Prince Fortunatus | Page 3

of polled cattle. The natural consequence of
all this was that Lord Rockminster found himself called to a
never-ending series of concerts, theatres, private views, and the like,
and always with one or other of his beautiful, tall sisters as his
companion; while on a certain occasion (for it was whispered that Lady
Adela Cunyngham was engaged in the composition of a novel, and her
brother was the soul of good-nature) he had even gone the length of
asking a publisher to dine at his club. And here he was seated in an
actress's room, alone, while his sister was inspecting powder-puffs,
washes, patches, and paste jewelry; and not only that, but they were
about to take an actor home to supper with them. What he thought
about it all he never said. He sat and stroked his small yellow
moustache; his eyes was absent; and on his handsome, almost Greek,
features there dwelt a perfect and continuous calm.
Presently the door was opened, and the smart-looking young baritone
who had stolen away the hearts of half the women in London made his
appearance. He was a young fellow of about eight-and-twenty,
pleasant-featured, his complexion almost colorless, his eyes gray with
dark lashes, his eyebrows also dark. In figure he was slight and wiry
rather than muscular; but where he gave evidence of strength was in his
magnificent throat and in the set of his head and shoulders. It may be
added that he possessed, what few stage-singers appear to possess, a
remarkably well-formed leg--a firm-knit calf tapering to a small ankle
and a shapely foot; but, as he had now doffed his professional silken
stockings and silver-buckled shoes for ordinary evening wear, his
merits in this respect were mostly concealed.

No sooner had he begun to talk to Lord Rockminster than the sound of
his voice summoned forth from the inner apartment Lady Adela, who,
with many expressions of thanks, bade good-night to the prima-donna,
and put herself under charge of the young baritone.
"My sisters are at the Mellords' to-night," said she, as she accompanied
him along the corridor and up the steps and through the now almost
deserted wings. "They were dining there, and we left them as we came
to the theatre, and promised to pick them up on our way home. There
will be a bit of a crush, I suppose; you won't mind coming in for a few
minutes, will you, Mr. Moore?"
"I don't know Mrs. Mellord," said he, with becoming modesty.
"But everybody knows you--that is the great point," said this tall young
Englishwoman, who looked very gracious and charming, and who,
when she turned to talk to her companion, had a quick, responsive
smile ever ready in her clear, intelligent, gray-blue eyes. "Oh, yes, you
must come. It is one of the prettiest houses in London; and Mrs.
Mellord is one of the nicest women. We will get Sybil and Rose away
as soon as we can; and I shouldn't at all wonder if we found Georgie
Lestrange and her brother there too. Oh, almost certain, I should say.
Then we could carry them off to supper, and after that Pastora might try
over her duet with Damon. But as regards the Mellords, Mr. Moore,"
said she, with a pleasant smile, as he handed her into her brougham,
which had been brought round to the stage-door, "I shall consider you
to be under my protection, and I will take care no one shall ask you to
sing."
"But you know, Lady Adela, I am always delighted to sing for any
friend of yours," said he, promptly enough; and then, when he and Lord
Rockminster had entered the carriage, and the footman had shut the
door and got on the box, away they drove through the busy midnight
world of London.
It did not take them long to get from the New Theatre to the house of
the famous Academician; and here, late as it was, they found plenty of
people still arriving, a small crowd of onlookers scanning the various

groups as they crossed the pavement. On this hot night in May, it
seemed pleasantly cool to get into the great hall of white and black
marble, where the miniature lake, on which floated an alabaster swan,
was all banked round with flowers; and when Lady Adela had
dispossessed herself of her long plush coat, it was evident she had
dressed for the reception before going to the theatre, for now she
appeared in a costume of silver-gray satin with a very considerable
train, while there were diamond stars in her light brown hair, and at her
bosom a bunch of deep crimson roses. At the head of the stairs they
encountered Mrs. Mellord, who received the famous young baritone
with the most