As Colonel Cave re-entered his quarters after morning parade in the
Royal Barracks of Dublin, he found the following letter, which the post
had just delivered. It was headed “Strictly Private,” with three dashes
under the words.
“Holt-Trafford.
“My dear Colonel Cave,--Sir Hugh is confined to bed with a severe attack
of gout,--the doctors call it flying gout. He suffers greatly, and his
nerves are in a state of irritation that makes all attempt at writing
impossible. This will be my apology for obtruding upon you, though,
perhaps, the cause in which I write might serve for excuse. We are in
the deepest anxiety about Lionel. You are already aware how heavily his
extravagance has cost us. His play-debts amounted to above ten thousand
pounds, and all the cleverness of Mr. Joel has not been able to
compromise with the tradespeople for less than as much more; nor are
we yet done with demands from various quarters. It is not, however, of
these that I desire to speak. Your kind offer to take him into your
own regiment, and exercise the watchful supervision of a parent, has
relieved us of much anxiety, and his own sincere affection for you is
the strongest assurance we can have that the step has been a wise one.
Our present uneasiness has however a deeper source than mere pecuniary
embarrassment. The boy--he is very little more than a boy in years--has
fallen in love, and gravely writes to his father for consent that he may
marry. I assure you the shock brought back all Sir Hugh's most severe
symptoms; and his left eye was attacked with an inflammation such as Dr.
Gole says he never saw equalled. So far as the incoherency of his letter
will permit us to guess, the girl is a person in a very humble condition
of life, the daughter of a country doctor, of course without family or
fortune. That he made her acquaintance by an accident, as he informs
us, is also a reason to suppose that they are not people in society. The
name, as well as I can decipher it, is Lendrich or Hendrich,--neither
very distinguished!
“Now, my dear Colonel, even to a second son, such an alliance would be
perfectly intolerable,--totally at variance with all his father's plans
for him, and inconsistent with the station he should occupy. But there
are other considerations,--too sad ones, too melancholy indeed to
be spoken of, except where the best interests of a family are to be
regarded, which press upon us here. The last accounts of George from
Madeira leave us scarcely a hope. The climate, from which so much was
expected, has done nothing. The season has been unhappily most severe,
and the doctors agree in declaring that the malady has not yielded
in any respect. You will see, therefore, what a change any day may
accomplish in Lionel's prospects, and how doubly important it is that
he should contract no ties inconsistent with a station of no mean
importance. Not that these considerations would weigh with Lionel in the
least: he was always headstrong, rash, and self-willed; and if he were,
or fancied that he were, bound in honor to do a thing, I know well that
all persuasions would be unavailing to prevent him. I cannot believe,
however, that matters can have gone so far here. This acquaintanceship
must be of the very shortest; and however designing and crafty such
people may be, there will surely be some means of showing them
that their designs are impracticable, and of a nature only to bring
disappointment and disgrace upon themselves. That Sir Hugh would give
his consent is totally out of the question,--a thing not to be thought
of for a moment; indeed I may tell you in confidence that his first
thought on reading L.'s letter was to carry out a project to which
George had already consented, and by which the entail should be cut off,
and our third son, Harry, in that case would inherit. This will show you
to what extent his indignation would carry him.
“Now what is to be done? for, really, it is but time lost in deploring
when prompt action alone can save us. Do you know, or do you know any
one who does know, these Hendrichs or Lendrichs--who are they, what are
they? Are they people to whom I could write myself, or are they in that
rank in life which would enable us to make some sort of compromise?
Again, could you in anyway obtain L.'s confidence, and make him open his
heart to you _first?_ This is the more essential, because the moment he
hears of anything like coercion or pressure, his whole spirit will rise
in resistance, and he will be totally unmanageable. You have perhaps
more influence over him than any one else, and even your influence he
would resent if he suspected any dominance.
“I am madly impatient to hear what you will suggest. Will it be to see
these people, to reason with them, to explain to them the fruitlessness
of what they are doing? Will it be to talk to the girl herself?
“My first thought was to send for Lionel, as his father was so ill, but
on consideration I felt that a meeting between them might be the thing
of all others to be avoided. Indeed, in Sir Hugh's present temper, I
dare not think of the consequences.
“Might it be advisable to get Lionel attached to some foreign station?
If so, I am sure I could manage it--only, would he go? there 's the
question,--would he go? I am writing in such distress of mind, and so
hurriedly too, that I really do not know what I have set down and what I
have omitted. I trust, however, there is enough of this sad case before
you to enable you to counsel me, or, what is much better, act for me. I
wish I could send you L.'s letter, but Sir Hugh has put it away, and I
cannot lay my hand on it. Its purport, however, was to obtain authority
from us to approach this girl's relations as a suitor, and to show that
his intentions were known to and concurred in by his family. The only
gleam of hope in the epistle was his saying, 'I have not the slightest
reason to believe she would accept me, but the approval of my friends
will certainly give me the best chance.'
“Now, my dear Colonel, compassionate my anxiety, and write to me at
once--something--anything. Write such a letter as Sir Hugh may see; and
if you have anything secret or confidential, enclose it as a separate
slip. Was it not unfortunate that we refused that Indian appointment for
him? All this misery might have been averted. You may imagine how Sir
Hugh feels this conduct the more bitterly, coming, as I may say, on the
back of all his late indiscretions.
“Remember, finally, happen what may, this project must not go on. It is
a question of the boy's whole future and life. To defy his father is to
disinherit himself; and it is not impossible that this might be the most
effectual argument you could employ with these people who now seek to
entangle him.
“I have certainly no reason to love Ireland. It was there that my cousin
Cornwallis married that dreadful creature who is now suing him for
cruelty, and exposing the family throughout England.
“Sir Hugh gave directions last week about lodging the purchase-money
for his company, but he wrote a few lines to Cox's last night--to what
purport I cannot say--not impossibly to countermand it. What affliction
all this is!”
As Colonel Cave read over this letter for a second time, he was
not without misgivings about the even small share to which he had
contributed in this difficulty. It was evidently during the short
leave he had granted that this acquaintanceship had been formed; and
Fossbrooke's companionship was the very last thing in the world to deter
a young and ardent fellow from anything high-flown or romantic. “I ought
never to have thrown them together,” muttered he, as he walked his room
in doubt and deliberation.
He rang his bell and sent for the adjutant. “Where 's Trafford?” asked
he.
“You gave him three days' leave yesterday, sir. He's gone down to that
fishing-village where he went before.”
“Confound the place! Send for him at once--telegraph. No--let us
see--his leave is up to-morrow?”
“The next day at ten he was to report.”
“His father is ill,--an attack of gout,” muttered the Colonel, to give
some color to his agitated manner. “But it is better, perhaps, not to
alarm him. The seizure seems passing off.”
“He said something about asking for a longer term; he wants a fortnight,
I think. The season is just beginning now.”
“He shall not have it, sir. Take good care to warn him not to apply. It
will breed discontent in the regiment to see a young fellow who has not
been a year with us obtain a leave every ten or fifteen days.”
“If it were any other than Trafford, there would be plenty of grumbling.
But he is such a favorite!”
“I don't know that a worse accident could befall any man. Many a fine
fellow has been taught selfishness by the over-estimate others have
formed of him. See that you keep him to his duty, and that he is to look
for no favoritism.”
The Colonel did not well know why he said this, nor did he stop to think
what might come of it. It smacked, to his mind, however, of something
prompt, active, and energetic.
His next move was to write a short note to Lady Trafford, acknowledging
hers, and saying that, Lionel being absent,--he did not add
where,--nothing could be done till he should see him. “To-morrow--next
day at farthest--I will report progress. I cannot believe the case to be
so serious as you suppose; at all events, count upon me.”
“Stay!” cried he to the adjutant, who stood in the window awaiting
further instructions; “on second thoughts, do telegraph. Say, 'Return at
once.' This will prepare him for something.”