Here the nurse interposed with the claret-jug, and intimated that the Rev. Dives was making her patient feverish, and indeed there was an unpleasantly hot hectic in each cheek. But the Baronet had no notion of putting himself under the command of the supernumerary, and being a contumacious and troublesome patient, told her to sit in the study and leave him alone.
"I"ve a word to say, Dives. I must see that fellow Herbert Strangways."
"_Who?_" said Dives, a good deal alarmed, for he feared that his brother"s mind was wandering.
"Herbert--that fellow Varbarriere. I forgot I had not told you. Herbert Strangways, you remember; they"re the same. And I want to see him.
Better now than to-morrow. I may be feverish then."
"By Jove! It"s very surprising. Do you really mean--"
"Yes; he is. I do; they are the same. You remember Herbert, of course--Herbert Strangways--the fellow I had that long chase after all over Europe. He has things to complain of, you know, and we might as well square the account in a friendlier way, eh?--don"t you think?"
"And was it he--was there any altercation?" stammered Dives.
"That did _this_, you mean," said Sir Jekyl, moving his hand toward the wound. "Not a bit--no. He seems reasonable; and I should like--you know they are very old blood, and there"s nothing against it--that all should be made up. And if that young fellow and Beatrix--don"t you see? Is Tomlinson there?"
"In the outer room," said Dives.
"Call him. Tomlinson, I say, you take my compliments to Monsieur Varbarriere, and say, if he has no objection to see me for a few minutes here, I should be very happy. Try and make him out, and bring me word."
So Tomlinson disappeared.
"And, Dives, it tires me;--so will you--I"m sure you will--see Pelter, after we"ve spoken with that fellow Herbert, and consult what we had best do, you know. I dare say the young people would come to like one another--he"s a fine young fellow; and that, you know, would be the natural way of settling it--better than law or fighting."
"A great deal--a great deal, certainly."
"And you may tell him I have that thing--the deed, you know--my poor father--"
"I--I always told you, my dear Jekyl, I"d rather know nothing of all that--in fact, I _do_ know nothing; and I should not like to speak to Pelter on that subject. You can, another time, you know," said Dives.
"Well, it"s in the red trunk in there."
"Pray, dear Jekyl, don"t--I a.s.sure you I"d rather know nothing--I--I can"t; and Pelter will understand you better when he sees you. But I"ll talk to him with pleasure about the other thing, and I quite agree with you that any reasonable arrangement is better than litigation."
"Very well, be it so," said Sir Jekyl, very tired.
"I"m always drinking claret now--give me some--the only quick way of making blood--I"ve lost a lot."
"And you must not talk so much, Jekyl," said Dives, as he placed the gla.s.s at his lips; "you"ll wear yourself out."
"Yes, I _am_ tired," said the Baronet; "I"ll rest till Strangways comes."
And he closed his eyes, and was quiet for a time. And Dives, leaning back in his chair at the bedside, felt better a.s.sured of Jekyl"s recovery, and his thoughts began to return to their wonted channel, and he entertained himself with listlessly reading and half understanding a tedious sculling match in a very old copy of "Bell"s Life," which happened to lie near him.
A tap at the outer door called up Dives from Sandy d.i.c.k"s sweep round a corner, and Jekyl said--
"Tell him to come in--and stay--you"re not to say I"m hurt--do you mind?"
"My dear Jekyl, I--I shan"t say anything. There he"s knocking again."
"Well, tell him--come in!"
"Come in!" echoed Dives, in a louder key.
And Monsieur Varbarriere entered with that mysterious countenance and cautious shuffle with which men enter a sick-chamber.
"Very sorry to hear you"ve been suffering," began Varbarriere, in a low tone.
"Thanks--you"re very good, I"m sure," said Sir Jekyl, with a faint smile. "I--I wished very much to see you. I expect to be better very soon, and I thought I might have a word, as you are so good, in the meantime."
"Very happy, indeed--most happy, as long as you please; but you must not try too much. You know they say you may disturb gout if you try too much, particularly at first," said Varbarriere, knowing very well how little gout really had to do with it.
"Oh! no danger--doing very nicely," said Sir Jekyl.
"That"s well--that"s very good," said Varbarriere, with a leisurely sympathy, looking on him all the time, and calling to mind how the Comte de Vigny looked after he received the sword-thrust of which he died in Varbarriere"s house, to which he had been carried after his duel with young D"Harnois. And he came to the conclusion that Sir Jekyl looked a great deal better than the Comte had done--and, in fact, that he would do very well.
CHAPTER x.x.xIV.
Guy Deverell arrives.
"Sit down, Herbert, I shan"t keep you long. _There_, I"ve just been saying to Dives I think it"s a pity we should quarrel any more--that is, if we can help it; and I don"t see why we should not be friendly--I mean more friendly than, in fact, we have ever been--I don"t; do you?"
"Why, I see no reason--none; that is, of course, with the reservations that are--that are always a.s.sumed--I don"t see any."
Varbarriere was answering plausibly, politely, smiling. But it was not like last night, when for a few transient moments he had seemed moved from his equilibrium. There was no emotion now. It was diplomatic benignity. Still it was something. Here was his foe willing to hear reason.
"It was just in my mind--Dives and I talking--I think I"ve seen some signs of liking between the young people--I mean your nephew and Beatrix."
"Indeed!" interrupted Varbarriere, prolonging the last syllable after his wont, and raising his thick eyebrows in very naturally acted wonder.
"Well, yes--only a sort of conjecture, you know--haven"t you?"
"Well, I--ha, ha! If I ever observed anything, it hasn"t remained in my mind. But she is so lovely--Miss Marlowe--that I should not wonder. And you think--"
"I think," said Sir Jekyl, supplying the pause, "if it be so, we ought not to stand in the way; and here"s Dives, who thinks so too."
"I--in fact, my brother, Jekyl, mentioned it, of course, to me--it would be a very happy mode of--of making matters--a--_happy_; and--and that, I think, was all that pa.s.sed," said Dives, thus unexpectedly called into the debate.
"This view comes on me quite by surprise. That the young fellow should adore at such a shrine is but to suppose him mortal," said Varbarriere, with something of his French air. "But--but you know the young lady--that"s quite another thing--quite. Young ladies, you know, are not won all in a moment."
"No, of course. We are so far all in the clouds. But I wished to say so much to you; and I prefer talking face to face, in a friendly way, to sending messages through an attorney."
"A thousand thanks. I value the confidence, I a.s.sure you--yes, much better--quite right. And--and I shall be taking my leave to-morrow morning--business, my dear Sir Jekyl--and _greatly_ regret it; but I"ve outstayed my time very considerably."