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THE DUCHESS OF WREXE

Her Decline and Death

A Romantic Commentary

by

HUGH WALPOLE

Author of "Fortitude," etc.







New York
George H. Doran Company

Copyright, 1914,
By George H. Doran Company




           TO
        MY MOTHER
A SMALL EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE
       BEYOND WORDS


    "And we'll have fires out of the Grand Duke's Wood."
    _Letter to Maria Gisborne_




THE RISING CITY: I

THE DUCHESS OF WREXE

_NOTE: This is an age of Trilogies and Sequels. The title at the
beginning of this book, "The Rising City: I," may lead nervous readers
to fear yet another attempt in that extended and discursive direction_.

_To reassure them I wish to emphasize this point--that_ The Duchess of
Wrexe _is entirely a novel complete and independent in itself. It is
grouped, with the two stories that will follow it, under the heading of
"The Rising City" because the three novels will be connected in place,
in idea, and in sequence of time. Also certain of the same characters
will appear in all three books. But the novels are not intended as
sequels of one another, nor is "The Rising City" a Trilogy.--H. W._




CONTENTS


BOOK I: THE DUCHESS

       I Felix Brun, Dr. Christopher, Rachel Beaminster--They
         Are Surveyed by the Portrait

      II Rachel

     III Lady Adela

      IV The Pool

       V She Comes Out

      VI Fans

     VII In the Heart of the House

    VIII The Tiger

      IX The Golden Cage

       X Lizzie and Breton

      XI Her Grace's Day

     XII Defiance of the Tiger--I

    XIII Defiance of the Tiger--II


BOOK II: RACHEL

       I The Pool and the Snow

      II A Little House

     III First Sequel to Defiance

      IV Rachel--and Christopher and Roddy

       V Lizzie's Journey--I

      VI All the Beaminsters

     VII Rachel and Breton

    VIII Christopher's Day

      IX The Darkest Hour

       X Lizzie's Journey--II

      XI Roddy Is Master

     XII Lizzie's Journey--III


BOOK III: RODDY

       I Regent's Park--Breton and Lizzie

      II The Duchess Moves

     III Roddy Moves

      IV March 13th: Breton's Tiger

       V March 13th: Rachel's Heart

      VI March 13th: Roddy Talks to the Devil and the Duchess
         Denies God

     VII Chamber Music--A Trio

    VIII A Quartette

      IX Rachel and Roddy

       X Lizzie Becomes Miss Rand Again

      XI The Last View from High Windows

     XII Rachel, Roddy, Lord John, Christopher

    XIII Epilogue--Prologue




BOOK I


THE DUCHESS




CHAPTER I

FELIX BRUN, DR. CHRISTOPHER, RACHEL BEAMINSTER--THEY ARE SURVEYED BY THE
PORTRAIT.


I

Felix Brun, perched like a little bird, on the steps of the Rede Art
Gallery, gazed up and down Bond Street, with his sharp eyes for someone
to whom he might show Yale Ross's portrait of the Duchess of Wrexe. The
afternoon was warm, the date May of the year 1898, and the occasion was
the Young Portrait Painters' first show with Ross's "Duchess" as its
principal attraction.

Brun was thrilled with excitement, with emotion, and he must have his
audience. There must be somebody to whom he might talk, to whom he might
explain exactly why this occasion was of so stirring an importance.

His eyes lighted with satisfaction. Coming towards him was a tall, gaunt
man with a bronzed face, loose ill-fitting clothes, a stride that had
little of the town about it. This was Arkwright, the explorer, a man who
had been lost in African jungles during the last five years, the very
creature for Brun's purposes.

Here was someone who, knowing nothing about Art, would listen all the
more readily to Brun's pronouncement upon it, a homely simple soul,
fitted for the killing of lions and tigers, but pliable as wax in the
hands of a master of civilization like Brun. At the same time Arkwright
was no fool; a psychologist in his way, he had written two books about
the East that had aroused considerable interest.

No fool, Arkwright.... He would be able to appreciate Brun's subtleties
and perhaps add some of his own.

He had, however, been away from England for so long a time that
anything that Brun had to tell him about the London world would be
pleasantly fresh and stimulating.

Brun, round and neat, and a citizen of the world from the crown of his
head to the top of his shining toes, tapped Arkwright on his shoulder:

"Hallo! Brun. How are you? It _is_ good to see you! Haven't seen a soul
I know for the last ever so long."

"Good--good. Excellent. Come along in here."

"In there? Pictures? What's the use of me looking at pictures?"

"We can talk in here. I'll tell you all the news. Besides, there's
something that even you will appreciate."

"Well?" Arkwright laughed good-humouredly and moved towards the door.
"What is it?"

"The Duchess," Brun answered him. "Yale Ross's portrait of the Duchess
of Wrexe. At last," he triumphantly cried, "at last we've got her!"


II

The Duchess had a small corner wall for her own individual possession.
The thin glowing May sunlight fell about her and the dull gold of her
frame received it and gave it back with a rich solemnity as though it
had said, "You have been gay and unrestrained enough with all those
crowds, but here, let me tell you, is something that requires a very
different attitude."

The Duchess received the colour and the sunlight, but made no response.
She sat, leaning forward a little, bending with one of her dry wrinkled
hands over a black ebony cane, a high carved chair supporting and
surrounding her. She seemed, herself, to be carved there, stone,