Volume Ii Part 21 (1/2)
”Oh! seeing you there last night,” said he, ”I thought you knew him well, as you are only a very short time in Florence.”
I drew a long breath, Tom, and told him how I had happened to find myself at the Minister's ”rout.” He smiled good-humoredly; there was nothing offensive in it, however, and it pa.s.sed off at once.
”Sir Alexander and I are old friends,” said he. ”We served in the same regiment once together, and I can venture to present you, even at this early hour;” and with that we walked briskly on towards the Legation.
All this while Morris--I can't call him by his new name yet--never alluded to the family; he did n't even ask after James, and I plainly saw that he was bent on doing a very good-natured thing, without any desire to incur further intimacy as its consequence.
Sir Alexander had not left his room when we arrived, but on receiving Morris's card sent word to say he should be down in a moment, and expected us both at breakfast. The table was spread in a handsome library, with every possible appliance of comfort about it. There was a brisk wood-fire blazing on the ample hearth, and a beautiful Blenheim asleep before it. Newspapers of every country and every language lay scattered about with ill.u.s.trated journals and prints. Most voluptuous easy-chairs and fat-cus.h.i.+oned sofas abounded, and it was plain to see that the world has some rougher sides than she turns to her Majesty's Envoys and Ministers Plenipotentiary!
I was busy picturing to myself what sort of person the present occupant of this post was likely to prove, when he entered. A tall, very good-looking man, of about forty, with bushy whiskers of white hair; his air and bearing the very type of frankness, and his voice the rich tone of a manly speaker. He shook me cordially by the hand as Morris introduced me, apologized for keeping us waiting, and at once seated us at table. A sickly-looking lad, with sore eyes and a stutter, slipped un.o.btrusively in after him, and he was presented to us as Lord Adolphus de Maudley, the unpaid Attach.
Leaving all to Morris, and rightly conjecturing that he would open the subject we came upon at the fitting time, I attacked a grouse-pie most vigorously, and helped myself freely to his Excellency's Bordeaux. There were all manner of good things, and we did them ample justice, even to the Unpaid himself, who certainly seemed to take out in prog what they denied him in salary.
Sir Alexander made all the running as to talk. He rattled away about Turks and Russians,--affairs home and foreign,--the Ministry and the Opposition,--who was to go next to some vacant emba.s.sy, and who was to be the prima donna at the Pergola. Then came Florence gossip,--an amusing chapter; but perhaps--as they say in the police reports--not quite fit for publication. His Excellency had seen the girls at the races, and complimented me on their good looks, and felicitated the city on the accession of so much beauty. At last Morris broke ground, and related the story of Mrs. D.'s captivity. Sir Alex--who had by this time lighted his cigar--stood with his hands in his dressing-gown pockets, and his back to the fire, the most calm and impa.s.sive of listeners.
”They are so stupid, these people,” said he at last, puffing his weed between each word; ”won't take the trouble to look before them--won't examine--won't investigate--a charge. Mrs. Dodd a Catholic too?”
”A most devout and conscientious one!” said I.
”Great bore for the moment, no doubt; but--try a cheroot, they 're milder--but, as I was saying, to be amply recompensed hereafter. There's nothing they won't do in the way of civility and attention to make amends for this outrage.”
”Meanwhile, as to her liberation?” said Morris.
”Ah! that _is_ a puzzle. No use writing to Ministers, you know. That's all lost time. Official correspondence--only invented to train up our youth--like Lord Dolly, there. Must try what can be done with Bradelli.”
”And who is Bradelli, your Excellency?”
”Bradelli is Private Secretary to the Cardinal Boncelli, at Rome.”
”But we are in Tuscany.”
”Geographically speaking, so we are. But leave it to me, Mr. Dodd. No time shall be lost. Draw up a note, Dolly, to the Prince Cigalaroso.
You have a mem. in the Chancellerie will do very well. The English are always in sc.r.a.pes, and it is always the same: 'Mon cher Prince,--Je regrette infiniment que mes devoirs m'imposent,' &c., &c, with a full account of the 'fcheux incident,'--that's the phrase, mind that, Dolly; do everything necessary for the Blue Book, and in the meanwhile take care that Mrs. D. is out of prison before the day is over.”
I was surprised to find how little Sir Alexander cared for the real facts of the case, or the gross injustice of the entire proceeding.
In fact, he listened to my explanations on this head with as much impatience as could consist with his unquestionable good breeding, simply interpolating as I went on: ”Ah, very true;” ”Your observation is quite correct;” ”Perfectly just,” and so on. ”Can you dine here to-day, Mr. Dodd?” said he, as I finished; ”Penrhyn is coming, and a few other friends.”
I had some half scruples about accepting a dinner invitation while my wife remained a prisoner, but I thought, ”After all, the Minister must be the best judge of such a point,” and accordingly said ”Yes.” A most agreeable dinner it was too, Tom. A party of seven at a round table, admirably served, and with--what I a.s.sure you is growing rather a rarity nowadays--a sufficiency of wine.
The Minister himself proved most agreeable; his long residence abroad had often brought him into contact with amusing specimens of his own countrymen, some of whose traits and stories he recounted admirably, showing me that the Dodds are only the species of a very widely extended and well-appreciated genus.
I own to you that I heard, with no small degree of humiliation, how p.r.o.ne we English are to demand money compensations for the wrongs inflicted upon us by foreign governments. As the information came from a source I cannot question, I have only to accept the fact, and deplore it.
As a nation, we are, a.s.suredly, neither mean nor mercenary. As individuals, I sincerely hope and trust we can stand comparison in all that regards liberality of purse with any people. Yet how comes it that we have attained to an almost special notoriety for converting our sorrows into silver, and making our personal injuries into a credit at our banker's? I half suspect that the tone imparted to the national mind by our Law Courts is the true reason of this, and that our actions for damages are the damaging features of our character as a people. The man who sees no indignity in taking the price of his dishonor, will find little difficulty in appraising the value of an insult to his liberty.
Take my word for it, Tom, it is a very hard thing to make foreigners respect the inst.i.tutions of a country stained with this reproach, or believe that a people can be truly high-minded and high-spirited who have recourse to such indemnities.
From what fell from Sir Alexander on this subject, I could plainly perceive the embarra.s.sment a Minister must labor under, who, while a.s.serting the high pretensions of a great nation, is compelled to descend to such ign.o.ble bargains; and I only wish that the good public at home, as they pore over Blue Books, would take into account this very considerable difficulty.
As regards foreign governments themselves, it is right to bear in mind that they rarely or never can be induced to believe the transgressions of individuals as anything but parts of a grand and comprehensive scheme of English interference. If John Bull smuggle a pound of tea, it is immediately set down that England is going to alter the Custom Laws. Let him surrept.i.tiously steal his fowling-piece over the frontier, and we are accused of ”arming the disaffected population.” A copy of a tract is construed into a treatise on Socialism; and a ”Jim-Crow” hat is the symbol of Republican doctrines.