The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. 1. Lever Charles James
notions of the world and its habits at your side of St. George’s Channel than could have fallen to him had his education been merely Irish.”
This compliment, if well meant, was scarcely very successful, for Forester bit his lip impatiently, but never made any answer. Whether O’Reilly perceived the cause of this, or that, like a skilful painter, he knew when to take his brush off the canvas, he arose at once and said, “I leave you, then, with a mind much relieved. I feared that a mistaken estimate of MacDonough’s claims in society, and probably some hot-brained counsels of Mr. Bagenal Daly – ”
“You are quite in error there; let me assure you, sir, his view of the matter is exactly my own,” interrupted Forester, calmly.
“I am delighted to hear it, and have now only one request: will you favor us with a few days’ visit at Mount O’Reilly? I may say, without vanity, that my son is more likely to be a suitable companion to you than the company here may afford; we ‘ve some good shooting and – ”
“I must not suffer you to finish the catalogue of temptations,” said Forester, smiling courteously; “my hours are numbered already, and I must be back in Dublin within a few days.”
“Beecham will be sorely disappointed; in fact, we came back here to-day for no other reason than to meet you at dinner. Daly told us of your arrival. May we hope to see you at another opportunity? are your engagements formed for Christmas yet?”
“I believe so, – Dorsetshire, I think,” muttered Forester, with a tone that plainly indicated a desire to cushion the subject at once; and Mr. O’Reilly, with a ready tact, accepted the hint, and, wishing him a most cordial goodnight, departed.
CHAPTER VI. A MESSAGE
While Forester slept soundly and without a dream, his long, light breathing scarce audible within the quiet chamber, a glance within the room of Bagenal Daly would have shown that, whatever the consequences of the past night’s troubles, he, at least, was not likely to be taken unprepared. On the table in the middle of the apartment two wax candles burned, two others, as yet unlighted, stood ready on the chimney-piece, a pistol case lay open, displaying the weapons, whose trim and orderly appearance denoted recent care, a fact attested by certain cloths and flannels which lay about; a mould for bullets, and about a dozen newly-cast balls most carefully filed and rubbed smooth with sandpaper, were flanked by a small case of surgical instruments, with an ample supply of lint and ligatures such as are used to secure bleeding vessels, in the use of which few unprofessional persons could vie with Bagenal Daly. A few sheets of paper lay also there, on which appeared some recent writing; and in a large, deep armchair, ready dressed for the day, sat Daly himself, sound asleep; one arm hung listlessly over the chair, the other was supported in the breast of his waistcoat. The strong, stern features, unrelaxed by repose, had the same impassive expression of cold defiance as when awake, and if his lips muttered, the accents were not less determined and firm than in his moments of self-possession. He awoke from time to time and looked at his watch, and once threw open the sash, and held out his hand to ascertain if it were raining; but these interruptions did not interfere with his rest, for, the minute after, he slept as soundly as before. Nor was he the only one within that house who counted the hours thus anxiously. A lantern in the stable beamed brightly, showing three horses ready saddled, the bridles on the neck of each, and ready at a moment’s notice to be bitted; while pacing slowly to and fro, like a sentinel on his post, was the tall figure of Sandy M’Grane, wrapped in a long cloth cloak, and his head covered by a cap, whose shape and material spoke of a far-off land and wild companionship; for it was the skin of a black fox, and the workmanship the product of a squaw’s fair fingers.
Sandy’s patrol was occasionally extended to the gateway, where he usually halted for a few seconds to listen, and then resumed his path as leisurely as before. At last, he remained somewhat longer at the gate, and bent his head more cautiously to hear; then, noiselessly unbarring and unlocking the door, he leaned out. To an ear less practised than his own the silence would have been complete. Not so with Sandy, whose perceptions had received the last finish of an Indian education. He retired hastily, and, approaching that part of the court beneath his master’s window, gave a long, low whistle. The next moment the casement was opened, and Daly’s head appeared.
“What now, Sandy? It is but a quarter past five.”
“It may be so; but there ‘s a horse coming fast up the lower road.”
“Listen again, and try if you hear it still.”
Sandy did so, and was back in a few moments. “He’s crossing the bridge at ‘the elms’ now, and will be here in less than three minutes more.”
“Watch the gate, then – let there be no noise – and come up by the back stairs.” With these words Daly closed the sash, and Sandy returned to his post.
Ere many minutes elapsed, the door of Mr. Daly’s chamber was opened, and Sandy announced Major Hackett of Brough. As Bagenal Daly rose to meet him, an expression of more than ordinary sternness was stamped upon his bold features.
“Your servant informed me that I should find you in readiness to receive me, Mr. Bagenal Daly,” said the Major, a coarse-looking, carbuncled-face man of about forty; “but perhaps the object of my visit would be better accomplished if I could have a few minutes’ conversation with a Captain Forester who is here.”
“If you can show me no sufficient cause to the contrary, sir,” replied Daly, proudly, “I shall act for him on this occasion.”
“I beg pardon,” said Hackett, smiling dubiously. “The business I came upon induced me to suspect that, at your time of life – ”
“Go on, sir, – finish your speech,” said Daly, with’ a fixed and steady stare which, very far from reassuring, seemed only to increase the Major’s confusion.
“After all, Mr. Daly,” resumed he, more hurriedly, “I have nothing whatever to do with that. My duty is to convey a message from Mr. Alexander MacDonough to a gentleman named Forester, here. If you will accept the proposition, and assist in the necessary arrangements – ”
“We are ready, sir, – quite ready. One of the consequences of admitting dubious acquaintances to the intimacy of the table is such a case as the present. I was guilty of one fault in this respect, but I shall show you I was not unprepared for what might follow it.” And as he spoke he threw open the window and called out, “Sandy! awaken Captain Forester. I suppose you are ready, Major Hackett, with your friend?”
“Yes, sir. Mr. MacDonough expects us at Cluan Point.”
“And bridle the horses, Sandy,” continued Daly, speaking from the window.
“I conclude, from what I see,” said Hackett, “that your friend is not only decided against offering an apology for his offence, but desirous of a meeting.”
“Who said so, sir? – or what right have you to suppose that any gentleman of good family and good prospects should indulge such an unnatural caprice as to wish to risk character and life in a quarrel with Mr. Alexander MacDonough?”
“Circumstanced as that gentleman is at this moment, your observations are unsuitable, sir,” replied the Major.
“So they are,” said Daly, hastily; “or, rather, so they would have been, if not provoked by your remark. But, hang me! if I think it signifies much; if it were not that some of our country neighbors were good-natured enough to treat this same Mr. MacDonough on terms of equality before, I ‘d have advised Captain Forester not to mind him. My maxim is, there are always low fellows enough to shoot one another, and never come trespassing among the manors of their betters.”
“I must confess myself unprepared, sir, to hear language like this,” said Hackett, sternly.
“Not a whit more than I feel at seeing myself negotiating a meeting with a man turned out of the army with disgrace,” said Daly, as his face grew purple with anger. “Were it not that I would not risk a hint of dishonor on this young Englishman’s fame, I ‘d never interchange three words with Major Hackett.”
“You shall answer for this, sir, and speedily too,