done my business for good an" all, sir." And it was to be noted that despite their exertions neither he nor the Major breathed overfast or seemed unduly over-heated; remarking which the young gentleman animadverted gently as follows:
"Gad, nunky mine, Gad save my poor perishing sawl how d"ye do it--ye don"t blow and ye ain"t sweating----"
The Major started and turned:
"What--nephew!" hastening forward to greet his visitor, "What, Pancras lad, when did you arrive?"
"Ten minutes since, sir. I strolled up from the "George and Dragon"
and left my fellows to come on with the horses and baggage. Begad, sir, "tis a cursed fine property this, a n.o.ble heritage! Give you joy of it! Here"s a change from your trooping and fighting! You grow warm, nunky, warm, eh?"
""Tis a great change, nephew, and most unexpected. But speaking of change, Pancras, you have grown out of recognition since last I saw you."
"Gad prasper me, sir, I hope so--"tis five long years agone and I"m my own man since my father had the grace to break his neck a-hunting, though "tis a pity he contrived to break my mother"s heart first, sweet, patient soul. Ha, sir, d"ye mind the day you pitched him out o"
the gun-room window?"
"He"s dead, Pancras!" said the Major, flushing.
"Which is very well, sir, since you"re alive and I"m alive and so"s the Sergeant here. How goes it Zeb--good old Zeb. How goes it, Sergeant Zeb?" and the Viscount"s white, be-ringed hand met the Sergeant"s hairy one in a hearty grip.
"Look at him, nunky, look at him a Gad"s name--same old square face, not changed a hair since he used to come a-marching back with you from some campaign or other, rat me! D"ye mind, Zeb, d"ye mind how you used to make me wooden swords and teach me how to bear my point--eh?"
"Aye, I mind, sir," nodded the Sergeant, grim lips smiling, ""tis not so long since."
"Talking of fence, sir, give me leave to say--as one somewhat proficient in the art--that your style is a little antiquated!"
"Is"t so, nephew?"
"Rat me if it isn"t, sir! It lacketh that niceness of finish, that gracious poise o" the bady, that "_je ne sais quoi_" which is all the mode."
"So, nephew, you fence--
"Of course, nunky, we all do--"tis the fashion. I fence a bout or so every day with the great Mancini, sir."
"So he"s great these days?"
"How, d"ye know him, uncle?"
"Years ago I fenced with him in Flanders."
"Well, sir?"
"I thought him too flamboyant----"
"O, Gad requite me, sir! Had you but felt his celebrated attack--that stoccata! Let me show you!" So saying, the Viscount tossed his hat into a corner, took the Sergeant"s foil and fell into a graceful fencing posture.
"Come, nunky, on guard!" he cried. Smiling, the Major saluted. "Here he is, see you, the point bearing so, and before you can blink----"
"Your coat, sir!" said the Sergeant, proffering to take it.
"Let be, Zeb, let be," sighed the Viscount, "it takes my fellow to get me into "t, and my two fellows to get me out on"t, so let be. Come, nunky mine." Smiling, the Major fell to his guard and the blades rang together. "Here he is, see you, his point bearing so, and, ere you can blink he comes out of tierce and----
"I pink you--so!" said the Major.
"Gad"s me life!" exclaimed his nephew, staring. "What the--how--come again, sir!"
Once more the blades clinked and instantly the Viscount lunged; the Major stepped back, his blade whirled and the Viscount"s weapon spun from his grasp and clattered to the floor.
"Gad save me poor perishing sawl!" he exclaimed, staring gloomily at his fallen weapon, "how did ye do "t, sir? Sergeant Zeb, damme you"re laughing at me!"
"Sir," answered the Sergeant, picking up the foil, "I were!"
"Very curst of you! And how did he manage Mancini?"
"Much the same as he managed you, sir, only----"
"Only?"
"Not so--so prompt, sir!"
"The devil he did! But Mancini"s esteemed one of the best----"
"So were his honour, sir!"
"O!" said the Viscount, "and he didn"t puff and he ain"t sweating--my sawl!"
""Tis use, nephew."
"And country air, sir! Look at you--young as you were five years since--nay, younger, I vow. Now look at me, a pasitive bunch of fiddle-strings--appet.i.te bad, stomach worse, nerves--O love me! A pasitive wreck, Gad prasper me!"
The Major"s sharp eyes noted the youthful, upright figure, the alert glance, the resolute set of mouth and chin, and he smiled.
"To be sure you are in a--er--a low, weak state of health, I understand?"
"O sir, most curst."
"Poor Pancras!" said the Major.
"No, no, sir, a Gad"s name don"t call me so, "tis a curst name, "twas my father"s name, beside "tis a name to hang a dog. Call me Tam, Tam"s short and to the point--all my friends call me Tam, so call me Tam!"
"So be it, Tom. So you come into the country for your health?"
"Aye, sir, I do. Nothing like the country, sir, balmy air--mighty invigorating, look at the ploughmen they eat and drink and sleep and--er----"
"Plough!" suggested the Major, gravely.
"Begad, sir, so they do. And besides, I do love the country--brooks and beehives, nunky; cabbages, y"know, cows d"ye see and clods and things----"
"And cuckoos, Tom."