,"
chimed in Van Tuyl, delighted at any excuse to
change the current of her thoughts.
" Ye-es I am go-ing avay ! " said Rita.
"Well, what comes next?"
" Vour five seex di-mon' an' goo-ood
vones, too. Dat mean success an' mon-ee
LA CAVALLINI POINTS THE WAY 281
vhat you say? gr-r-reat fame on-lee to
r-reach it I mus' go t'rough much "
" You'll get there never fear! " he said.
"Ah, che m'importa?" She pointed to the
jack of hearts.
" Dat blond young man look 1 'Ow 'e is
far f r-rom me I "
Van Tuyl leaned forward to watch the cards.
"From you? Oh, of course. You're the
red queen down in the middle of all those spades.
They're nothing bad, I hope? "
" You are among dem," she said grimly.
"I? "
" Ye-es, an' de oders, too see! You arc
all about me dere is no vay out "
11 But, dear, I "
Rita turned to him with a sad little smile.
"My vhat you say? My flames my
splendid vones of whom I vas so pr-r-roud
look ! 'ow you are black an' str-r-rong Ah,
Santa Madonna ! I 'ave give you ev'ryt'Ings
an' now vhen lo-ove, 'e co-ome an' smile an' 'old
out 'is dear-r 'ands, I cannot give no, cr-r-
282 ROMANCE
ruel vones! You 'ave leave me noddings you
'ave take it all "
She swept away the cards and buried her face
in her hands.
Van Tuyl put his hand gently on her shoulder.
Vannucci came bustling in from the other room.
" Supper's ready ! " said Van Tuyl.
" I am not 'ungr-ree."
" Oh, please," he pleaded. " Why, the signora
has taken all the trouble to cook your favorite
macaroni "
" No, no, no ! " she cried disconsolately.
Van Tuyl raised her very gently and led her to
the table.
" There ; come along, little girl. Doesn't that
salad look good? We'll sit you down in this
big armchair at the head of the table, and I'll
be butler, with my napkin over my arm so I "
He imitated a servant's manner.
" And will madame drink chianti or a little
champagne?" Looking at the label on the bot-
tle " Roznay et Perrault, '52, not too dry; I
venture to recommend it. Champagne? Very
good, madame. I'll open it at once."
LA CAVALLINI POINTS THE WAY 283
He pulled the cork, while Vannucci, chattering
ever, filled her plate high with spaghetti.
" There ! Just taste it now and tell me if it's
all right," he said as he filled her glass. " Please,
dear! You really need it! You know the sight
of all these good things makes me hungry. I
wonder if there'd be enough to give me just a "
Vannucci was on her feet in an instant.
"Ah, you lika da macaroni, I beta my life!"
"Here! That's enough! Thanks," said Van
Tuyl, as he poured himself a glass of wine. " And
just a swallow of champagne I declare, I feel
quite famished! Well? Are you going to let
me starve? "
Rita roused herself from her reverie.
' Vhat you say? " she asked blankly.
' You know I can't eat anything until my
hostess does."
" It is a treeck you play. You want to maka
me eat."
" No, on my word. I'm hungry myself."
" Den Jos' because I am so fr-rightfull-ee po-
lite ! " she smiled and nibbled a piece of spaghetti.
Vannucci and Van Tuyl exchanged glances.
284 ROMANCE
" E buono? " asked Vannucci, hanging over her.
Rita patted the old woman's wizened cheek.
"Squisito !"
" I'm thirsty, too ! " cried Van Tuyl.
" Blageur ! " laughed Rita, as she raised her
glass to him.
"A thousand thanks! " said Van Tuyl, putting
down his glass. " And now, my dear, the sig-
nora's had a hard day's work packing and to-
morrow she'll be up at dawn. Why don't you
send her to bed and give her a good night's rest? "
" Grazia, milor' I am not-a much tir-r-red 1 "
smiled Vannucci, preparing to depart.
" Good night, signora." He rose and kissed
the old woman's hand.
" Now sit down and finish your supper," he
commanded Rita when Vannucci had departed.
"No it is enough "
Van Tuyl filled her glass and lifted his own.
"Well, then let's drink a toast eh? I have
it! To the splendor of your days to come!
What's the matter? Don't they tempt you? "
La Cavallini did not drink, but looked into her
glass instead.
LA CAVALLINI POINTS THE WAY 285
" I do not dreenk to vhat I know mus' be
but to a dr-r-ream I vill not dr-r-ream again
De peectur-re of a small r-room, var-rm an' br-r-
right vit 'im so bus-ee wr-riting at 'is desk
an' me, befor-re de fir-r-re jes' rock-eeng,
smileeng vit a leetle babee nur-rsing at my
breast'"
Van Tuyl rose and seated himself upon the
arm of her chair.
" My dear," he said, " I want you to listen
to a plan. Now, how would you like it if I
sailed on the Alaska in April and met you in
Paris and took you straight back to Millefleurs "
" But my R-r-russian concert tour-r? " exclaimed
Rita.
" They can get Patti in your place."
" Patti ! " she cried contemptuously.
" Yes, she'd be glad enough to go ! "
" But my dear-r frien', it is not vhat you
say? it is not fair!"
"To whom?"
* To dose poo-oor R-russians ! " exclaimed La
Cavallini in all seriousness.
" You're jealous! " laughed Van Tuyl.
286 ROMANCE
" Of Adelina? Me? " with a world of scorn.
" My Lor-r-d ! " Van Tuyl caressed her hair
with one hand.
" Then why bother? Think of Millefleurs and
how we loved it on those nights in May! And
it's there now asleep and empty, like some
spellbound garden just waiting for the
touch of spring and us to give it life
again! "
She rested her head against his arm despond-
ently.
" You tol' me vonce you ar-re too ol' to lo-ove
Millefleurs "
" My dear," said Van Tuyl, " your sorcery can
make me young again. We'll spend the spring
in our enchanted palace and somehow, in all
that beauty, we'll manage to forget."
Rita drew away from him.
u No, no. Dat is im-poss'ble you don' un-
derstan' "
"What is it? Tell me!" he asked seriously.
She rose to her feet.
" I cannot live like dat any mor-r-re "
Van Tuyl was humbled.
LA CAVALLINI POINTS THE WAY 287
" Forgive me. It was a mistake. I didn't
mean to hurt you, dear."
Rita laid her hand upon his arm.
" In dese las' few veeks I lear-rn somet'ing all
new an' bee-autiful de goo-ood-ness of de
vor-rrld! It co-ome like some gr-reat light dat
bur-r-n an' blind an' str-rike me to de gr-r-roun'.
It show me for-r de fir-rst time to myself! Ah,
Santo Dio ! Vhat it is I see. But now I cannot
change an' yet I cannot jus' forget an' go on
as be-for-re you see, I am oh, vhat you call
it? All meex up! An' so I lie down 'ere to-
night an' say * goo-ooda-by.' I vish dat I
could die right 'ere to-night."
" And what about Tom? " asked Van Tuyl, in-
tensely serious now.
" Don't spik 'is name ! " she cried.
" Don't talk about dying, Rita. That's all non-
sense. If you really love Tom as you say you do,
why don't you live for him? "
" Don't ask me no it is too much," said
Rita at bay.
" I know it's hard," said Van Tuyl with sudden
tenderness, " but that's no reason why you should
288 ROMANCE
give up. Why, it's your prize your chance
the power to turn this dreadful business into some-
thing radiant and true the final gift Tom's put
into your hands ! "
Rita clasped her hands together.
" Ah, Dio mio ! " she cried.
" Be brave ! Live gloriously ! " Van Tuyl
went hurriedly on, " and if responsibility's the
price of love love's worth it isn't it, my
dear?"
Rita was silent for a moment. Then she
nodded her head.
" You ar-re r-r-right," she said. " But, oh!
my frien' my frien' vhat 'ave I done vhat
'ave I done dat all dis co-ome to me ? "
She burst into tears and threw herself on the
couch, sobbing bitterly.
Van Tuyl reached down and put his hand on
her shaking shoulder.
" My dear, I'm proud of you," he said. " And
now will you promise to get all these silly ideas
of death out of your head?"
11 It ees so easy jus' to die," she said. " But
you don' tr-r-r-us' me? "
LA CAVALLINI POINTS THE WAY 289
He turned up her face and looked her in the
eyes.
"I do indeed, I do ! " he said and kissed
her on the brow.
A knock came at the door.
"Who is dere?" called Rita.
" It's me, ma'am," called the page boy.
" There's a gent downstairs t'ee ye."
"Vhat ?"
(She opened the door a little.)
;< They told him it was awful late an' you was
tired, but he wouldn't go an' made 'em send up
this."
Rita snatched a card from the tray.
" It's Tom ? " cried Van Tuyl, as he watched
her face.
"Ye-es," she nodded.
"What does he want?"
Rita read the message on the card aloud.
" I mus' see you. It is life or death. Dat's
all."
" You mustn't see him. It's useless worse
than that it's dangerous; it's madness."
" But I vant to tell 'im vhat you 'ave tol'
290 ROMANCE
me. I vant dat 'e should know all 'e 'ave done
for-r me," she said simply.
" I wouldn't, dear," warned Van Tuyl.
"I mus'I" she cried decisively; then turning
to the door:
" Leetle boy! Please as' de gentl'man to co-
ome up-tair-r."
Van Tuyl picked up his coat and hat.
" Go out dat vay," she said, pointing to the cor-
ridor door, " or you meet 'im on da stair-r."
"Good-by!"
Van Tuyl held his hand out.
" Gooda-by, gooda frien'," she said, earnestly.
" Do you forgive me, dear? " he asked, still
holding her hand.
" For-r vhat? "
" For everything," he said. With a little
gasp she lifted his hand and lightly touched it
with her lips.
The tears were in Van Tuyl's eyes as he gath-
ered her into his arms.
"My darling! Beautiful! Joy of men!"
" Oh, my goo-ooda frien' ! " She sobbed brok-
enly and buried her face on his shoulder.
'l THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY SOUL !'
LA CAVALLINI POINTS THE WAY 291
" Little bird! " he said, as he kissed her hair.
" I shall hear you singing in my heart for-
ever. I thank you from the bottom of my
soul!"
He bowed and reverently kissed her hand ; then
walked quickly out of the room.
Rita, the instant he had left her, ran to the
window and opened it. There was a furious
wind blowing and the snow came swirling into the
room. A knock came at the door. She closed
the window and turned toward the door, half terri-
fied, half delighted. The knock came again
louder this time. She tried to call but could not
for a moment. Finally she managed to gasp,
"Co-ome!"
Tom opened the door. She shuddered at the
sight of him. His hair was disheveled, his eyes
wild. He was without either overcoat or gloves
and carried his soft hat in his hand. His voice
was thick and hoarse; his whole manner strange;
he moved and talked as though he was being con-
sumed by some internal fire. He looked as much
like a fanatic as he did like a drunken man. He
closed the door, and stood with his back against
292 ROMANCE
it, looking at her fixedly. His shoulders were
covered with snow flakes.
" You you want to see me? " she asked, after
a moment.
" Yes."
Seeing how wet he was she came toward him
quickly.
" De fir-re please ! Go queeck an' var-rm
your-rself."
She took him by the arm and drew him across
to the grate.
" Santi benissimi! You are all vet! An'
your-r shoe per carita ! You 'ave valk 'ere
in dis snow! "
" Yes," said Tom in an odd, dazed sort of
tone. " I've been walking all the time that you
were singing there I think I got as far as
Trinity. But I don't quite remember "
" Vhat for-r you co-ome out on a night so bad?
An', if you mus' vidout dat beeg t'ick coat? "
Tom stared at her blankly.
" I was thinking about something else about
you I was praying for you in the twilight
in the evening in the dark night "
LA CAVALLINI POINTS THE WAY 293
"Oh, Meestaire Tom!" she cried, both
frightened and bewildered.
" I walked and prayed," Tom went on in the
same tone, " and in my prayers I felt a little hand
here on my arm some lost one offering herself.
I thought but when I looked down at the
quivering mouth under the veil and bonnet my
head swam it was You always You ! "
"Me?"
" I heard you crying as I ran away and I
ran and ran till I saw lights and people and
then a little beggar, playing on the curb, held up
her hand but when I gave her a penny, she
thanked me with your voice! "
" No ! No ! You were meeshtake "
" Of course. And then I saw you walking
by me in the streets and looking at me out of
windows hundreds of different women, but every
one was you. I couldn't move you were so
thick and close and it began snowing, and I
thanked God because that would blot you from
my sight. But no, each snowflake was a tiny face
your face; some crowned with diamonds, some
with loosened hair, some old and terrible, some sad
294 ROMANCE
and young; and you came, and came and kept on
coming, thousands and millions of you, driving
and swirling in your devil's dance by the glare
of the gaslight on the corner, and not one spoke
you all just looked at me as if you wanted
something; and suddenly I knew; you were beg-
ging me to bring your soul to God before it was
too late, and I called to you. I cried out that I
would! And then you smiled and vanished and
I came here through the storm."
" You poo-oor, poo-oor boy ! " cried Rita, clasp-
ing her hands.
" Of course, you understand," he said sternly.
" As man and woman we've done with one an-
other, but I am still a minister of God's word
and you're still a human being in mortal peril! "
" Ah, don't talk dat vay ! " she said tenderly.
" You ar-re all shak-eeng, see ! you vill catch col'."
She tried to make him sit down by the fire.
But Tom paid no attention to her words, though
he never took his eyes from her face.
" D'you know you're standing on the brink
of life or death? You must choose between
them "
LA CAVALLINI POINTS THE WAY 295
" Ye-es ! ye-es ! " she cried, trying to calm him.
" Anodder time "
Tom raised his voice.
"No not another time! To-night! This
very minute now ! "
" Oh, vhy you co-ome? "
" To save you, dear ! Now, listen ! At mid-
night I must lead my clergy through the streets
you know, my plan to gather in the vagrants
for my New Year service and to-morrow you
go away. But I have to-night! And I'll never
leave you till you've given me your soul ! "
"Ah! if you on-lee knew 'ow " she began;
but he interrupted her and held up his hand. He
spoke as in a sort of rapture.
" Listen ! Don't you hear it now above
us in this very room?"
'"Ear-rvhat?"
" The sound of many waters "
" Vat? " she asked, puzzled.
" The Voice," Tom went on solemnly. " The
thunder of an angel's wings."
There was a pause, while Rita looked at him in
bewilderment.
296 ROMANCE
" I 'ear-r de vind blow an' my 'ear-rt beat
dat is all," she said at last.
"It's here; I feel it!" he cried, beating his
breast.
"Oh, dear God dear God! You're giving
me the strength to conquer her ! "
" Conqu-air? " she exclaimed in sudden terror.
" You vant to 'ur-r-rt me ! Ah, don' 'ur-r-rt me
please please, Meestalre Tom!"
He turned to her and spoke quite tenderly.
" My dear, I wouldn't hurt you for the world.
It's love I'm offering you " Rita made a quick
movement away from him. " No, wait, my poor
child not the sick passion of those luxurious
beasts not even the great pity I once knew.
The love I bring to you to-night is God's
alone!"
"God's lo-ove?" said Rita, still more be-
wildered.
" Yes His the mighty tenderness that
moves the stars and understands when little chil-
dren pray "
" Vat you mean? I don' know vat you say."
" Little lost soul I am ready to carry you home I
LA CAVALLINI POINTS THE WAY 297
Little tired heart, eager for joy follow me and
find it in His arms ! "
" I don' qvite on'erstan'," she said, thinking
in her heart the man must have gone mad.
" I thought our meeting was the work of
chance. But no ! God drew you to me, over
land and sea, that I might be the engine of His
word! You are a bride but, ah! not mine
not mine ! "
" A br-r-ride me? " echoed Rita, shaking her
head sadly. " No no dat is im-poss'ble ! "
Tom's eyes were gleaming. He was using his
pulpit voice as he never had before.
" Don't you hear the midnight cry c Behold !
the Bridegroom cometh! Go ye out to meet
Him ! ' Don't you see Him coming from the
wilderness like a pillar of smoke, perfumed with
myrrh and frankincense? His eyes are as a flame
of fire on his head are many crowns he wears
a garment dipped in blood and on it a name is
written Lord of lords and King of kings!
Hark! He is outside, knocking at your door!
O Rose of Sharon Lily of the Valley cease
your slumber for the hour has come ! "
298 ROMANCE
" Your eyes dey bite me oh, dey bur-r-n
me up ! " she cried, hiding her face in her hands.
" Meestaire Tom Meestaire Tom! "
" Darling," he cried hoarsely, " open your
heart for God's sake let Him in! "
As he strove to take hold of her Rita shrieked
in terror:
" Don't touch me don't let me go! "
She fell upon her knees and strove to free her
hands from his clutch, but he held her tight.
" So you're proud you think you can close
your soul against the Lord! Well, let me tell
you now that unless you repent the day will come
when your pride lies broken shattered by His
wrath!"
"Let me go let me go!" she cried again.
She tore herself free and ran over to the far side
of the room, where she stood crouching in terror
against the wall.
She began suddenly to cry like a frightened
child. " Oh ! Oh ! I am afr-r-raid ! "
" Afraid ! Afraid! " cried Tom, still more
wildly. " Miserable sinner, how can you live
with that horror staring in your eyes? The
LA CAVALLINI POINTS THE WAY 299
vision of that dreadful day when the sun is smit-
ten, and the moon is blood "
" I don' believe dat no no, I don' I
don't!"
" When the graves are broken, and the sea
gives up its dead and great and small they
stand before Him and the book is opened and He
sits in judgment "
" Meestaire Tom Jos' vait vone meenute ! "
she cried in a frantic effort to stop him.
" Don't you hear that great Voice, like a light
that blinds ' I made you keeper of My vine-
yards. But your own vineyards you have not
kept. So you shall be cast into the bottomless pit
and the lake of fire and there, in the midst of
your eternal torment, you shall hear the " Allelu-
ias ! " in the rainbow round My throne ' ! "
He sank into a chair exhausted by his own ve-
hemence. He buried his face in his hands. His
whole frame shook with sobs. Rita came toward
him slowly.
" Meestaire Tom," she said very quietly, " I
am quite sure dis is de las' time dat I loo-ook
upon your-r face. An' so I vant to tell you Jos'
300 ROMANCE
a leetle somet'ing an' den veil, mebbe I can
say * goo-gooda-by.' ' She came a little nearer and
spoke at first with some difficulty. " You ar-re
ver' kin' to t'ink of me so much aftair all de
tr-r-rouble I 'ave breeng but, dear you can
f or-rget me now it is all r-r-right your
vor-r-rk is done ! "
"What's that! " cried Tom, suddenly, looking
up.
Rita's eyes were shining.
"I vant to ma-ake my life all goo-ood like
you-r-rs ! Ah, ye-es I know dat vil be 'ar-r-rd,
but I don' car-re an' mebbe de kin' Madonna
she vill 'elp me vhen she see me try." She
clasped her hands together and lifted her face to
his with the dawn of a new hope in it.
Tom stared at her fixedly again. " Your lips
drop as the honeycomb your mouth is smoother
than oil but your feet go down to death and
your steps take hold on hell! "
Rita held her ground. She seemed to have sud-
denly lost her fear of him.
" You don't think God, 'E vill for-rgive me
no?" she asked a little anxiously. "Ah, foolish
LA CAVALLINI POINTS THE WAY 301
vone ! 'E vill," she smiled. " Did 'E not make
my face so men 'ave al-vays lo-ove me did 'E
not put my voice 'ere to de-light de vor-r-rold?
Did 'E not give to vone poor leetle girl who
ask Tm not'ings so much to car-r-ree dat she
lose 'er vay? 'E vill not be sur-r-pr-rise she
stumble so-ometimes 'E vill not scol' much vhen
she make meestake 'E vill Jos' smile an'
keep 'Is candle bur-rning an' in a leetle vhile
she see it an' co-ome 'ome ! "
Tom rose to his feet and came toward her.
" Promise me something ! " he exclaimed.
"Vhat?"
" Take my hands and look me in the eye
and promise me never to give yourself to any man
again."
Rita turned away in agony.
" Ah, vhy don' you tr-r-rust me vhy you
doubt me so ? "
* You won't? " he demanded at the top of his
voice.
" 'Ere take my 'ands ! " Tom seized them
eagerly.
" 'Ow col' you ar-re ! I promise vhat you
302 ROMANCE
vant I say? nevair to give myself to an-y man
again ! "
"You swear it?"
" Ye-es, I svear! Now are you satisfied?"
"A-ah!" he cried suddenly and pushed her
brutally away from him.
" Vhat is it now? " cried Rita.
" I've just remembered that you swore be-
fore"
Rita shrank guiltily away from him.
" No no ! Dis is not de same. Now I am
'onest!"
" You looked up just as you're looking
now," Tom began.
She raised her hands as if to ward off a blow.
"No, no!" she cried. "Stop it!"
" And you lied and lied you lied to me ! "
cried Tom, continuing his arraignment.
"No don't please; it is all diff'rent
now!"
" Different? I don't see it. Why, it's just
the same "
" No no I tell you I am diff'rent /
'ave change I am go-ing now to be goo-ood."
LA CAVALLINI POINTS THE WAY 303
" But can you? " he asked sneeringly.
" Listen ! I vill stop singing leave de stage
i
fin' out a convent where dey take me in an'
Ecco ! I 'ave it I Dere ar-re so-ome nuns near
Geneva who nur-rse de seeck! I vill go str-r-
raight from Napoli lear-rn 'ow to 'elp an*
vor-rk until my flesh fall fr-rom de bones."
" You'll do that just to show me you're sin-
cere? " cried Tom.
Rita turned to him imploringly.
" I vill do all you vant ye-es, any? ing
on-lee believe me Jos' believe or else I die I "
Tom's heart seemed touched at last.
11 All right," he said. " If you do that I'll "
" You mean it? " exclaimed Rita scarcely dar-
ing to believe her ears.
Tom's eyes were full of tears.
"Yes. God bless you, dear good-by," he
said in a husky voice. He picked up his hat and
had almost reached the door when he seemed to
remember something and, thrusting his hand into
the breast pocket of his coat, he pulled out the
long pearl necklace with the diamond cross which
she had left in his rooms that afternoon. As he
304 ROMANCE
turned back to lay it down upon the piano, his
eyes suddenly fell on Van Tuyl's visiting card.
He snatched it up and glanced at it furiously.
"That card this man Van Tuyl. He has
been here this afternoon? " he demanded.
" Meestaire Van Tuyl oh, yes. 'E only
came to say good-by," she explained anxiously.
"He's been here then?"
11 Si-si."
Tom put his hand to his throat as though to
steady himself. His eyes were blazing. Again
Rita began to cower.
"To-night?"
" Ye-es."
"When?" thundered Tom.
" Jus' be-fore you co-ome."
With a yell of rage, Tom seized the card and
crumbled it in both hands.
" Oh! What a fool I've been! What a fool
what a blind, miserable, wretched fool! "
" Vhat is it? " she cried, bewildered once more.
"Tell me vhat 'as 'appen? Vhat you mean?
O dear-r-r Lor-r-rd vhat you mean?"
" Don't try to cheat me any more 1 I know
LA CAVALLINI POINTS THE WAY 305
what's happened in this room to-night! While I
was tramping through the storm and snow, pray-
ing with my whole heart for your soul's redemp-
tion you lay here laughing in your lover's
arms."
" No no ! It is not true ! " she cried shrilly.
" And then I came another chance to make
a fool of me! And so you told me you'd re-
pented you smiled and smirked an Tell
me," he sneered, " how did you keep your face
straight? I'm rather curious to know."
" Please," she cried piteously. " Meestaire
Tom Jos' leesten I vill "
" And I believed you ! " Tom went on savagely.
" I believed! Another splendid joke to tell Van
Tuyl! And won't the old man love it. And
he'll be dead right even / can see it's funny.
Funny? It's the richest thing I've heard for
years and years I "
He threw his head back and laughed bitterly.
At the sound of his laughter Rita covered her
ears.
" Don' don' it is too ter-r-rible ! "
" Come on let's tell him together I " cried
3o6 ROMANCE
Tom deliriously. "Where is he? Outside
there, hanging round the corners? No! He's
still here slinking about some servant's pas-
sageway hiding behind a door at every sound
waiting till I have gone and everything's
quiet and you whistle twice to tell him the coast
is clear ! "
" Dat is not so, I say! 'E co-ome in kin-ness,
jos' be-cause 'e feel ver' sorr-ee for-r me an*
vhen 'e ask me to go to 'im, I 'ave re-fuse "
"What?"
She raised her head proudly and faced Tom.
"I 'ave r-re-fuse you 'ear me? I 'ave tol*
Mm ' No!' an' 'e is a gr-r-reat beeg man an*
on'erstan' an' den I t'ank 'im an' ve say
' goo-gooda-by ' "
"You lie!" he thundered. "Why, look at
those two chairs they look like a refusal, don't
they? And those glasses champagne! "
"No : no it is quite diff'rent you ar-re
all mee-stake I "
In fury Tom seized the table cloth and sent all
the table's contents crashing to the floor. Then
he turned on her fiercely.
LA CAVALLINI POINTS THE WAY 307
" Now will you dare to deny Van Tuyl's your
lover?"
"Yes! Yes! I do! I do!" sobbed Rita,
swaying a little as she spoke. " I 'ave r-re-fuse
'im an' I tell you vhy. I t'ought it vas because
I vant so much to be goo-od. But now I know
dat I vas all meestake. I br-r-reak vit 'im be-
cause I lo-ove anodder! "
"Who is he? " cried Tom, glaring at her.
Half fainting Rita held out her arms toward
him.
" You! "
Tom turned sharply.
"Don't!"
" Fr-r-give me," she cried, trying to pull her-
self together.
Tom twisted his hands as if in prayer.
"Oh, my God! Oh, my God!"
Rita, turning away from him, held on to the
back of the armchair for support.
" If you don' min' I mus' ask you now
to leave me it is almos' midnight you 'ave
your-r sair-vice in de chur-r-ch an' I myself mus'
tr-r-ry to sleep a leetle."
308 ROMANCE
She turned with a great effort and, holding out
her hand, tried to smile.
" So, goo-ooda night. I 'ope you "
Her words died away in terror as she saw the
expression on his face.
" Vhy you loo-ook at me like dat? " she cried,
recoiling from him.
La Cavallini knew that look too well.
" All right I'm going yes I'm going ! "
exclaimed Tom nervously. " But first there's
something we must do what is it? I forget 1
Oh, yes, of course! We must pray together 1
That's it ! Pray for your soul and for your soul's
salvation."
" No go now ! I am in God's 'ands 'E
vill take car-re of me " In sudden fear as he
came toward her: " Oh! vhat you want? "
" Come here ! " said Tom, thickly. He seized
her by the arms.
"There! That's right! Give me your
hands!"
He held them tight against his breast; then, as
Rita struggled again to free herself, he seized her
madly in his arms.
LA CAVALLINI POINTS THE WAY 309
" What a fool! What a fool I've been! " he
cried. " I thought I came to save you, but now I
know it was just because I "
" Meestaire Tom ! Meestaire Tom ! " she
sobbed despairingly. " Please let me go. It is
because I love you dat I ask! Don't be to me
like all the other mans, for it would break my
'eart. Let me be good ! " she cried imploringly.
" Let me be good ! Leesten ! leesten ! I am
'ere. I am alone. I 'ave not the strength to
fight against you any more," she implored.
" But before it is too late remembaire remem-
baire what I say this is the one beeg moment of
my life. The kind of womans I vill always be
is for you to say as we stand 'ere in dis room now
< and oh, Meestaire Tom don't make me bad
again. You are a man God sent to 'elp the
world. All right ! 'elp me go avay my
'ear-r-rt it vill go with you always. If you vill
only let me keep my soul. Let me be good," she
cried. " Let me be good ! "
At that moment came from the street the sound
of singing. Tom started and seemed to come
suddenly to himself. As his hold relaxed on her
3 io ROMANCE
she freed herself and rushed frantically to the
window and threw it open.
" Leesten ! " she cried. " It ees your boys.
They're calling you. 'Ear vat they sing! "
Above the whistles and the church bells the
voices of the choir of St. Giles's rose clear and
sweet. To Rita Cavallini that chorus seemed like
a direct answer to her prayer.
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His Holy Bride.
With His own Blood He bought her
And for her life He died.
Tom turned toward her abashed and shame
faced. She faced him fearlessly, but with a look
of unutterable tenderness in her eyes. He spoke
no word to her; but kneeling down beside her he
raised the hem of her skirt and kissed it rever-
ently.
" Gooda-by," she cried as he reached the door.
" God bless you always, Meestaire Tom."
And three minutes later from her little balcony
she watched him marching at the head of his
choir up Fifth Avenue and out of her life for-
ever.
THE EPILOGUE
One that was a woman, sir; but, rest her soul, she's dead!
Shakespeare.
But, O, for the touch of a vanish'd hand,
And the sound of a voice that is still!
Tennyson.
And as I walk by the vast calm River,
The awful River so dread to see,
I say " Thy breath and thy depth forever,
Are bridged by his thoughts which come to me."
Jean Ingelow's "Divided"
" AND that's how I remember her," concluded
the Bishop, " standing there all in white, with her
hair loosened and her eyes full of tears. She
crossed herself I think that she was praying
and the next thing I knew I was on the sidewalk
and my choir God bless 'em ! were coming
round the corner of Eighth Street, marching like
soldiers to the same tune that wretched German
band is murdering outside there now Ah I
Really that's too much ! Give them a quarter,
Harry and tell them to go away! "
3 i2 ROMANCE
Harry opened the window and threw a quarter
to the band.
" Hi you I That'll be enough for to-
night!"
The music stopped. There was silence, save
for a few far-off horns still welcoming in young
The Bishop roused himself as Harry returned
and put the dead violets and handkerchief in his
pocket.
" So that's what I wanted to tell you, my boy !
I came home that night an older and I think
a better man.'*
"And Madame Cavallini?" asked Henry
eagerly.
The Bishop was still gazing in the fire.
" She became even more famous before her
retirement but of course you know "
" Where is she now? " asked Harry.
" I'm not sure but I believe she's in Italy
somewhere living rather quietly. She and
Patti are the only ones left a wonderful
career, my boy a very great artist I never
saw her again."
THE EPILOGUE 313
Harry stood up and placed his arms rather
awkwardly round the back of his grandfather's
chair.
" I say, Grandpa d'you mind my saying that
that I think you're just a corker ! "
The Bishop smiled at him approvingly.
" Nonsense, my hoy ! But now I hope you
understand I haven't quite forgotten what it feels
like to be young and although it's true I al-
ways read the Evening Post I still can sympathize
and even presume to offer some occasional
advice!"
" I know it I appreciate it " began Harry.
" My dear, dear boy," interrupted the Bishop
solemnly, " unless your love is big enough to
forget the whole world and yet remember heaven
you have no right to make this girl your wife I "
Harry thrust his hands in his pockets and
walked up and down the room.
"Grandpa, I've been an ass!"
The Bishop wiped his glasses and gave a
whimsical smile.
" I suppose you have, Harry I suppose you
have!"
3 i4 ROMANCE
Harry turned and looked at his grandfather.
" I don't think you quite understood me, sir," he
said.
" I've been an ass to hesitate one single
minute! However, it's all right now Lucille
and I are going to get married as soon as ever
we can."
The Bishop looked startled.
" God bless my soul ! But that isn't why I
told you my story! I wanted to get this non-
sense out of your silly young head ! "
"Did you?" laughed Harry, patting the old
man's shoulder. " Well, it turned out quite
different and it's too late now to change. Have
have you any engagement for to-morrow
afternoon, sir? "
"I I can't say that I recall any at this
moment," said the Bishop, still rather flustered.
"Then d'you mind if we make one now, sir?
I want you to marry Lucille and me ; four-thirty's
a good hour, don't you think?
" Oh, Grandpa ! " and he seized his hand
" I can't say it as I ought to but we'll be grate-
ful all our lives for what you've done to-night 1 "
THE EPILOGUE 315
"Well well ! I declare!" said the
Bishop as Harry vanished. He took out his
handkerchief and passed it nervously over his
brow. The door opened and Susan appeared
smiling brightly.
" Happy New Year, Grandpa ! " she cried as
she kissed him.
"Happy New Year, my dear!" said the
Bishop.
"Well ?" she began angrily. "What
happened? Did you convince him? "
" Susan, I want you to order some white
flowers and a wedding cake ! "
" Oh I " Susan wriggled delightedly.
" For to-morrow afternoon ! " exclaimed the
Bishop very sternly. " Four-thirty, I believe."
Susan flung her arms about the old man's neck.
" You duck! I just knew Harry could get
around you! I knew this would happen," she
went on confidently. " You see I'm a bit of a
weather prophet, Grandpa, and I felt it in my
bones that though we've had rather a stormy
New Years, we are all going to have a perfectly
lovely Easter."
3i6 ROMANCE
The old man smiled at her lovingly. He
stroked his hair. " The curls are the curls of
my new little Susan," he said. " But the voice
and those beautiful hands, they seem to be those
of your dear grandmother."
The Bishop changed his tone. " So you knew
all the time that Harry would get around me.
Oh, did you?" said the Bishop, his eyes twink-
ling. " Well, now that you have arranged every-
thing to suit yourselves, would you please mind
finishing my paper and then going to bed? " He
leaned back comfortably and closed his eyes.
" Where is it? Oh, yes! Wait till I turn on
the light," said Susan. She sat down, crossed
her knees, sighed, and unfolded the Post.
" Civil Service Protest Seven Year Tenure of
Office Plan Opposed."
"Is there any foreign news?" asked the
Bishop.
Susan could no longer restrain a yawn. " Oh,
just some uprising in Portugal a new Chinese
loan." She turned the page. " Why, Caval-
lini's dead I I thought she died a long time ago,
didn't you?"
THE EPILOGUE 317
" What does it say? " said the Bishop, after
a slight pause.
" Oh, it's just a cable. * Milan Dec. 30.
Mme. Margharita Cavallini died this morning at
her villa on the Lake of Como.' "
"Is that all?"
" There's a whole column of biography stuck
on underneath. Shall I read it? Oh, of course!
I forgot! She and Patti were your two great
operatic crushes, weren't they? Well, she was
born at Venice in 1841. That makes her "
Susan began to count the years off on her fingers.
" Let me see."
" Don't tell me how old she was ! " pleaded
the Bishop.
11 All right," she smiled as she ran her eye
down the column.
"'Debut at Milan in 1859 Sang prima
donna roles in Paris under the direction of Ros-
sini success in London hm 1 brought to
this country by Strakosch appeared as " Mig-
non " at the Academy of Music ' Every one
went mad over her, didn't they? ' Opera and
concert tours over all the civilized globe retired
3i8 ROMANCE
in 1889 numerous charities founded and en-
dowed a home in Paris for poor girls who come
to study music in 1883 created Marchese Tor-
rebianchi by King Umberto I the intimate
friend of Rubinstein, Grieg and Paderewski
never married 'that's funny, isn't it?" said
Susan, dropping the paper for a moment.
" Well, no matter what you say I bet she wasn't
a bit more wonderful than my divine Geraldine ! "
She began to read again slowly. " Anglican
Congress at Detroit Federation of Churches
Further Plans. Oh, dearl There's the old
Conference again ! "
Susan yawned and, looking up, noticed that the
Bishop's head had fallen forward.
"Sleepy, Grandpa?" she said, tenderly.
The old man roused himself.
"I ? No, my dear, I was just thinking
that's all."
Susan yawned profoundly again.
"Well, 7 am, anyway. May I go to bed
now? "
The Bishop smiled indulgently.
" Of course, my dear, of course 1 "
THE EPILOGUE 319
Susan alighted like a little bird on the arm of
his chair and kissed the top of his head.
" Oh, Grandpa, you are such an old darling 1 "
,she cried enthusiastically.
" Thank you, my dear," said the Bishop
gravely.
At the door she turned to him again.
"And please don't sit up too late, will you?
And don't forget to turn off all the lights before
you come upstairs."
" I'll do my best," said the Bishop meekly.
11 Grandpa I " she called.
He turned in his chair. She smiled and blew
him a kiss. " I love you ! "
" Good night, little Susan," said the Bishop.
He sat for a moment in silence, then, rising
slowly, he closed the door and listened. There
was no sound. Almost stealthily he went over
to the case where the phonograph records were
kept, put on his glasses and looked over those
lying on top. Finally he selected one with much
care and gingerly put it on the machine. He
started it going. Switching off the lights the
Bishop returned to his armchair by the fire. A
320 ROMANCE
ruddy glow lighted up his figure. He carefully
took from his inside pocket the dead violets and
the little handkerchief. Looking at them, he
smiled a tender little ghost of a smile and sighed.
The rich voice of the Destinn record thrilled
through the darkness:
Kennst du so wohl?
Dahin ! Dahin !
Mocht* ich mit dir, O mein Geliebter, ziehn!
THE END
By RICHARD PARKER
NOVELIZED FROM CECIL RALEIGH'S GREAT ENG-
LISH MELODRAMA OF THE SAME NAME
big love-story of English sporting
society is crammed full of dramatic in-
cidents. "The Whip" strikes an answering
chord of sympathy and interest in every
reader. London and New York have voted
it the big hit of the decade.
"The Whip" is a big smashing success
full of pictures, thrills and laughs. New
York Times.
"The Whip" is the very last word in
thrills. New York Globe.
A genuine success. New Tork Evening
Sun.
Beautifully illustrated with pictures of real people, as thty
appear in the play.
Price $1.25 net; Postage 12 Cent*
The Macaulay Company, Publishers
15 West 38th Street New York
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