I shall forget to have thee still stand here,
Remembering how I love thy company.
SHAKSPEARE.
The next morning’s post brought a few lines from Lady Latimer to Lady
Boreton, announcing her intended arrival to dinner that day. The
intercourse between the two families had always been scrupulously
maintained by the regular alternation of prescribed visits; and the
acceptance of the expected invitation always was received on both sides
with great appearance of satisfaction. Not that much pleasure was
ever anticipated by either; but any falling off in their reciprocal
cordiality would at once have threatened to disturb the political peace
of the county, which was only maintained by a compromise between these
two great rival interests.
At the present moment, there were appearances which threatened that
this truce would not be of much longer duration; and, following the
example of more dignified diplomatists, they redoubled the outward
demonstrations of mutual good understanding, as their fears increased
that future hostilities would be inevitable. These fears were, in
this instance, more sincere than is often the case with some of their
national prototypes, which arose probably from this difference in their
situation, that if they fought, it must be with their own money, not
the people’s; they would have to distribute, not to levy; the gain
might be public, but the cost would certainly be private.
However, at the next general election a successor would have to be
selected for Mr. Medium, who had announced his intention of then
retiring, after having been for thirty years received as an oracle by
both parties, principally from his own indecision of character. He
had not unfrequently carried the House with him from the mere charm
of inconsistency, and been listened to as an orator from a reputation
for sincerity, which seemed chiefly founded upon an earnest manner and
indifferent English. Such as he was, though he had been a convenient
stop-gap, his general leaning to Tory principles had satisfied Lord
Latimer, who was not an eager politician, and his occasional effective
opposition to ministers had almost consoled Lady Boreton, who was a
red-hot liberal.
Those most cogent reasons for keeping the peace, whether of countries
or counties--the want of men and money, were both here in full force.
Lord Latimer had no younger brother to put forward to quicken his
political feelings with the incitement of family distinction, and Lady
Boreton could never attempt to produce Sir John on the hustings. On
both sides too their finances left no available surplus after current
expenses. Lady Boreton’s anxiety to save the county from the disgrace
of being represented by two such Tories, had induced her to turn her
attention towards Oakley, whose political feelings were supposed to
be liberal, and who, from his recently-acquired great possessions,
seemed to be the fittest person to put forward. She was very anxious to
get him to her house, that she might have an opportunity of sounding
him upon the subject, and she the more rejoiced at the super-civility
which had induced her to invite Lady Flamborough and her daughters
to meet Lady Latimer, as she had some vague hope that the natural
attraction between a great party on the one side, and handsome girls on
the other, might be ripened into a state of things, which might prevent
so lukewarm a politician as Lord Latimer from taking an active part
against Oakley.
“You are not yet acquainted with Lady Latimer,” said Lady Boreton to
Germain, as her eye once more glanced over the few careless traces of
that lady’s pen, which wandered, surrounded by roses and cupids, over
the shining surface of her smooth and scented note-paper.
“No, I never had the pleasure of seeing her,” replied Germain, “and
shall be most happy in this opportunity of meeting one, of whom all who
know her speak in raptures.”
“Oh, certainly,” said Lady Boreton, “a most delightful person; a
little, perhaps--” added she, lowering her voice, “a little perhaps
spoilt by the world. You have seen Lady Flamborough--well, you may
imagine the sort of education that she would give her daughters.
Lady Latimer, with all her acknowledged attractions, is singularly
superficial, and wants mind, poor thing; and what, my dear Mr. Germain,
is social intercourse without mind?--Would you believe it, when I asked
her to attend Professor ----’s lectures with me, she said, she was much
obliged to me, but she slept very well without them; and when I wished
to introduce to her a friend of mine, who had just written a beautiful
book, she said--not unless she could shut him up when she liked. Depend
upon it, you will find Lady Latimer wants mind. Mr. Alley, I believe
the laboratory is ready.”
With this Lady Boreton, left Germain, who had not been so fascinated
with what he had seen of her, as not to receive with some reservation
of his own opinion, the disparaging account she had given of Lady
Latimer.
Strolling into the library in search of a book, he met Lady
Flamborough, who had been, she said, to choose some drawings for the
girls to copy for her.
“You don’t know Louisa--Lady Latimer, I mean--do you, Mr. Germain?”
said she.
Germain again replying in the negative, and again repeating his
desire to be able to answer in the affirmative, she continued, whilst
she slowly turned over the contents of the portfolio she had been
seeking:--“Oh, of course you may imagine, Mr. Germain, how gratifying
to a mother’s feelings must be the universal admiration she engrosses,
and indeed even I must be allowed to add it is her due. She is reckoned
very like Jane; to be sure Madame Maradin says, Jane has much the
finest figure, but then, Louisa is not so very young as her sister
is. I should say too, that Jane has the most countenance, but then,
perhaps, I am not quite a fair judge--I may speak, you know, from a
mother’s knowledge of their character, but in my opinion, Jane’s face
shows the most sensibility of expression. If any thing, perhaps, Louisa
rather wants countenance. Here it is--Guercino’s Sybil. Good morning,
Mr. Germain.”
The weather continuing threatening after luncheon, the gentlemen
guests of Boreton Park, limited their afternoon’s exercise to a
critical stroll through that part of the place which was near the
house. One friend of Sir John’s found out, that unless his hot-houses,
which had just been finished at an enormous expense, were built upon
quite a different principle, they would never be fit to ripen even a
crab-apple; one that his thriving and extensive plantations ought
all to be cut down, or the place would be too damp for any thing but
frogs; another, that the house must be pulled down, and rebuilt in the
snug bottom by the trout-stream; one discovered that his new stables
were not large enough for dog-kennels; another, that if he had the
misfortune to possess such a set of rips as tenanted them, he would
turn them all loose rather than that they should cost him another feed
of corn; and, as the mizzling rain drove them home, all agreed, whilst
they were ascending the broad and easy steps under the shelter of the
splendid portico, which marked the centre of the extended façade, that
they would not live in such a dirty, damp, dreary hole, if any body
would give it to them.
As two long dusky hours yet remained before dinner, and they had
already settled the local demerits of every thing by which they were
surrounded, it was but natural that they should next occupy themselves
with the personal qualifications of those who were about to be added
to their number; and as Germain wandered about the different corners
of the spacious hall in which they were assembled, various were the
little disparaging comments upon both Lord and Lady Latimer which he
heard; and though there were none of them of any great importance, yet
the avidity with which they were retailed, seemed to him at variance
with that deference which he had always heard was paid to them by
the society collectively in which they moved; for he did not as yet
know enough of the world to be aware that though from any fashionable
pre-eminence which made a person conspicuous, it naturally followed
that he or she should be often talked of, yet praise by no means
followed as a necessary consequence.
On one side, he heard that Latimer was an excellent fellow, but he
certainly had done some very odd things--it was a pity! one knew for
certain that Lady Latimer rouged; another was quite sure that her
foot was not so small as the far-famed one of a celebrated actress.
A little further on he found Major Sumner sentimentalizing upon “the
unfeeling manner in which she had behaved to his poor friend Colonel
Woodbine, who though a most gallant officer, as brave as a lion in the
field, was of an unfortunately susceptible nature, and after flirting
desperately with him at Brighton, she cruelly cut him when next they
met. Poor Woodbine!” added the major, “if it had not been to get over
the impression her conduct made upon him, I don’t think that he would
ever have gone upon the expedition which proved fatal to him.”
“Where did he go to?” asked Germain; “the tropic or the polar regions?”
“No,” said Major Sumner, “he went duck-shooting in the fens, and got
his feet wet. Well, depend upon it, Lady Latimer has no heart.”
Except Germain, almost every body seemed to have some anecdote of Lord
or Lady Latimer to contribute, derived from their personal knowledge
of them. There were only two other persons in the room, who, it was
evident, were not acquainted with either of them; one was a literary
protégé of Lady Boreton’s, who had lately written a novel in which a
character of Lady Latimer had been insinuated, and the other was a
friend of his, a periodical critic, who had persuaded the world of the
striking resemblance the character bore to the original.
Any further comments were interrupted by the entrance of lights, which
produced a challenge from Fitzalbert to Germain to the billiard-table,
that stood in the centre of the spacious hall. Germain did not hesitate
on accepting the proposal, though his attention was still much
occupied with all he had lately heard, and his curiosity much excited
to find out how far his own impressions would confirm it. “Wants
mind--countenance--and heart,” thought he, whilst apparently engrossed
in choosing his cue.
Germain played well at billiards; Fitzalbert perhaps rather better;
but this point had not been decided even as far as the first game, and
there was still uncertainty enough about the event, to give interest to
the various little bets that had been accumulating as they proceeded,
when the grinding of carriage-wheels through the gravel announced an
arrival, and the expected guests were ushered in due form through the
front door. Germain involuntarily paused, even in the act of taking aim
at a dead hazard, in spite of sundry requisitions from those around him
to “go on, go on; I’ve backed you to do this.”
Of all the sights and wonders of the world, there is hardly any which
one cannot so completely anticipate in idea, by the exertion of a
very ordinary share of imagination, as almost to incur disappointment
upon actual inspection. To this general rule there is one brilliant
exception. A perfectly beautiful woman when first seen, is sure to
present some charm which far exceeds any pre-conceived expectation.
Such was the impression made upon Germain when raising his head from
the billiard-table he first beheld Lady Latimer. She entered, followed
by Lord Latimer, and leading on the other side a third and unexpected
visitor, whose embarrassment she seemed to be endeavouring to lessen.
So thoroughly was this third person protected against the damps of an
autumnal evening, that it was impossible for the most critical eye
to decide more, than that the little she showed of her face seemed
pleasing, and the still less that was seen of her figure appeared
young.
As Lady Boreton advanced from an opposite door to meet her guests, Lady
Latimer introduced this unexpected addition as “her particular friend,
Miss Mordaunt, rather out of health--wrote on purpose to ask to be
allowed to bring her, and quite forgot to mention it in that stupid
hurried note.”
Lady Latimer evidently thought that she had said more than enough
on the subject, and turning aside to address some one else, lost
Lady Boreton’s embarrassed and therefore embarrassing reply, which
was in words that “she was always too happy to see any friend of
hers,” but which in tone rather implied that her house was more than
full. It seemed, indeed, to be so felt by the young lady herself,
and proportionably to increase that shyness which had been at first
evident, so as to prevent her debarrassing herself of the various
wraps which completely concealed her from general observation.
“Oh! on no account let me interrupt so interesting a game,” said
Lady Latimer, finding that such a proposal had been made by Germain,
and objected to by some of the others. “I mean, with Lady Boreton’s
permission, to stay and warm my fingers at this fire for more than
sufficient time for you to decide it.”
So commanded, Germain resumed his cue, and as he sometimes played with
great execution, made a brilliant stroke. “I’ll bet any one five to
four on the stick,” said Sir Gregory Greenford, who had arrived that
morning.
“I’ll take it five-and-twenty to twenty,” said Lord Latimer, in the
mildest tone, and with the most careless manner, his quick eye having
observed that Germain played by no means a safe game. Accordingly, his
next stroke was a failure. Fitzalbert made much of a see-saw losing
hazard at the middle pocket. When that was worn out, and whilst
Germain in his turn was taking a deliberate aim, he heard Lady Latimer
inquiring who he was. He involuntarily raised his eye from the table
and met hers--
“Who says she wants countenance?” thought he; and with that thought he
played--missed his adversary’s ball--holed his own--lost the game--Lady
Latimer retired to dress--and Lord Latimer pocketed Sir Gregory
Greenford’s poney.