DICK'S RETURN
The Lady Dorothy Byng was in her chamber upstairs, pacing the floor,
with bent head, restlessly, and very pale indeed. Lorry lay on the
broad step in the window-place, watching her with pathetic,
uncomprehending eyes. She was certainly unhappy. But why? Was it
because, for a whole day, she had missed that frolicking Dick? Or
was she unwell? Oppressed by the air of misfortune around him,
whereunder no one laughed, or ran, or had their regular meals, Lorry
lifted his black nose and gave a piteous, half-strangled whine. But
even that, he found, did not draw his lady's eyes from the oaken
floor, nor stay her pacing feet, nor bring a word from her closed
lips. So she walked, and Lorry watched, for hours, till the sun came
hot and hotter on the dog's back and threw the devices of the
casement glass upon her Ladyship's white dress as she passed him,
splashing her with colour one minute, and leaving her to go cold and
gray into the shadow the next.
Suddenly she stopped with a start. Lorry, growling, bounded up to
the casement and laid his nose on the sill. How foolishly men built
their houses, he thought, for here, strain as he might, the casement
was too high for him to see round into the yard, and yet he knew it
was full of horses and men, strangers all.
"He is come!" cried her ladyship. "Too soon. He shall not have me
till the time!" She was trembling now.
Lorry was too much occupied in barking, with anger and menace, to
heed her. There were steps, running steps, in the corridor. Someone
tried the latch. Lorry, changing his tone with bewildering
suddenness, leapt across to the door, over-turning a stool on his
way. He then set up such a scratching and pawing, with such frantic
leaps and such joyous, echoing barks as made her Ladyship's brain
whirl. Above the clamour she caught Dick's shrill cries.
"Cousin Dorothy! Open! Open, Cousin Dorothy! Be quick!"
Be quick! She flew, like Lorry, unbolted her door, and, catching
Dick in her arms, went near smothering him with kisses. Lorry's wild
efforts to be kissed also were unnoticed, and he could only find
Dick's hair and the tip of one ear, which he industriously worked at,
leaping, barking, and wagging his tail.
"He's come, Dick," her ladyship murmured.
But Dick, drawing back, and holding Lorry's head down by main force,
so that he could speak without having his mouth licked, said: "You're
safe, Cousin Dorothy--safe."
"There are men in the yard, Dick!" she said quickly.
"Our men," he said proudly. "And--oh, dear Cousin Dorothy,--where
shall I begin?"
"Here," she said, drawing him down on the floor as she sank into a
chair. "And you shall tell me first, Dick, you are safe--unhurt.
That you have really come back. Lorry and I--we may as well confess
it--"
"You thought I'd run away?"
She looked down at him remorsefully.
"You must try and forgive us," she said.
"I'll forgive you," Dick cried. "I'd forgive you anything. And what
might you expect of a coward like me?"
She stopped him with a kiss.
"But I'll never forgive Lorry!" said Dick in a minute. "Never! No,
sir! Go down! I pointedly told you about it. I relied on you, sir,
to make her understand,--that I did."
Lorry sighed, with every show of contrition, thrusting his nose into
his mistress's hand.
"You must pardon us both, Dick dear. And what said you?" she asked
eagerly. "That I was safe?"
"Yes, yes, Cousin Dorothy. Why, John Dent is dead, and--"
And the story of his adventure followed, with many wondering,
incredulous questions from her Ladyship. Indeed, Dick read something
more than mere amazement in her face as he related his freedoms with
the King. She half expressed a fear that Dick had been deceived
again in some way. But Dick patiently assured her it was true, every
word of it, and passed on to the arrangements His Majesty made, and
how he then placed the matter in the hands of Giles--Giles, who was
alive, who was there with his master,--Giles, who had come all the
way with Dick, and had managed everything so excellent well.
"Oh, don't sing me his praises!" her ladyship said, lifting her hand.
"Every particle of my appreciation is keeping for you."
"But I could have done nothing without Giles and His Majesty."
"Oh, I give you the King, Dick, and welcome!" she said. "But I take
it as singular His Majesty should have given the affair--my affair,
when you come to reflect, Dick, and I am a lady, into the hands of a
groom. But you say you have officers with the troops--in command of
them? Giles, I suppose, was to wait upon you."
Dick hid his face in her dress, and shook with laughter. The Earl of
Lumley to wait on him!
"Oh, Cousin Dorothy!" he bubbled. He clapped his hands to his mouth
to keep himself from telling all about dear Giles.
"Why do you laugh so, Dick?" she demanded. "Where is the occasion?
You're over-excited, my brave little knight." She bent over him.
"Where did His Majesty kiss you, Dick? We must keep the place
sacred, I think."
Dick raised his face with the most exasperating chuckle.
"'Tis too late for that, Cousin Dorothy. Giles has been over the
ground several times."
Her Ladyship made a slight, laughing gesture of contempt or
annoyance, and he did not receive the proffered kiss.
Dick stood up.
"Well, Cousin Dorothy," he said slyly. "There is that Giles, you
know, standing out there in the sun, very tired, maybe, and very hot,
and--"
"And very thirsty, no doubt," she said. "Why did he not go in with
the rest? You said you'd given Philip his orders to wait on them?"
"Yes, Cousin Dorothy, but Giles said he would wait outside till he
had your Ladyship's permission to enter."
"Very proper," observed her Ladyship coolly. "Let him wait, Dick. I
want your tale all over again. And then my thanks are to be made,
Dickie."
But Dick looked positively frightened.
"Oh, Cousin!" he gasped, "I doubt we had better leave him no
longer,--he--he--"
"You have much too soft a heart, Dick," she said. "Your stableman,
now--There! Don't look so distressed. I will do anything you wish,
Dick. I will even go and thank this worthy man for what he has done.
And when he and the rest have all gone, and we are once more alone, I
will thank you for what you have done, Dick--for the rest of my life."
"I want no thanks," said the boy, his face growing merry again as
they went out together.
Lorry descended the first flight of shallow steps quite sedately
behind them, but with a sniff he suddenly pushed past, fell
precipitately down the next flight into the hall, and stood, stark
and stiff, glaring out at the door.
"Man on the steps!" he barked viciously. "Strange man! One of these
men who are hanging about here." He raced out in a quiver of fury.
"Farewell to your Giles, Dick!" said her ladyship. "Lorry will
devour him ere we arrive."
But when they came in sight of the steps, they beheld that eccentric
dog, Lorry, crouched and fawning at the stranger's feet. And the
stranger was calling him a "good old lad" in an indifferent,
good-humoured way, flicking his head with his glove, which mark of
approval Lorry received with a meek thankfulness never accorded to
his lady's demanded caresses or Dick's boisterously-received
attentions. The Cavalier had had more pity for his horse than for
himself; the bay had been sent out of the hot glaring sun, though
Giles still waited her Ladyship's permission to enter. She halted at
the top of the steps, and her eye ran over the man, his attitude, and
his rose-coloured dress.
"Where is your Giles, Dick?" she demanded.
Before Dick had time to answer, the gentleman started and looked up.
Baring his head with one hand, and pushing Lorry out of the way with
the other, he advanced a step.
"May I come in, madam?" he asked.
Dick felt the hand he held tremble. He glanced from one to the
other. What was happening? Her Ladyship caught away her hand, and
swept down the steps to Giles with a cry. She gave him her hand and
drew him in across the hall to the parlour. They went in, and Giles
shut the door. Dick and Lorry looked at each other. The boy rubbed
his eyes. The dog pattered to the door, and pressed his nose against
the crack. Then, looking impatiently at Dick, he said with his eyes:
"Come and open it; you know how." But Dick shook his head doubtfully.
"Better not, old fellow," he said. "'Tis queer; but they don't want
us."
Lorry grunted and fidgeted about, nosing the hall-floor till he came
on the glove which Giles had dropped. Then he gave a satisfied sigh,
and lay down with his treasure between his paws, and his nose on it.
By some instinct he gathered that Giles was a person to be courted, a
man not given to caressing, but a man who would love a dog, and whom
a dog must love and obey.
Dick stood irresolute, his hand playing with his sword-hilt.
"Ah, it's Giles! 'Tis all right," he said at last, and ran off to
find Philip. Instead, he came upon young Captain Slingsby in the
dining-room, finishing a stately repast, whilst opposite sat the
clergyman who should have married her Ladyship to John Dent. Dick
stayed to drink the King's health with them, and then coaxed Slingsby
into the garden to ask for tales about Giles. He got what he wanted
there, for Slingsby loved no theme so well as the praises of the Earl
of Lumley, his goodness and his generosity, and his own lamentable
folly in going against his excellent advice. They visited the
soldiers, and Dick rushed about amongst them, forgetful of everything
else, questioning, wondering, inspecting arms and accoutrements, and
thinking how fine a thing it was to be a soldier and fight for the
King. He had no notion how time was flying until he became aware
that he was very hungry. Slingsby had fallen asleep under a tree in
the garden, and to Dick's suggestion that he should come in and have
dinner, returned a decided negative, punctuated with yawns.
"But if you were to place a delicate dish or two under my nose, Sir
Richard," he said, just as Dick was departing, "I don't know that the
smell, were it a well-chosen smell, would absolutely turn me."
"Right you are," said Dick. "I'll find something."
He ran off, and came back presently, staggering under a tray.
"Cold duck, sir," he observed, "with a cream and a compôte and a
bottle of something Philip calls prime."
Slingsby sat up.
"Good fortune!" he said briskly, and set to work.
"I did not find my cousin anywhere," said Dick.
"Ah!" said Slingsby, with half-closed eyes, "and where is my lord?"
"I don't know," said Dick.
He was going down the passage to Philip's room, just after dinner,
when he observed that the chapel-door was open, and that Philip and
Bridget were whispering within. He went up to them. There were a
great many flowers on the altar, and the clergyman was laying out his
service-books and vestments.
"What is he doing?" Dick whispered. "There will be no service
to-day."
To his confusion, Bridget burst into tears, and unceremoniously
embraced him.
"Yes, yes, my little sir," the good woman said, wiping her eyes.
"And it's yourself will wait on the groom. And the young captain to
give her Ladyship away--God bless her! And all to end happily after
all!"
Dick stared! Then turned on Philip.
"She's mad," he said judicially.
"Ay," Philip agreed, laughing. "I uphold you, sir. But a wedding,
sir, I may tell you, will unhinge any woman's reason for the time.
And we've you, sir, to thank for it all. 'He's a hero, Philip,'
saith her Ladyship but a minute since. And--'Yes, my Lady,' say I.
That being so, sir, may I make so bold as to ask your honour to shake
hands with me, and may we be the first very heartily to congratulate
your honour?"
"You're mad, too," said Dick, his eyes round with amazement.
"Where's my Lady?" He darted away.
Bridget said: "God bless him, the pretty lamb!"
"Lamb!" said Philip contemptuously. "Lamb, quotha? Lion, more
likely--brave little lion, I tell thee. Away with you! You an' your
lambs!"