Part 86 (1/2)
Bella was sincerely sorry for her sister's headache; but with all that, she kept stealing every now and then into her room to tell what Skeff said to Caraffa, and the immense effect it produced. ”And then, dearest,” she went on, ”we have really done a great deal to-day. We have sent off three 'formal despatches,' and two 'confidential,' and Skeff has told my Lord B., Secretary of State though he be, a piece of his mind,--he does write so ably when he is roused; and he has declared that he will not carry out his late instructions. Few men would have had courage to say that; but they know that, if Skeff liked, he has only to go into Parliament: there are scores of boroughs actually fighting for him; he would be positively terrible in opposition.”
A deep wearied sigh was all Alice's response.
”Yes, dearest, I 'm sure I am tiring you; but I must tell how we liberated Mr. M'Gruder. He has been, he says, fifty-three days in prison, and really he looks wretched. I might have felt more for the man, but for the cold good-for-nothing way he took all Skeff's kindness.
Instead of bursting with grat.i.tude, and calling him his deliverer, all he said was, 'Well, sir, I think it was high time to have done this, which, for aught I see, might just as easily have been done three or, perhaps, four weeks ago.' Skeff was magnificent; he only waved his hand, and said, 'Go; you are free!' 'I know that well enough,' said he, in the same st.u.r.dy voice; 'and I intend to make use of my freedom to let the British people know how I have been treated. You 'll see honorable mention of it all, and yourself, too, in the ”Times,” before ten days are over.'”
”My dear Bella, my head is racking; would you just wet that handkerchief and lay it on my forehead?”
”My poor sweet Alice! and I so cruel, with all my stupid stories; but I thought you 'd like to hear about Tony.”
”Tony!--what of Tony?” asked she, raising herself on one elbow and looking up.
”Well, dearest, it was while in search after Tony that M'Grader got imprisoned. They were sworn friends, it seems. You know, dear, Tony was never very particular in his choice of friends.”
”But what of him,--where is he?”
”I'll tell you everything, if you'll only have a little patience. Tony, who was living with M'Grader in Leghorn,--a partner, I think, in some odious traffic,--cast-off clothes, I believe,--grew tired of it, or got into debt, or did something that brought him into trouble, and he ran away and joined that mad creature Garibaldi.”
”Well, go on.”
”Well, he had not been gone more than ten days or so, when a lawyer came out from England to say that his uncle, Sir Somebody Butler, had died and left him all he had,--a fine estate, and I don't know how much money. When Mr. M'Grader was quite satisfied that all this was true,--and, like a canny Scotchman, he examined it thoroughly,--he set off himself to find Tony and tell him his good news; for, as he said, it would have been a terrible thing to let him go risk his life for nothing, now that he had a splendid fortune and large estate. Indeed, you should have heard Mr. M'Gruder himself on this theme. It was about the strangest medley of romance and worldliness I ever listened to.
After all, he was a stanch friend, and he braved no common dangers in his pursuit. He had scarcely landed, however, in Sicily, when he was arrested and thrown into prison.”
”And never met Tony?”
”Never,--of course not; how could he? He did not even dare to speak of one who served under Garibaldi till he met Skeffy.”
”But where is Tony? Is he safe? How are we to hear of him?” asked Alice, hurriedly.
”Skeff has undertaken all that, Alice. You know how he has relations with men of every party, and is equally at home with the wildest followers of Mazzini and the courtiers about the throne. He says he 'll send off a confidential messenger at once to Garibaldi's camp with a letter for Tony. Indeed, it was all I could do to prevent him going himself, he is so attached to Tony, but I begged and implored him not to go.”
”Tony would have done as much for him,” said Alice, gloomily.
”Perhaps he would; but remember the difference between the men, Alice.
If anything should befall Skeffy, who is there to replace him?”
Alice, perhaps, could not satisfactorily answer this, for she lay back on her bed, and covered her face with her hands.
”Not, indeed, that he would listen to me when I made that appeal to him, but he kept on repeating, 'Tony is the finest, truest-hearted fellow I ever met. _He_'d never have left a friend in the lurch; he'd never have thought of himself if another was in danger; and help him I must and will:' and that's the reason we are waiting dinner, dear, for he would go off to the Minister of War or the President of the Council; and he told papa, as he shook hands, on no account to wait for him, for he might be detained longer than he expected.”
As she spoke, a tap came to the door, and a servant announced dinner.
”Has Mr. Damer arrived?” asked Bella, eagerly.
”No, ma'am, but Sir Arthur has just got a note from him.”
”I must see what he says!” cried she, and left the room.