Part 14 (1/2)

”I'm afraid your intervention has come too late,” said he, quietly.

”Why?” she demanded.

”Oh, it isn't worth speaking about,” said he. ”The young gentleman went a little too far--he has got to be taught a lesson, that is all--”

”Oh, listen to him!--listen to his bloodthirstiness!” she exclaimed, in affected horror; and then she suddenly altered her tone. ”Come, now, Mr.

Moore, you're not seriously going to try to harm that poor boy! He is a very nice boy, as honest and simple-minded as you could wish. And such a pretty boy, too--no, no, it is quite absurd--”

”You are right there,” said he. ”It is quite absurd. The whole thing is absurd. But it has gone too far.”

Here Miss Burgoyne was called.

”Will you leave it in my hands?” she said, leisurely rising from her chair, and tucking up her long train so that she might safely pa.s.s into the wings.

”Certainly not,” said he. ”You have no right to know anything about it.

The quarrel was forced upon me; I had no wish to harm your pretty boy, nor have I much now--except in trying to keep myself from being harmed.

But that is all over now; and this thing has to be seen through to the end now.”

He held open the door for her; and then he accompanied her along the pa.s.sage and up the steps, until they were both ready for their entrance on the stage.

”Men are so obstinate,” said she, with an air of vexation; ”so obstinate and foolish. But I don't care; I'll see if I can't get something done; I won't allow two dear friends of mine to do anything so stupid if I can help it. Why, the idea!--getting into a quarrel with a harmless young fellow like that! You ought to have been kind to him for my sake--for he really is such a dear boy--so simple and good-natured--”

”_But where is Grace?_” said a voice out there in the wide ball-room; and as this was Miss Burgoyne's cue, she tripped lightly on to the stage with her smiling answer: ”_One kiss, papa, before the guests arrive._”

And, as it turned out, there was no further opportunity of talk that night between Miss Burgoyne and Mr. Lionel Moore.

But two days thereafter, and just as Lionel was about to go out for his morning ride, the house-porter brought him a card. It was Mr. Percival Miles who was below.

”Ask the gentleman to come up.”

Here were the preliminaries of battle, then. Lionel had a vague kind of notion that the fire-eating youth ought not to have appeared in person--that he ought to have been represented by a friend; however, it was not of much consequence. He only hoped that there would be no further altercation or throwing of ink-bottles; otherwise he considered it probable that this interview would terminate in a more English manner than the last.

The young gentleman came in, hat in hand. He was apparently very calm and dignified.

”Mr. Moore,” said he, slowly, as if he were repeating words already carefully chosen, ”I am about to take an unusual course. I have been asked to do so--I have been constrained to do so--by the one person whose wish in such a matter must be respected. I have come to apologize to you for my conduct of the other day.”

”Oh, very well,” said Lionel, but somewhat coldly; he did not seem well satisfied that this young man should get off so easily, after his unheard-of insolence. Indeed, Lionel was very much in the position of the irate old Scotchwoman whose toes were trodden upon by a man in a crowd. ”I beg your pardon,” said the culprit. ”Begging my paurdon 'll no dae,” was the retort, ”I'm gaun to gie ye a skelp o' the lug!”

”I hope you will accept my apology,” the pale-faced young gentleman continued in the same stiff and embarra.s.sed manner. ”I don't know whether it is worth while my offering any excuse for what I did--except that it was done under a misapprehension. The--the lady in question seemed annoyed--perhaps I mistook the meaning of certain phrases she used--and certainly I must have been entirely in error in guessing as to what she wished me to do. I take the whole blame on myself. I acted hastily--on the spur of the moment; and now I am exceedingly sorry; and I ask your pardon.”

”Oh, very well,” Lionel said, though somewhat ungraciously. ”But you see you are getting rather the best of this performance. You come here with a ridiculous c.o.c.k-and-bull story, you threaten and vapor and kick up mock-heroics, you throw a bottle of ink over a book belonging to a friend of mine--and then you are to get off by saying two or three words of apology!”

”What can I do more?” said the humble penitent. ”I have tried to explain. I--I was as ready to fight as you could be; but--but now I obey the person who has the best right to say what shall be done in such an affair. I have made every apology and explanation I could; and I ask your pardon.”

”Oh, very well,” Lionel said again.

”Will you give me your hand, then?” Mr. Percival Miles asked; and he somewhat timidly advanced a step, with outstretched palm.

”That isn't necessary,” said Lionel, making no other response.

The fair-haired young warrior seemed greatly embarra.s.sed.