"Why do you have him so much about you, then, and quote him so often?"
"Why, my lord," said Bradshawe, again interposing, "Lady Mabel cannot but see and hear much of L"Isle, while she sees so much of Mrs.
Shortridge, their mutual friend."
Lady Mabel was truly thankful for this diversion. It gave her one moment to think, and that was enough. In her father"s present mood, L"Isle could not escape gross insult at their next meeting. She felt that the best way to molify his anger was to take up his quarrel vigorously herself. So, warming herself into a fit of indignation becoming the occasion, she exclaimed: "It is no fault of mine that I see so much of Colonel L"Isle. Why do you make him so often your guest? As Colonel Bradshawe says, I have no fit companion here but Mrs. Shortridge, and he is often with her. As to his presumption, it is not so new to me as you suppose. I have often laughed at him for his vanity in thinking that n.o.body can do anything as well as himself. I have had to check him before this for presuming to find fault with your management of the brigade; but did not imagine he would have the impertinence to insinuate to your face that he could command it better than you do."
"By Jove!" exclaimed Lord Strathern, "indirectly, he as good as told me so."
"So it seems," said Lady Mabel indignantly. "I am your daughter, and resent such boyish impertinence more even than you do. I will take the earliest opportunity to express to him my opinion on that point most emphatically."
Bradshawe was discreetly silent, drinking in every word. He did not actually hate L"Isle; he liked Lady Mabel well; but he loved the mischief a-brewing, and watched her game, for he saw plainly that she was playing one. Conway sat wondering what all this would lead to, anxious, yet afraid, to say a word in extenuation of poor L"Isle"s offences.
"By the bye," exclaimed Lady Mabel, "I have promised Mrs. Shortridge my utmost aid in entertaining her guests to-morrow night; and the better to enable me to give it, Colonel L"Isle is pledged to be in constant attendance as my interpreter. I must write at once, and let him know that I shall dispense with his services."
"Write to the fellow at once," growled Lord Strathern, "and do not let him misunderstand the tenor of your note."
"But he has gone to Badajoz," said Bradshawe. "Still, if he has an appointment with you, Lady Mabel, he will a.s.suredly be back in time."
"But, my lord," said Major Conway, "you have an order for him to attend Sir Rowland, at Alcantara the morning after, so that he would have to give up the pleasure of waiting on Lady Mabel at Mrs.
Shortridge"s, even though she did not discard him in this summary manner."
"Then Mabel shall summon him to attend her, according to promise, in spite of Sir Rowland"s order!" thundered Lord Strathern, with all the perverseness of an angry man.
"But suppose he pleads Sir Rowland"s order in excuse," urged Conway.
"It shall not serve him. Mabel shall treat it as a fresh piece of impertinence, and cut him forever."
"Suppose he attends Lady Mabel, and neglects Sir Rowland?"
"Then Sir Rowland shall know how lightly he holds his orders."
"That is being very hard upon L"Isle," said Conway.
"Not as hard as he deserves," said Lord Strathern with a bitter laugh.
"It is probably very important," urged Conway, "that Sir Rowland should know at once the real state of this Andalusian reserve. Much may depend upon it."
"Tut," said Lord Strathern contemptuously. "What matters L"Isle"s being able to tell him whether or not they look like soldiers? If you had been long in Spain, you would have known that the fighting has to be done by us."
"O yes," said Bradshawe. "Whatever they may do on parade, the fighting always falls to our lot."
Lady Mabel had listened to this dialogue with intense interest, and no little confusion of mind. She was very angry with L"Isle, and that perhaps made her feel how important he had become to her. She was not quite prepared to cut his acquaintance, and turn her back on him forever, and now thought she saw her way through the difficulty.
"You are driving my friend L"Isle to the wall," said Major Conway. "I know him to be a _gallant_ man; but however painful the sacrifice may be to him, I think he will feel compelled to waive his engagement with Lady Mabel, and wait on Sir Rowland Hill."
"Let him, if he dare," said Lady Mabel, with an emphatic stamp of her foot.
"I applaud your spirit, Lady Mabel," said Bradshawe mischievously. "It is lucky for L"Isle that the Stewarts of Strathern are not now represented by a son. As it is, L"Isle will have to make his submission with the best grace he can."
"I trust Lady Mabel will accept it in some other shape than slighting Sir Rowland"s order," said Conway. "L"Isle will not do that."
"That, and nothing else," said Lady Mabel resolutely--almost angrily. "I hold myself to be quite as good as Sir Rowland, and the first appointment was with me."
"Sir Rowland will have to yield precedence to you, Lady Mabel," said Bradshawe. "If L"Isle knows the penalty, he will have to attend on you."
"Begging Lady Mabel"s pardon," said Conway, "L"Isle will do no such thing."
"Conway," said Lord Strathern, with a sneer, "this punctilious friend of yours is very exacting--toward other people. But I will bet you fifty guineas that he keeps Sir Rowland waiting for news of a batch of ragam.u.f.fins not worth hearing about."
"My funds are rather low just now," said Conway, "to hazard fifty guineas on a bet."
"I thought you would not back him but in words," said Lord Strathern, in a contemptuous tone.
"Nay," said Conway, stung by his manner, "I know that where duty is concerned, L"Isle is a punctilious man. To obey every order to the letter and the second, is a point of honor with him, and I will risk my money upon him."
"Done," said Lord Strathern; "and now, Mabel, use your wits to keep the fellow here, and make a fool of him; and I will expose and laugh at him, as he deserves, at Alcantara."
"But this is a regular plot against poor L"Isle," objected Conway.
"Plot or no plot, it is understood that you give him no hint," said Lord Strathern.
"Certainly not," exclaimed Bradshawe, rubbing his hands together.
"Conway, you must not blab."
"I suppose I must not," said Conway, with a very grave face, chiefly for L"Isle, but partly for his fifty guineas. "But this is a serious matter. It may be of vital importance for Sir Rowland to know at once if the Andalusian reserve"--
"The Andalusian reserve," said Lord Strathern, interrupting him, "will never let themselves be food for powder."
Lady Mabel now slipped out of the room, to hide her confusion and anxiety; and Major Conway, finding my lord not in a mood to please or be pleased, soon took leave, followed by Bradshawe in high glee, though he suppressed the outward signs of it until he had turned his back upon the hospitable mansion.
CHAPTER XVIII.
"Here on the clear, cold Ezla"s breezy side, My hand amidst her ringlets wont to rove; She proffered now the lock, and now denied-- With all the baby playfulness of love.
"Here the false maid, with many an artful tear, Made me each rising thought of doubt discover; And vowed and wept till hope had ceased to fear-- Ah me! beguiling, like a child, her lover."
Southey, _from the Spanish_.
Lord Strathern"s anger was not unlike a thunderstorm, violent and loud, but not very lasting. It had spent its worst fury last night; but Lady Mabel still heard the occasional rumbling of the thunder in the morning, while seated, with her father, at an unusually early breakfast; for he had before him no short day"s journey over the rough country between Elvas and Alcantara. Sleep may have dulled the edge of his anger against L"Isle, but he had not yet forgotten or forgiven him. As he kissed his daughter before he mounted his horse--for she had followed him into the court--he said: "Do not forget that fellow L"Isle, Mabel; keep him here, and make a fool of him, and I will expose and laugh at him to-morrow in Alcantara."
Now, Lady Mabel had forgotten neither L"Isle, nor his offences. She was indignant at his presumptuous censure of her father, as unjust and disrespectful to him, and showing too little consideration for herself. In short, it was, as Colonel Bradshawe had insinuated, an indignity to the whole house of Stewart of Strathern. It must be resented. Yet she could not resolve to turn her back upon him, and discard him altogether, as she was pledged to do, as one alternative. She thought it a far fitter punishment to compel him to keep his appointment with her, and make Sir Rowland wait, fretting and fuming for the intelligence he longed for, and which L"Isle alone could give him. She reveled in the idea of making L"Isle turn his back on military duty to obey her behest:
"How she would make him fawn, and beg and seek, And wait the season and observe the times, And spend his prodigal wit in bootless rhymes."
But then L"Isle was so punctilious on points of duty, and Major Conway had been so confident that she could not detain him in Elvas, that she begun to doubt it herself, and resolved to spare no pains to gain her end. So she at once sat down and penned an artful note; then calling for her fine footman, dispatched him with it to L"Isle"s quarters, after schooling him well that he was to give it to the colonel"s own man, with strict injunctions to put it in his master"s hand on his return--if possible--before his foot was out of the stirrup; certainly, before he got any other letter awaiting him.