Part 35 (1/2)

”At present I should be inclined to say he never would,” answered George, wondering what in the world it could matter to Lady Sarah, and thinking she showed little sorrow or consideration for the memory of Ethel. ”But time works surprising changes,” he added: ”and time may marry Mr. G.o.dolphin.”

Lady Sarah paused. ”How do you think she looks--my poor child?”

”Miserable,” all but rose to the tip of George's tongue. ”She does not look well,” he said aloud.

”And she does so regret her dear sister; she's grieving after her always,” said Lady Sarah, putting her handkerchief to her eyes.

”I don't believe it,” thought George to himself.

”How do you like your new residence?” she resumed, pa.s.sing with little ceremony to another topic.

”I like it very well. All places are pretty much alike to a bachelor, Lady Sarah.”

”Ah, so they are. _You_ won't remain a bachelor very long,” continued Lady Sarah, with a smile of archness.

”Not so very long, I dare say,” frankly acknowledged Mr. George. ”It is possible I may put my head in the noose some time in the next ten years.”

She would have detained him further, but George did not care to be detained. He went after more attractive companions.h.i.+p.

Chance, or premeditation, led him to Charlotte Pain. Charlotte had all her attractions about her that day. Her bright green silk dress--green was a favourite colour of hers--with its white lace mantle, was frequently to be seen by George G.o.dolphin's side. Once they strayed to the borders of the stream, in a remote part of the grounds. Several were gathered here. A row on the water had been proposed, and a boat stood ready. A small boat, holding very few; but, of those few, George and Charlotte made two.

Could George G.o.dolphin have foreseen what that simple little excursion in the boat was to do for him, he had never entered it. How is it, that no shadow of warning comes over us at these times? How many a day's pleasure, begun as a jubilee, how many a voyage, entered upon in hope, ends but in death! Not a fortnight since; since _now_, the very hour at which I am writing; a fine young lad, fresh from his studies, was going out to one of our colonies, full of youth, of hope, of prospects. Two s.h.i.+ps were available for the pa.s.sage, one as eligible as the other: which should he choose? It seemed not to matter which of them, and the choice was made. Could no warning rise up to his aid, ever so indefinite, and point away from the chosen one and say it must be shunned? The vessel sailed. And she went down--within sight of land--not three days out; and every soul on board, except one, perished. ”If we had only chosen the other s.h.i.+p for him!” wail that lad's mourning friends. Ay! if we could only lift the veil, what mistakes might be avoided!

George G.o.dolphin, strong and active, took the oars. And when they had rowed about to their heart's content, and George was in a white heat with exertion, they bethought themselves that they would land for a while on what was called the mock island: a mossy spot, green and tempting to the eye. In stepping ash.o.r.e, Charlotte Pain tripped, lost her balance, and would have been in the water but for George. He saved her, but he could not save her parasol: a dainty parasol, for which Miss Charlotte had given three guineas only the previous day. She naturally shrieked when it fell into the water: and George G.o.dolphin, in recovering it, nearly lost _his_ balance, and went in after the parasol.

Nearly; not quite: he got himself pretty wet, but he made light of it, and sat himself down on the gra.s.sy island with the rest.

They were all young. Old people seldom care to venture into these shallow skiffs: but, had any of mature age been there, experienced in chills and rheumatism, they would certainly have ordered George G.o.dolphin home at his utmost speed, for a change of clothes, and perhaps a gla.s.s of brandy.

Charlotte Pain was shaking the wet from her parasol, when some one noticed the dripping state of George's coat. ”It wants shaking also,”

said they. ”Do pray take it off, Mr. George G.o.dolphin!”

George took it off, shook, it well, and laid it out in the sun to dry.

And down he sat again, in his s.h.i.+rt-sleeves, pa.s.sing some jokes upon his state of costume, and requesting to know what apology he must make for it.

By-and-by he began to feel rather chilled: in fact, he grew so cold that he put on his coat again, damp as it was. It might have occurred to him that the intense perspiration he had been in had struck inwardly, but it did not. In the evening he was dancing away with the best of them, apparently having escaped all ill effects from the wetting, and thinking no further of it.

Eh, but the young are heedless! as Janet would have said.

CHAPTER XVIII.

STRAW IN THE STREETS.

Ankle-deep before the banking-house of G.o.dolphin, Crosse, and G.o.dolphin, and for some distance on either side; ankle-deep down Crosse Street as far as you could see, lay ma.s.ses of straw. As carriages came up to traverse it, their drivers checked their horses and drove them at a foot-pace, raising their own heads to look up at the windows of the dwelling; for they knew that one was lying there hovering between life and death.

It was George G.o.dolphin. Imprudent George! Healthy and strong as he might be, sound as his const.i.tution was, that little episode of the fete-day had told upon him. Few men can do such things with impunity, and come out of them unscathed. ”What was a bit of a ducking; and that only a partial one? Nothing.” As George himself said to some remonstrator on the following day. It is not much, certainly, to those who are used to it: but taken in conjunction with a white heat, and with an hour or two's cooling upon the gra.s.s afterwards, in the airy undress of s.h.i.+rt-sleeves, it is a great deal.

It had proved a great deal for George G.o.dolphin. An attack of rheumatic fever supervened, dangerous and violent, and neither Dr. Beale nor Mr.

Snow could give a guess as to whether he would live or die. Miss G.o.dolphin had removed to the bank to share with Margery the task of nursing him. Knockers were m.u.f.fled; bells were tied up; straw, as you hear, was laid in the streets; people pa.s.sed in and out, even at the swing doors, when they went to transact business, with a softened tread: and as they counted the cash for their cheques, leaned over the counter, and asked the clerks in a whisper whether Mr. George was yet alive. Yes, he was alive, the clerks could always answer, but it was as much as they could say.

It continued to be ”as much as they could say” for nearly a month, and then George G.o.dolphin began to improve. But so slowly! day after day seemed to pa.s.s without visible sign.