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Updated: May 6, 2025
A CRUEL mental stroke, like a heavy blow upon the body, sometimes benumbs and sickens at first, but does not torture; yet that is to follow. It was so with Ina Klosking. The day she just missed Edward Severne, and he seemed to melt away from her very grasp into the wide world again, she could drag herself to the theater and sing angelically, with a dull and aching heart.
Mademoiselle Klosking had not been long on the stage when she discovered her discarded husband in the stalls, looking the perfection of youthful beauty. The next minute she saw Vizard in a private box. Mr. Severne applauded her loudly, and flung her a bouquet. Mr. Vizard fixed his eyes on her, beaming with admiration, but made no public demonstration.
"Sir," said he, "pray excuse this intrusion of a stranger, but I am in great anxiety. It is not for myself, but for a lady, a very distinguished lady, whose interests I am charged with. It is Mademoiselle Klosking, the famous singer." Vizard maintained a grim silence. "You may have heard of her." "I have." "I almost fancy you once heard her sing at Homburg." "I did."
Then a tear or two began to trickle, carrying with them all the egotistical resolution Ina Klosking possessed at that time. Perhaps we shall see her harden: nothing stands still. This time the poor conquered. But every now and then for many days there were returns of torment and agitation and wild desire to escape to England. Ashmead made head against these with his simple arts.
"Ah!" she cried; and in spite of all, there was more of joy than any other passion in the exclamation. Not so he. He uttered a scream of dismay, and staggered, white as a ghost, but still glared at Ina Klosking. Zoe's voice fell on him like a clap of thunder: "What! Edward! Mr. Severne! Has this lady still any right " "No, none whatever!" he cried; "it is all past and gone."
Severne turned out to be her husband." "What is that?" shouted Uxmoor, and stopped dead short. "Mr. Severne a married man!" "Yes; and Mademoiselle Klosking a married woman." "You amaze me. Why, that Mr. Severne was paying his attentions to Miss Vizard." "So I used to fancy," said Rhoda carelessly. "But you see it came out he was married, and so of course she packed him off with a flea in his ear."
"Lay him on my bed," said La Klosking. "That is better than these hard couches." "You are right," said Miss Gale. "Ring for the servants. He must be moved gently." He was carried in, and set upon the edge of the bed, and his coat and waistcoat taken off. Then he was laid gently down on the bed, and covered with a down quilt.
Joseph Ashmead, with a hand which, par parenthe'se, is believed to be the whitest in Europe, and retired gracefully." On perusing this, La Klosking held two white hands up to heaven in amazement at the skill and good taste which had dragged this feature into the incident. "A circumstance has lately occurred here which will infallibly be seized on by the novelists in search of an incident.
Ashmead went to Ina Klosking in a rage and told her all this, and said he would take her to another hotel kept by a Frenchman: these Germans were bears. But Ina Klosking just shrugged her shoulders, and said, "Take me to her." He did so; and she said, in German, "Madam, I can quite understand your reluctance to have your piano strummed.
At sight of them a gentleman on the box tapped at the glass window, and said, hurriedly, "Here they are together." Mademoiselle Klosking said, "Stop the carriage": then, pausing a little, "Mr. Vizard on your word of honor, no violence."
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