Part 33 (1/2)

”How should I know?” asked Blanche. ”He has a croix; he is very distingue; he has beautiful eyes.”

”The poor fellow is mad for your beaux yeux, I believe,” Strong said.

”He is a very good cook, but he is not quite right in the head.”

”What did you say to him in the unknown tongue?” asked Miss Blanche.

”He is a Gascon, and comes from the borders of Spain,” Strong answered.

”I told him he would lose his place if he walked with you.”

”Poor Monsieur Mirobolant!” said Blanche.

”Did you see the look he gave Pendennis?”--Strong asked, enjoying the idea of the mischief--”I think he would like to run little Pen through with one of his spits.”

”He is an odious, conceited, clumsy creature, that Mr. Pen,” said Blanche.

”Broadfoot looked as if he would like to kill him too, so did Pynsent,”

Strong said. ”What ice will you have--water ice or cream ice?”

”Water ice. Who is that odd man staring at me--he is decore too.”

”That is my friend Colonel Altamont, a very queer character, in the service of the Nawaub of Lucknow. Hallo! what's that noise? I'll be back in an instant,” said the Chevalier, and sprang out of the room to the ballroom, where a scuffle and a noise of high voices was heard.

The refreshment-room, in which Miss Amory now found herself, was a room set apart for the purposes of supper, which Mr. Rincer the landlord had provided for those who chose to partake, at the rate of five s.h.i.+llings per head. Also, refreshments of a superior cla.s.s were here ready for the ladies and gentlemen of the county families who came to the ball; but the commoner sort of persons were kept out of the room by a waiter who stood at the portal, and who said that was a select room for Lady Clavering and Lady Rockminster's parties, and not to be opened to the public till supper-time, which was not to be until past midnight.

Pynsent, who danced with his const.i.tuents' daughters, took them and their mammas in for their refreshment there. Strong, who was manager and master of the revels wherever he went, had of course the entree--and the only person who was now occupying the room was the gentleman with the black wig and the orders in his b.u.t.ton--hole; the officer in the service of his Highness the Nawaub of Lucknow.

This gentleman had established himself very early in the evening in this apartment, where, saying he was confoundedly thirsty, he called for a bottle of champagne. At this order the waiter instantly supposed that he had to do with a grandee, and the Colonel sate down and began to eat his supper and absorb his drink, and enter affably into conversation with anybody who entered the room.

Sir Francis Clavering and Mr. Wagg found him there, when they left the ballroom, which they did pretty early--Sir Francis to go and smoke a cigar, and look at the people gathered outside the ballroom on the sh.o.r.e, which he declared was much better fun than to remain within; Mr.

Wagg to hang on to a Baronet's arm, as he was always pleased to do on the arm of the greatest man in the company. Colonel Altamont had stared at these gentlemen in so odd a manner, as they pa.s.sed through the 'Select' room, that Clavering made inquiries of the landlord who he was, and hinted a strong opinion that the officer of the Nawaub's service was drunk.

Mr. Pynsent, too, had had the honour of a conversation with the servant of the Indian potentate. It was Pynsent's cue to speak to everybody (which he did, to do him justice, in the most ungracious manner); and he took the gentleman in the black wig for some const.i.tuent, some merchant captain, or other outlandish man of the place. Mr. Pynsent, then, coming into the refreshment-room with a lady, the wife of a const.i.tuent, on his arm, the Colonel asked him if he would try a gla.s.s of Sham? Pynsent took it with great gravity, bowed, tasted the wine, and p.r.o.nounced it excellent, and with the utmost politeness retreated before Colonel Altamont. This gravity and decorum routed and surprised the Colonel more than any other kind of behaviour probably would: he stared after Pynsent stupidly, and p.r.o.nounced to the landlord over the counter that he was a rum one. Mr. Rincer blushed, and hardly knew what to say. Mr. Pynsent was a county Earl's grandson, going to set up as a Parliament man.

Colonel Altamont on the other hand, wore orders and diamonds, jingled sovereigns constantly in his pocket, and paid his way like a man; so not knowing what to say, Mr. Rincer said, ”Yes, Colonel--yes, ma'am, did you say tea? Cup a tea for Mr. Jones, Mrs. R.,” and so got off that discussion regarding Mr. Pynsent's qualities, into which the Nizam's officer appeared inclined to enter.

In fact, if the truth must be told, Mr. Altamont, having remained at the buffet almost all night, and employed himself very actively whilst there, had considerably flushed his brain by drinking, and he was still going on drinking, when Mr. Strong and Miss Amory entered the room.

When the Chevalier ran out of the apartment, attracted by the noise in the dancing-room, the Colonel rose from his chair with his little red eyes glowing like coals, and, with rather an unsteady gait advanced towards Blanche, who was sipping her ice. She was absorbed in absorbing it, for it was very fresh and good; or she was not curious to know what was going on in the adjoining room, although the waiters were, who ran after Chevalier Strong. So that when she looked up from her gla.s.s, she beheld this strange man staring at her out of his little red eyes. ”Who was he? It was quite exciting.”

”And so you're Betsy Amory,” said he, after gazing at her. ”Betsy Amory, by Jove!”

”Who--who speaks to me?” said Betsy, alias Blanche.

But the noise in the ballroom is really becoming so loud, that we must rush back thither, and see what is the cause of the disturbance.

CHAPTER XXVIII. Which is both Quarrelsome and Sentimental

Civil war was raging, high words pa.s.sing, people pus.h.i.+ng and squeezing together in an unseemly manner, round a window in the corner of the ballroom, close by the door through which the Chevalier Strong shouldered his way. Through the opened window, the crowd in the street below was sending up sarcastic remarks, such as ”Pitch into him!”