Sir Jasper Carew: His Life and Experience. Lever Charles James
are you thinking of? Where would she get the fortune I am speaking of? But you’d never guess the name; you never saw her, – perhaps never so much as heard of her. She is a Miss Fagan.”
“Polly – Polly Fagan, the Grinder’s daughter?”
“So, then, you have heard of her?” said Dan, not a little disconcerted by this burst of intelligence.
“Heard of her! Nay, more, I’ve seen and spoken with her. I once made a descent on the old father, in the hope of doing something with him; and being accidentally, I believe it was, shown upstairs, I made Miss Polly’s acquaintance, but with just as little profit.”
“You’ll have more time to improve the intimacy here, Rutledge,” said my father, laughingly, “if MacNaghten be not a rival ‘near the throne.’”
“I’ll not interfere with you, Barry,” cried MacNaghten, carelessly.
Rutledge gave one of his usual unmeaning laughs, and said, “After all, if we except Ffrench and Curtis, there’s nothing to be afraid of; and I suppose there will be no difficulty in keeping them at a safe distance.”
“Bob Ffrench cares much more for Carew’s Burgundy than for his grand acquaintances,” interposed MacNaghten; “and as for Curtis, he only comes out of curiosity. Once satisfied that all will go on in the routine fashion of every other country visit, he’ll jog home again, sorely discontented with himself for the trouble he has taken to come here.”
“I need scarcely tell you,” said Rutledge, taking my father’s arm, and leading him to one side, – “I need scarcely tell you that we ‘d better avoid all discussion about politics and party. You yourself are very unlikely to commit any error in tact, but of course you cannot answer for others. Would it not, then, be as well to give some kind of hint?”
“Faith,” broke in my father, hastily, “I will never attempt to curb the liberty of speech of any one who does me the honor to be my guest; and I am sure I have not a friend in the world who would tamely submit to such dictation.”
“Perhaps you are right. Indeed, I’m sure you are,” broke in Rutledge, and hastened his step till he joined the others.
CHAPTER X. THE COMPANY AT CASTLE CAREW
From an early hour on the following morning, the company began to pour in to Castle Carew, then style and retinue being as varied as may well be imagined, – some arriving in all the pomp and splendor of handsomely appointed equipage; some dashing up with splashed and panting posters; and others jogging lazily along the avenue in some old “conveniency” of a past age, drawn by animals far more habituated to the plough than the phaeton. Amongst those first was conspicuous the singular old noddy, as it was called, in which Ffrench and Curtis travelled; the driver being perilously elevated some dozen feet above the earth, and perched on a bar which it required almost a rope-dancer’s dexterity to occupy. This primitive conveyance, as it trundled along before the windows, drew many to gaze and jest upon its curious appearance, – a degree of notice which seemed to have very opposite effects on the two individuals exposed to it; for while Ffrench nodded, kissed hands, and smiled good-humoredly to his friends, Curtis sat back with his arms folded, and his hat slouched over his eyes, as if endeavoring to escape recognition.
“Confound the rascal!” muttered he between his teeth. “Could n’t he have managed to creep round by some back way? His blasted jingling old rat-trap has called the whole household to look at us! – and, may I never, if he has n’t broken something! What’s the matter, – what are you getting down for?”
“‘T is the mare’s got the reins under her tail, yer honer!” said the driver, as he descended some half-dozen feet to enable him to get near enough to rectify the entanglement The process was made more difficult by the complicated machinery of springs, straps, bars, and bolts which supported the box, and in the midst of which the poor fellow sat as in a cage. He was, however, proceeding in a very business-like way to tug at the tail with one hand, and pull out the reins with the other, when, suddenly, far behind, there came the tearing tramp of horses advancing at speed, the cracking of the postilions’ whips adding to the clamor. The horses of the noddy, feeling no restraint from the reins, and terrified by the uproar, kicked up their heels at once, and bolted away, shooting the driver out of his den into a flowerpot. Away dashed the affrighted beasts, the crazy old conveyance rattling and shaking behind them with a deafening uproar. Immediately beyond the hall-door, the avenue took a sweep round a copse, and by a gentle descent wound its course towards the stables, a considerable expanse of ornamental water bordering the-road on the other side. Down the slope they now rushed madly; and, unable from their speed to accomplish the turn in safety, they made a sudden “jib” at the water’s edge, which upset the noddy, pitching its two occupants over head and heels into the lake. By good fortune it was not more than four or five feet deep in this part, so that they came off with no other injury than a thorough drenching, and the ridicule which met them in the laughter of some fifty spectators. As for Ffrench, he had to sit down on the bank and laugh till the very tears came; the efforts of Curtis to rid himself of tangled dead weed and straggling aquatic plants having driven that choleric subject almost out of his wits.
“This may be an excellent joke, – I’ve no doubt it is, since you seem to think so; but, by Heaven, sir, I ‘ll try if I cannot make some one responsible for it! Yes, gentlemen,” added he, shaking his fist at the crowded windows, “it’s not all over yet; we’ll see who laughs last!”
“Faith, we’re well off, to escape with a little fright, and some frog-spawn,” said Bob; “it might have been worse!”
“It shall be worse, sir, far worse, depend upon it!” said the other.
By this time my father had come up to the spot, and endeavored, as well as the absurdity of the scene would permit him, to condole with the angry sufferer. It was not, however, without the greatest difficulty that Curtis could be prevailed upon to enter the house. The very idea of being a laughing-stock was madness to him; and it was only on the strict assurance that no allusion to the event would be tolerated by my father that he at last gave in and accompanied him.
Insignificant as was this incident in itself, it was the origin of very grave consequences. Curtis was one of those men who are unforgiving to anything like ridicule; and the sense of injury, added to the poignant suffering of a ruined estate and a fallen condition, by no means improved a temper irascible beyond everything. He entered the house swearing every species of vengeance on the innocent cause of his misadventure.
“Time was, sir, when a lord-lieutenant drove to a gentleman’s door in a style becoming his dignity, and not heralded by half-a-dozen rascals, whip-cracking and caracolling like the clowns in a circus!”
Such was his angry commentary as he pushed past my father and hastened to his room. Long after, he sat brooding and mourning over his calamity. It was forgotten in the drawing-room, where Polly had now arrived, dividing attention and interest with the Viceroy himself. Indeed, while his Grace was surrounded with courtly and grave figures, discussing the news of the day and the passing topics, Polly was the centre of a far more animated group, whose laughter and raillery rung through the apartment.
My mother was charmed with her, not only because she possessed considerable personal charms, but, being of her own age, and speaking French with ease and fluency, it was a great happiness to her to unbend once again in all the freedom of her own delightful language. It was to no purpose that my father whispered to her the names and titles of various guests to whom peculiar honor was due; it was in vain that he led her to the seat beside some tiresome old lady, all dulness and diamonds; by some magical attraction she would find herself leaning over Polly’s chair, and listening to her, as she talked, in admiring ecstasy. It was unquestionably true that although most of the company were selected less for personal qualities than their political influence, there were many most agreeable persons in the number. My mother, however, was already fascinated, and she required more self-restraint than she usually imposed upon herself to forego a pleasure which she saw no reason for relinquishing.
My father exerted himself to the uttermost. Few men, I believe, performed the host more gracefully; but nothing more fatally mars the ease and destroys the charm