"And how soon do you say the Bishop is to be here?" he inquired, after a pause.
"About ten days, or _less_--egad! I forget," answered Sir Jekyl, still a good deal ruffled.
The Rector stood up also, and hummed something like "Rule Britannia" for a while. I am afraid he was thinking altogether of himself by this time, and suddenly recollecting that he was not in his own room, he wished his brother good-night, and departed.
Sir Jekyl was vexed. There are few things so annoying, when one has made up his mind to a certain course, as to have the unavowed misgivings and evil auguries of one"s own soul aggravated by the vain but ominous dissuasions of others.
"I wish they"d keep their advice to themselves. What hurry need there be? Do they want me to blow up the room with old Lennox and his wife in it? I don"t care twopence about it. It"s a gloomy place." Sir Jekyl was charging the accidental state of his own spirits upon the aspect of the place, which was really handsome and cheerful, though antique.
"They"re all in a story, the fools! What is it to me? I don"t care if I never saw it again. They may pull it down after Christmas, if they like, for me. And Dives, too, the scamp, talking pulpit. He thinks of nothing but side-dishes and money. As worldly a dog as there is in England!"
Jekyl Marlowe could get angry enough on occasion, but he was not p.r.o.ne to sour tempers and peevish humours. There was, however, just now, something to render him uncomfortable and irritable, and that was that his expected guests, Mr. Guy Strangways and M. Varbarriere had not kept tryste. The day appointed for their visit had come and gone, and no appearance made. In an ordinary case a hundred and fifty accidents might account for such a miscarriage; but there was in this the unavowed specialty which excited and sickened his mind, and haunted his steps and his bed with suspicions; and he fancied he could understand a little how Herod felt when he was mocked of the wise men.
Next morning"s post-bag brought Sir Jekyl two letters, one of which relieved, and the other rather vexed him, though not very profoundly.
This latter was from his mother-in-law, Lady Alice, in reply to his civil note, and much to his surprise, accepting his invitation to Marlowe.
"Cross-grained old woman! She"s coming, for no reason on earth but to vex me. It shan"t though. I"ll make her most d.a.m.nably welcome. We"ll amuse her till she has not a leg to stand on; we"ll take her an excursion every second day, and bivouac on the side of a mountain, or in the bottom of a wet valley. We"ll put the young ponies to the phaeton, and Dutton shall run them away with her. I"ll get up theatricals, and b.a.l.l.s, and concerts; and I"ll have breakfast at nine instead of ten.
I"ll entertain her with a vengeance, egad! We"ll see who"ll stand it longest."
A glance at the foot of the next letter, which was a large doc.u.ment, on a bluish sheet of letter-paper, showed him what he expected, the official autograph of Messrs. Pelter and Crowe; it was thus expressed--
"MY DEAR SIR JEKYL MARLOWE,--
"Pursuant to yours of the --th, and in accordance with the instructions therein contained, we have made inquiries, as therein directed, in all available quarters, and have received answers to our letters, and trust that the copies thereof, and the general summary of the correspondence, which we hope to forward by this evening"s post, will prove satisfactory to you. The result seems to us clearly to indicate that your information has not been well founded, and that there has been no movement in the quarter to which your favour refers, and that no member--at all events no prominent member--of that family is at present in England. In further execution of your instructions, as conveyed in your favour as above, we have, through a reliable channel, learned that Messrs.
Smith, Rumsey, and Snagg, have nothing in the matter of Deverell at present in their office. Nor has there been, we are a.s.sured, any correspondence from or on the part of any of those clients for the last five terms or more. Notwithstanding, therefore, the coincidence of the date of your letter with the period to which, on a former occasion, we invited your attention, as indicated by the deed of 1809--"
"What the plague is that?" interpolated Sir Jekyl. "They want me to write and ask, and pop it down in the costs;" and after a vain endeavour to recall it, he read the pa.s.sage over again with deliberate emphasis.
"Notwithstanding, therefore, the coincidence of the date of your letter with the period to which, on a former occasion, we invited your attention, as indicated by the deed of 1809, we are clear upon the evidence of the letters, copies of which will be before you as above by next post, that there is no ground for supposing any unusual activity on the part or behalf of the party or parties to whom you have referred.
"Awaiting your further directions,
"I have the honour to remain,
"My dear Sir Jekyl Marlowe,
"Your obedient servant,
"N. CROWE.
"For PELTER and CROWE.
"Sir Jekyl Marlowe, Bart.
"Marlowe, Old Swayton."
When Sir Jekyl read this he felt all on a sudden a dozen years younger.
He snapped his fingers, and smiled, in spite of himself. He could hardly bring himself to acknowledge, even in soliloquy, how immensely he was relieved. The sun shone delightfully: and his spirits returned quite brightly. He would have liked to cricket, to ride a steeple-chase--anything that would have breathed and worked him well, and given him a fair occasion for shouting and cheering.
CHAPTER XI.
Old Gryston Bridge.
Very merry was the Baronet at the social breakfast-table, and the whole party very gay, except those few whose natures were sedate or melancholic.
"A tremendous agreeable man, Sir Jekyl--don"t you think so, Jennie?"
said General Lennox to his wife, as he walked her slowly along the terrace at the side of the house.
"I think him intolerably noisy, and sometimes absolutely vulgar,"
answered Lady Jane, with a languid disdain, which conveyed alike her estimate of her husband"s discernment and of Sir Jekyl"s merits.
"Well, I thought he was agreeable. Some of his jokes I think, indeed, had not much sense in them. But sometimes I don"t see a witty thing as quick as cleverer fellows do, and they were all laughing, except you; and I don"t think you like him, Jennie."
"I don"t dislike him. I dare say he"s a very worthy soul; but he gives me a headache."
"He _is_ a little bit noisy, maybe. Yes, he certainly _is_," acquiesced the honest General, who in questions of taste and nice criticism, was diffident of his own judgment, and leaned to his wife"s. "But I thought he was rather a pleasant fellow. I"m no great judge; but I like to see fellows laughing, and that sort of thing. It looks good-humoured, don"t you think?"
"I hate good-humour," said Lady Jane.
The General, not knowing exactly what to say next, marched by her side in silence, till Lady Jane let go his arm, and sat down on the rustic seat which commands so fine a view, and, leaning back, eyed the landscape with a dreamy indolence, as if she was going to "cut" it.
The General scanned it with a military eye, and his reconnoitering glance discerned, coming up the broad walk at his right, their host, with pretty Mrs. Maberly on his arm, doing the honours plainly very agreeably.
On seeing the General and Lady Jane, he smiled, quickened his pace, and raised his hat.
"So glad we have found you," said he. "Charming weather, isn"t it? _You_ must determine, Lady Jane, what"s to be done to-day. There are two things you really ought to see--Gryston Bridge and Hazelden Castle. I a.s.sure you the great London artists visit both for studies. We"ll take our luncheon there, it"s such a warm, bright day--that is, if you like the plan--and, which do you say?"
"My husband always votes for me. What does Mrs. Maberly say?" and Lady Jane looked in her face with one of her winning smiles.
"Yes, what does Mrs. Maberly say?" echoed the General, gallantly.
"So you won"t advise?" said the Baronet, leaning toward Lady Jane, a little reproachfully.
"I won"t advise," she echoed, in her indolent way.
"Which is the best?" inquired Mrs. Maberly, gleefully. "What a charming idea!"
"For my part, I have a headache, you know, Arthur--I told you, dear; and I shall hardly venture a long excursion, I think. What do you advise to-day?"
"Well, I think it might do you good--hey? What do _you_ say, Sir Jekyl?"
"So very sorry to hear Lady Jane is suffering; but I really think your advice, General Lennox--it"s so very fine and mild--and I think it might amuse Lady Jane;" and he glanced at the lady, who, however, wearing her bewitching smile, was conversing with Mrs. Maberly about a sweet little white dog, with long ears and a blue ribbon, which had accompanied her walk from the house.
"Well, dear, Sir Jekyl wants to know. What do you say?" inquired the General.