Lord Popplecourt
When the reader was told that Lord Popplecourt had found Lady Cantrip
very agreeable it is to be hoped that the reader was disgusted.
Lord Popplecourt would certainly not have given a second thought to
Lady Cantrip unless he had been specially flattered. And why should
such a man have been flattered by a woman who was in all respects
his superior? The reader will understand. It had been settled by
the wisdom of the elders that it would be a good thing that Lord
Popplecourt should marry Lady Mary Palliser.
The mutual assent which leads to marriage should no doubt be
spontaneous. Who does not feel that? Young love should speak from its
first doubtful unconscious spark,--a spark which any breath of air
may quench or cherish,--till it becomes a flame which nothing can
satisfy but the union of the two lovers. No one should be told to
love, or bidden to marry, this man or that woman. The theory of this
is plain to us all, and till we have sons or daughters whom we feel
imperatively obliged to control, the theory is unassailable. But the
duty is so imperative! The Duke had taught himself to believe that
as his wife would have been thrown away on the world had she been
allowed to marry Burgo Fitzgerald, so would his daughter be thrown
away were she allowed to marry Mr. Tregear. Therefore the theory
of spontaneous love must in this case be set aside. Therefore the
spark,--would that it had been no more!--must be quenched. Therefore
there could be no union of two lovers;--but simply a prudent and
perhaps splendid marriage.
Lord Popplecourt was a man in possession of a large estate which was
unencumbered. His rank in the peerage was not high; but his barony
was of an old date,--and, if things went well with him, something
higher in rank might be open to him. He had good looks of that sort
which recommend themselves to pastors and masters, to elders and
betters. He had regular features. He looked as though he were
steady. He was not impatient nor rollicking. Silverbridge was also
good-looking;--but his good looks were such as would give a pang
to the hearts of anxious mothers of daughters. Tregear was the
handsomest man of the three;--but then he looked as though he had no
betters and did not care for his elders. Lord Popplecourt, though
a very young man, had once stammered through half-a-dozen words in
the House of Lords, and had been known to dine with the "Benevolent
Funds." Lord Silverbridge had declared him to be a fool. No one
thought him to be bright. But in the eyes of the Duke,--and of Lady
Cantrip,--he had his good qualities.
But the work was very disagreeable. It was the more hard upon Lady
Cantrip because she did not believe in it. If it could be done, it
would be expedient. But she felt very strongly that it could not
be done. No doubt that Lady Glencora had been turned from her evil
destiny; but Lady Glencora had been younger than her daughter was
now, and possessed of less character. Nor was Lady Cantrip blind to
the difference between a poor man with a bad character, such as that
Burgo had been, and a poor man with a good character, such as was
Tregear. Nevertheless she undertook to aid the work, and condescended
to pretend to be so interested in the portrait of some common
ancestor as to persuade the young man to have it photographed,
in order that the bringing down of the photograph might lead to
something.
He took the photograph, and Lady Cantrip said very much to him about
his grandmother, who was the old lady in question. "She could," she
said, "just remember the features of the dear old woman." She was not
habitually a hypocrite, and she hated herself for what she was doing,
and yet her object was simply good,--to bring together two young
people who might advantageously marry each other. The mere talking
about the old woman would be of no service. She longed to bring out
the offer plainly, and say, "There is Lady Mary Palliser. Don't you
think she'd make a good wife for you?" But she could not, as yet,
bring herself to be so indelicately plain. "You haven't seen the Duke
since?" she asked.
"He spoke to me only yesterday in the House. I like the Duke."
"If I may be allowed to say so, it would be for your advantage
that he should like you;--that is, if you mean to take a part in
politics."
"I suppose I shall," said Popplecourt. "There isn't much else to do."
"You don't go to races?" He shook his head. "I am glad of that,"
said Lady Cantrip. "Nothing is so bad as the turf. I fear Lord
Silverbridge is devoting himself to the turf."
"I don't think it can be good for any man to have much to do with
Major Tifto. I suppose Silverbridge knows what he's about."
Here was an opportunity which might have been used. It would have
been so easy for her to glide from the imperfections of the brother
to the perfections of the sister. But she could not bring herself to
do it quite at once. She approached the matter however as nearly as
she could without making her grand proposition. She shook her head
sadly in reference to Silverbridge, and then spoke of the Duke. "His
father is so anxious about him."
"I dare say."
"I don't know any man who is more painfully anxious about his
children. He feels the responsibility so much since his wife's death.
There is Lady Mary."
"She's all right, I should say."
"All right! oh yes. But when a girl is possessed of so many
things,--rank, beauty, intelligence, large fortune,--"
"Will Lady Mary have much?"
"A large portion of her mother's money, I should say. When all these
things are joined together, a father of course feels most anxious as
to their disposal."
"I suppose she is clever."
"Very clever," said Lady Cantrip.
"I think a girl may be too clever, you know," said Lord Popplecourt.
"Perhaps she may. But I know more who are too foolish. I am so much
obliged to you for the photograph."
"Don't mention it."
"I really did mean that you should send a man down."
On that occasion the two young people did not see each other. Lady
Mary did not come down, and Lady Cantrip lacked the courage to send
for her. As it was, might it not be possible that the young man
should be induced to make himself agreeable to the young lady without
any further explanation? But love-making between young people
cannot well take place unless they be brought together. There was a
difficulty in bringing them together at Richmond. The Duke had indeed
spoken of meeting Lord Popplecourt at dinner there;--but this was to
have followed the proposition which Lady Cantrip should make to him.
She could not yet make the proposition, and therefore she hardly
knew how to arrange the dinner. She was obliged at last to let the
wished-for lover go away without arranging anything. When the Duke
should have settled his autumn plans, then an attempt must be made to
induce Lord Popplecourt to travel in the same direction.
That evening Lady Cantrip said a few words to Mary respecting the
proposed suitor. "There is nothing I have such a horror of as
gambling," she said.
"It is dreadful."
"I am very glad to think that Nidderdale does not do anything of that
sort." It was perhaps on the cards that Nidderdale should do things
of which she knew nothing. "I hope Silverbridge does not bet."
"I don't think he does."
"There's Lord Popplecourt,--quite a young man,--with everything at
his own disposal, and a very large estate. Think of the evil he might
do if he were given that way."
"Does he gamble?"
"Not at all. It must be such a comfort to his mother!"
"He looks to me as though he never would do anything," said Lady
Mary. Then the subject was dropped.
It was a week after this, towards the end of July, that the Duke
wrote a line to Lady Cantrip, apologising for what he had done, but
explaining that he had asked Lord Popplecourt to dine at The Horns on
a certain Sunday. He had, he said, been assured by Lord Cantrip that
such an arrangement would be quite convenient. It was clear from his
letter that he was much in earnest. Of course there was no reason why
the dinner should not be eaten. Only the speciality of the invitation
to Lord Popplecourt must not be so glaring that he himself should be
struck by the strangeness of it. There must be a little party made
up. Lord Nidderdale and his wife were therefore bidden to come down,
and Silverbridge, who at first consented rather unwillingly,--and
Lady Mabel Grex, as to whom the Duke made a special request that she
might be asked. This last invitation was sent express from Lady Mary,
and included Miss Cass. So the party was made up. The careful reader
will perceive that there were to be ten of them.
"Isn't it odd papa wanting to have Lady Mabel?" Mary said to Lady
Cantrip.
"Does he not know her, my dear?"
"He hardly ever spoke to her. I'll tell you what; I expect
Silverbridge is going to marry her."
"Why shouldn't he?"
"I don't know why he shouldn't. She is very beautiful, and very
clever. But if so, papa must know all about it. It does seem so odd
that papa of all people should turn match-maker, or even that he
should think of it."
"So much is thrown upon him now," said Lady Cantrip
"Poor papa!" Then she remembered herself, and spoke with a little
start. "Of course I am not thinking of myself. Arranging a marriage
is very different from preventing any one from marrying."
"Whatever he may think to be his duty he will be sure to do it," said
the elder lady very solemnly.
Lady Mabel was surprised by the invitation, but she was not slow
to accept it. "Papa will be here and will be so glad to meet you,"
Lady Mary had said. Why should the Duke of Omnium wish to meet her?
"Silverbridge will be here too," Mary had gone on to say. "It is just
a family party. Papa, you know, is not going anywhere; nor am I."
By all this Lady Mabel's thoughts were much stirred, and her bosom
somewhat moved. And Silverbridge also was moved by it. Of course he
could not but remember that he had pledged himself to his father to
ask Lady Mabel to be his wife. He had faltered since. She had been,
he thought, unkind to him, or at any rate indifferent. He had surely
said enough to her to make her know what he meant; and yet she had
taken no trouble to meet him half way. And then Isabel Boncassen had
intervened. Now he was asked to dinner in a most unusual manner!
Of all the guests invited Lord Popplecourt was perhaps the least
disturbed. He was quite alive to the honour of being noticed by the
Duke of Omnium, and alive also to the flattering courtesy shown to
him by Lady Cantrip. But justice would not be done him unless it were
acknowledged that he had as yet flattered himself with no hopes in
regard to Lady Mary Palliser. He, when he prepared himself for his
journey down to Richmond, thought much more of the Duke than of the
Duke's daughter.
"Oh yes, I can drive you down if you like that kind of thing,"
Silverbridge said to him on the Saturday evening.
"And bring me back?"
"If you will come when I am coming. I hate waiting for a fellow."
"Suppose we leave at half-past ten."
"I won't fix any time; but if we can't make it suit there'll be the
governor's carriage."
"Will the Duke go down in his carriage?"
"I suppose so. It's quicker and less trouble than the railway." Then
Lord Popplecourt reflected that he would certainly come back with
the Duke if he could so manage it, and there floated before his eyes
visions of under-secretaryships, all of which might owe their origin
to this proposed drive up from Richmond.
At six o'clock on the Sunday evening Silverbridge called for Lord
Popplecourt. "Upon my word," said he, "I didn't ever expect to see
you in my cab."
"Why not me especially?"
"Because you're not one of our lot."
"You'd sooner have Tifto, I dare say."
"No, I wouldn't. Tifto is not at all a pleasant companion, though he
understands horses. You're going in for heavy politics, I suppose."
"Not particularly heavy."
"If not, why on earth does my governor take you up? You won't mind my
smoking, I dare say." After this there was no conversation between
them.