Katrine: A Novel Read online

  VI

  DERMOTT GIVES A DINNER AT THE OLD LODGE

  The following morning, as she stood clipping the roses, DermottMcDermott leaned over the hedge.

  "Will you marry me, Katrine?" he said, with no salutation whatever.

  "Will you wait," she inquired, "till I've finished cutting the roses?"

  "But I'm in earnest," he announced.

  She held the clippers in her gloved hand to shade the sun from her eyes,regarding him in her friendly, companionable way.

  "Dermott," she said, "what makes you such a liar?" The word as she spokeit of him seemed almost a compliment.

  "You've been associating, I fear, with some narrow and confined spirit,who repeats things exactly as they occurred. I've more imagination!" heexplained, with a laugh. "Why should I not change things a bit?" hecontinued. "Every Irishman's got to have one of three vices: whiskey,love-making, or lying. Mention me one of any distinction who had none ofthese!"

  "There was St. Patrick," Katrine suggested, a laugh held under hereyelids.

  "He's so remote you can prove nothing against him. Take another that Ihave later news of."

  "Wellington."

  "He was never an Irishman."

  "And Burke."

  "And I'm thinkin', begging your pardon, Mistress Katrine, there was alady to be explained away in his case. No," he said, waving hersuggestion far from him, "all the Irish are alike. They've, as I say,one of three vices. I lie, that's why I'm so interestin', especially tothe ladies. Suppose I say: 'Old Mrs. O'Hooligan was tripped by a dog inthe lane yesterday!' Who cares? Not one soul in a thousand! But instead,with a gesture: 'Did ye hear of the startling adventure of Mrs.O'Hooligan? She was coming home at midnight from a sick friend's' (it'swell to throw in a few sympathetic touches if ye can). 'Suddenly ananimal, a strange animal, came by, something like a mad bull' (of courseyou can enlarge or diminish the animal as required; in the mist of nightI have found a black cat very telling). 'She saw the vision quiteplainly. It passed, touched her, there was a word in the air whosesignificance she was unable to determine, and in the morning the friendwas well--or dead.' For conversational purposes it makes no difference."

  He wore a broad smile as he spoke, looking down at her with great loveand devotion.

  "Ye see, Mistress Katrine, the ladies like a little exaggeration.There's Mrs. Ravenel likes me fine, and says it's my temperament; andPeggy of the Poplars is crazy about me; and hundreds in the twocontinents who'd marry me at a second's notice. I'm a great lover," helaughed somewhat uneasily, keeping his eyes averted, and adding, "when Idon't care! Ye see, a woman doesn't mind a bit of exaggeration in aman's love-making," he went on. "Now there was Antony, who threw a worldaway. What's that! One world! I'd tell her I'd throw away a universe ofworlds. Why not be extravagant! It's all," he laughed again softly,"it's all 'hot air,' anyway."

  "And yet you're a truthful person, Dermott McDermott. There's none cantell the truth more bravely or with greater nicety than you," Katrinebroke in.

  "When I've need of it, and it's an affair of men," he answered. "Oh, Istill know Truth when I meet her. We've not fallen out altogether, but Istick to it that she's very dry company. But this discussion, after all,is merely academic," he said, with a droll smile. "I have come to you ina perturbed state of mind. You have refused to marry me thousands oftimes, it is true; but I am noble, and forgive. To-morrow I am havingsome delicacies sent me from the North. My cook is a duffer. Now, Ithought, why can't Katrine Dulany and I have a little dinner, with Norato prepare it, Mr. Ravenel asked in, and all be happy together?"

  "I don't think Mr. Ravenel can come. There are visitors at RavenelHouse," Katrine explained.

  "He can-and I think he will-leave them for one evening," Dermottanswered.

  * * * * *

  "I'm the only human being alive that ye've not hypnotized, FrankRavenel!" Dermott cried, with a laugh, as the three of them sat atdinner at the Old Lodge the evening following this talk. "The onlyperson ye've ever known, probably, who did not fall under the charm ofthe ways and the eyes of you." There was flattery in this of such asubtle kind that Katrine looked quickly from one to the other, for withwoman's intuition she had long since felt the antagonism between them.

  "Ye see," Dermott went on, "I underrated the South when I came here. YouSoutherners understand people as I think no other folk on earthunderstand them. That's your great strength," he said, addressinghimself entirely to Frank. "Now, in a business matter I might, thoughI'm by no means sure of it, get the better of you." His eyes were blandand frank as he spoke. "But where you would always have the advantage isin knowing the people you may trust. It's a great gift that. Thegreatest knowledge of all is to know people, and it seems to be aninstinct with you, Mr. Ravenel!"

  Again Katrine looked from one to the other, mystified, as Francis satsmiling under this flattery.

  "Shouldn't there be accompanying laurel wreaths with this unsolicitedtestimonial, Mr. McDermott?" he inquired, with a laugh.

  In a second Dermott took warning, left the subject, and was gallopingover conversational fields furthest from compliments to Frank.

  "About the trouble over your Senator here from North Carolina. I'd atalk with the President concerning him, and it was mentioned, thoughhiddenly, that the White House does not want him returned."

  And later--

  "The pork bill! Heavens! I saw McClenahan in the Senate about it, and Isaid to him: 'If ye stand for the pork bill, ye'll not be returned tothe Senate next year. I'll see to it myself. I know your district. God!How I know it! You can buy every vote in that part of the land of thefree and home of the brave for ten dollars, or less--and I've the moneyto do it.' He didn't vote for it." McDermott finished with a jollylaugh.

  Again and again during the dinner he discussed his private affairs inthis manner, deferring to Ravenel, flattering him by asking opinions onweighty subjects, listening to the answers with gloomy attentiveness,bewildering, fascinating, dominating, by a perfectly conscious use ofevery power he possessed.

  At the mention of a coaching party which had passed Katrine's house theday before, with Frank driving four-in-hand, he added a note of gayetyto the dinner, returning at the same time to the game he was playingwith Frank.

  "I never see ye drive, Ravenel," he cried, "but I think of the oldendays. Ye've a style all your own when you hold the lines. Wait aminute! Wait a minute! I'm seized with rhyme." He stood silent, his eyesdrawn together at the corners, his gaze concentrated, glass in hand,before he began with a hypnotic look and great lightness of bearing torecite, waiting every little while for the right word to come to him:

  "When Ravenel drives four-in-hand, There's something in his style and way That takes us to a by-gone day Of statelier times and manners grand: When ladies gay, In bright array, And patch and powder held their sway."

  "I rather fancy that last!" he cried, repeating it:

  "When ladies gay, In bright array, And patch and powder held their sway.

  "When Ravenel drives four-in-hand, The days of chivalry return, Hearts with an old-time passion burn, And lords and ladies fill the Strand, Our thoughts in that old time abide When Raleigh lived And Rizzio died, And fair Queen Mary sinned and sighed-- That olden land, That golden land, When Ravenel drives four-in-hand.

  "To you, Mr. Ravenel!" he cried, draining his glass.

  "Thank you, McDermott," Francis answered, with a pleased smile, "youhave, indeed, the gift of rhyme." And Katrine knew as Frank spoke thathis distrust of Dermott had been laid aside for the present, and that hewas in a state of mind to grant anything which Dermott might demand ofhim.

  The thought troubled her after she had left them together for the coffeeand cigars. She had believed for a long time, as she had told Frank inthe rose-garden, that Dermott was in Carolina on some business connectedwith Ravenel, and she had an instinct that the affair wa
s to be broughtto a head to-night.

  From her place in the hall she could see that Dermott had brought hischair around to Frank's side at the table, and she heard him say:

  "You know--or probably, with your celestial indifference to businessaffairs, Ravenel, you don't know that there is a small piece of land onthe other side of the Silver Fork which belongs to your estate. Inlooking up some old titles I discovered it. It's like this." He drew anote-book from his pocket, drawing as he talked. "Here's Loon Mountain.Here's the Silver Fork. Here's the Way-Home River. Ye've the right, Idiscover, to the land marked R. It's, as you know, of small value toyou, and I'm wanting it. It's a vagary of mine. I may be going to raiseeagles on it."

  At the words, Katrine, who had been retuning an old guitar, took alarmand was alert on the instant. Striking it quickly, insistently, she cameto the door of the dining-room, which framed her beauty like a picture.

  "I'm going to sing you an Irish song, a real Irish song!" she cried,gayly, touching the strings. The men turned, and Francis, with the landon the other side of the Silver Fork clear out of his mind at sight ofher, came near the doorway where she stood.

  "Come all ye men and fair maids And listen to my song, I'll sing of Bloomin' Caroline, Who never did a wrong.

  SHE

  Beats the fragrant roses, She's admired by all aroun'. They call her Bloomin' Caroline, Of Edinboro Town."

  She played an interlude carelessly.

  "Young Henry, being a Highland lad, A-courting her he came, And when her parents heard of it They did not like the same.

  so

  She bundled up her costly robes, The stairs came tripping down, And away went Bloomin' Caroline From Edinboro Town."

  Dermott had risen and stood by the far window, looking into the night.Unseen by him, she touched Frank on the sleeve.

  "Do not do anything he asks you to do to-night," she whispered, withgreat intensity, and in a minute more was back at the singing.

  "They had not been in London For scarcely half a year--"

  and before the song ended the two men were joining the refrain, takenout of themselves by her beauty and charm.

  For nearly a week after this she saw neither of them again, but herhonest soul was fretted by the word she had given against a truefriend; so, when she saw Dermott riding along the river-bank, she calledto him from the rocks upon which she sat.

  "Dermott McDermott," she cried, "come here!"

  He rode through the ferns and undergrowth toward her, as she stoodlooking up at him with fearless eyes.

  "I've done something I want to tell you, something you won't like, forit was going against you; and it makes me feel that I've not been quiteloyal to you, you that's always been so good to me, too." The quicktears filled her eyes as she spoke.

  He dismounted to be nearer her, and, putting out his hand, said:

  "There's nothing you could do that's not forgiven. You hold my heart inthe hollow of your hand. What did ye do, child?"

  "The other night when I saw you turning Mr. Ravenel the way you wantedby your flattery and your hypnotic presence, I knew ye wished him to dosomething for you. I knew when you told him how clever he was--_clevererthan you were yourself_--that it must be something very great to makeyou admit a thing like that. And when you were not near I warned himagainst selling you that land. I said: 'Don't do anything DermottMcDermott wants you to do to-night." Here she broke into a storm ofweeping. "You see, he's been so kind to me," she explained.

  Dermott stood looking at her with pity and admiration as he put his handgently on her shoulder.

  "Ye did just what was right, little lady; just the thing that any sweet,grateful woman should have done. You understood what I was doing,thought a friend might be cajoled wrongly, and warned him against it.I'm proud of ye for it!" he cried, with enthusiasm. "Proud of you!" herepeated. "And besides," he added, with a laugh, "it didn't make theslightest difference. He did it anyhow! We signed the papers to-day!"

  "The papers for what?" she demanded.

  "For that useless bit of land on the other side of the fork," heresponded.

  "Dermott," she said, "you play fair, don't you? You wouldn't takeadvantage of any one?"

  "Wouldn't I?" he said. "If it were to help you, I'd outwit the deilhimself, Lady Katrine."