Brownie's triumph

Adrian Dredmond, as he had stated to his grandfather when he so wrathfully opposed his marrying, was not quite a beggar; indeed, he was entirely independent of Lord Dunforth as regarded pecuniary matters.

His mother’s settlement had been the generous sum of twenty thousand pounds, which, of course, after her death became his.

His father also had accumulated quite a handsome property, so that, if he never received a pound from Dunforth’s coffers, he was able to surround his bride with every luxury, while nothing could prevent him from inheriting the title and landed property upon the old gentleman’s decease, since they were entailed.

The day after his marriage Adrian read in the Times that his lordship was in town for a few days, and he resolved to visit him, and acquaint him with the step which he had taken, and have the worst over with at once.

He was received kindly, yet with some coolness.

“Have you gotten over your folly, my son?” the old man asked, regarding the bright, handsome face keenly.

“No, my lord; instead, I came to tell you that I have only gotten deeper into it,” was the grave yet quiet reply.

“What do you mean, sir?” and Lord Dunforth got quite red in the face at this answer.

“I mean, my lord, that I meant just what I said several days ago. I told you that the happiness of two lives was at stake, and that I should marry the lady I love. Sir, I found that she was being shamefully abused and insulted in her situation, and I made her my wife yesterday.”

“And you dare come hither and tell me of it!” thundered the angry lord, starting to his feet.

“I could not endure to be at variance with you, sir, and I know you would honor me for the course I have taken if you would but consider the circumstances.”

“Never!” he interrupted, white with passion; “you have braved my displeasure, and now—begone! That a Dunforth should have stolen forth like that to marry a beggar!” and he groaned aloud.

“But, grandfather, listen——”

“I will not, I tell you, and I command you to begone; you are of age, and can henceforth manage your own concerns; but not one shilling of my property shall revert to you more than I can help, and I would keep the title and estate from you if I could. Go to your beggar-bride, and be happy, if you can. You have ruined my life. Oh, God! I thought I had suffered enough at the beginning without this last blow to crush me,” and he turned away from him, with a gesture of despair.

The young man’s heart bled for him, and he longed to comfort him, but he saw that his presence only excited him, and he withdrew, sad indeed, but without a single regret for the step which he had taken. He knew he had done right.

He was puzzled to know what his lordship had meant by saying he thought he had suffered enough in the beginning. He had never heard the story of his early disappointment, so he could not know to what he referred.

He sought his grandmother, and related his adventures and their termination to her.

He found her very kind and willing to listen to him, and he told her all about Brownie from the time of his first meeting with her; but she, too, deemed it a mésalliance, and was deeply distressed on account of it, as well as the rupture between him and his lordship.

But Adrian was her idol—the deed was done, and could not now be undone—and he was so high in his praises of his bride that she was half won over to his side before he left her, and she promised to visit them, if she could do so without incurring the displeasure of her husband.

Three days later the happy husband and wife might have been seen sitting in their luxurious drawing-room in the Langham Hotel, where everything which love could suggest or money procure had been lavished upon the lovely bride.

Adrian had insisted immediately following their marriage upon her procuring an extensive and elaborate wardrobe, “befitting a lady of rank,” as he laughingly said, although what that rank was he had not yet seen fit to tell her, and she was too happy, as well as too delicate, to question him upon such minor points.

Upon this particular morning, Brownie was exquisitely lovely in a soft, trailing robe of white cashmere, trimmed with rose-colored silk, and confined at the waist by a heavy cord and tassels of the same color. Full ruchings of costly lace surrounded her neck and wrists, and from beneath the folds of her dress peeped the tiniest kid slipper, ornamented with bows of rose-colored satin. Her hair was arranged simply, but very becomingly, for Milly took the utmost delight in her new vocation, and spared no pains to make her fair young mistress look beautiful; and no one could say, as she sits listening while her husband reads to her from the morning paper, but that the lovely bride was absolutely perfect, from the crown of her pretty head to the sole of her dainty slipper.

Nurse Clum has returned to West Malling, since she is no more needed for propriety’s sake; but she did not go empty-handed by any means, for Adrian crowded her poor little purse to its fullest capacity, while Brownie bought the very nicest black silk for a dress which she could find as a testimonial of her appreciation of the kindness which she had done her.

The little golden clock upon its bracket of carved marble chimed the hour of eleven, and scarcely had it ceased when there came a knock upon the door.

Another instant it was swung open, and the waiter announced:

“Lady Dunforth!”

Brownie colored violently at the name, and glanced in surprise at her husband, wondering how it happened that she, of all others, should be the first to call upon her.

Much pleased, Adrian rose to greet her ladyship, and, leading her to Brownie, said, to her increasing surprise:

“Grandmother, this is my darling. Will you love her for my sake first, until you come to know her, when, I am sure, you will love her for her own?”

The old lady had hardly seen Brownie when she was at the castle, she had been so much engaged with her company, and she would never have recognized her as the same being as she stood before her now in all her bright loveliness.

She was charmed with her!

Her quick eye took in at a single glance every item of her tasteful toilet, and even the narrow little foot, with its arching instep; and she knew at once that she was in the presence of a true and well-born lady.

Her heart, which had been filled with dread and distress ever since she had first known of her boy’s marriage, instantly settled down into a state of restful satisfaction and delight.

She greeted the young bride with the utmost graciousness, and said, sweetly, as she kissed her:

“My dear, I do not think I shall even need Adrian’s recommendation to make me love you.”

Brownie concealed her amazement at this new development as best she could.

She had never dreamed that Adrian was the grandson of Lord Dunforth until that moment, and the knowledge brought with it various conflicting emotions.

She gave him one quick, surprised look, and then devoted herself to the entertainment of her distinguished guest.

As she kissed Brownie again at parting, Lady Dunforth put into her hands a large velvet case.

“I do not know what you may have already, dear,” she said, “but I like a bride to wear pearls. Please accept these, with my love.”

Brownie touched the spring, and her lovely face flushed with pleasure as the cover flew back.

Upon their blue velvet cushion there lay a most exquisite and complete set of pearls in the loveliest design—necklace, bracelets, earrings, with a beautiful spray for the hair.

Adrian was very much gratified at this token of remembrance, and added his thanks to his wife’s.

“I do not know how soon we shall return to Dunforth Castle, but I wish you might come to West Malling before very long,” Lady Dunforth said, wistfully, when she went away, but she did not invite them to call upon her while she remained in town. She knew it would not do.

Delicately as she had worded the sentence, Brownie felt it with a sudden pain, and knew that no invitation was conveyed in the words, and her brow grew troubled and her face very grave when they were alone again.

Adrian at once divined the cause, and knew that he must explain his position; he could not keep it from her longer.

“My Brownie is looking troubled; were you not pleased with Lady Dunforth?” he asked, drawing her into his arms.

“Oh, yes. I think she is very lovely; but, Adrian, I never dreamed that you were anything to Lord Dunforth.”

“You never asked me, did you?” he asked, with mock gravity.

“Of course not; I did not like to be questioning you as to your ancestry; I supposed you would tell me all in good time of your own accord. I have heard that you were connected with a titled family, but never supposed you were a descendant of his, and would occupy such a high position,” she said, looking rather uneasy.

“Then it can never be said that you schemed for me on that account,” he replied, with twinkling eyes and an amused smile, “while I, on the other hand, have had the advantage of you all along. I have known ever since the day I first saw you that you were a descendant of royalty.”

Brownie lifted her head, and gave him a perplexed look.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I mean,” and he laughed, mischievously, “that I have heard Miss Douglas was very proud of having descended from Queen Margaret Tudor. Have you the genealogical tree, Brownie?”

“Poor auntie! But you are laughing at me, and who told you all this?”

“My friend Gordon, of course; so you see, I took care to find out all about you before I made any advances.”

She smiled at his pleasantry, but she was not to be diverted from the subject which occupied her thoughts.

“But—but, Adrian, why did Lady Dunforth speak in just the way she did? And why did not his lordship call with her? It would have been the right thing to do,” and she searched his face with her clear eyes.

He told her as gently as he could then that when he went to seek his grandfather’s consent, that, knowing something regarding the circumstances of her leaving Mrs. Coolidge, he had imbibed a sudden and unjust prejudice, and had withheld his consent to their marriage.

“Did you know of this before you announced our engagement at Lady Randal’s?” she demanded, when he had finished.

“Yes, darling; and, if the whole world had opposed, it would have made no difference. I am not a slave, nor a vacillating boy, that any one should choose my bride for me; and you are the only woman I have ever seen whom I would willingly make my wife. If my grandfather would only have listened to me while I explained your position, he would never have been so unreasonable.”

“But I——” Brownie began, haughtily, but he stopped her with a kiss.

“Yes, I know, my own, that the pride of that royal race is so strong within you that you never would have wedded me had you known of this opposition; therefore, I took care that you should know nothing of it until it was too late.” Then he added, more seriously, as he saw that her face was still overcast: “But, my darling, what is birth or caste, compared with our future happiness, even if you were not my equal, socially speaking, which I contend you are? We love each other, and have no right to make ourselves miserable over what the world might think or say. You and I are satisfied with each other, are we not?” he asked, fondly.

The look which she gave him told him that she, at least, was content with him; but, still knowing all that she did regarding Lord Dunforth, the knowledge that he was opposed to her marrying Adrian still rankled in her heart, though she forgot to consider that he could not know who she was, or that she had any connection with his former love.

“But, Adrian,” she said, some time after, and when he had supposed the matter dropped entirely, “Lord Dunforth need not have been so very particular, for he himself was once betrothed to auntie, and would have married her if——”

It was now the young husband’s turn to look surprised and puzzled, and he interrupted her in astonished tones:

“Dearest, what is this that you are saying?”

“It is true,” she answered, smiling at his incredulity, “that he wanted to marry her, and would, but for some treachery on the part of Miss Helen Capel, who is now Lady Randal, I believe; and poor auntie loved him till the last minute of her life.”

“Who told you of this?”

“Auntie herself, the very day she died, and the jewels which Isabel Coolidge has were, most of them, given to her in honor of her approaching marriage with his lordship.”

More and more amazed, Adrian was now eager to hear the whole story, and Brownie, nothing loth, went over the whole ground, and then proved her position by reminding him of Lord Dunforth’s recognition of the jewels she wore the night she attended the opera.

When she had concluded, he said, with a little touch of triumph in his tone:

“I think, Mrs. Dredmond, that we are about to turn the table upon my proud-spirited grandsire finely, and we will prove to him that there is such a thing as being ‘more nice than wise.’”

With which trite quotation he immediately sat down and wrote out a complete history of Miss Mehetabel Douglas and Brownie, and dispatched it at once to Lord Dunforth, feeling assured that this explanation would make everything all right, and bring his lordship to them in rather a more humble frame of mind than when he last saw him.

His chagrin can be imagined when the epistle was returned to him unopened, and without a word, thus showing that henceforth he wished no communication with him; and while his indignation for the moment got the better of him, he was still deeply grieved to be thus alienated from his grandfather in his old age.

But Brownie, all her pride aroused to arms, vowed within herself that the haughty earl should yet sue for her favor.