Part 12 (2/2)
”We three are from the north country,” she said, with an air of relations.h.i.+p; ”and how absurd for Miss Anneys to be alone at Mrs. St.
Alban's, where she is not wanted, and for me to be alone here, when I desire her society so much!”
Aspatria was much pleased to receive such a delightful invitation, and a messenger was sent at once for her maid. Mrs. St. Alban was quite ready to resign Aspatria, and the maid was as glad as her mistress to leave the lonely mansion. In an hour or two she had removed Aspatria's wardrobe, and was arranging the pleasant rooms Mrs. Sandys had placed at her guest's disposal.
Sarah was evidently bent on conquest. Her toilet was a marvellous combination of some s.h.i.+ning blue and white texture, mingled with pink roses and gold ornaments. Her soft fair hair was loosened and curled, and she had a childlike manner of being carelessly happy. Brune sat at her right hand; she talked to him in smiles and glances, and gave her words to Aspatria. She was determined to please both sister and brother, and she succeeded. Aspatria thought she had never in all her life seen a woman so lovable, so amusing, so individual.
Brune was naturally shy and silent among women. Sarah made him eloquent, because she had the tact to discover the subject on which he could talk,--his regiment, and its sayings and doings. So Brune was delighted with himself; he had never before suspected how clever he was. Stimulated by Sarah's and Aspatria's laughter and curiosity, he found it easy to retail funny little bits of palace and mess gossip, and to describe the queer men and the vain men and the fine fellows that were his familiars.
”And pray how do you amuse yourself, Lieutenant? Do you drink wine, and gamble, and go to the races, and bet your purse empty?”
”I was never brought up in such ways,” Brune answered, ”and, I can tell you, I wouldn't make believe to like them. There are a good many dalesmen in my company, and none of us enjoy anything more than a fair throw or an in-lock.”
”A throw or an in-lock! What do you mean, Lieutenant? You must explain yourself to Miss Anneys and myself.”
”Aspatria knows well enough. Did you ever see north-country lads wrestling, madam? No? Then you have as fine a thing in keeping for your eyes as human creatures can show you. I'll warrant that! Why-a!
wrestling brings all men to their level. When Colonel Jardine is ugly-tempered, and top-heavy with his authority, a few sound throws over Timothy Sutcliffe's head does bring him to level very well. I had a little in-play with him yesterday; for in the wrestling-ring we be all equals, though out of it he is my colonel.”
”Now for the in-play. Tell me about it, for I see Miss Anneys is not at all interested.”
”Colonel Jardine is a fine wrestler; a fair match he would be even for brother Will. Yesterday he said he could throw me; and I took the challenge willingly. So we shook hands, and went squarely for the throw. I was in good luck, and soon got my head under his right arm, and his head close down to my left side. Then it was only to get my right arm up to his shoulder, and lift him as high as my head, and, when so, lean backward and throw him over my head: we call it the Flying Horse.”
”Oh, I can see it very well. No wonder Rosalind fell in love with Orlando when he threw the wrestler Charles.”
”Were they north-country or Cornish men?”
She was far too kindly and polite to smile; indeed, she gave Aspatria a pretty, imperative glance, and answered, in the most natural manner, ”I think they were Italians.”
”Oh!” said Brune, with some contempt. ”Chaff on their ways! The Devons.h.i.+re wrestlers are brutal; the Cornish are too slow; but the c.u.mberland men wrestle like gentlemen. They meet square and level in the ring, and the one who could carry ill-will for a fair throw would very soon find himself out of all rings and all good fellows.h.i.+p.”
”You said 'even brother Will.' Is your brother a better wrestler than you?”
”My song! he is that! Will has his match, though. We had a ploughman once,--Aspatria remembers him,--Robert Steadman, an upright, muscular young fellow, civil and respectful as could be in everything about his work and place; but on wet days when we were all, masters and servants, in the barn together, it was a sight to see Robert wrestling with Will for the mastery, and Will never so ready to say, 'Well done!' nor the rest of us so happy, as when we saw Will's two brawny legs going handsomely over Robert's head.”
”If I were a man, I should try to be a fine wrestler.”
”It is a great comfort,” said Brune. ”If you have a quarrel of any kind, it is a deal more satisfactory to meet your man, and throw him a few times over your head, than to go to law with him. It puts a stop to unpleasantness very quickly and very good-naturedly.”
Then Sarah rose and opened the piano, and from its keys dashed out a lilting, hurrying melody, like the galloping of horses and shaking of bridles; and in a few moments she began to sing, and Brune went to her side, and, because she looked so steadily into his eyes, he could remember nothing at all of the song but its das.h.i.+ng refrain,--
”For he whom I wed Must be north country bred, And must carry me back to the North Countrie.”
Then Aspatria played some wonderful music on her harp, and Sarah and Brune sat still and listened to their own hearts, and sent out shy glances, and caught each other in the act, and Brune was made nervous, and Sarah gay, by the circ.u.mstance.
By and by they began to talk of schools, and of how much Aspatria had learned; and so Brune regretted his own ignorance, and wished he had been more attentive to his schoolmaster.
Sarah laughed at the wish. ”A knowledge of Shakspeare and the musical gla.s.ses and the Della Cruscans,” she said, ”is for foolish, sentimental women. You can wrestle, and you can fight, and I suppose you can make money, and perhaps even make love. Is there anything else a soldier needs?”
”Colonel Jardine is very clever,” continued Brune, regretfully; ”and I had a good schoolmaster--”
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