"Harry! you really must not speak so loud. Mrs Pansey might hear. Come with me, dear. I must look after our guests, for I am sure mother is tired."
"I _am_ tired," a.s.sented Mrs Pendle, with a faint sigh. "Thank you, Lucy, I willingly make you my representative. Gabriel will stay beside me."
"Here is Miss Tancred," observed Harry Brace, in an undertone.
"Oh, she must not come near mother," whispered Lucy, in alarm. "Take her to the supper-room, Harry."
"But she"ll tell me the story of how she lost her purse at the Army and Navy Stores, Lucy."
"You can bear hearing it better than mother can. Besides, she"ll not finish it; she never does."
Sir Harry groaned, but like an obedient lover intercepted a withered old dame who was the greatest bore in the town. She usually told a digressive story about a lost purse, but hitherto had never succeeded in getting to the point, if there was one. Accepting the suggestion of supper with alacrity, she drifted away on Sir Harry"s arm, and no doubt mentioned the famous purse before he managed to fill her mouth and stop her prosing.
Lucy, who had a quiet humour of her own in spite of her demure looks, laughed at the dejection and martyrdom of Sir Harry; and taking the eagerly-proffered arm of a callow lieutenant, ostentatiously and hopelessly in love with her, went away to play her part of deputy hostess. She moved from group to group, and everywhere received smiles and congratulations, for she was a general favourite, and, with the exception of Mrs Pansey, everyone approved of her engagement. Behind a floral screen a band of musicians, who called themselves the Yellow Hungarians, and individually possessed the most unp.r.o.nounceable names, played the last waltz, a smooth, swinging melody which made the younger guests long for a dance. In fact, the callow lieutenant boldly suggested that a waltz should be attempted, with himself and Lucy to set the example; but his companion snubbed him unmercifully for his boldness, and afterwards restored his spirits by taking him to the supper-room.
Here they found Miss Tancred in the full flow of her purse story; so Lucy, having pity on her lover, bestowed her escort on the old lady as a listener, and enjoyed supper at an isolated table with Sir Harry. The sucking Wellington could have murdered Brace with pleasure, and very nearly did murder Miss Tancred, for he plied her so constantly with delicacies that she got indigestion, and was thereby unable to finish about the purse.
Gabriel and his mother were not long left alone, for shortly there approached a brisk old lady, daintily dressed, who looked like a fairy G.o.dmother. She had a keen face, bright eyes like those of a squirrel, and in gesture and walk and glance was as restless as that animal. This piece of alacrity was Miss Which.e.l.lo, who was the aunt of Mab Arden, the beloved of George Pendle. Mab was with her, and, gracious and tall, looked as majestic as any queen, as she paced in her stately manner by the old lady"s side. Her beauty was that of Juno, for she was imperial and a trifle haughty in her manner. With dark hair, dark eyes, and dark complexion, she looked like an Oriental princess, quite different in appearance to her apple-cheeked, silvery-haired aunt. There was something Jewish about her rich, eastern beauty, and she might have been painted in her yellow dress as Esther or Rebecca, or even as Jael who slew Sisera on the going down of the sun.
"Well, good folks," said the brisk little lady in a brisk little voice, "and how are you both? Tired, Mrs Pendle? Of course, what else can you expect with late hours and your delicacies. I don"t believe in these social gatherings."
"Your presence here contradicts that a.s.sertion," said Gabriel, giving up his chair.
"Oh, I am a martyr to duty. I came because Mab must be amused!"
"I only hope she is not disappointed," said Mrs Pendle, kindly, for she knew how things were between her eldest son and the girl. "I am sorry George is not here, my dear."
"I did not expect him to be," replied Mab, in her grave, contralto voice, and with a blush; "he told me that he would not be able to get leave from his colonel."
"Ha! his colonel knows what is good for young men," cried Miss Which.e.l.lo; "work and diet both in moderate quant.i.ties. My dear Mrs Pendle, if you only saw those people in the supper-room!--simply digging their graves with their teeth. I pity the majority of them to-morrow morning."
"Have you had supper, Miss Which.e.l.lo?" asked Gabriel.
"Oh, yes! a biscuit and a gla.s.s of weak whisky and water; quite enough, too. Mab here has been drinking champagne recklessly."
"Only half a gla.s.s, aunt; don"t take away my character!"
"My dear, if you take half a gla.s.s, you may as well finish the bottle for the harm it does you. Champagne is poison; much or little, it is rank poison."
"Come away, Miss Arden, and let us poison ourselves," suggested the curate.
"It wouldn"t do you any harm, Mrs Pendle," cried the little old lady.
"You are too pale, and champagne, in your case, would pick you up. Iron and slight stimulants are what _you_ need. I am afraid you are not careful what you eat."
"I am not a diet.i.tian, Miss Which.e.l.lo."
"I am, my dear ma"am; and look at me--sixty-two, and as brisk as a bee.
I don"t know the meaning of the word illness. In a good hour be it spoken," added Miss Which.e.l.lo, thinking she was tempting the G.o.ds. "By the way, what is this about his lordship being ill?"
"The bishop ill!" faltered Mrs Pendle, half rising. "He was perfectly well when I saw him last. Oh, dear me, what is this?"
"He"s ill now, in the library, at all events."
"Wait, mother," said Gabriel, hastily. "I will see my father. Don"t rise; don"t worry yourself; pray be calm."
Gabriel walked quickly to the library, rather astonished to hear that his father was indisposed, for the bishop had never had a day"s illness in his life. He saw by the demeanour of the guests that the indisposition of their host was known, for already an uneasy feeling prevailed, and several people were departing. The door of the library was closed and locked. Cargrim was standing sentinel beside it, evidently irate at being excluded.
"You can"t go in, Pendle," said the chaplain, quickly. "Dr Graham is with his lordship."
"Is this sudden illness serious?"
"I don"t know. His lordship refuses to see anyone but the doctor. He won"t even admit me," said Cargrim, in an injured tone.
"What has caused it?" asked Gabriel, in dismay.
"I don"t know!" replied Cargrim, a second time. "His lordship saw some stranger who departed ten minutes ago. Then he sent for Dr Graham! I presume this stranger is responsible for the bishop"s illness."
CHAPTER IV
THE CURIOSITY OF MR CARGRIM
Like that famous banquet, when Macbeth entertained unawares the ghost of gracious Duncan, the bishop"s reception broke up in the most admired disorder. It was not Dr Pendle"s wish that the entertainment should be cut short on his account, but the rumour--magnified greatly--of his sudden illness so dispirited his guests that they made haste to depart; and within an hour the palace was emptied of all save its usual inhabitants. Dr Graham in attendance on the bishop was the only stranger who remained, for Lucy sent away even Sir Harry, although he begged hard to stay in the hope of making himself useful. And the most unpleasant part of the whole incident was, that no one seemed to know the reason of Bishop Pendle"s unexpected indisposition.
"He was quite well when I saw him last," repeated poor Mrs Pendle over and over again. "And I never knew him to be ill before. What does it all mean?"
"Perhaps papa"s visitor brought him bad news," suggested Lucy, who was hovering round her mother with smelling-salts and a fan.
Mrs Pendle shook her head in much distress. "Your father has no secrets from me," she said decisively, "and, from all I know, it is impossible that any news can have upset him so much."
"Dr Graham may be able to explain," said Gabriel.
"I don"t want Dr Graham"s explanation," whimpered Mrs Pendle, tearfully.
"I dislike of all things to hear from a stranger what should be told to myself. As your father"s wife, he has no right to shut me out of his confidence--and the library," finished Mrs Pendle, with an aggrieved afterthought.
Certainly the bishop"s conduct was very strange, and would have upset even a less nervous woman than Mrs Pendle. Neither of her children could comfort her in any way, for, ignorant themselves of what had occurred, they could make no suggestions. Fortunately, at this moment, Dr Graham, with a rea.s.suring smile on his face, made his appearance, and proceeded to set their minds at ease.
"Tut! tut! my dear lady!" he said briskly, advancing on Mrs Pendle, "what is all this?"
"The bishop--"
"The bishop is suffering from a slight indisposition brought on by too much exertion in entertaining. He will be all right to-morrow."
"This visitor has had nothing to do with papa"s illness, then?"
"No, Miss Lucy. The visitor was only a decayed clergyman in search of help."