But while Griffith was thus sweetly employed, his neglected guests were
dispersing, not without satirical comments on their truant host. Two or
three, however, remained, and slept in the house, upon special
invitation. And that invitation came from Squire Peyton. He chose to
conclude that Griffith, disappointed by the will, had vacated the
premises in disgust, and left him in charge of them; accordingly he
assumed the master with alacrity, and ordered beds for Neville, and
Father Francis, and Major Rickards, and another. The weather was
inclement, and the roads heavy; so the gentlemen thus distinguished
accepted Mr. Peyton's offer cordially.
There were a great many things sung and said at the festive board in the
course of the evening, but very few of them would amuse or interest the
reader as they did the hearers. One thing, however, must not be passed
by, as it had its consequences. Major Rickards drank bumpers apiece to
the King, the Prince, Church and State, the Army, the Navy, and Kate
Peyton. By the time he got to her, two thirds of his discretion had
oozed away in loyalty, _esprit du corps_, and port wine; so he sang the
young lady's praises in vinous terms, and of course immortalized the
very exploit she most desired to consign to oblivion: _Arma viraginemque
canebat_. He sang the duel, and in a style which I could not,
consistently with the interests of literature, reproduce on a large
scale. Hasten we to the concluding versicles of his song.
"So then, sir, we placed our men for the third time, and, you may take
my word for it, one or both of these heroes would have bit the dust at
that discharge. But, by Jove, sir, just as they were going to pull
trigger, in galloped your adorable daughter, and swooned off her foaming
horse in the middle of us,--disarmed us, sir, in a moment, melted our
valor, bewitched our senses, and the great god of war had to retreat
before little Cupid and the charms of beauty in distress."
"Little idiot!" observed the tender parent; and was much distempered.
He said no more about it to Major Rickards; but when they all retired
for the night, he undertook to show Father Francis his room, and sat in
it with him a good half-hour talking about Kate.
"Here's a pretty scandal," said he. "I must marry the silly girl out of
hand before this gets wind, and you must help me."
In a word, the result of the conference was that Kate should be publicly
engaged to Neville to-morrow, and married to him as soon as her month's
mourning should be over.
The conduct of the affair was confided to Father Francis, as having
unbounded influence with her.