"At Dalradern Castle, at his own house; if she likes this better than a Paris pension, or an Irish cabin, it is quite at her service."
"But, of course, you replied the thing was impossible; such an arrangement couldn"t be. It would be indelicate, improper, indecent?"
"I didn"t say all that; but I hinted that as Sir Within was a bachelor, there were difficulties----"
"Difficulties, Sir! What do you mean by difficulties? Is it possible that one evening"s companionship with a person hardened by a long life of "libertinage" can have so warped your moral sense as to render you blind to so obvious a shame as this?"
"He said his housekeeper----"
"His housekeeper! Am I to believe, Sir, that you listened to all this with the patience with which you repeat it now, and that no feeling of propriety roused you to an indignant rejection of such a scheme? Was his Claret or his Burgundy so insinuating as this?"
"When he said housekeeper----"
"Pray, Sir, do not push my endurance beyond all limits. I have given a very wide margin for the influence of Sir Within"s fascinations; but, bear in mind, that the magnetism of his wit and his wine has not extended to me."
"If you want to imply, Miss Courtenay, that I was not in a condition to judge of----."
"Mr. M"Kinlay, I say nothing at any time by implication. People are p.r.o.ne to call me too outspoken. What I say and what I mean to say is this, that I cannot imagine a person of your intelligence calmly listening to and concurring in such a project."
"I am free to own I disliked it, and I distrusted it; the few words that your brother"s butler, Rickards, said about this girl"s craft and subtlety, the artful way she got round people, the study she made of the tempers and tastes of those about her----"
"And with all this before you, with this knowledge fresh as it was in your mind, you quietly sit down to agree to a plan which opens to these very qualities a most dangerous field of exercise. What do you mean by it? What do you intend? I can"t suppose," said she, with a sneer, "you contemplated her being Lady Wardle?"
"I certainly did not," said he, with a sickly smile.
"Well, Sir, you have placed yourself in a position for malevolent people to impute worse to you. Will you just tell me, who ever heard of such a thing? Is there any country, any society ever tolerated it? This girl is close on sixteen."
"He asked particularly about her age," said M"Kinlay, who was now so confused, that he knew not well what he said.
And, simple as the words were, they seemed to pierce to her very heart, for she sprang to her feet, and in a voice trembling with pa.s.sion, said:
"I sincerely trust that you manage the material questions confided to you with more ability and tact than you do matters of social interest, and I can only say, Sir, it is the last occasion of this kind on which you will be troubled with any commission from me."
"I believed I was strictly carrying out your intentions. You said she must not come abroad."
"But I never said----" she stopped, and the crimson flush rose on her face and covered her whole forehead. "Now mind me, Mr. M"Kinlay, and remember, I do not intend that you should twice mistake my meaning, my wish was, and is, that this girl should go back to the place, the people, and the condition from which my brother, in a very ill-judging hour, took her. I believed, and I believe, that her presence in any, the most remote, connexion with our family, is fraught with inconvenience, or worse--do you understand me so far?"
"I do," said he, slowly.
"Well, with this strong conviction on my mind, I desire that she should be sent home again; and I tell Mr. M"Kinlay now, that any favour he cares for or values at my hands, depends on the success with which he carries out this wish."
"But how is this possible? What can I do?"
"That is for your consideration, Sir; you entangled the skein, you must try if you cannot undo it. Lawyers, I have always heard, have resources at their command common mortals never have dreamed of. You may discover that Sir Within has no right to exercise this guardianship. You might find out," she smiled dubiously as she uttered the words, "that the girl"s friends disapproved of this protection,--very humble people occasionally are right-minded on these points,--you might find--how can I tell what your ingenuity could not find--excellent reasons that she should go back to Ireland and to the obscurity she should never have quitted. I don"t doubt it may be hard to do this; but until I learn that it is impossible, I will never consent to withdraw from Mr. M"Kinlay that confidence with which his character and his abilities have ever inspired me."
"If the desire to win your favour Miss Courtenay----"
"No, no, Mr. M"Kinlay, that is not enough! We women are very practical, if we are not very logical; we ask for success from those who aspire to our good esteem."
"To meet a difficulty, the first thing is to see where is the hitch!"
said he, thoughtfully.
"I don"t believe that I apprehend you here. What is it that you mean?"
"I mean, Miss Courtenay, that it is only by learning very accurately what are the reasons for this girl"s removal--what urgent necessity, in fact, requires it--that I shall be likely to hit upon the means to affect it."
"Suppose it to be a caprice--a mere caprice!"
"In that case, I should be powerless."
"I don"t mean an actual caprice," said she, hurriedly, for she saw her error; "but a sort of apprehension that this initial mistake of my brother"s would lead to worse. Great unhappiness has been caused to families by these connexions; the Irish are a very vindictive people, Sir, if they thought, as they might think, some years hence, that we should have discovered our blunder before. In short, Sir, I will not turn special pleader to show what I wish and I insist on."
"Do you think, if I were to remain here to-morrow, Sir Gervais would be able to see me."
"It is most improbable; I am certain the doctors would not consent to it."
"Nor even the next day, perhaps?"
"Just as unlikely; everything like business is strictly forbidden to him."
"Then I do not see why I should not start at once--now!"
"If I am to accept this as zeal to serve me," said she, in a very sweet accent, "I thank you sincerely."
"Ah, Miss Courtenay, could you only guess with what ardour I would apply myself to win your favour! If you had known how the very faintest promise of that favour----"
"Mr. M"Kinlay," said she, stopping him, and bestowing a very captivating smile on him, "Mr. M"Kinlay belongs to a profession that never stipulates for its reward!"
"Enough, my dear Miss Courtenay," said he, and, in his enthusiasm, he actually seized her hand and kissed it.
"Good-by," said she, with a sort of maidenly impatience; "let me hear from you soon." And she left him.
That same night saw Mr. M"Kinlay wearily rumbling along the same way he had lately travelled, very tired and very road-sick; but still there burned in his heart a small flame of hope, a tiny light indeed, not unlike one of the little lamps which from time to time he saw on the wayside, throwing their sickly glare over some humble shrine.
Ah, M"Kinlay! if you could but have seen the hurried impatience with which a cambric handkerchief was employed to efface, as it were, all trace of that rapturous embrace, it might have rescued you from some vain fancies, even though it made the road all the wearier and the drearier.
A very few words more will complete our account of a retrospect that has already grown longer than we wished. Mr. M"Kinlay"s first care on reaching town, was to address a very carefully-worded and respectful letter to Sir Within Wardle, stating that as the Vyner family had not fully approved of what he, M"K., had done with regard to the arrangements for Miss O"Hara, he hoped Sir Within would graciously name an early day to receive him, and explain what were the plans which they had fixed on for this young person, and by what means they purposed to relieve him from a charge which could not be other than embarra.s.sing.
The following was the reply he received by return of post:
"Dear Sir,--Sir Within Wardle has handed me your note, and directed me to answer it. Perhaps this fact alone, and of itself, will be a sufficient reply. It will at least serve to show that while I am honoured by his entire confidence, I am not the cause of any such embarra.s.sment as you feelingly deplore.
"Sir Within sees nothing in his present arrangements which call for the advice you are so kind as to offer, nor does he feel warranted in giving you the inconvenience of a journey, whose results would be unprofitable.
Apart from this discussion, a visit from you would be always acceptable.
"Believe me, dear Sir, with every sense of esteem and respect, yours,
"Kate O"Hara."