Part 60 (2/2)
Nurse instantly exchanged places with Sir Charles, and took the child again. He was her banner in all public places.
When they came up to the inn they were greeted with loud hurrahs. It was market-day. The town was full of Sir Charles's tenants and other farmers. His return had got wind, and every farmer under fifty had resolved to ride with him into Huntercombe.
When five or six, all shouting together, intimated this to Sir Charles, he sent one of his people to order the butchers out to Huntercombe with joints a score, and then to gallop on with a note to his housekeeper and butler. ”For those that ride so far with me must sup with me,” said he; a sentiment that was much approved.
He took Lady Ba.s.sett and the women upstairs and rested them about an hour; and then they started for Huntercombe, followed by some thirty farmers and a dozen towns-people, who had a mind for a lark and to sup at Huntercombe Hall for once.
The ride was delightful; the carriage bowled swiftly along over a smooth road, with often turf at the side; and that enabled the young farmers to canter alongside without dusting the carriage party. Every man on horseback they overtook joined them; some they met turned back with them, and these were rewarded with loud cheers. Every eye in the carriage glittered, and every cheek was more or less flushed by this uproarious sympathy so gallantly shown, and the very thunder of so many horses' feet, each carrying a friend, was very exciting and glorious.
Why, before they got to the village they had fourscore hors.e.m.e.n at their backs.
As they got close to the village Mary Gosport held out her arms for young master: this was not the time to forego her importance.
The church-bells rang out a clas.h.i.+ng peal, the cavalcade clattered into the village. Everybody was out to cheer, and at sight of baby the women's voices were as loud as the men's. Old pensioners of the house were out bareheaded; one, with hair white as snow, was down on his knees praying a blessing on them.
Lady Ba.s.sett began to cry softly; Sir Charles, a little pale, but firm as a rock; both bowing right and left, like royal personages; and well they might; every house in the village belonged to them but one.
On approaching that one Mary Gosport turned her head round, and shot a.
glance round out of the tail of her eye. Ay, there was Richard Ba.s.sett, pale and gloomy, half-hid behind a tree at his gate: but Hate's quick eye discerned him: at the moment of pa.s.sing she suddenly lifted the child high, and showed it him, pretending to show it to the crowd: but her eye told the tale; for, with that act of fierce hatred and cunning triumph, those black orbs shot a colored gleam like a furious leopardess's.
A roar of cheers burst from the crowd at that inspired gesture of a woman, whose face and eyes seemed on fire: Lady Ba.s.sett turned pale.
The next moment they pa.s.sed their own gate, and dashed up to the hall steps of Huntercombe.
Sir Charles sent Lady Ba.s.sett to her room for the night. She walked through a row of ducking servants, bowing and smiling like a gentle G.o.ddess.
Mary Gosport, afraid to march in a long dress with the child, for fear of accidents, handed him superbly to Millar and strutted haughtily after her mistress, nodding patronage. Her follower, the meek Millar, stopped often to show the heir right and left, with simple geniality and kindness.
Sir Charles stood on the hall steps, and invited all to come in and take pot-luck.
Already spits were turning before great fires; a rump of beef, legs of pork, and pease-puddings boiling in one copper; turkeys and fowls in another; joints and pies baking in the great brick ovens; barrels of beer on tap, and magnums of champagne and port marching steadily up from the cellars, and forming in line and square upon sideboards and tables.
Supper was laid in the hall, the dining-room, the drawing-room, and the great kitchen.
Poor villagers trickled in: no man or woman was denied; it was open house that night, as it had been four hundred years ago.
CHAPTER x.x.xII.
WHEN Sharpe's clerk retired, after serving that writ on Ba.s.sett, Ba.s.sett went to Wheeler and treated it as a jest. But Wheeler looked puzzled, and Ba.s.sett himself, on second thoughts, said he should like advice of counsel. Accordingly they both went up to London to a solicitor, and obtained an interview with a counsel learned in the law.
He heard their story, and said, ”The question is, can you convince a jury he was insane at the time?”
”But he can't get into court,” said Ba.s.sett. ”I won't let him.”
”Oh, the court will make you produce him.”
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