Part 58 (2/2)

-385-- ”Oh! as to that,” replied Coleman, ”I dare say I could contrive to find it out, without exactly asking him to sell them.”

”My dear fellow, if you would, I should be so much obliged to you,”

replied Lawless eagerly; ”if I could but get those horses to start the new cart with, I should be as happy as a king--that is,” he continued, checking himself, ”I might become so; time, don't you see, resignation, and all that sort of thing--heigh ho!--By the way, how far is it from dinner? for jumping over those confounded chairs has made me uncommonly peckish, I can tell you.”

”He'll do,” said Coleman, as we separated to prepare for dinner.

It was easy to see by Sir John's beaming face, and the hearty squeeze he gave my hand when I entered the drawing-room, that Harry would not have to fear much opposition to his wishes on the part of his father. The dinner pa.s.sed off pleasantly enough, though even when the meal was concluded, and the servants had left the room, no allusion was made (out of delicacy to Lawless) to the subject which engrossed the thoughts of many of the party. As soon, however, as the wine had gone the round of the table, Lawless exclaimed: ”Gentlemen! are you all charged?” and receiving affirmatory looks from the company in general, he continued, ”Then I beg to propose a toast, which you must drink as such a toast ought to be drunk, _con amore_. Gentlemen, I rise to propose the health of the happy couple that is to be.”

”Umph! eh I what?--what are you talking about, sir?--what are you talking about?” inquired Mr. Frampton, hastily setting down his wine untasted, and speaking quickly, and with much excitement.

”Do you see that?” whispered Lawless, nudging me, ”he's off on a false scent; he never could bear the idea of my marrying f.a.n.n.y, he as good as told me so one day; now be quiet, and I'll get a rise out of him.” He then continued, addressing Mr. Frampton: ”You're getting a little hard of hearing, I'm afraid, sir; I was proposing the health of a certain happy couple, or rather of two people, who will, I hope, become so, in the common acceptation of the term, before very long”.

”Umph! I heard what you said, sir, plain enough (wish I hadn't), and I suppose I can guess what you mean. I'm a plain-spoken man, sir, and I tell you honestly I don't like the thing, and I don't approve of the thing--I never have, and so once for all--I--umph! I won't drink your toast, sir, that's flat. Umph! umph!”

-386-- ”Well,” said Lawless, making a sign to Harry not to speak, ”you are a privileged person, you know; and if Sir John and my friend Harry here don't object to your refusing the toast, it's not for me to take any notice of it; but I must say, considering the lady is the sister of your especial favourite Frank Fairlegh, and the gentleman one whom you have known from boyhood, I take it as particularly unkind of you, Mr.

Frampton, not even to wish them well.”

”Eh! umph! it isn't that, boy--it isn't that,” returned Mr. Frampton, evidently taken aback by this appeal to his kindly feeling. ”But, you see,” he added, turning to Sir John, ”the thing is foolish altogether, they are not at all suited to each other; and instead of being happy, as they fancy, they'll make each other miserable: the boy's a very good boy in his way, kind-hearted and all that, but truth is truth, and he's no more fit to marry f.a.n.n.y Fairlegh than I am.”

”Sorry I can't agree with you, Mr. Frampton,” replied Sir John Oaklands, drawing himself up stiffly; ”I thank Mr. Lawless most heartily for his toast, and drink it without a moment's hesitation. Here's to the health of the young couple!”

”Well, I see you are all against me,” exclaimed Mr. Frampton, ”and I don't like to seem unkind. They say marriages are made in heaven, so I suppose it must be all right. Here's the health of the happy couple, Mr.

Lawless and Miss Fairlegh!”

It was now Lawless's turn to look out of countenance, and for a moment he did appear thoroughly disconcerted, more especially as it was next to impossible to repress a smile, and Freddy Coleman grinned outright; quickly recovering himself, however, he resumed, ”Laugh away, Freddy, laugh away, it only serves me right for playing such a trick. I've been deceiving you, Mr. Frampton; Miss Fairlegh is indeed going to be married, but she has had the good taste to choose a fitter bridegroom than she would have found in such a harum-scarum fellow as I am.

So here's a long life, and a merry one, to f.a.n.n.y Fairlegh and Harry Oaklands; you won't refuse that toast, I dare say?”

”Umph! Harry Oaklands!” exclaimed Mr. Frampton aghast; ”and I've been telling Sir John he wasn't good enough for Frank's sister--just like me, umph!”

”My dear Lawless,” said Harry, taking a seat next the person he addressed, which movement he accomplished during an immense row occasioned by Mr. Frampton, -387-- who was grunting forth a mixed monologue of explanations and apologies to Sir John, by whom they were received with such a hearty fit of laughing that the tears ran down his cheeks--”My dear Lawless, the kind and generous way in which you take this matter makes me feel quite ashamed of my behaviour to you lately, but I think, if you knew how miserable I have been, you would forgive me.”

”Forgive you! eh?” returned Lawless; ”ay, a precious deal sooner than I can forgive myself for coming here and making you all uncomfortable.

n.o.body but such a thickheaded a.s.s as I am would have gone on all this time without seeing how the game stood. I hate to spoil sport; if I had had the slightest idea of the truth, I'd have been off out of your way long ago.”

”You are a n.o.ble fellow!” exclaimed Harry, ”and your friends.h.i.+p is a thing to be proud of. If there is any way in which I can testify my strong sense of grat.i.tude, only name it.”

”I'll tell you,” said Coleman, who had caught the last few words--”I'll tell you what to do to make him all right--sell him your chestnuts.”

”The phaeton horses?” replied Harry. ”No, I won't sell them.”

”Ah! I thought he would not,” murmured Lawless, ”it was too much to expect of any man.”

”But,” continued Oaklands, ”I am sure my father will join me in saying, that if Lawless will do us the favour of accepting them, nothing would give us greater pleasure than to see them in the possession of one who will appreciate their affections as they deserve.”

”Nay, they are your property, Harry,” returned Sir John; ”I shall be delighted if your friend will accept them, but the present is all your own.”

”Eh! give 'em me, all free gratis, and for nothing!” exclaimed Lawless, overpowered at the idea of such munificence. ”Why, you'll go and ruin yourself--Queen's Bench, whitewash, and all the rest of it! Recollect, you'll have a wife to keep soon, and that isn't done for nothing they tell me--pin-money, ruination-shops, diamonds, kid gloves, and bonnet ribbons--that's the way to circulate the tin; there are some losses that may be gains, eh? When one comes to think of all these things, it strikes me I'm well out of it, eh, Mr. Frampton?--Mind you, I don't think that really,” he added aside to me, ”only I want Harry to fancy I don't care two straws about it; he's such a feeling fellow is Harry, lie would not be properly jolly if he thought I took it to heart much.”

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