"Likewise the Bears in Couples Agree"
Frank Greystock stayed till the following Monday at Portray, but
could not be induced to hunt on the Saturday,--on which day the other
sporting men and women went to the meet. He could not, he said, trust
to that traitor MacFarlane, and he feared that his friend Mr. Nappie
would not give him another mount on the grey horse. Lizzie offered
him one of her two darlings,--an offer which he, of course, refused;
and Lord George also proposed to put him up. But Frank averred that
he had ridden his hunt for that season, and would not jeopardise the
laurels he had gained. "And, moreover," said he, "I should not dare
to meet Mr. Nappie in the field." So he remained at the castle and
took a walk with Mr. Emilius. Mr. Emilius asked a good many questions
about Portray, and exhibited the warmest sympathy with Lizzie's
widowed condition. He called her a "sweet, gay, unsophisticated,
light-hearted young thing." "She is very young," replied her cousin.
"Yes," he continued, in answer to further questions; "Portray is
certainly very nice. I don't know what the income is. Well; yes.
I should think it is over a thousand. Eight! No, I never heard it
said that it was as much as that." When Mr. Emilius put it down
in his mind as five, he was not void of acuteness, as very little
information had been given to him.
There was a joke throughout the castle that Mr. Emilius had fallen in
love with Miss Macnulty. They had been a great deal together on those
hunting days; and Miss Macnulty was unusually enthusiastic in praise
of his manner and conversation. To her, also, had been addressed
questions as to Portray and its income, all of which she had answered
to the best of her ability;--not intending to betray any secret, for
she had no secret to betray; but giving ordinary information on that
commonest of all subjects, our friends' incomes. Then there had risen
a question whether there was a vacancy for such promotion to Miss
Macnulty. Mrs. Carbuncle had certainly heard that there was a Mrs.
Emilius. Lucinda was sure that there was not,--an assurance which
might have been derived from a certain eagerness in the reverend
gentleman's demeanour to herself on a former occasion. To Lizzie, who
at present was very good-natured, the idea of Miss Macnulty having
a lover, whether he were a married man or not, was very delightful.
"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," said Miss Macnulty. "I don't
suppose Mr. Emilius had any idea of the kind." Upon the whole,
however, Miss Macnulty liked it.
On the Saturday nothing especial happened. Mr. Nappie was out on
his grey horse, and condescended to a little conversation with Lord
George. He wouldn't have minded, he said, if Mr. Greystock had come
forward; but he did think Mr. Greystock hadn't come forward as he
ought to have done. Lord George professed that he had observed the
same thing; but then, as he whispered into Mr. Nappie's ear, Mr.
Greystock was particularly known as a bashful man. "He didn't ride
my 'orse anyway bashful," said Mr. Nappie;--all of which was told at
dinner in the evening, amidst a great deal of laughter. There had
been nothing special in the way of sport, and Lizzie's enthusiasm for
hunting, though still high, had gone down a few degrees below fever
heat. Lord George had again coached her; but there had been no great
need for coaching, no losing of her breath, no cutting down of
Lucinda, no river, no big wall,--nothing, in short, very fast. They
had been much in a big wood; but Lizzie, in giving an account of the
day to her cousin, had acknowledged that she had not quite understood
what they were doing at any time. "It was a blowing of horns and
a galloping up and down all the day," she said; "and then Morgan
got cross again and scolded all the people. But there was one nice
paling, and Dandy flew over it beautifully. Two men tumbled down, and
one of them was a good deal hurt. It was very jolly;--but not at all
like Wednesday."
Nor had it been like Wednesday to Lucinda Roanoke, who did not fall
into the water, and who did accept Sir Griffin when he again proposed
to her in Sarkie wood. A great deal had been said to Lucinda on the
Thursday and the Friday by Mrs. Carbuncle,--which had not been taken
at all in good part by Lucinda. On those days Lucinda kept as much as
she could out of Sir Griffin's way, and almost snapped at the baronet
when he spoke to her. Sir Griffin swore to himself that he wasn't
going to be treated that way. He'd have her, by George! There are
men in whose love a good deal of hatred is mixed;--who love as the
huntsman loves the fox, towards the killing of which he intends to
use all his energies and intellects. Mrs. Carbuncle, who did not
quite understand the sort of persistency by which a Sir Griffin can
be possessed, feared greatly that Lucinda was about to lose her
prize, and spoke out accordingly. "Will you, then, just have the
kindness to tell me what it is you propose to yourself?" asked Mrs.
Carbuncle.
"I don't propose anything."
"And where will you go when your money's done?"
"Just where I am going now!" said Lucinda. By which it may be feared
that she indicated a place to which she should not on such an
occasion have made an allusion.
"You don't like anybody else?" suggested Mrs. Carbuncle.
"I don't like anybody or anything," said Lucinda.
"Yes, you do;--you like horses to ride, and dresses to wear."
"No, I don't. I like hunting because, perhaps, some day I may break
my neck. It's no use your looking like that, Aunt Jane. I know what
it all means. If I could break my neck it would be the best thing for
me."
"You'll break my heart, Lucinda."
"Mine's broken long ago."
"If you'll accept Sir Griffin, and just get a home round yourself,
you'll find that everything will be happy. It all comes from the
dreadful uncertainty. Do you think I have suffered nothing? Carbuncle
is always threatening that he'll go back to New York, and as for Lord
George, he treats me that way I'm sometimes afraid to show my face."
"Why should you care for Lord George?"
"It's all very well to say, why should I care for him. I don't
care for him, only one doesn't want to quarrel with one's friends.
Carbuncle says he owes him money."
"I don't believe it," said Lucinda.
"And he says Carbuncle owes him money."
"I do believe that," said Lucinda.
"Between it all, I don't know which way to be turning. And now, when
there's this great opening for you, you won't know your own mind."
"I know my mind well enough."
"I tell you you'll never have such another chance. Good looks isn't
everything. You've never a word to say to anybody; and when a man
does come near you, you're as savage and cross as a bear."
"Go on, Aunt Jane."
"What with your hatings and dislikings, one would suppose you didn't
think God Almighty made men at all."
"He made some of 'em very bad," said Lucinda. "As for some others,
they're only half made. What can Sir Griffin do, do you suppose?"
"He's a gentleman."
"Then if I were a man, I should wish not to be a gentleman; that's
all. I'd a deal sooner marry a man like that huntsman, who has
something to do and knows how to do it." Again she said, "Don't worry
any more, Aunt Jane. It doesn't do any good. It seems to me that to
make myself Sir Griffin's wife would be impossible; but I'm sure
your talking won't do it." Then her aunt left her, and, having met
Lord George, at his bidding went and made civil speeches to Lizzie
Eustace.
That was on the Friday afternoon. On the Saturday afternoon Sir
Griffin, biding his time, found himself, in a ride with Lucinda,
sufficiently far from other horsemen for his purpose. He wasn't going
to stand any more nonsense. He was entitled to an answer, and he
knew that he was entitled, by his rank and position, to a favourable
answer. Here was a girl who, as far as he knew, was without a
shilling, of whose birth and parentage nobody knew anything, who
had nothing but her beauty to recommend her,--nothing but that and
a certain capacity for carrying herself in the world as he thought
ladies should carry themselves,--and she was to give herself airs
with him, and expect him to propose to her half a dozen times! By
George!--he had a very good mind to go away and let her find out
her mistake. And he would have done so,--only that he was a man who
always liked to have all that he wanted. It was intolerable to him
that anybody should refuse him anything. "Miss Roanoke," he said; and
then he paused.
"Sir Griffin," said Lucinda, bowing her head.
"Perhaps you will condescend to remember what I had the honour of
saying to you as we rode into Kilmarnock last Wednesday."
"I had just been dragged out of a river, Sir Griffin, and I don't
think any girl ought to be asked to remember what was said to her in
that condition."
"If I say it again now, will you remember?"
"I cannot promise, Sir Griffin."
"Will you give me an answer?"
"That must depend."
"Come;--I will have an answer. When a man tells a lady that he
admires her, and asks her to be his wife, he has a right to an
answer. Don't you think that in such circumstances a man has a right
to expect an answer?"
Lucinda hesitated for a moment, and he was beginning again to
remonstrate impatiently, when she altered her tone, and replied to
him seriously, "In such circumstances a gentleman has a right to
expect an answer."
"Then give me one. I admire you above all the world, and I ask you to
be my wife. I'm quite in earnest."
"I know that you are in earnest, Sir Griffin. I would do neither you
nor myself the wrong of supposing that it could be otherwise."
"Very well then. Will you accept the offer that I make you?"
Again she paused. "You have a right to an answer,--of course; but it
may be so difficult to give it. It seems to me that you have hardly
realised how serious a question it is."
"Haven't I, though! By George, it is serious!"
"Will it not be better for you to think it over again?"
He now hesitated for a moment. Perhaps it might be better. Should she
take him at his word there would be no going back from it. But Lord
George knew that he had proposed before. Lord George had learned
this from Mrs. Carbuncle, and had shown that he knew it. And then,
too,--he had made up his mind about it. He wanted her, and he meant
to have her. "It requires no more thinking with me, Lucinda. I'm not
a man who does things without thinking; and when I have thought I
don't want to think again. There's my hand;--will you have it?"
"I will," said Lucinda, putting her hand into his. He no sooner felt
her assurance than his mind misgave him that he had been precipitate,
that he had been rash, and that she had taken advantage of him. After
all, how many things are there in the world more precious than a
handsome girl. And she had never told him that she loved him.
"I suppose you love me?" he asked.
"H'sh!--here they all are." The hand was withdrawn, but not before
both Mrs. Carbuncle and Lady Eustace had seen it.
Mrs. Carbuncle, in her great anxiety, bided her time, keeping close
to her niece. Perhaps she felt that if the two were engaged, it might
be well to keep the lovers separated for awhile, lest they should
quarrel before the engagement should have been so confirmed by the
authority of friends as to be beyond the power of easy annihilation.
Lucinda rode quite demurely with the crowd. Sir Griffin remained near
her, but without speaking. Lizzie whispered to Lord George that there
had been a proposal. Mrs. Carbuncle sat in stately dignity on her
horse, as though there were nothing which at that moment especially
engaged her attention. An hour almost had passed before she was able
to ask the important question, "Well;--what have you said to him?"
"Oh;--just what you would have me."
"You have accepted him?"
"I suppose I was obliged. At any rate I did. You shall know
one thing, Aunt Jane, at any rate, and I hope it will make you
comfortable. I hate a good many people; but of all the people in the
world I hate Sir Griffin Tewett the worst."
"Nonsense, Lucinda."
"It shall be nonsense, if you please; but it's true. I shall have to
lie to him,--but there shall be no lying to you, however much you may
wish it. I hate him!"
This was very grim, but Mrs. Carbuncle quite understood that to
persons situated in great difficulty things might be grim. A
certain amount of grimness must be endured. And she knew, too, that
Lucinda was not a girl to be driven without showing something of an
intractable spirit in harness. Mrs. Carbuncle had undertaken the
driving of Lucinda, and had been not altogether unsuccessful. The
thing so necessary to be done was now effected. Her niece was engaged
to a man with a title, to a man reported to have a fortune, to a man
of family, and a man of the world. Now that the engagement was made,
the girl could not go back from it, and it was for Mrs. Carbuncle to
see that neither should Sir Griffin go back. Her first steps must be
taken at once. The engagement should be made known to all the party,
and should be recognised by some word spoken between herself and
the lover. The word between herself and the lover must be the first
thing. She herself, personally, was not very fond of Sir Griffin; but
on such an occasion as this she could smile and endure the bear. Sir
Griffin was a bear,--but so also was Lucinda. "The rabbits and hares
All go in pairs; And likewise the bears In couples agree." Mrs.
Carbuncle consoled herself with the song, and assured herself that it
would all come right. No doubt the she-bears were not as civil to the
he-bears as the turtle doves are to each other. It was, perhaps, her
misfortune that her niece was not a turtle dove; but, such as she
was, the best had been done for her. "Dear Sir Griffin," she said on
the first available opportunity, not caring much for the crowd, and
almost desirous that her very words should be overheard, "my darling
girl has made me so happy by what she has told me."
"She hasn't lost any time," said Sir Griffin.
"Of course she would lose no time. She is the same to me as a
daughter. I have no child of my own, and she is everything to me. May
I tell you that you are the luckiest man in Europe?"
"It isn't every girl that would suit me, Mrs. Carbuncle."
"I am sure of that. I have noticed how particular you are. I won't
say a word of Lucinda's beauty. Men are better judges of that than
women; but for high, chivalrous spirit, for true principle and
nobility, and what I call downright worth, I don't think you will
easily find her superior. And she is as true as steel."
"And about as hard, I was beginning to think."
"A girl like that, Sir Griffin, does not give herself away easily.
You will not like her the less for that now that you are the
possessor. She is very young, and has known my wish that she should
not engage herself to any one quite yet. But, as it is, I cannot
regret anything."
"I daresay not," said Sir Griffin.
That the man was a bear was a matter of course, and bears probably
do not themselves know how bearish they are. Sir Griffin, no doubt,
was unaware of the extent of his own rudeness. And his rudeness
mattered but little to Mrs. Carbuncle, so long as he acknowledged the
engagement. She had not expected a lover's raptures from the one more
than from the other. And was not there enough in the engagement to
satisfy her? She allowed, therefore, no cloud to cross her brow as
she rode up alongside of Lord George. "Sir Griffin has proposed,
and she has accepted him," she said in a whisper. She was not now
desirous that any one should hear her but he to whom she spoke.
"Of course she has," said Lord George.
"I don't know about that, George. Sometimes I thought she would, and
sometimes that she wouldn't. You have never understood Lucinda."
"I hope Griff will understand her,--that's all. And now that the
thing is settled, you'll not trouble me about it any more. Their woes
be on their own head. If they come to blows Lucinda will thrash him,
I don't doubt. But while it's simply a matter of temper and words,
she won't find Tewett so easy-going as he looks."
"I believe they'll do very well together."
"Perhaps they will. There's no saying who may do well together. You
and Carbuncle get on à merveille. When is it to be?"
"Of course nothing is settled yet."
"Don't be too hard about settlements, or, maybe, he'll find a way of
wriggling out. When a girl without a shilling asks very much, the
world supports a man for breaking his engagement. Let her pretend to
be indifferent about it;--that will be the way to keep him firm."
"What is his income, George?"
"I haven't an idea. There never was a closer man about money. I
believe he must have the bulk of the Tewett property some day. He
can't spend above a couple of thousand now."
"He's not in debt, is he?"
"He owes me a little money,--twelve hundred or so, and I mean to have
it. I suppose he is in debt, but not much, I think. He makes stupid
bets, and the devil won't break him of it."
"Lucinda has two or three thousand pounds, you know."
"That's a flea-bite. Let her keep it. You're in for it now, and you'd
better say nothing about money. He has a decent solicitor, and let
him arrange about the settlements. And look here, Jane;--get it done
as soon as you can."
"You'll help me?"
"If you don't bother me, I will."
On their way home Mrs. Carbuncle was able to tell Lady Eustace. "You
know what has occurred?"
"Oh, dear, yes," said Lizzie, laughing.
"Has Lucinda told you?"
"Do you think I've got no eyes? Of course it was going to be. I knew
that from the very moment Sir Griffin reached Portray. I am so glad
that Portray has been useful."
"Oh, so useful, dear Lady Eustace! Not but what it must have come off
anywhere, for there never was a man so much in love as Sir Griffin.
The difficulty has been with Lucinda."
"She likes him, I suppose?"
"Oh, yes, of course," said Mrs. Carbuncle with energy.
"Not that girls ever really care about men now. They've got to be
married, and they make the best of it. She's very handsome, and I
suppose he's pretty well off."
"He will be very rich indeed. And they say he's such an excellent
young man when you know him."
"I dare say most young men are excellent,--when you come to know
them. What does Lord George say?"
"He's in raptures. He is very much attached to Lucinda, you know."
And so that affair was managed. They hadn't been home a quarter of an
hour before Frank Greystock was told. He asked Mrs. Carbuncle about
the sport, and then she whispered to him, "An engagement has been
made."
"Sir Griffin?" suggested Frank. Mrs. Carbuncle smiled and nodded her
head. It was well that everybody should know it.