Volume Ii Part 7 (2/2)
The two young men sat smoking late into the night. Haggard narrated his American experience, cursed the dilatoriness of lawyers and land agents; told of his feats by flood and field; praised the hospitality of the natives, the horses and the half-castes; but he didn't say much of Mademoiselle de Bondi, of the Mexico Opera House. And then they talked about the Pandemonium, and Haggard heard with pleasure that his numerous club acquaintances would be delighted to see him.
”Not quite so pleased, I fancy, when they know I have forsworn the pasteboards. That Lamb affair was a scorcher. Besides, s.h.i.+rtings, you know--I may say it to you without swagger--I find now I've made my pile that it's too big to risk, so I mean to set up as a fogey, and to confine myself to whist at pound points.”
”Poor old paterfamilias,” exclaimed the sympathizing friend with genuine feeling. ”I know, port wine, a J.P.-s.h.i.+p, with a lord-lieutenancy and the gout looming in the distant future.”
Haggard gave a groan. ”I suppose it'll come to that,” said he.
”How are the old man and the pigs? Jolly as usual, eh?”
”Well, the pigs are flouris.h.i.+ng, but the governor's out of sorts; he speaks thick, and his handwriting's getting rather groggy; the poor old chap may go off at any moment.”
There was a short silence.
”Are you going to speculate yourself, s.h.i.+rtings? If you were one of the impecunious, there'd be a chance for you to-morrow. Two queens of the sn.o.bocracy will entertain us at romping in the hay, with Sir Roger de Coverley to follow. From all I hear it is a land flowing with milk and honey. The people themselves are rather dreadful, but for my own part, after three weeks of enforced tranquility, seeing no one but the old boy, my wife and her cousin, I am in a state of mind that is prepared to be grateful for the smallest mercies. My dear fellow, I positively look forward to it. Another week of the existence I have been leading here, and I verily believe that I shall yearn to dance with my own wife.”
”Or even her pretty cousin,” chimed in Lord Spunyarn.
But Haggard took no notice of the observation. He chuckled, still tickled with the idea of the absurdity of dancing with Georgie.
”And is Lucy, as of old, to be honoured with your attentions, s.h.i.+rtings?” said Haggard, who was amusing himself by blowing circles of smoke into the air.
”Between ourselves, my boy, I've thought better of it. I shall remain a respectful admirer, of course; but I don't think the lady would go well in double harness. If I were a devilish good-looking fellow as you are, my boy, I might try it; but I fancy Miss Lucy would prove a handful for any fellow, and I have no ambition to play Jack Charmington's part in a sort of perpetual Palais Royal comedy. Life being too short, you know, old man, it seems hardly good enough.”
”Rough on Lucy. I fancy she has looked upon you as lawful prize.”
”Oh! she can reckon upon me as a permanent admirer; but without compliment, you know, her cousin rather throws her into the shade.”
”Thanks, dear boy; there is no accounting for taste.”
As the representative of his father-in-law, Haggard asked his lords.h.i.+p with punctilious hospitality if he would take another peg. Then, with a yawn, he closed the Tantalus with a snap, and the pair retired to rest.
CHAPTER VI.
THE SLEEKS IN ARCADIA.
There had been a succession of battles royal between the Misses Sleek and their papa over the haymaking party. Mr. Sleek had drawn up a long list of guests, among whom prominently figured the names of most of the gilded youth of the Stock Exchange. Sleek was determined at all hazards to make what he called a ”splash.” He felt that in getting old Warrender and his daughter to The Park, he was in reality receiving his pa.s.sport into county society. It had been gall and wormwood to the head of the firm of Sleek and Dabbler to find that in King's Warren village, except among the tradesmen whom he patronized, for no fault of his own, he had remained a social pariah. In vain had he subscribed liberally to the local charities, the coal club, and the various other inst.i.tutions of the place. He was annoyed that, when walking with young farmer Wurzel, village heads would be uncovered in every direction; and yet when he, Sleek, the head of a well-known firm, was alone, a surly nod or a fraternal smile was the only recognition accorded to him. He was naturally anxious, then, that his haymaking and the subsequent dance should be an important affair. But his daughters had manifested an obstinacy totally unexpected.
The family council of three had met in solemn conclave. Miss Sleek had read to her father a long list of King's Warren people, and he had cheerfully nodded his approval at each name submitted for his approbation.
”Can't be better, can't be better, my dear,” smiled the father. ”I don't think you've left a soul out. But we mustn't forget my friends. I tell you what it is, girls, when I do a thing I like to do it well, and I mean to do this thing in style. None of your negus and stale sponge cakes for me. I shall give 'em real turtle from Birch's, and as for fizz, they shall swim in it if they like. Dry Monopole for the men, and Duc de Montebello for the ladies; women hate dry champagne, they like it sweet, for it fizzes longer, and they don't care a hang for the head in the morning. Montebello will suit the vicar's wife and the married ladies down to the boots. There's nothing like fizz, it makes 'em all so friendly; and as for music, I've secured Toot and Kinney. Kinney himself will come and conduct, and do the solos on the cornet. I'm going to arrange for a special, girls, to bring the whole party down and take 'em back to town at six a.m.”
His eldest daughter suddenly put a stop to his enthusiasm by asking him rather coldly, ”who the train was to bring down.”
”Why, my friends, of course; who else?”
”But, dear papa, we don't know your friends, at least, many of them; and I'm afraid, and so is Connie,” she added with a sickly smile, ”that perhaps they wouldn't amalgamate.”
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