FREDERICK MORLEY OBSTINATELY DETERMINES ON RIDING THE MARE.
When Frederick Morley returned to the inn, after his meeting with
Alrina, he found his friend, Lieut. Fowler, there in deep conversation
with Mr. and Mrs. Brown.
"Hallo! old fellow," he exclaimed, as his friend entered; "a pretty
fellow you are, to keep the squire's dinner waiting, and two pair of
bright eyes languishing for something more sprightly than a poor
lieutenant R.N. to rest their weary lids upon. Why, where the deuce have
you been? You are not _ill-wished_, too, are you?"
"It seems very like it," replied Morley; "for I seem to bring trouble
wherever I go. Only last night, when I simply wanted a note taken over
to you, and my bag brought back, the boy was taken off by the pixies,
and the landlord's mare caught St. Vitus's dance, or something
worse,--so the sooner I return to the place from whence I came, the
better."
"I don't know that," replied Fowler; "for you have work cut out for you
here, it seems."
"What do you mean?" replied his friend, smiling. "The French haven't
landed, have they? and you want me to take the command of the
volunteers?"
"No, no," said Fowler; "but our friend, Mr. Brown, has been to the
conjuror about his misfortunes; and what do you think he told him?"
"I'm sure I don't know," replied Morley; "some humbug, I suppose."
"Nothing of the kind, I assure you," replied Fowler. "He merely said
that it would depend on the courage and skill of the person who was the
innocent cause of the misfortunes, to extricate him out of them."
"If you mean me," replied Morley, "you know I don't want for pluck; as
to the skill, that's another thing,--that will depend on what there is
to do."
"Well, then, Mr. Brown has confided to me the history of his visit to
the conjuror," said the lieutenant, "and he told him that the gentleman
(meaning you) must ride the mare to the edge of the cliff at the
Land's-End, and look over,--having no friend or assistant within fifty
yards of him."
"Ha! ha! ha! that's easy enough," said Morley; "I was considered the
best horseman in my regiment, and I am passionately fond of riding. Why,
I have jumped on the back of a colt that had never been haltered before,
and broken it in, so that a child could ride it, before I got off its
back again. I know the secret, and can tame a horse by whispering in his
ear. So you may consider your misfortunes at an end, if that will do it,
my good friend Brown?"
"No, sir," said Mrs. Brown, very decidedly; "there shall be no such risk
as that run for anything belonging to me. Lev the mare alone,--she'll
get round again; an' ef she don't, 'twas no fault of yours, sir."
"But, ef the gentleman esn't afeard," chimed in poor Mr. Brown, "why
not----"
"Brown!" said his wife, in a voice which made him start; "I wish to
gracious 'The Maister' had told you to ride the mare yourself. I b'lieve
you wud have b'en fool enough to have done et, and then I shud ha' got
rid of two troubles together. Drat the mare!" And, in her anger, she
took up a large bunch of furze, and threw it on the fire, which was
burning on the hearth, and sent it blazing up the large chimney, while
her husband shuffled away towards the door, intending to go into the
stable, his usual place of refuge from the two fires, which generally
blazed together within; for when his wife was in one of her tantrums,
and exercised her tongue more than usual, she generally put a good blast
into the chimney, and they blazed away together. Before poor Mr. Brown
reached the door, however, he was brought up "_with a round turn_," as
Lieut. Fowler expressed it, by the sweet voice of his wife, who said,
sharply,--
"Brown! did you hear Lieut. Fowler ask for a glass of ale for self and
friend?"
"No, Peggy, dear, I dedn't," said he; "but I'll draw the glasses, of
course I will. Polly! Polly! Why, wherever es that maid?"
So the glasses of ale were drawn, although the order was entirely in
Mrs. Brown's own imagination; for neither of the gentlemen had given
one;--but it was the very thing they both wished, and, no doubt, would
have ordered very soon, had not their wishes been anticipated by the
landlady, who always had an eye to business.
The two gentlemen then took a stroll together, and Lieut. Fowler tried
to dissuade his friend from this rash and foolish undertaking, but to no
purpose. He was determined to do it, he said,--it was just the thing he
liked; for English sports were so tame, after those he had been
accustomed to for the last two years. Hunting tigers and Lions,--that
was the sport for him.
"If you are really determined," said Fowler, "I shall bring the girls up
from Pendrea-house to have a look at you; but I think you will alter
your mind before the morning."
Mrs. Brown had prepared a very nice dinner, and so the friends enjoyed
two or three hours' social chat. Morley had heard no tidings of his
brother, he said, nor had anyone found anything that was likely to have
been his, as far as he could learn; and so he supposed he was not in
that ship. But he should remain a day or two longer, he said, to make
further search.
When his friend rose to leave, Morley said he would go out a little way
with him, and he would ride the mare to try her temper and her paces.
Mrs. Brown was obliged to yield when she found that the gentleman was
determined on the feat, and she trusted that the well-known good temper
and tractability of the mare would carry them both through with
safety,--although the fright into which the mare had been thrown two
days before, without any apparent cause, as it seemed, tended to weaken
Mrs. Brown's confidence in the perfect steadiness of her husband's pet.