Volume I Part 18 (1/2)

”Do you think it 's of any consequence?” asked he again, in a harsher tone.

”Why, of course, sir, it--is--of some con--”

”I mean,” broke he in, ”does it signify whether I go to jail, and the rest of you to the workhouse,--if there be a workhouse in this rascally land?”

Seeing that he had totally forgotten the landlord's presence, I now motioned to that functionary to leave the room. The noise of the door shutting roused up the governor again. He looked wildly about him for an instant, and then s.n.a.t.c.hing up the poker he aimed a blow at a large mirror over the chimney. He struck it with such violence that it was smashed in a dozen pieces, four or five of which came clattering down upon the floor.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 256]

”I'll be a maniac,” cried he. ”They shall never say that I ran into this extravagance in my sober senses; I 'll finish my days in a madhouse first.” And with these words he made a rush over to a marble table, where a large porcelain vase was standing; by a timely spring I overtook him, and pressed him down on an ottoman, where, I a.s.sure you, it required all my force to hold him. After a few minutes, however, there came a reaction; he dropped the poker from his grasp, and said, in a low, faint voice, ”There--there--I 'll do nothing now--you may release me.”

There 's not a doubt of it, Bob, but he really was insane for a few moments, though, fortunately, it pa.s.sed away as rapidly as it came.

”That,” said he, with a motion towards the looking-gla.s.s,--”that will cost twenty or twenty-five pounds, eh?”

”Not so much, perhaps,” said I, though I knew I was considerably below the mark.

”Well, I 'm sure it saved me from a fit of illness, anyhow,” rejoined he, sighing. ”If I hadn't smashed it, I think my head would have burst.

Go over that, James, and see what it is in pounds.”

I sat down to a table, and after some calculation made out the total to be two hundred and seven pounds sterling.

”And with the looking-gla.s.s, about two hundred and thirty,” said he, with a sigh. ”That's about--taking everything into consideration--five thousand a year.”

”You must remember,” said I, trying to comfort him, ”that these are not our expenses solely. There 's Tiverton and his servant, and Mrs. Gore Hampton and her people also.”

”So there is,” added he, quickly; ”but they had nothing to do with _that_;” and he pointed to the confounded looking-gla.s.s, which somehow or other had taken a fast hold of his imagination. ”Eh, James, that was a luxury we had for ourselves!” There was a bitter, sardonic laugh that accompanied these words, indescribably painful to hear.

”Come now,” said he, in a more composed and natural voice, ”let us see what 's to be done. This is a joint account, James; why not have sent it to Lord George--ay, to the widow also? They may as well frank the Dodd family as _we_ pay for _them_,--of course, omitting the looking-gla.s.s.”

I hinted that this was a step requiring some delicacy in its management; that, if not conducted with great tact, it might be the occasion of deep offence. In a word, Bob, I surmised, and conjectured, and hinted a hundred things, just to gain a little time, and turn him, if possible, into another channel.

”Well, what do you advise?” said he, as if wis.h.i.+ng to fix me to some tangible project.

For a moment I was bent on adopting the grand parliamentary tactic of stating that there were ”three courses open to the House,” and then going on to show that one of these was absurd, the second impracticable, and the last utterly impossible; but I saw that the governor could not be so easily put down as the Opposition, and so I said, ”Give it till to-morrow morning, and I'll see what can be done.”

Here I felt I was on safe ground, for throughout life I have ever remarked that whenever an Irishman is in difficulties, a reprieve is as good as a free pardon to him; for so is it, the land which seems so thoroughly hopeless in its destinies, contains the most hopeful population of Europe!

The delay of a few hours made all the difference in the governor's spirits, and he rallied and came down to supper just as usual, only whispering, as we left the room, with a peculiar low chuckle in his voice, ”I would n't wonder if the fire there cracked that chimney-gla.s.s.”

”Nothing more likely,” added I, gravely; and down we went.

It might possibly be out of utter recklessness, or perhaps from some want of a stimulant to cheer him, but he insisted on having two extra bottles of champagne, and he toasted Mrs. Gore Hampton with a zest and fervor that certainly my mother didn't approve of. On the whole, however, all pa.s.sed off well, and we wished each other goodnight, with the pleasantest antic.i.p.ations for the morrow.

All was well; and we were at breakfast the next morning, merrily discussing the plans for the day, when the post arrived, with that ominous-looking packet I have already mentioned.

”Shall I guess what that contains?” cried Lord George, pointing to the words, ”on her Majesty's service,” printed in the corner. ”They 've made you Lord-Lieutenant of your county, Dodd! You shake your head. Well, it's something in the colonies they 've given you.”

”Perhaps it's the Civil Cross of the Bath,” said Mrs. Gore Hampton.