"Oh, you satirist!" said the affected Lady Harriett (who was only three removes better than the Cheltenham countess); "but tell me, how long have you been at Cheltenham?"
"About four hours and a half!"
"Then you don"t know any of the lions here?"
"None."
"Well, let me dispatch Lady Babbleton, and I"ll then devote myself to being your nomenclator."
We walked up to Lady Babbleton, who had already disposed of her daughters, and was sitting in solitary dignity at the end of the room.
"My dear Lady Babbleton," cried Lady Harriett, taking both the hands of the dowager, "I am so glad to see you, and how well you are looking; and your charming daughters, how are they?--sweet girls!--and how long have you been here?"
"We have only just come," replied the cidevant milliner, half rising and rustling her plumes in stately agitation, like a nervous parrot; "we must conform to modern ours, Lady Arriett, though for my part, I like the old-fashioned plan of dining early, and finishing one"s gaieties before midnight; but I set the fashion of good ours as well as I can. I think it"s a duty we owe to society, Lady Arriett, to encourage morality by our own example. What else do we have rank for?" And, so saying, the counter countess drew herself up with a most edifying air of moral dignity.
Lady Harriett looked at me, and perceiving that my eye said "go on," as plain as eye could possibly speak, she continued--"Which of the wells do you attend, Lady Babbleton?"
"All," replied the patronizing dowager. "I like to encourage the poor people here; I"ve no notion of being proud because one has a t.i.tle, Lady Arriett."
"No," rejoined the worthy helpmate of Sir Lionel Garrett; "every body talks of your condescension, Lady Babbleton; but are you not afraid of letting yourself down by going every where?"
"Oh," answered the countess, "I admit very few into my set, at home, but I go out promiscuously;" and then, looking at me, she said, in a whisper, to Lady Harriett, "Who is that nice young gentleman?"
"Mr. Pelham," replied Lady Harriett; and, turning to me, formally introduced us to each other.
"Are you any relation (asked the dowager) to Lady Frances Pelham?"
"Only her son," said I.
"Dear me," replied Lady Babbleton, "how odd; what a nice elegant woman she is! She does not go much out, does she? I don"t often meet her."
"I should not think it likely that your ladyship did meet her much. She does not visit promiscuously."
"Every rank has its duty," said Lady Harriett, gravely; "your mother, Mr. Pelham, may confine her circle as much as she pleases; but the high rank of Lady Babbleton requires greater condescension; just as the Dukes of Suss.e.x and Gloucester go to many places where you and I would not."
"Very true!" said the innocent dowager; "and that"s a very sensible remark! Were you at Bath last winter, Mr. Pelham?" continued the countess, whose thoughts wandered from subject to subject in the most rudderless manner.
"No, Lady Babbleton, I was unfortunately at a less distinguished place."
"What was that?"
"Paris!"
"Oh, indeed! I"ve never been abroad; I don"t think persons of a certain rank should leave England; they should stay at home and encourage their own manufactories."
"Ah!" cried I, taking hold of Lady Babbleton"s shawl, "what a pretty Manchester pattern this is."
"Manchester pattern!" exclaimed the petrified peeress; "why it is real cachemere: you don"t think I wear any thing English, Mr. Pelham?"
"I beg your ladyship ten thousand pardons. I am no judge of dress; but to return--I am quite of your opinion, that we ought to encourage our own manufactories, and not go abroad: but one cannot stay long on the Continent, even if one is decoyed there. One soon longs for home again."
"Very sensibly remarked," rejoined Lady Babbleton: "that"s what I call true patriotism and morality. I wish all the young men of the present day were like you. Oh, dear!--here"s a great favourite of mine coming this way--Mr. Ritson!--do you know him; shall I introduce you?"
"G.o.d forbid!" exclaimed I--frightened out of my wits, and my manners.
"Come, Lady Harriett, let us rejoin Sir Lionel;" and, "swift at the word," Lady Harriett retook my arm, nodded her adieu to Lady Babbleton, and withdrew with me to an obscurer part of the room.
Here we gave way to our laughter for some time, till, at last, getting weary of the Cheltenham Cleopatra, I reminded Lady Harriett of her promise to name to me the various personages of the a.s.semblage.
"Eh bien," began Lady Harriett; "d"abord, you observe that very short person, somewhat more than inclined to enbonpoint?"
"What, that thing like a Chinese tumbler--that peg of old clothes--that one foot square of mortality, with an aquatic-volucrine face, like a spoonbill?"
"The very same," said Lady Harriett, laughing; "she is a Lady Gander.
She professes to be a patroness of literature, and holds weekly soirees in London, for all the newspaper poets. She also falls in love every year, and then she employs her minstrels to write sonnets: her son has a most filial tenderness for a jointure of L10,000. a-year, which she casts away on these feasts and follies; and, in order to obtain it, declares the good lady to be insane. Half of her friends he has bribed, or persuaded, to be of his opinion: the other half stoutly maintain her rationality; and, in fact, she herself is divided in her own opinion as to the case; for she is in the habit of drinking to a most unsentimental excess, and when the fit of intoxication is upon her, she confesses to the charge brought against her--supplicates for mercy and brandy, and totters to bed with the air of a Magdalene; but when she recovers the next morning, the whole scene is changed; she is an injured woman, a persecuted saint, a female Sophocles--declared to be mad only because she is a miracle. Poor Harry Darlington called upon her in town, the other day; he found her sitting in a large chair, and surrounded by a whole host of hangers-on, who were disputing by no means sotto voce, whether Lady Gander was mad or not? Henry was immediately appealed to:--"Now, is not this a proof of insanity?" said one.--"Is not this a mark of compos mentis?" cried another. "I appeal to you, Mr.
Darlington," exclaimed all. Meanwhile the object of the conversation sate in a state of maudlin insensibility, turning her head, first on one side, and then on the other; and nodding to all the disputants, as if agreeing with each. But enough of her. Do you observe that lady in--"
"Good heavens!" exclaimed I, starting up, "is that--can that be Tyrrell?"
"What"s the matter with the man?" cried Lady Harriett.
I quickly recovered my presence of mind, and reseated myself: "Pray forgive me, Lady Harriett," said I; "but I think, nay, I am sure, I see a person I once met under very particular circ.u.mstances. Do you observe that dark man in deep mourning, who has just entered the room, and is now speaking to Sir Ralph Rumford?"
"I do, it is Sir John Tyrrell!" replied Lady Harriett: "he only came to Cheltenham yesterday. His is a very singular history."
"What is it?" said I, eagerly.
"Why! he was the only son of a younger branch of the Tyrrells; a very old family, as the name denotes. He was a great deal in a certain roue set, for some years, and was celebrated for his affaires du coeur. His fortune was, however, perfectly unable to satisfy his expenses; he took to gambling, and lost the remains of his property. He went abroad, and used to be seen at the low gaming houses at Paris, earning a very degraded and precarious subsistence; till, about three months ago, two persons, who stood between him and the t.i.tle and estates of the family, died, and most unexpectedly he succeeded to both. They say that he was found in the most utter penury and distress, in a small cellar at Paris; however that may be, he is now Sir John Tyrrell, with a very large income, and in spite of a certain coa.r.s.eness of manner, probably acquired by the low company he latterly kept, he is very much liked, and even admired by the few good people in the society of Cheltenham."
At this instant Tyrrell pa.s.sed us; he caught my eye, stopped short, and coloured violently. I bowed; he seemed undecided for a moment as to the course he should adopt; it was but for a moment. He returned my salutation with great appearance of cordiality; shook me warmly by the hand; expressed himself delighted to meet me; inquired where I was staying, and said he should certainly call upon me. With this promise he glided on, and was soon lost among the crowd.
"Where did you meet him?" said Lady Harriett.
"At Paris."
"What! was he in decent society there?"
"I don"t know," said I. "Good night, Lady Harriett;" and, with an air of extreme la.s.situde, I took my hat, and vanished from that motley mixture of the fashionably low and the vulgarly genteel!
CHAPTER XLI.
Full many a lady I have eyed with best regard, and many a time The harmony of their tongues hath unto bondage Drawn my too diligent eyes.
But you, oh! you, So perfect and so peerless, are created Of every creature"s best.--Shakspeare.
Thou wilt easily conceive, my dear reader, who hast been in my confidence throughout the whole of this history, and whom, though as yet thou hast cause to esteem me but lightly, I already love as my familiar and my friend--thou wilt easily conceive my surprise at meeting so unexpectedly with my old hero of the gambling house. I felt indeed perfectly stunned at the shock of so singular a change in his circ.u.mstances since I had last met him. My thoughts reverted immediately to that scene, and to the mysterious connection between Tyrrell and Glanville. How would the latter receive the intelligence of his enemy"s good fortune? was his vengeance yet satisfied, or through what means could it now find vent?