Part 31 (2/2)
”Candles!” said Arnold.
Mr. Bishopriggs set the ”collops” (in the language of England, minced meat) upon the table, lit the candles on the mantle-piece, faced about with the fire of recent toddy flaming in his nose, and waited for further orders, before he went back to his second gla.s.s. Anne declined to return to the dinner. Arnold ordered Mr. Bishopriggs to close the shutters, and sat down to dine by himself.
”It looks greasy, and smells greasy,” he said to Anne, turning over the collops with a spoon. ”I won't be ten minutes dining. Will you have some tea?”
Anne declined again.
Arnold tried her once more. ”What shall we do to get through the evening?”
”Do what you like,” she answered, resignedly.
Arnold's mind was suddenly illuminated by an idea.
”I have got it!” he exclaimed. ”We'll kill the time as our cabin-pa.s.sengers used to kill it at sea.” He looked over his shoulder at Mr. Bishopriggs. ”Waiter! bring a pack of cards.”
”What's that ye're wantin'?” asked Mr. Bishopriggs, doubting the evidence of his own senses.
”A pack of cards,” repeated Arnold.
”Cairds?” echoed Mr. Bishopriggs. ”A pack o' cairds? The deevil's allegories in the deevil's own colors--red and black! I wunna execute yer order. For yer ain saul's sake, I wunna do it. Ha' ye lived to your time o' life, and are ye no' awakened yet to the awfu' seenfulness o'
gamblin' wi' the cairds?”
”Just as you please,” returned Arnold. ”You will find me awakened--when I go away--to the awful folly of feeing a waiter.”
”Does that mean that ye're bent on the cairds?” asked Mr. Bishopriggs, suddenly betraying signs of worldly anxiety in his look and manner.
”Yes--that means I am bent on the cards.”
”I tak' up my testimony against 'em--but I'm no' telling ye that I canna lay my hand on 'em if I like. What do they say in my country? 'Him that will to Coupar, maun to Coupar.' And what do they say in your country?
'Needs must when the deevil drives.'” With that excellent reason for turning his back on his own principles, Mr. Bishopriggs shuffled out of the room to fetch the cards.
The dresser-drawer in the pantry contained a choice selection of miscellaneous objects--a pack of cards being among them. In searching for the cards, the wary hand of the head-waiter came in contact with a morsel of crumpled-up paper. He drew it out, and recognized the letter which he had picked up in the sitting-room some hours since.
”Ay! ay! I'll do weel, I trow, to look at this while my mind's runnin'
on it,” said Mr. Bishopriggs. ”The cairds may e'en find their way to the parlor by other hands than mine.”
He forthwith sent the cards to Arnold by his second in command, closed the pantry door, and carefully smoothed out the crumpled sheet of paper on which the two letters were written. This done, he trimmed his candle, and began with the letter in ink, which occupied the first three pages of the sheet of note-paper.
It ran thus:
”WINDYGATES HOUSE, _August_ 12, 1868.
”GEOFFREY DELAMAYN,--I have waited in the hope that you would ride over from your brother's place, and see me--and I have waited in vain. Your conduct to me is cruelty itself; I will bear it no longer. Consider! in your own interests, consider--before you drive the miserable woman who has trusted you to despair. You have promised me marriage by all that is sacred. I claim your promise. I insist on nothing less than to be what you vowed I should be--what I have waited all this weary time to be--what I _am_, in the sight of Heaven, your wedded wife. Lady Lundie gives a lawn-party here on the 14th. I know you have been asked. I expect you to accept her invitation. If I don't see you, I won't answer for what may happen. My mind is made up to endure this suspense no longer. Oh, Geoffrey, remember the past! Be faithful--be just--to your loving wife,
”ANNE SILVESTER.”
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