"My dear boy, yes--of course I will; and we'll have a nice affair of it!
Edgington's people shall fit up a tent and a kiosk, and we'll try and
do the thing nicely. You're giving me great pleasure in this, Charley--
you are indeed!"
"Am I, father?" said Charley, whose heart smote him as he spoke, telling
himself the while that he was deceiving the generous old man, with whom
he had hitherto been open as the day.
"Yes, my dear boy--yes, of course you are! It's just what I wanted,
Charley, to see you a little more inclined for society. You'll have
quite a large party, of course?"
"Well, no, father," said Charley; "I think not. Your large affairs are
never so successful as the small ones."
"Just so, my dear boy; I think you are right. Well, have it as you
please, precisely, only give your orders. Slave of the lamp, you know,
Charley--slave of the lamp: what shall I do first?"
"Well, dad," said Charley, flushing slightly, "I thought, perhaps, you
wouldn't mind doing a little of the inviting for me."
"Of course not, my dear boy. Whom shall I ask first?"
"Well, suppose you see the Brays," said Charley, whose face certainly
wore a deeper hue than usual.
"To be sure, Charley!" said the old gentleman, smiling.
"They've been very kind, and asked me there several times, so you'll ask
them all?"
"Decidedly!" said the old gentleman.
"We must have Max," said Charley; "for he keeps hanging about here
still."
"O, of course!" said Sir Philip.
"And Laura, I suppose," said Charley, feeling more and more
conscience-stricken.
"By all means, my dear boy!" laughed the father.
"And then there are the three girls, _and the governess_," said Charley.
"Should you ask them?" said Sir Philip.
"O yes, decidedly!" said Charley. "I'm very fond of that second girl,
Nelly; she's only a child, but there's something nice and frank and open
about her. She will be sure to make up for the unpleasantry of having
Max."
"Very good, Charley--very good!" said Sir Philip.
"I wouldn't be put off with any of them," said Charley, in a curious
hesitating way. "Perhaps they'll say that they had better not all come;
but they can't refuse you anything, so insist upon them bringing the
children and Miss Bedford."
"Miss who?" said Sir Philip.
"Miss Bedford--the governess," said Charley, who coughed as if something
had made him husky. "I particularly wish for them all to come."
"It shall be just as you like, my dear boy," said Sir Philip gaily;
"only let's do the thing well, and not let them go away and find fault
afterwards."
Charley Vining left his father ill at ease and dissatisfied, for he felt
that he was deceiving the old man; but, like many more, he crushed down
the obtrusive thoughts, and, going round to the stable, he mounted his
mare as soon as it could be got ready, and rode slowly and thoughtfully
away.
"What's come to the young governor?" said one of the stablemen.
"O, the old game!" said another. "He's been betting heavy on the Derby,
and lost, and the old gentleman won't pay his debts. I shouldn't be at
all surprised if as soon as he comes in for the place, he'll make the
money fly."
"Don't think it's that," said the other. "But he never takes a bit of
notice of his 'orses now; if they look well, they do, and if they don't
look well, they don't; but he's never got a word to say about them.
There's something wrong, safe."
There was a good deal of truth in the remarks of the servants; for the
Charley Vining of the present was certainly not the Charley Vining of a
month before. Since the night of the croquet-party he had several times
met Laura Bray, who, like himself, had endeavoured to ignore entirely
their encounter in the conservatory, speaking in the most friendly
manner, and endeavouring to the best of her ability to bring Charley
more to her side. In fact, so completely was the past evaded, that
Charley called several times, meeting a warmer welcome at every visit;
but not once did he encounter Ella. He was very little more fortunate
during his rides: once he pressed forward his horse upon seeing her at
some distance down a lane with the "children;" but suddenly Max Bray
made his appearance, as if by magic, and fixing upon him, kept by his
side for quite an hour; another time Max was walking with his sisters
and their governess; while upon a third occasion Max was coming in the
other direction, as if purposely to meet them, and as Charley rode away
his brow grew dark, and he asked himself what it meant.
In fact, watch as carefully as he would for a meeting, his efforts
seemed in vain; while the more he was disappointed, the more eager he
became.
It was upon one of these occasions that he had drawn up his horse by a
hedge-side, gazing angrily after the distant party, consisting of Ella,
two of the children, and Max, when, angry and disappointed, he was
considering whether he should canter up after them or turn back.
"Why should I bother myself?" he muttered. "If she likes that donkey
dangling after her, I'm quite convinced that she would not approve of
rough unpolished me. I'll give up. Max shall have the field to
himself, and I'll go back and ask the governor to let me live in peace.
I've only been making a mistake, and neglecting everything for the sake
of a pleasant-looking face. Hallo!"
"Ha, ha, ha!" rang out a merry laugh.
"Look at Sir Dismal, pausing thoughtfully beneath the trees."
Charley looked up, to see peering down upon him, from between the bushes
on the high bank, the bright merry face of Nelly, with her hair tangled,
her straw hat bent of brim, and a general aspect about her hot face and
tumbled clothes of having been tearing through a wood.
"What, my little dryad!" laughed out Charley, brightening in an instant.
"How is the little wood-nymph?"
"O, so jolly hot and tired, Charley! I've cut away from them, run up
the bank, and scampered through Bosky Dell, and tore my dress ever so
many times. But I wasn't going to stay; at least, I ought to have
stayed," she added thoughtfully, "but I felt as if I couldn't, for old
Max would have made me ill--he would, bai Jove!" she laughed, mocking
her brother's drawl with all accuracy which delighted Charley.
"Been having a walk?" he said.
"Walk, yes," exclaimed Nelly; "and one can't stir without stupid old Max
coming boring after us, bothering Miss Bedford to death with his
drawling nonsense. She hates him, and he will follow us about, because
he has grown so fond of his little sisters. But, I say, Charley Vining,
do give me--no, not give, lend me sixpence to buy some sweets. We spent
every halfpenny, and it isn't pocket-money till to-morrow night."
"I never give money to beggars at the roadside," laughed Charley, who
seemed somehow to be brightening up under his young friend's
revelations.
"Now don't be a nuisance," laughed Nelly, "or I'll tease you. I know
why you were looking down the lane so miserably; it was because Max was
along with--"
"Hold your tongue, do, you saucy puss!" roared Charley, with flaming
face. "How dare you!"
"There! I knew I was right," laughed the girl. "I'm not a bit afraid
of you, Charley Vining. But, I say, such a game: there, hold your arms,
and I could jump down from here right on to the dear old mare just
before you, and you could hold me tight, and we'd play at you being
young Lochinvar, and gallop off with me. Wouldn't it be fun?"
"But there's no bridegroom to dandle his bonnet and plume," laughed
Charley.
"There's an ungallant cavalier!" said Nelly, with her wicked eyes
dancing with glee. "Now, if it had been Miss Bed--ha, ha, ha!" she
shrieked, as Charley made a dash at her by forcing his mare half-way up
the bank. "Don't you do that, Charley, or you'll go down again, and
have to be carried on a gate--and I don't want you to be hurt any more,"
she said seriously. "But there, I must go back and save my poor dear
darling Miss Bedford from being bored to death by old stupid. I'm glad
I've seen you, though; it's done me ever so much good. I say, Charley
Vining, isn't Miss Bedford nice?"
"I daresay she is; but I know very little of her," said Charley coolly.
"O, there's a story!" exclaimed downright Nelly. "I know you think ever
so much of her, or else you would not stop looking miserable after her.
There, I've done, and I won't tease you any more; but I do want to
borrow sixpence. Old Max wouldn't lend me one if I was starving. Thank
you! O, a shilling!" exclaimed Nelly, actively catching the coin he
threw. "Now I'm going; but, I say, do come and see us. You would like
my Miss Bedford so!"
Before Charley Vining could answer, Nelly had dashed off, taking a short
cut, and he saw her no more; but from that day Charley's spirits rose;
and when once or twice more he encountered the walking party, he did not
feel so troubled of heart, but rode gaily up, saluting all, taking the
first opportunity of frowning and shaking his head at merry laughing
Nelly.
Volume 1, Chapter XIV.