The Major Is Deposed
When Silverbridge undertook to return with Tregear to London instead
of going off direct to Matching, it is to be feared that he was
simply actuated by a desire to postpone his further visit to his
father's house. He had thought that Lady Mabel would surely be gone
before his task at Polpenno was completed. As soon as he should again
find himself in his father's presence he would at once declare his
intention of marrying Isabel Boncassen. But he could not see his way
to doing it while Lady Mabel should be in the house.
"I think you will find Mabel still at Matching," said Tregear on
their way up. "She will wait for you, I fancy."
"I don't know why she should wait for me," said Silverbridge almost
angrily.
"I thought that you and she were fast friends."
"I suppose we are--after a fashion. She might wait for you perhaps."
"I think she would,--if I could go there."
"You are much thicker with her than I ever was. You went to see her
at Grex,--when nobody else was there."
"Is Miss Cassewary nobody?"
"Next door to it," said Silverbridge, half jealous of the favours
shown to Tregear.
"I thought," said Tregear, "that there would be a closer intimacy
between you and her."
"I don't know why you should think so."
"Had you never any such idea yourself?"
"I haven't any now,--so there may be an end of it. I don't think a
fellow ought to be cross-questioned on such a subject."
"Then I am very sorry for Mabel," said Tregear. This was uttered
solemnly, so that Silverbridge found himself debarred from making any
flippant answer. He could not altogether defend himself. He had been
quite justified, he thought, in changing his mind, but he did not
like to own that he had changed it so quickly.
"I think we had better not talk any more about it," he said, after
pausing for a few moments. After that nothing more was said between
them on the subject.
Up in town Silverbridge spent two or three days pleasantly enough,
while a thunderbolt was being prepared for him, or rather, in truth,
two thunderbolts. During these days he was much with Tregear; and
though he could not speak freely of his own matrimonial projects,
still he was brought round to give some sort of assent to the
engagement between Tregear and his sister. This new position which
his friend had won for himself did in some degree operate on his
judgment. It was not perhaps that he himself imagined that Tregear as
a member of Parliament would be worthier, but that he fancied that
such would be the Duke's feelings. The Duke had declared that Tregear
was nobody. That could hardly be said of a man who had a seat in
the House of Commons;--certainly could not be said by so staunch a
politician as the Duke.
But had he known of those two thunderbolts he would not have enjoyed
his time at the Beargarden. The thunderbolts fell upon him in the
shape of two letters which reached his hands at the same time, and
were as follows:
The Bobtailed Fox. Egham. 18th December.
MY LORD,
At a meeting held in this house to-day in reference to the
hunting of the Runnymede country, it was proposed that the
management of the hounds should be taken out of the hands
of Major Tifto, in consequence of certain conduct of which
it is alleged that he was guilty at the last Doncaster
races.
Major Tifto was present, and requested that your
Lordship's opinion should be asked as to his guilt. I do
not know myself that we are warranted in troubling your
Lordship on the subject. I am, however, commissioned by
the majority of the gentlemen who were present to ask
you whether you think that Major Tifto's conduct on that
occasion was of such a nature as to make him unfit to be
the depositary of that influence, authority, and intimacy
which ought to be at the command of a Master of Hounds.
I feel myself bound to inform your Lordship that the hunt
generally will be inclined to place great weight upon your
opinion; but that it does not undertake to reinstate Major
Tifto, even should your opinion be in his favour.
I have the honour to be,
My Lord,
Your Lordship's most obedient Servant,
JEREMIAH JAWSTOCK.
Juniper Lodge, Staines.
Mr. Jawstock, when he had written this letter, was proud of his own
language, but still felt that the application was a very lame one.
Why ask any man for an opinion, and tell him at the same time that
his opinion might probably not be taken? And yet no other alternative
had been left to him. The meeting had decided that the application
should be made; but Mr. Jawstock was well aware that let the young
Lord's answer be what it might, the Major would not be endured as
Master in the Runnymede country. Mr. Jawstock felt that the passage
in which he explained that a Master of Hounds should be a depositary
of influence and intimacy, was good;--but yet the application was
lame, very lame.
Lord Silverbridge as he read it thought that it was very unfair.
It was a most disagreeable thunderbolt. Then he opened the second
letter, of which he well knew the handwriting. It was from the Major.
Tifto's letters were very legible, but the writing was cramped,
showing that the operation had been performed with difficulty.
Silverbridge had hoped that he might never receive another epistle
from his late partner. The letter, as follows, had been drawn out for
Tifto in rough by the livery-stable keeper in Long Acre.
MY DEAR LORD SILVERBRIDGE,
I venture respectfully to appeal to your Lordship for
an act of justice. Nobody has more of a true-born
Englishman's feeling of fair play between man and man than
your Lordship; and as you and me have been a good deal
together, and your Lordship ought to know me pretty well,
I venture to appeal to your Lordship for a good word.
All that story from Doncaster has got down into the
country where I am M.F.H. Nobody could have been more
sorry than me that your Lordship dropped your money. Would
not I have been prouder than anything to have a horse in
my name win the race! Was it likely I should lame him?
Anyways I didn't, and I don't think your Lordship thinks
it was me. Of course your Lordship and me is two now;--but
that don't alter the facts.
What I want is your Lordship to send me a line, just
stating your Lordship's opinion that I didn't do it, and
didn't have nothing to do with it;--which I didn't. There
was a meeting at The Bobtailed Fox yesterday, and the
gentlemen was all of one mind to go by what your Lordship
would say. I couldn't desire nothing fairer. So I hope
your Lordship will stand to me now, and write something
that will pull me through.
With all respects I beg to remain,
Your Lordship's most dutiful Servant,
T. TIFTO.
There was something in this letter which the Major himself did not
quite approve. There was an absence of familiarity about it which
annoyed him. He would have liked to call upon his late partner to
declare that a more honourable man than Major Tifto had never been
known on the turf. But he felt himself to be so far down in the world
that it was not safe for him to hold an opinion of his own, even
against the livery-stable keeper!
Silverbridge was for a time in doubt whether he should answer the
letters at all, and if so how he should answer them. In regard to Mr.
Jawstock and the meeting at large, he regarded the application as
an impertinence. But as to Tifto himself he vacillated much between
pity, contempt, and absolute condemnation. Everybody had assured him
that the man had certainly been guilty. The fact that he had made
bets against their joint horse,--bets as to which he had said nothing
till after the race was over,--had been admitted by himself. And yet
it was possible that the man might not be such a rascal as to be
unfit to manage the Runnymede hounds. Having himself got rid of
Tifto, he would have been glad that the poor wretch should have been
left with his hunting honours. But he did not think that he could
write to his late partner any letter that would preserve those
honours to him.
At Tregear's advice he referred the matter to Mr. Lupton. Mr. Lupton
was of opinion that both the letters should be answered, but that
the answer to each should be very short. "There is a prejudice about
the world just at present," said Mr. Lupton, "in favour of answering
letters. I don't see why I am to be subjected to an annoyance because
another man has taken a liberty. But it is better to submit to public
opinion. Public opinion thinks that letters should be answered." Then
Mr. Lupton dictated the answers.
"Lord Silverbridge presents his compliments to Mr. Jawstock, and
begs to say that he does not feel himself called upon to express
any opinion as to Major Tifto's conduct at Doncaster." That was the
first. The second was rather less simple, but not much longer.
SIR,
I do not feel myself called upon to express any opinion
either to you or to others as to your conduct at
Doncaster. Having received a letter on the subject from
Mr. Jawstock I have written to him to this effect.
Your obedient Servant,
SILVERBRIDGE.
To T. Tifto, Esq.,
Tallyho Lodge.
Poor Tifto, when he got this very curt epistle, was broken-hearted.
He did not dare to show it. Day after day he told the livery-stable
keeper that he had received no reply, and at last asserted that his
appeal had remained altogether unanswered. Even this he thought
was better than acknowledging the rebuff which had reached him.
As regarded the meeting which had been held,--and any further
meetings which might be held,--at The Bobtailed Fox, he did not
see the necessity, as he explained to the livery-stable keeper, of
acknowledging that he had written any letter to Lord Silverbridge.
The letter to Mr. Jawstock was of course brought forward. Another
meeting at The Bobtailed Fox was convened. But in the meantime
hunting had been discontinued in the Runnymede country. The Major
with all his pluck, with infinite cherry brandy, could not do it. Men
who had a few weeks since been on very friendly terms, and who had
called each other Dick and Harry when the squabble first began, were
now talking of "punching" each other's heads. Special whips had been
procured by men who intended to ride, and special bludgeons by the
young farmers who intended that nobody should ride as long as Major
Tifto kept the hounds. It was said that the police would interfere.
It was whispered that the hounds would be shot,--though Mr. Topps,
Mr. Jawstock, and others declared that no crime so heinous as that
had ever been contemplated in the Runnymede country.
The difficulties were too many for poor Tifto, and the hounds were
not brought out again under his influence.
A second meeting was summoned, and an invitation was sent to the
Major similar to that which he had before received;--but on this
occasion he did not appear. Nor were there many of the gentlemen
down from London. This second meeting might almost have been called
select. Mr. Mahogany Topps was there of course, in the chair, and
Mr. Jawstock took the place of honour and of difficulty on his right
hand. There was the young gentleman from Bagshot, who considered
himself quite fit to take Tifto's place if somebody else would pay
the bills and settle the money, and there was the sporting old parson
from Croppingham. Three or four other members of the hunt were
present, and perhaps half-a-dozen farmers, ready to declare that
Major Tifto should never be allowed to cross their fields again.
But there was no opposition. Mr. Jawstock read the young lord's note,
and declared that it was quite as much as he expected. He considered
that the note, short as it was, must be decisive. Major Tifto, in
appealing to Lord Silverbridge, had agreed to abide by his Lordship's
answer, and that answer was now before them. Mr. Jawstock ventured to
propose that Major Tifto should be declared to be no longer Master
of the Runnymede Hounds. The parson from Croppingham seconded the
proposition, and Major Tifto was formally deposed.