Part 43 (2/2)

”G. C.”

This last line he re-read before he enclosed the slip in his pocket-book, muttered to himself the words, ”endanger you in the esteem of Georgina Courtenay.”

”I wonder what she means by all this?” muttered he, as he folded the loose slip and placed it within the recess of his pocket-book. ”The whole scheme of educating this girl was never a very wise one, but it need not have called up such formidable animosity as this. Ah, Mademoiselle, I am charmed to see you looking so well; this mountain air agrees with you,” said he, as the governess entered. ”I have come down to search for some doc.u.ments Sir Gervais tells me I shall find in his desk, here, and will ask you to let me be your guest for twenty-four hours.”

Mademoiselle professed the pleasure his visit would confer, and in an interchange of compliments some time was pa.s.sed; at length, Mr.

M'Kinlay, as if suddenly remembering himself, said, ”By the way here is a note I have just received from Miss Courtenay; I think you may as well read it yourself.”

The lawyer watched her face keenly as she read over the letter, and saw clearly enough, in the puzzled expression of her features, that she was trying to recal what she could have written in her last letter to Rome.

”Sonderbar, es ist sonderbar: it is strange, very strange,” muttered she, evidently lost in doubt, ”for in my letter of this morning from Lady Vyner, she says that we shall probably soon be sent for to Italy, for that her mother has a great longing to see Ada; and yet there is no hint whatever about Kate.”

”Does she mention that she expects Miss O'Hara to accompany you?” asked he.

”She does not say so; her words are, 'Do not feel startled if my next letter will call you to us, for her grandmother is most anxious to see Ada;' and then she goes on to say what different routes there are, and where Sir Gervais could meet us.”

”I think I understand the reserve,” said Mr. M'Kinlay, with an air of much wisdom; ”her Ladys.h.i.+p addresses herself to one question solely, and leaves all outside of it to be dealt with by others. It is for us--for you, Mademoiselle, and I, to think of what is to be done with Miss O'Hara.”

”What is there to be done but take her with us?--without, indeed, you were to send her home again,” said she, with some agitation in her voice.

”That is the whole question, Mademoiselle; we must think over it carefully, and, first of all, I must examine certain papers here, which will explain what are the legal claims of this young lady, and who are her guardians; for I remember, though Mr. Grenfell was to have acted, and, indeed, his name was written in pencil, Sir Gervais changed his mind, and thought of another trustee. For all these matters I shall want a little time, and perhaps it will not be asking too great a favour if I were to beg, to let me have my whole day to myself in the library, and the churlish privilege of being alone.”

The governess acceded politely to his proposal, not sorry, perhaps, to have a short interval to herself for consideration over the question before her, and still better pleased, too, that the girls were not destined to lose the long wished-for delight of a day at Dalradern.

CHAPTER XXVIII. SIR WITHIN ”AT HOME.”

If the two young girls whose visit Sir Within Wardle was expecting had been Princesses of a Royal House, he could scarcely have made more preparations for their reception. Who knows if he did not, indeed, feign to himself that his castle was on that morning to be honoured by the presence of those who move among lesser humanities, as suns do among inferior orbs? It would have certainly been one of those illusions natural to such a man; he loved that great world, and he loved all that revived it in his memory; and so when he gave orders that all the state furniture of the castle should be uncovered, the handsomest rooms thrown open, and the servants in their dress liveries, the probability is, that the fete he was giving was an offering secretly dedicated to himself.

In the old court-yard, beautiful plants, magnolias, camellias, and rare geraniums were arranged, regardless that the nipping cold of a sharp winter's day was to consign so many of them to an early death; and over the fountain and the statues around it, beautiful orchids were draped--delicate tendrils torn from the genial air of the conservatory, to waste a few hours of beauty ere they drooped for ever.

Sir Within heard the remonstrances of his afflicted gardener with the bland dignity he would have listened to a diplomatic ”reclamation;”

and then instantly a.s.sured him that his representations should have due weight on the next similar occasion, but, for the present, his commands were absolute. The comments of a household disturbed on a pretext so humble may be easily imagined. The vested interests of major-domo, and butler, and housekeeper, are not inst.i.tutions to be lightly dealt with, and many indeed were the unflattering commentaries bestowed on the intelligence and understanding of him who had turned the house out of the windows for a couple of ”school-girls.” But guesses that actually rose to the impertinence of impeachment of his sanity were uttered, when the old Baronet came down stairs, wearing his ribbon and his star.

And it was thus attired that he received them as they drove into the court, and alighted at the foot of the grand staircase.

”You see, young ladies,” said he, with a courtly smile, ”that I deem the honour of your visit no small distinction. That old river-G.o.d yonder and myself have put on our smartest coats; and it is only to be hoped neither of us will be the worse for our 'Bath.'”

Ada smiled graciously and bowed her thanks; but Kate, with a sparkle in her eye, muttered, in his hearing too, ”How neatly said!” a little compliment that fluttered the old man, bringing back days when a happy _mot_ was a success only second to a victory.

”As you have never been here before, you must allow me to be your 'Cicerone;' and I'll be a more merciful one than Mrs. Simc.o.x, my housekeeper, who really would not spare you one of my ancestors since the Conquest. These grim people, then, at either side of us are Withins or Wardles; nine generations of excellent mortals are gazing on us; that dark one yonder, Sir Hugh, was standard-bearer to Henry the Second; and that fair-faced damsel yonder, was maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth, and betrothed to her cousin, Sir Walter Raleigh, whom she threw off in a fit of jealousy; the ma.s.sive ring that she wears on her finger is described in the chronicle, as 'an auncient seale of Sir Walter with his armes.”

”So that,” said Kate, ”we may infer that at the time of the portrait she was yet betrothed.”

Sir Within was pleased at a remark that seemed to show interest in his description; and henceforth, unconsciously indeed, directed most of his attention to her.

”We had not many warriors amongst us,” continued he. ”Most of my ancestors were statesmen or penmen. The thin, hard-visaged man yonder, however, was killed at Dettingen; that sweet-faced girl--she looks a mere girl--was his wife.”

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