On the Thursday which was to be big with the fate of Livius's farce, I
took a party of friends to Mr. Elliston's private box. Drury Lane was
crowded. Livius had at least eight people in the small box allotted
to him by the manager. He paid me a flying visit and seemed as much
agitated as though he were about to be tried for high treason. I
proposed changing boxes with him, to accommodate his friends. He was
highly delighted, and the exchange was made, much, I believe, to the
annoyance of Mr. Elliston, though I knew not why it grieved him.
Livius's piece commenced almost as soon as we were quietly seated
again. He was certainly much indebted to the exertions of all the very
excellent performers who played in it, particularly Elliston and Harley.
The piece went off with spirit. I never saw a poor man tremble as Livius
did during the first act. "Who would write for the stage?" thought
I. Livius was all over the house at once; both before and behind the
scenes. He could not rest anywhere.
"Do sit down," said I, handing him a chair. "Let the public be hanged!
What great crime would there be if your little piece happened not to be
to their taste?"
"Oh, fancy," said Livius, "the agitation of coming thus before the
public for the first time!"
"Fiddlestick!" said I.
He was now growing a little more tranquil, while Elliston was charming
away his fears, as well as the _ennui_ of the audience. It was at that
part where he expresses his rapture at the beauty and loveliness of
his valet's wife, while the unfortunate husband, so well represented
by Harley, stands in an agony behind his master's chair, not daring to
acknowledge his marriage for fear of losing his place.
The piece to be performed next was _The Coronation._ A man in the pit,
at that moment when Elliston ought to have been most pathetic, mounted
the boards which were erected down the middle of the pit, I suppose to
obtain a better view.
"You must not stand there, sir," vociferated Elliston to the man, in a
loud angry voice, in the midst of his love-speech, to the utter dismay
of poor Livius, who absolutely gasped for breath.
Sams, who was Livius's publisher, was in my box, and ventured to hiss,
which example was followed by a faint vibration from the pit. The
valet's wife looked rather silly at being thus cut by her admiring
swain. Elliston came forward, as though ashamed of his impetuosity, and,
gracefully bowing, addressed the audience somewhat to this effect:
"As manager and proprietor of this theatre, I must request and desire
that none of you gentlemen mount those boards," and then, with all
the impudence of the most perfect nonchalance, he turned round to his
neglected fair one, and resumed his vows of love from where he had left
off.
"Elliston is very drunk," said poor Livius, looking as pale as a ghost
with dread of what might follow.
"Not so very drunk yet, neither," said I, "since he has to play again,
in _The Coronation_ to-night."
"Oh!" said Livius, shaking his head mournfully, "Elliston always plays
the king most naturally when he is most drunk."
"I have no doubt," answered I, "that Elliston plays his part best when
he has been drinking, since he is always so excessively stupid and dull
when sober. Except this trifling interruption, your little piece has
gone off without a single accident or blunder; so be calm, man!"
Livius told me that he was about to bring out a young lady of infinite
talent as a singer. "She is in my private box, and Elliston has promised
to hear her best song, from the pit, after the audience have left the
house to-night."
I asked if I might remain to hear her.
"Certainly," said Livius, "and for that purpose I will conduct you to a
private pit-box. The young lady is to sing on the stage."
Livius's piece was announced for the next night, amidst loud plaudits.
We may guess that Livius naturally had a vast number of his own friends
among the audience. It was in fact a very trifling production, and
yet it was dramatic. However I never heard of it after it had run its
allotted time, though I think I have seen many worse things last longer.
I thought that I too perhaps might find amusement in writing something
from the French for the stage--so I, some days afterwards, fixed upon
Moliere's comedy of the _Malade Imaginaire_, which I hastily transformed
into an English three-act piece.
But I forgot to mention what became of Livius's _protégée_.
After the audience had left the theatre, Livius handed me downstairs
to a pit-box, saying, "I must now leave you to attend my poor, timid,
young friend." The lamps and candles were all extinguished, when
Elliston threw himself along the benches in the pit. Soon afterwards
Livius came upon the stage, now lighted by a single lamp, conducting
a very ill-favoured young lady in a shawl. She began to sing very
scientifically, but her voice was not pleasing. Study had done much for
her, while nature had been a niggard.
Elliston appeared to be going to sleep, as soon as he had heard the
first verse of a most barbarously long song; but, accidentally observing
me, he climbed up to my box from the pit, making a noise, which
altogether discouraged the poor young lady by this rude inattention to
her melody.
"Why do not you play harlequin?" said I.
"I am too old," he replied: and then asked me how the farce went off.
"Famously," I replied. "I see you know how to profit by my advice, and
you made fewer faces. But you took a great liberty with the public,
when you began scolding the audience, instead of minding what you were
engaged in," I observed to him.
"What business had that man to stick himself up there?" Elliston asked.
"From sympathy! He was looking at a mountebank!"
During the whole of this time, the poor young lady was exerting herself
by the light of her solitary lamp, _à pure perte!_
"It is really unmanly," I observed, "to be so unfeelingly inattentive to
a beginner, and one of the fair sex."
"Oh!" whispered Elliston, "Livius wants to father all his old
sweethearts on me, I believe. I do not allude to this lady," said he,
laughing, "it would be a libel on herself, and on mankind, to doubt her
respectability; but then she cannot sing, and what is worse, he is going
to bring me up three or four more next week."
Oh, _mon Dieu!_ it has just occurred to me, that to have told this story
of Elliston and Livius, in due time, it ought not to have come in these
eight years at soonest; and I must now go back with my Memoirs; but what
does it signify to my readers, the story will do as well, and amuse as
much now, as later on; and if this book meets due encouragement, I may
write something afterwards, with infinitely more regularity.
* * * * *
"It is all settled," said Fanny to me, on the night before Mr. Dick's
dinner-party, "and I am to be Mrs. Parker."
"I hope you will be happy," said I; "but I wish you were married."
"Why should poor Parker marry a woman with a ready-made family?" asked
Fanny.
I declined offering an opinion, fearing to do harm.
Fanny was four years my senior, and possessed perhaps a larger portion
of what is called common sense than myself. _Au reste_, the thing
was settled between her and Parker, who were to proceed together to
Portsmouth, where Colonel Parker's regiment was stationed, after they
had passed a fortnight at Brighton.
"Suppose we make a party, and hire a house for you and Julia and me?"
"The very thing I wish," said Fanny; "for London is growing very stupid.
We meet no one but the Hon. Colonel Collyer and Lord Petersham about the
streets."
"Oh, yes," said I, "we also see Lady Heathcote and Lady Ann Wyndham."
"And that makes it worse still," added Fanny, "for I really believe
neither of those good ladies has missed Hyde Park or the Opera, one
single night for the last twenty years, or changed the colour of their
chariot blinds; Heathcote, rosy red! and the gentle Ann's interesting
yellow! How very tired I am of seeing these women!"
Julia called on me before Fanny had left, and our little excursion to
Brighton was fixed for the following week.
When we had settled this important affair, my servant informed me that
a lady requested to offer herself in the place of Miss Hawkes, my late
_dame de compagnie_, who had just left me to be married to her cousin.
I desired him to show her upstairs. She came tripping into the room
with the step of a child. She wore short petticoats, and a small French
bonnet stuck at the top of her head. I should imagine her age to have
been about forty: indeed she owned to six-and-twenty.
"Who will recommend you, pray, madam?"
"The Countess Palmella, wife of the Portuguese Ambassador, in South
Audley Street; I have been educating her children."
I asked if the countess's had been her first situation.
She replied in the affirmative.
"What were you doing before that, pray, ma'am?"
"Why," said the lady, with much affectation, "you see I was daily, nay
hourly, expecting to get settled in life. I had a small property and I
went to Bath. Several of my friends had found charming husbands at Bath.
However, time slipped away madam, and by some strange fatality or other
I exhausted my little resources, and did not manage to get settled in
life: that is the truth of it."
It stuck me that this curious woman with the odd bonnet, would amuse me
as well as any other lion, _pour le moment_, and being acquainted with
Amy's poor beau the Count Palmella, I told her she might come to me the
following day.
She seemed absolutely enraptured, as though mine had been an atmosphere
which would rain men upon her, and our bargain was concluded. She was
a straight, tall, long-backed lath of a woman, with a remarkably long
face, small twinkling eyes, fine hair, and a bad skin, in spite of the
white paint she used to beautify it. So much for Miss Eliza Higgins.
The next evening found us all quite _rayonnante_, waiting for our dinner
in Mr. Dick's elegant drawing-room.
"We will certainly not wait for Mr. Ward," said Dick, looking at his
watch.
"To be sure not, who the devil waits for men?" exclaimed Lord Alvanly.
There was a thundering rap at the door, and then entered the Honourable
Mr. Ward, looking for all the world like a tobacconist. He was followed
by his servant to the very door of the drawing-room. He hoped he had
kept nobody waiting.
"To be sure not," said Alvanly, "who the devil would wait for you?"
"I would, all my life, and with all imaginable patience," I observed.
"Ha! ha!" said Ward, growing pale, while he affected to be amused.
"But, my excellent friend Dick," said Ward, "I must send back a note by
my servant, who is waiting for it."
"Why," said Dick, "the servants are going to serve the dinner
immediately, and I should rather prefer your going into my dressing-room
to write your note."
"I thank you," said Ward, with much asperity, "I thank you all the same;
but I prefer having the paper here, with your permission. With your
permission, mind, Dick!"
"You may ring, if you please," said Dick carelessly, and then, I
believe, retired for the express purpose of desiring his footman not to
answer the bell. This I only surmise, from his remarking to me in an
undertone afterwards, that Ward gave more trouble than all the rest of
the party put together, and he was delighted that the footman did not
attend his summons.
Mr. Dick handed me down to dinner. Lord Hertford took care of Amy,
Alvanly was ever Fanny's most obedient humble servant, and Ward held
out his finger to Mrs. Armstrong; because Amy was better provided for
Luttrell was, as usual unless some one bored or offended him, the life
and spirit of the whole party, when Ward would let him alone; but he was
often interrupted by that learned gentleman's bawling from the top to
the bottom of a large table, his Latin _bon mots_, at which he himself,
_solus_, laughed always most vociferously. He frequently addressed
himself to our favourite Luttrell, not being so sure of any other man's
Greek and Latin.
"What a misfortune for you," said I to Luttrell, "that the little figure
at the top of the table has faith in your classical knowledge," and
then, addressing myself to Ward, "Friend," said I, "we, at this end of
the table, have all forgotten our Latin."
"Dick!" said Ward, whom I had put out of humour, "there would be no harm
in ordering a few coals. I'm starved."
"Why, really," answered Dick, "the fire cannot be better, nor will that
grate hold any more coals."
"That's your opinion, not mine;" and Ward affected to laugh, as though
he had said something witty.
I praised the very unaffected character of Lord Robert Manners to
Nugent, who sat next to me.
"Ah!" squeaked out the reptile Ward, "stand up for Bob Manners, for I
know he stands up for you."
"Is that meant for a joke, or a matter of fact?" asked I.
"Fact! Fact! Bob, as your friend no doubt, stands up for you, whom he
must so often hear abused."
"What! a mighty member of the senate fighting me, a silly woman, with my
own weapons, seriously, and in sober anger, as though I were one of the
lords of the creation and a commoner? Then, indeed, I must ask pardon
of the honourable member, whom I must have sorely aggrieved. You say my
little spitfire, that Lord Robert often hears me abused. All I answer
is, look you at the breadth of his shoulders, before you presume to
join the hue-and-cry against me in his presence. You would not like a
horsepond: _n'est-ce pas?_"
"Keep them to it, keep up the war between them; it is so amusing.
Harriette is the only match for Ward I ever met with," whispered
Luttrell to my neighbour, his half-brother, Nugent.
"Does anybody mean to go to Elliston's masquerade?" asked Dick.
"Certainly," said Mrs. Armstrong. "It is to be a most brilliant thing,
and the stage will exhibit all the decorations of Aladdin's Lamp, and I
know not what besides; no dominoes, and a most comfortable, excellent
supper."
"I dare not go," said Alvanly. "I am always afraid of getting into a
row, at these sort of places and having to fight."
"Apropos of fighting," said I. "Your lordship, if I remember, was
formerly in the Guards, I think? Why did you leave that regiment?"
"Why, I was afraid of being shot," said Alvanly, very quietly.
"But were you not also afraid of being called a coward?" I asked.
"I was in two engagements, and distinguished myself in each," Alvanly
replied.
"How, pray?" said the stiff John Mills, of the Guards, whom, though I
believe he had served in Spain with Alvanly, I did not think worth a
place in my Memoirs.
"I do not mean to say that I ever volunteered anything," said Alvanly,
pulling up the collar of his shirt; "but, at the same time, I never ran
away, you know. They did not reward me for my services as I expected.
However, I am quite contented to have retired on half-pay. God bless
your soul," continued his lordship, addressing himself to me, "you have
no idea what it is! Come on, my brave fellows. This is fine fun, my
lads. You are obliged to find courage for yourself and your men too! I
mentioned to two or three officers at the time of action, that, if it
should please God to see me safe out of that, I would give the enemy
leave to cut off my head, if I did not sell out of the army or retire on
half-pay the moment I arrived in England. The fact is, I have had the
same antipathy to the idea of fighting from a child, and I never should
have gone into the Guards at all, if I had imagined they would have left
London."
"Alvanly, shall I have the pleasure of drinking wine with you?" asked
Lord Hertford, from the top of the table.
Alvanly assented of course.
"Madeira?" asked Dick, handing Alvanly the bottle.
"No; champagne, if you please. I can get madeira at home," said Alvanly.
We women then entered the drawing-room, to which Mr. Dick conducted us
himself.
Poor Julia scarcely spoke a single word the whole evening; indeed we
had the greatest difficulty in persuading her to be of our party. She
declared she could not endure to meet Amy, who had been making love to
Mildmay merely because Julia adored him. Mildmay had paid due attention
to Amy's ogling, had basked in the sunshine of her smiles for nearly a
fortnight, and then, just as she was growing tender, had cut her dead.
Amy, seized with an unusual fit of frankness, showed me Sir Henry's last
letter, in which he begged to be excused coming to her _pour le moment:_
he was particularly engaged for the whole of next week.
"_Mon Dieu! Mon Dieu!_" said I, after reading this very impertinent
letter, addressed to a fine woman who had done him too much honour. "How
can you all encourage this cold-blooded heartless creature? Do pray let
me write your answer directly, and you shall copy it. It will set poor
Julia's mind at rest, and keep up, more or less, the dignity of the sex!"
"I wish you would," answered Amy, "for I hate him; but, as to Julia,
it's nonsense her sticking up for Mildmay, he only laughs at the idea."
Julia began to shed tears at Amy's coarse remarks, and I wrote as
follows, which Amy copied, and delivered into my hands to be forwarded
to the gay baronet the next morning.
"MY DEAR SIR HARRY,--I have ten thousand apologies to make to
you, for being the most careless creature on earth! Your letter
of this morning was brought to me just as I was writing to that
angel Ponsonby; and, before I could read the first line of your
effusion, my servant brought me two more notes; so, in my bustle
and confusion, I am afraid yours must have been the piece of paper
I took up to light my taper with; for, though I desired my maid
to make strict search after it before I went out, she informed me
in the evening that it was not to be found. No matter, I give you
credit for having said an infinity of soft things, and wish it
were in my power _de vous rendre les pareilles_. Not that but I
entertain a severe esteem for you; to prove which, were I not about
to leave town for Brighton, I should entreat you to continue your
visits; but I am so unlucky as to have my time taken up entirely
just now. On my return, I hope to be more fortunate, and if so, I
shall certainly do myself the pleasure of sending you a card. In
the meantime Sir Harry will, I hope, believe me, like all the rest
of my sex, deeply impressed with his merits,
"and most truly and faithfully his servant,
"AMY SYDENHAM."
Julia recovered her spirits as soon as this letter was in my possession,
signed and sealed, for she knew Mildmay too well to imagine he would
forgive any one who wounded his self-love.
"You will be surprised to hear that I have left your sister Sophia at
home," said Julia.
We asked Julia about Lord Deerhurst; and she told us that Sophia felt
herself so neglected and uncomfortable, and disgusted with her lodging,
that she had entreated Julia to take her as a boarder, and to which she
had that morning consented.
Amy asked Julia why she did not bring Sophia with her.
"In the first place," answered Julia, "I have passed my word to your
mother that Sophia shall not go out except to walk with my own children;
and, in the second she was not invited."
The gentlemen joined us soon afterwards.
The first thing Alvanly did was to break one of Mr. Dick's
looking-glasses, while playing some trick or other with a stick.
Dick grew sulky and declared that, since the honour of his lordship's
company was to be so expensive, he must decline it.
Alvanly said he was really sorry; but could not insult Mr. Dick by
buying him another.
Dick assured him he was not touchy.
"Oh, yes," said Alvanly, "you will give yourself a good character of
course; but I shall not impose upon your goodness by doing anything half
so rude."
As soon as we had taken our tea and coffee, we all went to the King's
Theatre; but before Lord Hertford parted with us, he invited the females
of this party to dinner.
We declared that we were going to Brighton and had no time.
"Name your own day," said Lord Hertford; "to-morrow if you please; but
come you must."
"It shall be to-morrow, then," said Amy, replying for us all.
"What a fine thing it is to be an elder sister," said I. I thought Amy
could never have recovered her temper.
Lord Hertford, before he left us, politely offered to send a carriage
for my sisters.
I found the Duke of Leinster in my box.
"I am glad you have no men with you," said His Grace, with something
like agitation of manner; "for I want to speak to you. Do you know, my
friend, of whom I spoke to you, is come up from Oxford on purpose to try
to get introduced. I know he must return to college to-night, and I am,
I confess, rather anxious that he should be disappointed."
"Nonsense," said Julia. "Who is it pray?"
"The Marquis of Worcester," replied His Grace.
"Is he handsome?" I inquired.
"Not a bit of it," said the duke.
"What is he like?" Fanny asked.
"I do not know anybody he is like, upon my honour, unless it be his
father. He is a long, thin, pale fellow, with straight hair."
"You need not be alarmed," said I, "I shall not be presented to your
friend if I can help it. I always tell everybody I know, not to bring
men here without first coming to ask my permission."
"I know you do," said Leinster; "since this is the answer Lord
Worcester has received from several of your friends to whom he applied."
"There he is!" continued Leinster, leaning towards the pit. "Do not you
observe a very tall young fellow in silk stockings, looking steadfastly
up at this box. Upon my honour he won't wear trousers or curl his hair;
because he heard that you dislike it."
"It is very flattering," said I, eagerly looking out for him with my
opera-glass, an example which was followed by Julia and Fanny.
The young marquis was at that time too bashful to stand the artillery of
three pair of fine eyes at once, and turned away from our eager gaze;
but not till I had satisfied myself that he would not do for me one bit
better than his uncle, Lord G. L. Gower: and, in the next five minutes,
I had forgotten his existence.
Lord Frederick Bentinck now came and asked me when I meant to keep my
promise of accompanying him to Vauxhall.
"Oh, we shall never get to Brighton," said Fanny, who doted on
donkey-riding. "Harriette will keep us in town all the summer, as she
did last year."
"Summer!" interposed George Brummell, entering in a furred great coat.
"You do not mistake this for summer, do you? A little more of your
summer will just finish me," pulling up his fur collar.
"Upon my honour, I think it very hot," said Leinster. "It must be hot,
you know, because it is August."
"I never know the difference, for my part," Fred Bentinck observed. "The
only thing that ever makes me cold is putting on a great coat; but then
I have always a great deal to do, and that keeps me warm. Once for all
madam, will you go to Vauxhall on Monday night? If you will I will put
off my sister and accompany you."
I assented, in spite of everything Fanny and Julia could say to prevent
me; for Fred Bentinck always made me merry.
"What is Lord Molyneux doing with Mrs. Fitzroy Stanhope?" said I,
looking towards that lady's box, where she sat _tête-à-tête_ with his
lordship.
"How fond you are of scandal!" observed Fred Bentinck.
"Oh Lord, no," answered I, "on the contrary, I admire her taste. Who
would not cut the very best swaggering Stanhope for a Molyneux?"
"Where do you expect to go to, Harriette?" said Bentinck, for at least
the twentieth time since I had known him.
"To Amy's to-night, to Lord Hertford's to-morrow, and to Vauxhall on
Monday," I replied.
"And then to Brighton, I hope," continued Fanny.
"We must see Elliston's masquerade first," said I.
"A very respectable exhibition, indeed," observed Bentinck.
"Oh! I never unmask, and nobody will find me out; but I've a natural
turn for masquerading, and go I must."
King Allen put his long nose into the box, and his nose only. "Is Amy at
home to-night?"
Fanny answered in the affirmative; adding, "But she is in her own box.
Why do not you go to her to inquire?"
"Lord Lowther and some nasty Russians are with her," answered Allen.
"_A ce soir_, then," I said, kissing my hand to him, which was as much
as to say, do not come in. He was kind enough to understand my hint.
Lord Molyneux shortly took his seat by my side, and I rated him about
Mrs. Fitzroy.
"Remember Monday," said Fred Bentinck, as he left the box to make room
for Mr. Napier and Colonel Parker, followed by the young Lord William
Russell.
Lord Molyneux seemed to take pleasure in chatting with me, without
desiring a nearer intimacy; and I was always very glad to see and laugh
with his lordship. When he left me, Lord William began to whisper and
stammer out something about the folly he was guilty of in coming
to me as he did, and encouraging hopes which he knew would end in
disappointment.
"You do not know any such thing," returned I.
"What have I," continued Lord William, "to recommend myself to your
notice? A poor little wretch without either fortune or wit."
I told him that he was well-looking, high-bred, and high-born. I felt
really desirous to encourage the most humble, little gentleman-like
being I ever met with.
Just as Parker and Napier had left the box, Lord Deerhurst entered it,
accompanied by a tall young man, and Lord William then took his leave,
from the mere dread of intruding. "I do not often introduce gentlemen to
ladies," said his lordship, "and perhaps I am taking a liberty now; yet
I hope you can have no objection to my making you known to the Marquis
of Worcester."
I bowed rather formally; because I had before desired Deerhurst not to
bring people to me without my permission. However the young marquis
blushed so deeply, and looked so humble, that it was impossible to treat
him with incivility; but, having taken one good look at my conquest,
and thus convinced myself that I should never love him, I conversed
indifferently on common subjects, as people do who happen to meet in
a stage-coach, where time present is all they have to care about.
Deerhurst was lively and pleasant, the marquis scarcely spoke; but the
little he did find courage to utter, was certainly said with good taste
and in a gentlemanly manner.
Leinster was infinitely bored and annoyed, though he tried to conceal it.
"What do you think of him?" asked Leinster, whispering in my ear.
"I will tell you to-morrow," I replied; and, the better to enable
myself to do this, I examined the person of the young marquis for the
second time. It promised to be very good, and his air and manners were
distinguished; but he was extremely pale and rather thin; nevertheless,
there was something fine and good about his countenance, though he was
certainly not handsome.
Deerhurst invited the Duke of Leinster to go into the pit with him.
Leinster hesitated.
I understood him. "Do not be afraid," said I, in his ear. "Of course,
having already engaged you to take me to my carriage, I shall neither
change my mind nor break my word."
Leinster gratefully grasped my hand, but fixed his eyes on Worcester,
still hesitating. Not that it was His Grace's nature to break his
ducal heart for any woman, and still less perhaps for me; but a man's
schoolfellow pushing himself forwards, and trying to cut him out where
he had formed high expectations, is always a bore, even to the coldest
man alive.
"Of course my sister Amy will be happy to see Lord Worcester to-night,"
said I aloud, in answer to what I read in Leinster's countenance.
Lord Worcester bowed, and looked rather confused than pleased.
"Do come, my lord," said Fanny, who liked what she had seen of his
lordship extremely.
To Leinster's joy and our astonishment, Lord Worcester said he must
really decline my very polite offer, grateful as he felt for it.
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Deerhurst. "What a very odd fellow you are! I
really cannot make you out. I give you my honour, Harriette," continued
his lordship, "that, not an hour ago, he declared he would give half
his existence to sit near you and talk to you for an hour, and now
you invite him to pass the evening in your society, he appears to be
frightened to death at the idea!"
"You are all alike; a set of cruel wicked deceivers," said I,
carelessly, being really indifferent as to the impression it made on
Lord Worcester, who, in his eagerness to exculpate himself from this
charge of caprice, blushed deeply and evinced considerable agitation.
"No indeed, I beg, I do entreat that you will not, you must not imagine
this. I have a particular reason for not going to your sister's; but it
would be impertinent in a stranger like me to take up your time by an
explanation: only pray acquit me. Do not send me away so very unhappy;
for you must know, I am sure you must, that the indifference of which
you accuse me would be impossible, quite impossible, to any man."
"What is the matter with you, young gentleman?" said I, looking at him
with much curiosity, "and why do you lay such a stress on trifles light
as air?"
"To you, perhaps," observed Worcester, trying to laugh, from a fear of
seeming ridiculous.
"There is a pretty race-horse little head for you!" said Deerhurst,
touching my hair.
"I never saw such beautiful hair," Worcester remarked timidly.
"Put your fingers into it," said Deerhurst. "Harriette does not mind how
you tumble her hair about."
"I should richly deserve to be turned out of the box were I to do
anything so very impertinent," interrupted his lordship.
"Oh, no," said I, leaning the back of my little head towards Worcester,
"anybody may pull my hair about. I like it, and I am no prude."
Worcester ventured to touch my hair in fear and trembling, and the touch
seemed to affect him like electricity. Without vanity, and in very
truth, let him deny it if he can, I never saw a boy or a man more madly,
wildly, and romantically in love with any daughter of Eve in my whole
life.
"Come with me," said Deerhurst to Leinster.
"Remember your promise," Leinster whispered to me, as he unwillingly
followed his lordship.
"May I," said Lord Worcester eagerly, as though he dreaded an
interruption, "may I, on my return to town, venture to pay my respects?"
"Certainly," answered I, "if I am in town; but we are going to Brighton."
True love is ever thus respectful, and fearful to offend. Worcester,
with much modesty, conversed on subjects unconnected with himself or his
desires, apparently taking deep interest in my health, which, I assured
him, had long been very delicate.
Just before the curtain dropped, Worcester seemed again eager to say
something on his refusal to accompany me to Amy's.
"Leinster is coming to take you to your carriage, I know," said he, "and
I wish----"
"What do you wish?"
"That you would permit me to explain something to you, and promise not
to call me a conceited coxcomb."
"Yes! I'll answer for her," said Fanny, "so out with it, my lord. Why
be afraid of that great black-eyed sister of mine, as if she were of so
much consequence?"
"Well then," continued Worcester, blushing deeply, "Lord Deerhurst told
me that your sister treated you unkindly, and that you never allowed
your favourites to visit her. Upon my honour, I would rather never see
you again, than pay my court to anybody who has behaved ill to you."
Before I could reply Leinster came hurrying and bustling into the box as
the curtain dropped.
"You return to Oxford to-night, I believe?" said His Grace to Worcester,
who replied that he must start at six in the morning.
I advised him to take a few hours rest first.
"That will be quite impossible," Worcester answered in a low voice.
The young marquis's pale face certainly did grow paler, as he looked
wistfully after Leinster, whose arm I had taken.
First love is all powerful in the head and heart of such an ardent
character as Worcester's; and there really was an air of truth about
him, which not a little affected me for the moment; therefore,
turning back to address him, after I had drawn my arm away from
Leinster,--"Perhaps," said I, in a low, laughing voice, "perhaps, Lord
Worcester, it may be vain and silly in me to believe that you are
disposed to like me; but, as I do almost fancy so, I am come to wish you
a good night, and to assure you that I shall remember your taking up
my quarrels against my unkind sister, with the gratitude I always feel
towards those who are charitable enough to think favourably of me."
Worcester began to look too happy.
"But do not mistake me," I continued, "for I am not one bit in love with
you."
Worcester looked humble again.
"In fact," said I, laughing, "my love-days are over. I have loved
nothing lately."
"Not the Duke of Leinster?" inquired his lordship, whose anxiety to
ascertain this had overcome his fears of seeming impertinent.
"No, indeed," I rejoined, and Worcester's countenance brightened, till
he became almost handsome.
Leinster approached us with a look of extreme impatience.
"Good night, my lord," said I, waving my hand, as I joined His Grace.
Worcester bowed low and hastened out of sight.
"If Leinster were not my friend," said Worcester to a gentleman who
afterwards repeated it to me, pointing to Leinster and myself, as we
stood in the round room waiting for His Grace's carriage; "if that young
man were not my friend, I would make him walk over my dead body before
he should take Harriette out of this house."
Oh, this love! this love!
Amy's rooms were not full. It was her last party for that season. There
was nobody in town, so, _faute de mieux_, since Mildmay had cut her, she
was making up to a Mr. Boultby, a black, little, ugly dragoon, whom she
declared was exactly to her taste.
"Come to Brighton," said Amy to her hero.
He assured her that, if his regiment had not been stationed there, he
would have joined her, since he felt that he could not live out of her
smiles.
"How can you strive to make fools of people?" said I.
"What do you mean?" inquired Amy fiercely.
"Why, seriously, Mr. Boultby," continued I, "take my word, she has no
fancy for you."
Mr. Boultby's vanity would not permit him to take my word, so I left him
to the enjoyment of it.
Parker and Fanny appeared to be very happy together, and sincerely
attached to each other. No husband could show more respect towards any
wife.
Leinster was very dull, though too proud to complain.
"Confess," said I to His Grace, as soon as I could get him into one
corner of the room, "confess that you are annoyed and unhappy about Lord
Worcester."
"I do think," said Leinster, "though I do not pretend to have any claim
on you whatever, that Worcester, as my friend, had no right to intrude
himself into your society to-night."
"Never mind, don't bore me with your jealousy; I abhor it," said I,
"I must and will be free, as free as the air, to do whatever I like.
I always told you so, and never professed to be in love with you.
However, I still like you as well as I like anybody else, and, as to
Lord Worcester, what shall I see of him, while he is at Oxford, and I at
Brighton, to which place I did not invite him."
"I do not see why Worcester thought proper to blush as he did to-night,
and pretend to be so over modest, while he was doing such a cool,
impudent thing," muttered Leinster.
"Dear me, how tiresome," said I, yawning. "I should almost have
forgotten all about Lord Worcester by this time, if you had made
yourself agreeable."
The evening finished heavily for me. I was bored with Leinster, who
never had anything on earth to recommend him to my notice, save that
excellent temper, which I now saw ruffled for the first time since I had
known him: and Amy, who, it must be acknowledged was in the habit of
saying droll things, was this night wholly taken up and amused with that
stupid, ugly Boultby! I therefore returned early, and Leinster put me
down at my own door.