Volume I Part 16 (2/2)
”Tut! Edie! what matters a pa.s.sing joke to a pretty girl. You are not jealous of Jenny Forbes, I hope?”
”By no means; only you should remember you are now married, and should leave such follies to the unmarried young men.”
As they spoke the party had come to where the Captain still stood.
”John, have you nothing to say to our guest, Miss Ravensworth?” said Lady Arranmore.
”It is d--d hot, isn't it, Miss Ravensworth?”
Ellen could not forbear smiling at the curt reply, though she felt somewhat shocked.
”You were ill, I was sorry to hear,” continued the young officer; ”but you have apparently picked up in a wonderfully short time. I am blessed if I would have ever found it out.”
They pa.s.sed on, and the Captain resumed his interrupted conversation.
”I'faith! it is hot, though. This reminds me of Spain a bit, where our men dropped dead by sunstroke like ripe acorns. There, I have nothing more to say now, Forbes, so you may go on with your work, and give my love to your fair daughter; or stay, I will save you the trouble, as my sister has carried off the Marquis. Here, boy,” addressing a peasant lad, ”hold my horse--or stay, lead it up to the stables; and tell Wilton to give you half-a-crown for your trouble;” at the same time flinging himself off his steed, he said, in sotto voce, to the farmer, ”You will remember and send one, then?”
”Ay, ay, sir! I'll send a laddie this very night.”
”All right,” said the Captain. ”Wilton will pay you, boy.”
”You are exceedingly generous with other people's money,” said the Earl, who was pa.s.sing again.
”Lord help us! You don't grudge the boy a dirty half-crown?”
”Not I; only I would give it myself if I were you. A pretty grumbling will Wilton make.”
”And let him grumble, and be d--d to him. How many half-crowns does he get from me, I wonder, and half-skivs too!”
The Captain then walked off by himself to where Jenny Forbes still stood, and cracked some joke, which she resented by a pretty pout of her lips and ill-feigned frown.
”By my troth, Jenny, you should come up to town with me; I would dress you out in silks and satins, and I am shot if you wouldn't just create a _furore!_”
”I shall choose a better guide than you, when I go!” retorted the girl, with a laugh.
”It will be long ere you find a better one,” said the Captain, as he walked away.
”Or one who thinks better of himself, either,” said the girl, as a parting hit.
”Hallo! whom have we here?” said the Captain to himself, as he reached the road, and saw a gentleman, who seemed quite overcome by the heat, resting on a stone and wiping his hot brow; a little further off was a boy, who, with an immense carpet-bag, toiled up the hill. ”By Jove! is that you, Lennox? You have chosen a d--d hot day for marching. You don't mean to say you walked out?”
”Oh, dear, no,” said Mr. Lennox, dusting his boots as he rose. ”Taking advantage of the coach, I proceeded by that conveyance to your n.o.ble park-gates, and, alighting there, I thought I would walk up, fancying the castle could not be far; but it is a long and hot walk. However, I hired a young man, as you see, to carry my luggage.”
”Egad! then you have tramped a good five miles. What a joke! You must be jolly tired. Here, take a pull,” said the Captain, producing an immense brandy-flask--his bosom companion at all times and seasons.
”Thank you all the same, no. I seldom take spirits at all; and never plain.”
”A most foolish error; and one you would soon be conquered of if you lived at the Towers,” said the Captain, taking a long draught. ”At the least you will then take a weed?” handing his cigar-case.
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