It was a lovely morning, notwithstanding it was November--the rain had
wholly ceased, and the clear and almost cloudless sky showed every
indication of a fine day; so that Frank had an excellent opportunity of
witnessing the view of the sea to which the squire had alluded, and with
which he was very much gratified. But, for all this, our little hero was
looking forward to a far more interesting sight, in the persons of the
fair ladies he had fully made up his mind to meet that morning at
breakfast; though the altered tones of their voices still exceedingly
puzzled him. Wishing, however, to appear to the greatest possible
advantage, he no sooner got back to the house, than, under the pretext
of just seeing Vernon for a minute, he took the opportunity of brushing
up his hair, and all that sort of thing. Having so done, and being by no
means dissatisfied with the result, he again descended the stairs, and,
with a throbbing heart, entered the breakfast room. Here he found the
master of the house, with his amiable little wife, and three young
ladies, already seated around the table--yes, three young
ladies--actually one more in number than he had anticipated; but, alas!
how different from those he had hoped to see. Instead of the lovely
forms he and Vernon had been so forcibly struck with the day before, he
perceived three very indifferent-looking young women--one, a thin little
crooked creature, with sharp contracted features, which put him in mind
of the head of a skinned rabbit--another with an immense flat unmeaning
face; and the third, though better-looking than her two companions, was
a silly little flippant miss in her teens, rejoicing in a crop of
luxuriant curls which swept over her shoulders as she returned Frank's
polite bow--when the squire introduced him to the assembled company--as
much as to say, "I'm not for you, sir, at any price; so, pray don't for
a moment fancy such a thing." The other two spinsters returned his
salutation less rudely; but he set down the whole trio as the most
uninteresting specimens of womankind he had ever met.
"Come," said the squire addressing himself to Frank, who, surprised as
well as disappointed, was looking a little as if he couldn't help it,
"Come, come Mr Trevelyan, here we are all assembled at last; so make the
best use of your time, and then for waging war against the partridges."
Frank did make the best use of his time, and a most excellent breakfast,
though he puzzled his brains exceedingly during the whole time he was so
occupied with turning it over in his mind, how it was possible that such
a delightful couple as the founders of the feast, could have produced so
unprepossessing a progeny; whilst Timothy--who, though it was no part of
his duty to wait at table, which was performed by a well-dressed
man-servant out of livery--managed, on some pretext or other, to be
continually coming in and out of the room, and every time contrived to
catch Frank's eye, and, by a knowing grin, to let him know that he both
understood the cause, and was exceedingly amused at his perplexity.
No sooner had Frank eaten and drank to his heart's content, than he
declared his readiness to attend the squire to the field. Here they fell
in with several coveys of partridges, and the squire, being an excellent
shot, brought down his birds in fine style; added to which he knocked
over a woodcock and several snipes; but it was otherwise with Frank,
whose shooting experience being rather limited, after missing several
easy shots, terminated the day by wounding a cow slightly, and killing a
guinea-hen that flew out of a hedge adjoining a farm-yard the sportsmen
were passing, which, mistaking for some wild gallinaceous animal or
other, he blazed away at, without inquiring as to the particular species
to which it might possibly belong. But so far from being cast down with
his ill success, or the laughter his more effective shots had raised at
his expense, he enjoyed the day amazingly, fully resolved to have
another bout at it on the morrow; and so he and the worthy squire
returned homewards together in the best possible humour with each other;
the latter delighted with Frank, and Frank equally well pleased with the
squire.
But Frank felt very sheepish about what his friend Vernon Wycherley
would say as to the result of the predictions he had that morning made,
and how he should manage to put a bold front upon the matter, so as to
have the laugh all on his own side; a sort of thing he couldn't arrange
any how; but still he would not pass so near his friend's bedroom,
without looking in to ask him how he was getting on, when, to his great
surprise, he found not only the bed, but even the apartment unoccupied.
"Ah, well!" said Frank, "I'm rejoiced, poor fellow, he's so much better
than I expected; and _it's all for the best_ that I find the bird flown,
which spares me the vexation of confessing to him the blunder I made in
my calculations this morning, which he must have found out long before
this."
Having relieved his mind by these observations, he repaired to his own
room, and having shifted his attire, and made the best of himself his
limited wardrobe would admit, was again in the act of descending the
stairs, when he encountered Timothy, who, with a grin that distended his
mouth wellnigh from ear to ear, begged to direct him to the
drawing-room, which was on the same floor with the bed chambers, where,
he informed him, "the gen'lman was a-laying up top o' the sofer, and
a-telkin' away brave with the young ladies--I say," observed Timothy,
winking his eye to give greater expression to his words--"I say--he's a
ben there for hours, bless'ee; for no sooner did mun[12] hear their
sweet voices a-passing long the passage, than ha ups a-ringing away to
the bell, which I takes care to answer; so ha tips me yef-a-crown to
help mun on we us cloaz, which I did ready and wullin'; and then,
guessing what mun 'ud like to be yefter, I ups with my gen'lman
pick-a-back, and puts[13] mun with ma right into drawing-room, an drops
mun flump down all vittey[14] amongst the ladies a-top of the sofer; and
if you wants to see a body look plazed, just step in yer"--added he,
laying his hand on the lock of the door, which they had then
reached--"only just step in yer, and look to mun."
"Then most heartily do I pity his taste," thought Frank; but he didn't
say so, and passed through the door Timothy had opened for him, who duly
announced him to the party within. But how shall we attempt to describe
Frank's amazement, when he discovered of whom the party consisted? He
had indeed been surprised at meeting persons so totally different from
what he had expected that morning at breakfast, but he was now perfectly
thunderstruck at the sight which burst upon his astonished vision.
There was Mr Vernon Wycherley reclining at his ease on an elegant sofa,
his head comfortably propped up with pillows, and as far, at any rate,
as face was concerned, appearing not a bit the worse for his late
accident, and making himself quite at home; and there, too, seated near
him, were those lovely creatures who had excited the admiration of our
two young heroes on the preceding day: there they were, both of them,
dressed most becomingly, and looking most bewitchingly lady-like,
employed about some of those little matters of needlework, which afford
no impediment to conversation, chatting away with their new acquaintance
in the most friendly and agreeable manner possible.