Complete Works of Wilkie Collins (1968 page)

           
Bintrey
. (
aside
). He has rather a tigerish way of being glad!

           
Wilding
. (
overhearing
B
INTREY
). What?

           
Bintrey
. Charmed with Mr. Obenreizer’s sentiments — that’s all!

           
Obenreizer
. (
continuing to
V
ENDALE
). And you have had the condescension to come into trade?
You
, descended from so fine a family! A dealer in wines! Stop, though! Wine? Is it trade in England, or profession? Not a fine art?

           
Vendale
. Mr. Obenreizer, when we last met, I had only come of age — I was young and foolish; and I had just inherited the fortune left to me after my parents’ death. I have grown a year or two older, and I have got rid of my boy’s vanity, since that time.

           
Obenreizer
. Your vanity? Bah! You tax yourself too heavily — you tax yourself as if it was your Government taxing you! My dear sir, I like your condescension. It ennobles trade! The misfortune of trade, is its vulgarity. Any low people — I, for example, a poor peasant — may take to it, and climb by it. Yes, Mr. Wilding! Yes, Mr. Bintrey! I possess your English virtue of frankness. I own myself a man of low origin — bah! for all I know, a man of no origin at all!

           
Wilding
. (
to
B
INTREY
). Do you hear that?

           
Bintrey
. (
to
W
ILDING
). I’m deaf, on principle, to all humbug!

           
Vendale
. May I ask after your ward! Is Mademoiselle Marguerite well?

           
Obenreizer
. (
suddenly altering in manner
,
and speaking feelingly and seriously
). Mademoiselle Marguerite is, I am happy to say, sir, quite well!

           
Bintrey
. You are rather young, Mr. Obenreizer, to be a lady’s guardian.

           
Obenreizer
. (
as before
). Young in years, Mr. Bintrey; old in discretion and experience. The father of this young lady — whom it is the honour and happiness of my life to protect — was, by origin, a peasant like myself. He had watched me from my childhood — he had seen me win my way honestly, inch by inch, higher in the world, as he had won his. He died, a lonely man who had outlived all the friends of his own time — he died, knowing that he could trust me. I received his priceless charge — the charge of his child. At my request, her little fortune was secured to her, independently of me, when she comes of age. I only accepted the small yearly sum which her father left to me, on
that
understanding. I shall live and die true to my sacred trust! (
Resuming his former manner
.) Mr. Wilding! you are asked to put confidence in me in matters of trade. I am not sure of my origin — I am not even sure if my parents
were
my parents after all. But one thing I know! I must be open as the day; I must be true as steel — or my friend’s daughter would never have been trusted to these peasant’s hands!

           
Wilding
. (
aside to
B
INTREY
). He is about my age — he is not sure of his origin; he is not sure of his parents. You hear him again?

           
Bintrey
. (
to
W
ILDING
). No, I don’t hear him again!

           
Vendale
. (
to
O
BENREIZER
). Is Mademoiselle Marguerite in Switzerland?

           
Obenreizer
. (
seriously
). Mademoiselle Marguerite is here. With her excellent relative, Madame Dor.

           
Wilding
. Do you mean that the ladies are waiting for you? (O
BENREIZER
bows
.) Beg them to join us directly! I am shocked to think that ladies should have been kept waiting at my door. I’ll go and fetch them myself!

           
Obenreizer
. Not for the world!

(
Exit
.)

           
Vendale
. (
aside
). I shall see her again! Oh, if she only remembers
me
as I remember
her!

           
Wilding
. (
to
B
INTREY
,
speaking earnestly
). I must ask him about his early life. There may be something providential in the accident which has brought this man here to-day!

           
Bintrey
. Mr. Wilding, when Mr. Obenreizer comes back, will you favour me by doing something?

           
Wilding
. Certainly! What can I do?

           
Bintrey
. If you choose to make a great effort, you can hold your tongue!

(
Enter
O
BENREIZER
,
leading in
M
ARGUERITE
,
and followed by
M
ADAME
D
OR
. M
ADAME
D
OR
has a dirty glove on one hand
,
which she is cleaning with india-rubber. Sitting or standing she always keeps her back turned on the persons about her
.)

           
Obenreizer
. (
to
W
ILDING
and
B
INTREY
,
presenting
M
ARGUERITE
). My ward — Mademoiselle Marguerite! (W
ILDING
and
B
INTREY
bow
. M
ARGUERITE
notices
V
ENDALE
,
betrays her pleasure at meeting him again
,
then glances at
O
BENREIZER
,
and suddenly restrains herself. She and
V
ENDALE
talk apart. Meanwhile
O
BENREIZER
,
in his jesting tone
,
introduces
M
ADAME
D
OR
.) Madame Dor! the guardian angel, gentlemen, of my gloves and stockings! (M
ADAME
D.
bobs sideways to
W
ILDING
and
B
INTREY
,
and plumps down
,
with her back to everybody
,
cleaning the glove
. O
BENREIZER
continues
.) You adore domestic details in this country, Mr. Wilding! You insist on nothing else in your books; you will buy nothing else in your pictures. Behold (
pointing to
M
ADAME
D.) the most domestic woman in existence! To-day, she is cleaning my gloves; to-morrow she will be darning my stockings; the day after she will be up to her elbows in suet and flour, making my puddings — my good, solid, indigestible English puddings! You admire her fine large back, don’t you? Bah! her back is a baby, compared to her heart!

           
Vendale
. (
to
M
ARGUERITE
). Have you ever thought since of our happy days in Switzerland?

           
Marguerite
. Over and over again, Mr. Vendale. Do you remember our lakes and mountains?

           
Vendale
. (
in a whisper
). I only remember
you!

(M
ARGUERITE
turns aside confused
.)

           
Obenreizer
. (
tenderly to
M
ARGUERITE
). I am afraid the journey has fatigued you? I am afraid all these new faces here confuse you. (M
ARGUERITE
makes a sign in the negative
.) No? Ah! you are too kind to let me be anxious about you! You will acknowledge nothing that can give me a moment’s pain! (
She passes on to
W
ILDING
and
B
INTREY
,
who speak to her apart
. O
BENREIZER
turns abruptly to
V
ENDALE
.) Ha! Mr. Vendale, I will make that charming creature’s English home, a home that is worthy of her! Where the money is to come from, who knows? But it shall be done! Silks, and satins, and laces, and flowers — my ward shall have them all. Can your sound English sense understand a man who sacrifices everything to one dominant idea? I dare say not! You are so well brought up in England; you are so prosperous and so rich! I was brought up in the cowshed with the cow! I was brought up barefooted, to beg for halfpence on the highway! While your parents were saying to
you
, “Nice boy, come and kiss us!” my parents (if they
were
my parents) were saying to
me
, “Little wretch! come and have the stick!” (W
ILDING
makes an attempt to speak to
O
BENREIZER
. B
INTREY
holds him back
.) Bah! we were a sordid set where I passed
my
young life. I wish I could forget Switzerland.

           
Marguerite
. For my part, I love Switzerland.

           
Obenreizer
. (
anxiously to
M
ARGUERITE
). Then, I love it too! I have said nothing to hurt you, I hope? A slip of the tongue, dearest! Remember that we are speaking in proud England!

           
Marguerite
. I speak in proud earnest. I am not ashamed of my country — I am not ashamed of being a peasant’s daughter.

           
Vendale
. (
to
M
ARGUERITE
). I understand your feeling, and admire it.

           
Obenreizer
. (
to
M
ARGUERITE
,
after looking at his watch
). I am sure you are fatigued! I am sure you need rest and quiet!
En route
, my dear Marguerite!
en route
, my good Dor! Mr. Wilding, I am delighted to have presented myself.

           
Wilding
. Mr. Obenreizer —
 
—

           
Bintrey
. (
behind
W
ILDING
). Hold your tongue!