CHAPTER XLVIII. GERALDINE'S MOVEMENTS.
Oh, had wo never, never tnrt, Or could Ibis heart c'en yet forget, How blest, how happ> had wo been, Had fate not irown'd so cktik between ! Thomas Mookk. Tim elegantly furnished house in Franklin Squ-arc, temporarily occupied by the French ambassador, was the usual winter residence of a Northern Senator, whose agent, with the consent of the proprietor, had let to the Baron de La Valette until the first of the ensuing December-, before -which the- ambassador would be ready to return to France. It was some time after sunset, and, indeed, ne.nly seven o'clock, when Madame <le La Valcbbe and her guest alighted from their carriage, and entered the spacious hall of thib handsome house. " Dinner at eight my love. I will myself show you to your apaitmenb," said the lively little French lady, leading the way up stall's to a medium-sized chamber, very prettily, yet very simply furnibhed. Geraldine, still in deep mourning for her uncle and guardian, required but little adorning-. She had die-bed for dinner before leaving her boarding-house. She had only to lay oil her hat and mantle, and change her black kid gloves for white ones, to be 'ready for the e\ ening circle in the ■■drawing-room. Madame la Baronne did not keep her •guest She soon appeared, complimented Geraldine, kissed her, and led her down to the diawing-ioom, an elegant apartment, upholsteied in blue and gold, and occupied now by tw o gentlemen a delicate, refined looking little man, with a fair face and silver-giey hair and beard, whom 'inadame piesented as Monsieur de La Valette, and — a perfect contrast to the baron — a huge, obe&c joungman, with a large hear] co-\eied with short- cropped, sandy hair, and a broad, fair face, lighted with pale blue eye?-, and decoiated w ith a pair "of shoit-c-iipued sandy moustaches, whom Madame de La Yalctte piesented as Prince Sigismund Yon Schwciingen. Both gentlemen made profound bows, and gieeted the young lady with the mobt reverential courtesy. Both al»o spoke English pcifectl), with a .slight foieign accent. Dinner wa^ announced. The baron oOered his aim to Miss Fitzgerald ; Piince (Sigbnuuid bowed and tendered the bame court o^y to Madame de La Valette?; and so tho^ went into the diningrOOm. We need not linger fner this dinner, or the pleasant o\cniiig that followed it. It is enough for our purpose to say that before the ponderous (<erman bade hi.s ho.-t goodnight, Mi&s Fitzgerald had disco\ eicd that she had made a conquest of the greatest prince in Christendom, <-o far as si/c and weight go tow aid constituting greatness. "Who is this Piince Sigisrnund Yon Schweringci ?" inquired Geraldine of Madame de La Valette, who had accompanied her to her chamber for a little oliat before separating for ihe niirht. " Who is Prince Sigismund Yon Schweringen, Veroniquc ? I apprehend, of course, that he is probably some meie appanaged prince of some small German state, a younger brother, son, nephew or cousin of some little reigning grand duke, or some little grand duchy about half the size of one of one of our Virginian manors. But who precisely is he ?"' " You are right, Geraldine. He is the youngest son of the late and brother of the present reigning Grand Duke of Schweiin"Ah ! I wonder what is his age. It seems to me that ho may be of any age between twenty and fifty. Jf is face looks twenty, his figure fifty." " 1 thought so, too. I inquiied of Monsieur de La Valette, who told me that Prince Sigismund is just twenty-five. " " Only twenty-fh c ! Mi>crabih ' What a beast he will be by the time he is fifty !"' exclaimed Geraldine. " That is cruel of you to say, when it is .so easy to perceive that the prince is already infatuated with you." " From what y on say, my dear, it would £eem that His Highness is a bachelor," said Geraldine, with a shrug of her shoulders. "Yes, yes, certainly," laughed the little iady, as, with a " good-night" and a lia&ty kiss, she left the room. Geraldine sank deeper among the embroidered white lilies of her blue easy-chair and fell into thought. The subject might be guessed from the broken words that fell in low murmurs from her lips. "It I could drive Gerald from my thoughts — if I could drive Gerald from my thoughts — Prinoe Sigismund Voa Schweringen. I dai*e say he has little or noihing beyond his title. That does nob matter. I have enough for a dozen princes. And then his title— if he has no more— his title is a royal one, Prince Sigismund Yon Schweringen —Oh ' what a beast, / What does that signify ? Princess Yon Schweringen. Oh, Gerald, if I could only tear you from my memory ! Heigh-ho ! it is time to go to bed. " And to bed and even to sleep she went. The next morning after breakfast, while Veronique and Geialdine were sitting fcogetherin the boudoir of Madame la Baronne, a servant entered with a card upon a silver tray, which he offered, with a bow, to Miss Fitzgerald. Geraldine took it, and, to her great surprise, read, scrawled with a black lead pencil, in a large, school-boy hand : " Royal Greenleaf, of Greenwood.'' " Heavens ! my dear ! what is the matter? You look aghast ! Who is it ?"' exclaimed Madame de La Valettc. "It is my relative and ox guardian, Mr Greenleaf. I must see him, I suppose, Veronique. No,do nob be alarmed. There is nothing the matter. I was taken by surprise : that is all. W here shall I receive him, Veronique ?" La Baronne spoke in French to the servant, who respectfully answered in the same language, " Philippe says that Monsieur is in the little reception room. You will find him there. Philippe, attend Mademoiselle." The man, with a low bow, preceded Geraldine downstairs tofsa mall apartment opening on the right hand of the front hall, where she /<mnd Royal Greenleaf standing in the middle of the floor, gazing around on the frescoed and gilded walls, and looking a great deal too large for the room. Indeed, his fir,sb worcu, bhoweel he fclb so, too ;
" Hollo, Gerry! How do? Blest if 1 don't feel like a turkey-buzzard in a canary cage ! Haven't you got any bigger nor plainer-looking rooms than this to ask a fellow in ?" " This is the usual reception rcom for casual strangers, I believe, Mr Greenleaf. I am very much sin prised to sco you. When round arrived V "Why. early this morning. 1 came up by the same coach with 'the Rev. Dr. Goodwin, who is on his way to Europe for his health, you know. I left him at Fuller's, looking for his friends. I inquired for you at the stage-office, and they told me you were at Fuller's. I inquired at Fuller's, and they sent me to a slap-up fine boarding-houso near President's Square. I went there, and they told me that you were visiting here at tho new French ambassador's. Well ! I'm blest if lam not glad to find you at last, and get to some place where 1 can hang my hat and rest !" And with these woids Royal Greenleaf deposited his old leathern valise upon tho carpet, hung his hat upon a gilded gasburner, and seated himself comfortably in a large arm-chair. Geraldine also sank into a seat, overcome witli wonder and dismay. What had brought Royal Greenluaf to Washington, and \\ hat on earth did he mean by bringing his luggage and hanging up his hat in the French ambassador's house ? Did honest, frank, and simple-hearted I Royal think that because his lelativo, Miss Fitzgerald, was an imiteel guest at the ambassador's, ho also, as her relathe, might visit her, and take up hi.s abode there at (as> plea&uio '! Yes, indeed, that is just what frank, honest, hospitable Roj al thought: and ho fully expected that presently the lady of the house would appear and welcome him warmly, and diicct a man-servant to show him up to his room, and supply him with c\ cry thing he might need. " For such wa* the custom at Branksomcllall." That is to say, such was the custom at hospitable, kindly Greenwood. Geraldine did not know what to do in tho a.v> kward premit.es, or how to set him right without giving offence. llowe\cr, she put oil" the evil hour of explanation as long as >\\c could by engaging him in con vci eat ion for the present. " I hope you left tuem all uell at home,' 5 bhe said. "Oh, ye=, as well as they can be after the sudden way in u Inch you left them," said Royal, wiping his red face v>idi his handkerchief, and then milling up his red hair u ith hib tinge i s. "Did any particular business bring you to Washington, Mr Gieenlear ?" in<juhed Geraldine. "Vis!" answered Roy, emphatically; "and now I am coining to it. Geraldine Fit/freiald. I was jour guaulian up to a a try few day.s ago. " Yes, sir." " Well, Mi^s Fitzgerald :I, yom late tfiiardian and nearest male i dative (except Colonel Fit/geiald), nni&t undeistand tho rights of this matter better than I cm pretend to do now," s-vid Royal, stoutly. "As soon as I heaul that you had gone to Washington, I made up my mind to follow you as .soon as possible and have it out. So now, Gerry, I wi&h to hear the truth from your own lips. For if that fellow Fitzgerald has wronged you, set lire to him ! If ho weic fifty times a Fitzgerald and live hunched tinier my couoin, I call him out and light him, and one or the other of us should bite the dust before we parted !' said Royal Giecnleaf, grimly, diiving his great iingeis through his shock of red hair. "Mr Greenleaf, I thank you for your geneious zeal in my behalf ; but, indeed it i.s uncalled for. No one has wronged mo — least, of all has Colonel Fitzgerald. _ I bioke off the engagement with my cousin, and dismissed him, with ordeis never to appear befoi cmc a«nin. I suppose it was to pi event the possibility of hi, ever disobeying me that he &o suddenly mariied Gertiurto Jtnddon. See all !" " May I, as your late guardian, inquire irliji \ou broke the engagement, Geraldine '!" " No, you may not inquire : or if you do, I can give you no answer. It is my ow n affair." "Then you have noting to complain of in the conduct of Colonel Fitzgeiald V"' "Nothing whatever." " Well, then, I'm blest if / haven't !" '' You, Mr Greenleaf?'' " Vch. I !" " I should like to know what?" " lie married the girl I had set my heart on !" " You had set your heart on Geitrnde Haddon ? What do you mean, Mr Greenleaf ?" ■'I mean that I liked her myself. I intended to ask her to marry me. I did, indeed ! T told my sister Sue so. And she approved of my choice, but advised me to wait. I told Fitzgerald of it, and he advised me to wait. Said she was a mere child yet — too young ! Just think of that fellow, now ! Said she was too young to be married, and then turned around and married her himself ! I'm blest if I don't think I ought to call him out, after all !" burst forth Royal Greenleaf. "But had you ever asked this girl to marry you, Mr Greenleaf ?" 1 'No ; they all told me she was too young, I tell you." " Had you courted her ?" "No; when I court I mean business. And the very first thing I should do would be to put the question. No, I did not. But I wish I had !" " Then if you never addressed the girl, and never asked her to marry you, I do not see what quarrel you can have with Colonel Fitzgerald upon that subject," said Geraldine, who was bent on preserving peace at all costs. " No, and that is the worst of it. I wish I had a just caube of quarrel with him. However — 1 .Shall I, wasting in despair, Die because a woman's fair I If she be not fair to me ? What care I how fair she be V as the sweet old songster sang. ' Heap o sense in them old songs,' as Aunt Je&« would say. Besides, * there's as good fish in the sea as ever was caught out of it.' There's little Mary Faire— Mayfair, as we call her — a bright, charming little creature. But I say, Geraldine, where are the people of the house ? Or, if they are all too busy to come and make me welcome, aren't yon enough at home by this time to call a manservant to show me to some room where I can get some of this travel dust off me and put on clean clothes for dinner ? What time do you dino here ?" "We dine at eight o'clock. But, dear Mr Greenleaf, how shall I make you understand ? Madame de La Valette does not expect you. Indeed, I do not think she is prepared to accommodate you. Oh, what shall I say ?" she exclaimed with dismay. " Why, what is the matter with you, Geraldine ? Do you mean that your friends would not be glad to see mo?" inquired honest Royal Greenleaf, in perplexity. "Oh, Mr Greenleaf, how can I tell you ? I—lI — I think your visit would bo very inconj venient just now," said Geraldine, in great embarrassment. " That means, I suppose, I must seek a lodging elsewhere ?" " I fear «o, Mr Greenleaf. I am very sony."
11 Well ! if this is nob like being kicked out of doors, I do nob know what is !" said poor Royal Greonleaf, with a mortified and crsefcfallen air, as he took up his valise in ono hand and his hat in the other and prepared bo leave. "Oh, do nob say that, Mr Grecnleaf. I am so sorry ! but you know—" At that m6ment a footman entered with a card for Geraldino. She looked and read : "My Love : I have reflected : your guardian comes from the country. Unless he has made some a oi© agreeable arrangement, make him stay here. 1 will come down and welcomo him as soon as you will permit me. "Vekonique." With a smile of 'real pleasure Geraldine passed the card to Royal Grecnleaf. "There!" cried honest Roy, as soon as he had read it. "What did I tell you? I knew, of course, the politest people on the face of the earth, as the French are, weren't a going to behave worse than Arabs ! Here,'' he added, beckoning the footman, " tell your mistress 1 am much obliged, and of cour.se I accept her kind invitation."
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Te Aroha News, 26 November 1887, Page 2
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2,456CHAPTER XLVIII. GERALDINE'S MOVEMENTS. Te Aroha News, 26 November 1887, Page 2
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