 | Hilt to hilt, or, Days and nights on the banks of the Shenandoah in the autumn of 1864 |  |
XXXII.
ANTOINETTE DUVARNY.
The deserter greeted Landon's threatening glance
and address with perfect nonchalance.
“A moment,” she said, stretching out carelessly
a small foot in the most delicate boot imaginable.
“Monsieur seems really about to eat me! Fie!
that is not gallant to a lady.”
Landon leaned his elbow upon the table beside
him, rested his forehead upon his hand, and awaited
in gloomy silence.
“Eh bien!” said the deserter, in her satirical
voice; “that is better. You are more reasonable,
my dear Captain Landon. I see that you have made
up your mind to listen to my highly interesting
communication without interruption; and I assure
you that there are certain portions of it which will
tax your self-control to the utmost.”
Landon made no reply; he listened. The deserter
continued: —
“I have referred to Ratcliffe as your enemy.
What if I tell you that I have been an enemy a
thousand times more deadly, — though inspired by
Captain Landon. I come here in the midst of
your `Night Hawks,' where your will is law, to tell
you that; and I do so because I know you to be a
brave man and a gentleman, — not the base, petty
tyrant I have left yonder.
“Listen, sir,” continued the deserter, with a bitter
smile, — “listen, and I will relate a very curious
series of events for your entertainment. They would
interest the most indifferent, for I swear to you they
are singular; they will interest, above all, Captain
St. Leger Landon, for they explain how Miss Adair
came to break his heart.”
“Miss Adair!”
“And her own nearly, at the same moment,”
added the deserter.
Landon shuddered. In his white face his eyes
resembled two red hot coals.
“Speak!” he muttered, hoarsely.
“You will not interrupt me?”
“I will not.”
“Then listen,” continued the deserter, coolly,
“and I will tell you everything. My object in revealing
all this will appear later.
“Let us go back, if you please, Monsieur Landon,
to the year 1860, at which time you and this
dear Ratcliffe were fellow-students at West Point,
and I was residing in a village not far distant. I
born in New Orleans, where I first met the charming
Ratcliffe; and — shall I tell you everything?
— relate a little romance for your amusement?
You will scarcely understand, unless I begin at the
beginning.”
“Proceed,” said Landon, in a low voice.
“With great pleasure,” said the deserter, with a
singular smile.
And in tones of bitter humour she resumed: —
“My story will not be long. I was born of
French parents, in the city of New Orleans, and at
a ball one evening met a young Mr. Ratcliffe, from
East Tennessee. He was exceedingly handsome,
and paid me marked attention. On the next day he
called to see me; and, to be brief, became, or professed
to be, romantically enamoured of my dear
self. I was flattered, — my suitor was an Adonis,
you see, Monsieur Landon, — and I listened to his
flattering protestations. I should not have done so,
for I had already plighted my word to a gentleman
a thousand times more worthy of respect and love
than this person Ratcliffe. I was thus guilty of a
base wrong to Mr. —; but I will not soil his
name by pronouncing it with my lips. I will only
say that I was the affianced of one immeasurably
superior to this Tennessee Adonis; and that I deceived
love of a vulgar poltroon!
“Well, things took their course. Ratcliffe continued
his addresses secretly, and proposed that we
should be married secretly, as the rage of Mr. —
— that is, of my affianced — would be great. That
should have opened my eyes; but I was foolishly in
love with the Tennesseean, and I consented. We
were accordingly married privately. I left my family
with only a few lines of adieu; went to Tennessee
with Ratcliffe; and thence accompanied him to West
Point, in a village near which place I took up my
residence. Here he visited me regularly, by leaving
West Point without permission; and I went more
than once to see him at his own quarters. At his
quarters! you may exclaim, — a woman visit a West
Point Cadet at his quarters? Yes, my dear Captain
Landon, nothing in this wicked world is more
deceiving than `appearances.' Is not life a comedy,
or a tragedy, at best? Are not the costumes half
the spectacle? The dress, does not that make the
man or the woman? Well, I observed that a cadet
was a human being in a little swallow-tailed coat,
striped pantaloons, and a cap of peculiar fashion;
and as my dear Ratcliffe brought me a uniform, I
became a `West Point Cadet' in ten minutes. I
enjoyed the frolic, for there has always been a spice
of diablerie in my character. I dressed myself, and
little uniform, with my hair hidden beneath the cap,
and walking arm in arm with Ratcliffe, it was impossible
to mistake me for anything but a military
youth; and the proof is, that you saw me a dozen
times, and we were once introduced; you never
suspected me!
“Well, this is growing tedious — to proceed to
events. In speaking of what took place in New
Orleans, I was somewhat inaccurate. I stated that
Ratcliffe and myself were `married.' I should have
said that I believed at the time that we were married
lawfully; the real fact, however, was, that this dear
Ratcliffe had tricked and betrayed me. I was poor.
Ratcliffe discovered that, and he deceived me by a
sham marriage. One of his companions personated
a priest, — the whole ceremony was a farce, — and I
only came to know this months afterwards, when in
the North. Ratcliffe taunted me with the fact one
day, when he was shamefully intoxicated, and when
something between us had led to hot words.
“I will not stop to describe my feelings at this
announcement. I think it aroused the devil in me;
and Ratcliffe afterwards told me that the very expression
of my eyes sobered him; they `looked like
red hot coals,' he was pleased to say; and, indeed, I
could have killed him at that moment, or put an end
to myself. This, then, was the man for whom I had
times! For this vulgar wretch I had broken the
noblest heart I have ever known! Well, an hour
afterwards I had grown calm. Ratcliffe had soothed
and again deceived me. I was foolishly in love
with his pretty face, and again trusted him. He
had deceived me, he acknowledged; but with no
intention to do so really. His family would never
have consented to the match, he said; but he would
soon be his own master; he would wed me before the
whole world; and I was lulled to sleep again.
“Charming evidences of my dear Ratcliffe's confidence
followed this désagrément,” continued the
deserter, satirically. “He was more confiding than
ever before, less reserved as to his past life; and so
one day he related a curious incident, which I think
will interest you, Captain Landon, since it refers to
a certain Miss Adair of this neighbourhood.”
Landon's face slightly flushed. Otherwise he
remained unmoved.
“Continue,” he said, coolly.
“With pleasure,” the deserter replied. “Well,
the incident related by my dear Ratcliffe was this.
He informed me that just before meeting me he had
made the acquaintance of a young lady in Virginia;
had paid his addresses to her; she had led him on
step by step; then when he spoke, she had laughed
at him, refusing his suit with hauteur and positive
`such deception could be practised by any one,'
Ratcliffe growled out for reply, that he had been
betrayed by a rival. The young lady had fallen
crazily in love with a certain St. Leger Landon;
Landon was his friend; the very confidence reposed
in you had been his, Ratcliffe's, destruction; he
would be revenged on you and the young lady!
“He told me all this with flashing eyes, and a
face red with violent anger. He had long ceased to
care for Miss Adair, he added, but he would give his
right hand to be revenged upon her and the treacherous
friend, who, knowing his passion for her, had
basely interposed, and, by his deceitful arts, won the
heart of the young lady from him!
“When he spoke thus, I laughed; and probably
with a bitter sneer in the laughter.
“`What are you laughing at?' said Ratcliffe.
“`At your ideas of “baseness” and “deceitful
arts,”' I said. `That is the way you won me.'
“His face grew black; but, seeing that this expression
did not intimidate me in the least, he controlled
his anger, assumed a wheedling tone, and
resumed his narrative. A few additional words terminated
it. What he now had resolved on, he said,
was full vengeance. Would I assist him? If I
consented, he would marry me at once! Only to
secure his vengeance!
“I have never seen hate expressed so strongly.
He positively magnetized me — this dear Ratcliffe!
He was extremely handsome, and his anger became
him. Then his proposal was not so disagreeable.
To strike my rival did not positively revolt
me! To be brief, Ratcliffe saw that he had made
the desired impression, and proceeded at once to lay
before me the scheme which he had devised.
“Shall I go on, sir, or do I weary you? But no
reply to that question is necessary. I see from your
countenance, Captain Landon, that you are by no
means weary. Well, to proceed with my story.
Ratcliffe may be base, — I have never seen any one
more so, — but after hearing me to the end, you
will be compelled to confess that he is ingenious!”
| Hilt to hilt, or, Days and nights on the banks of the Shenandoah in the autumn of 1864 | |