"No; they wouldn"t. Had you a child you would have talked about him, Phineas. I should have loved my baby better than all the world, but I should have been silent about him. With Violet of course her husband is the first object. It would certainly be so from her nature. And so Oswald is quite tame?"
"I don"t know that he is very tame out hunting."
"But to her?"
"I should think always. She, you know, is very clever."
"So clever!"
"And would be sure to steer clear of all offence," said Phineas, enthusiastically.
"While I could never for an hour avoid it. Did they say anything about the journey to Flanders?"
"Chiltern did, frequently. He made me strip my shoulder to show him the place where he hit me."
"How like Oswald!"
"And he told me that he would have given one of his eyes to kill me, only Colepepper wouldn"t let him go on. He half quarrelled with his second, but the man told him that I had not fired at him, and the thing must drop. "It"s better as it is, you know," he said. And I agreed with him."
"And how did Violet receive you?"
"Like an angel,--as she is."
"Well, yes. I"ll grant she is an angel now. I was angry with her once, you know. You men find so many angels in your travels. You have been honester than some. You have generally been off with the old angel before you were on with the new,--as far at least as I knew."
"Is that meant for rebuke, Lady Laura?"
"No, my friend; no. That is all over. I said to myself when you told me that you would come, that I would not utter one ill-natured word.
And I told myself more than that!"
"What more?"
"That you had never deserved it,--at least from me. But surely you were the most simple of men."
"I dare say."
"Men when they are true are simple. They are often false as h.e.l.l, and then they are crafty as Lucifer. But the man who is true judges others by himself,--almost without reflection. A woman can be true as steel and cunning at the same time. How cunning was Violet, and yet she never deceived one of her lovers, even by a look. Did she?"
"She never deceived me,--if you mean that. She never cared a straw about me, and told me so to my face very plainly."
"She did care,--many straws. But I think she always loved Oswald. She refused him again and again, because she thought it wrong to run a great risk, but I knew she would never marry any one else. How little Lady Baldock understood her. Fancy your meeting Lady Baldock at Oswald"s house!"
"Fancy Augusta Boreham turning nun!"
"How exquisitely grotesque it must have been when she made her complaint to you."
"I pitied her with all my heart."
"Of course you did,--because you are so soft. And now, Phineas, we will put it off no longer. Tell me all that you have to tell me about him."
CHAPTER XII
Konigstein
Phineas Finn and Lady Laura Kennedy sat together discussing the affairs of the past till the servant told them that "My Lord" was in the next room, and ready to receive Mr. Finn. "You will find him much altered," said Lady Laura, "even more than I am."
"I do not find you altered at all."
"Yes, you do,--in appearance. I am a middle-aged woman, and conscious that I may use my privileges as such. But he has become quite an old man,--not in health so much as in manner. But he will be very glad to see you." So saying she led him into a room, in which he found the Earl seated near the fireplace, and wrapped in furs. He got up to receive his guest, and Phineas saw at once that during the two years of his exile from England Lord Brentford had pa.s.sed from manhood to senility. He almost tottered as he came forward, and he wrapped his coat around him with that air of studious self-preservation which belongs only to the infirm.
"It is very good of you to come and see me, Mr. Finn," he said.
"Don"t call him Mr. Finn, Papa. I call him Phineas."
"Well, yes; that"s all right, I dare say. It"s a terrible long journey from London, isn"t it, Mr. Finn?"
"Too long to be pleasant, my lord."
"Pleasant! Oh, dear. There"s no pleasantness about it. And so they"ve got an autumn session, have they? That"s always a very stupid thing to do, unless they want money."
"But there is a money bill which must be pa.s.sed. That"s Mr. Daubeny"s excuse."
"Ah, if they"ve a money bill of course it"s all right. So you"re in Parliament again?"
"I"m sorry to say I"m not." Then Lady Laura explained to her father, probably for the third or fourth time, exactly what was their guest"s position. "Oh, a scrutiny. We didn"t use to have any scrutinies at Loughton, did we? Ah, me; well, everything seems to be going to the dogs. I"m told they"re attacking the Church now." Lady Laura glanced at Phineas; but neither of them said a word. "I don"t quite understand it; but they tell me that the Tories are going to disestablish the Church. I"m very glad I"m out of it all. Things have come to such a pa.s.s that I don"t see how a gentleman is to hold office now-a-days. Have you seen Chiltern lately?"
After a while, when Phineas had told the Earl all that there was to tell of his son and his grandson, and all of politics and of Parliament, Lady Laura suddenly interrupted them. "You knew, Papa, that he was to see Mr. Kennedy. He has been to Loughlinter, and has seen him."
"Oh, indeed!"
"He is quite a.s.sured that I could not with wisdom return to live with my husband."
"It is a very grave decision to make," said the Earl.
"But he has no doubt about it," continued Lady Laura.
"Not a shadow of doubt," said Phineas. "I will not say that Mr.
Kennedy is mad; but the condition of his mind is such in regard to Lady Laura that I do not think she could live with him in safety. He is crazed about religion."
"Dear, dear, dear," exclaimed the Earl.
"The gloom of his house is insupportable. And he does not pretend that he desires her to return that he and she may be happy together."
"What for then?"