"Mrs Girdwood at home?" he asked, addressing himself to the janitor of
the hotel.
"I'll see, sir," answered the man, making him an obsequious bow, and
hurrying away to the office.
The hall-keeper remembered the gent, who carried such good cigars, and
was so liberal with them. He had been pleased with his appearance then.
He liked it better now in a new coat, unquestionably a Poole, with
pants, boots, and tile to correspond. Besides, he had glanced through
the glass-door, and seen the cabriolet with its top-booted tiger. To
the owners of such he was instinctively polite; but more so to Mr
Swinton, remembering his choice cigars.
The ex-guardsman waited for his return with some anxiety. The
cabriolet, tiger included, had cost him a "sov." It would be awkward,
if the twenty shillings had been laid out in vain.
He was relieved at the return of the Clarendon Cerberus.
"Mrs Girdwood and fambly are in, sir. Shall I send up your card?"
"Please do."
And Swinton, drawing out the bit of pasteboard, handed it over to the
official.
A servant more active upon his limbs carried it upstairs.
"Nice lady, sir, Mrs Girdwood?" remarked the hall-keeper, by way of
"laying pipe" for a perquisite. "Nice fambly all on 'em; 'specially
that young lady."
"Which of them?" asked Swinton, thinking it no harm to strengthen his
friendship with the official. "There are two."
"Well, both on 'em for that matter, sir. They be both wonderful nice
creeturs."
"Ah! true. But you've expressed a preference. Now which may I ask, is
the one you refer to as specially nice?"
The janitor was puzzled. He did not know which it would be most
agreeable to the gentleman to hear praised.
A compromise suggested itself.
"Well, sir; the fair un's a remarkable nice young lady. She's got sich
a sweet temper, an's dreadfully good-lookin', too. But, sir, if it come
to a question of beauty, I shed say--in course I ain't much of a judge--
but I shed say the dark 'un's a splendiferous creetur!"
The janitor's verdict left his judgment still somewhat obscure. But Mr
Swinton had no time to reflect upon it Mrs Girdwood not caring for
expense, occupied a suite of apartments on the first floor; and the
messenger soon returned.
He brought the pleasing intelligence, that the gentleman was to be
"shown up."
There was an _empressement_ in the servant's manner, that told the
visitor he would be made welcome.
And he was; Mrs Girdwood springing up from her seat, and rushing to the
door to receive him.
"My lord! Mr Swinton, I beg your pardon. A whole week, and you've not
been near us! We were all wondering what had become of you. The girls
here, had begun to think--shall I say it, girls?"
Both Julia and Cornelia looked a little perplexed. Neither was aware of
what she had "begun to think" about the absence of Mr Swinton.
"Aw--do tell me, by all means!" urged he, appealing to Mrs Girdwood.
"I'm vewy much intewested to know. It's so kind of the young ladies to
think of me at all--a paw fawlorn bachelor!"
"I shall tell you then, Mr Swinton, if you promise not to be offended!"
"Offended! Impawsible?"
"Well, then," continued the widow, without thinking more of the
permission asked of "her girls," "we thought that some terrible affair
had happened. Excuse me for calling it terrible. It would only be so
to your numerous lady friends."
"What, pway?"
"That you'd been getting married!"
"Mawied! To whom?"
"Oh, sir; you need scarcely ask. Of course to the Honourable and very
beautiful Miss Courtney."
Swinton smiled. It was a smile somewhat resembling a grin. A terrible
affair had happened to him; but not quite so bad as being married to the
Honourable Geraldine Courtney--otherwise Kate the coper!
"Aw, ladies!" he replied in a self-deprecating tone, "you do me too much
honaw. I am far from being a favowite with the lady in question. We
are no gweat fwiends, I ashaw you."
The assurance seemed gratifying to Mrs Girdwood and a little to Julia.
Cornelia did not appear to care for it, one way or the other.
"Fact is," continued Swinton, following up the advantage gained by the
incidental allusion to the Honourable Geraldine, "I've just this moment
come from qua'lling with her. She wished me to take her out faw a
dwive. I wefused."
"Refused!" exclaimed Mrs Girdwood, in surprise. "Oh! Mr Swinton!
Refused such a beautiful lady. So accomplished too! How could you?"
"Well, madam, as I've told you, Miss Courtney and I are not bwother and
sister. Besides, I dwove her out yesterday, and that should pwead my
excuse. To-day I ordered my horse--my best one--just faw a special
purpose. I hope I shall not be disappointed?"
"What purpose?" inquired Mrs Girdwood, her visitor's remark having
suggested the question. "Excuse me, sir, for asking."
"I hope, madam, yaw will excuse me for telling yaw. In a conversation
that occurred some days ago, yaw daughter expressed a wish to take a
wide in one of our English cabwiolets. Am I wight, Miss Girdwood?"
"True," assented Julia, "I did. I have a curiosity to be driven behind
one of those high-stepping steeds!"
"If yaw will do me the fayvaw to look out of this window, I think yaw
will see one that answers the descwiption."
Julia glided up to the window; her mother going along with her. Miss
Inskip did not stir from her seat.
Swinton's turn-out was seen upon the street below: a cabriolet with a
coat of arms upon the panel--a splendid horse between the shafts, pawing
the pavement, chafing his bit, flinging the froth over his shining
counter, and held in place by a miniature groom in top-boots and
buckskins.
"What a pretty equipage?" exclaimed Julia. "I'm sure it must be
pleasant to ride in?"
"Miss Girdwood; if yaw will do me the honaw--"