Part 6 (2/2)
”Polygamy would be rather good for the parents. However, Luke told me the other night she knew you to be looking the way you speak of.”
”Yes, I mentioned to Lady Beauchemin that I love Lady Barb, and she seemed to think it natural.”
”Oh I suppose there's no want of nature in it! But, my dear fellow, I really don't know what to say,” his lords.h.i.+p added.
”Of course you'll have to think of it.” In saying which Jackson felt himself make the most liberal concession to the point of view of his interlocutor; being perfectly aware that in his own country it wasn't left much to the parents to think of.
”I shall have to talk it over with my wife.”
”Well, Lady Canterville has been very kind to me; I hope she'll continue.”
Lord Canterville pa.s.sed a large fair hand, as for inspiration, over his beard. ”My dear fellow, we're excellent friends. No one could appreciate you more than Lady Canterville. Of course we can only consider such a question on the-a-the highest grounds. You'd never want to marry without knowing-as it were-exactly what you're doing. I, on my side, naturally, you know, am bound to do the best I can for my own poor child. At the same time, of course, we don't want to spend our time in-a-walking round the horse. We want to get at the truth about him.”
It was settled between them after a little that the truth about Lemon's business was that he knew to a certainty the state of his affections and was in a position to pretend to the hand of a young lady who, Lord Canterville might say without undue swagger, had a right to expect to do as well as any girl about the place.
”I should think she had,” Doctor Lemon said. ”She's a very rare type.”
His entertainer had a pleasant blank look. ”She's a clever well-grown girl and she takes her fences like a gra.s.shopper. Does she know all this, by the way?”
”Oh yes, I told her last night.”
Again Lord Canterville had the air, unusual with him, of sounding, at some expense of precious moments, the expression of face of a visitor so unacquainted with shyness. ”I'm not sure you ought to have done that, you know.”
”I couldn't have spoken to you first-I couldn't,” said Jackson Lemon. ”I meant to; but it stuck in my crop.”
”They don't in your country, I guess,” his lords.h.i.+p amicably laughed.
”Well, not as a general thing. However, I find it very pleasant to have the whole thing out with you now.” And in truth it was very pleasant.
Nothing could be easier, friendlier, more informal, than Lord Canterville's manner, which implied all sorts of equality, especially that of age and fortune, and made our young man feel at the end of three minutes almost as if he too were a beautifully-preserved and somewhat straitened n.o.bleman of sixty, with the views of a man of the world about his own marriage. Jackson perceived that Lord Canterville waived the point of his having spoken first to the girl herself, and saw in this indulgence a just concession to the ardour of young affection. For his lords.h.i.+p seemed perfectly to appreciate the sentimental side-at least so far as it was embodied in his visitor-when he said without deprecation: ”Did she give you any encouragement?”
”Well, she didn't box my ears. She told me she'd think of it, but that I must speak to you. Naturally, however, I shouldn't have said what I did if I hadn't made up my mind during the last fortnight that I'm not disagreeable to her.”
”Ah, my dear young man, women are odd fis.h.!.+” this parent exclaimed rather unexpectedly. ”But of course you know all that,” he added in an instant; ”you take the general risk.”
”I'm perfectly willing to take the general risk. The particular risk strikes me as small.”
”Well, upon my honour I don't really know my girls. You see a man's time in England is tremendously taken up; but I daresay it's the same in your country. Their mother knows them-I think I had better send for their mother. If you don't mind,” Lord Canterville wound up, ”I'll just suggest that she join us here.”
”I'm rather afraid of you both together, but if it will settle it any quicker-!” Jackson said. His companion rang the bell and, when a servant appeared, despatched him with a message to her ladys.h.i.+p. While they were waiting the young man remembered how easily he could give a more definite account of his pecuniary basis. He had simply stated before that he was abundantly able to marry; he shrank from putting himself forward as a monster of money. With his excellent taste he wished to appeal to Lord Canterville primarily as a gentleman. But now that he had to make a double impression he bethought himself of his millions, for millions were always impressive. ”It strikes me as only fair to let you know that my fortune's really considerable.”
”Yes, I daresay you're beastly rich,” said Lord Canterville with a natural and visible faith.
”Well, I represent, all told, some seven millions.”
”Seven millions?”
”I count in dollars. Upwards of a million and a half sterling.”
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