While bidding good night to Darcy, the Squire told him he would call at Tattersall’s next morning to settle matters. A singular smile played on Darcy’s countenance, but he made no remark.
CHAPTER XXII.
MRS. BRERETON ARRIVES IN TOWN.
OWING, perhaps, to her unlooked for bath in the Thames, Mildred felt a good deal fatigued next morning. Still, she managed to make her appearance at nine o’clock, the hour appointed for breakfast, and very soon afterwards the whole party, including Stanley, were assembled.
An excellent breakfast was placed before them — tea and coffee, with broiled fish and broiled ham — and the two gentlemen seemed disposed to do justice to it. But the Squire had only just helped himself to a slice of broiled salmon when he called out “I hope I shall be able to settle my business today, so that we may go back to Beaucliffe to-morrow at the latest.”
“I’m in no hurry whatever to leave town, papa,” said Mildred. “I’ve enjoyed myself so much since I’ve been here that I should like to stay a few days longer.”
“Oh, you can’t do that,” replied the Squire. “I don’t mind giving you to-day; but I won’t promise you to-morrow. What says your ladyship? Are you anxious to remain here?”
“I think I should like to stop another day,” said Lady Talmash, consulting Mildred by a look.
“Well, then, we’ll leave to-morrow,” said the Squire. “And perhaps we may be able to find our way to Blackwall and get some more fish and whitebait I hope you will dine with us, Stanley, and pray bring with you Lady Starkey and Miss Hylton!”
“I will give them your invitation, sir, and I have no doubt they will accept it. But I think it not at all improbable my mother may be here to-day.”
“What, is your mother coming up?”
“She is,” replied Stanley.
“Then I really think we must stop another day,” said the Squire.
A great deal of pleasant chat took place at the breakfast. It might be a mistake, but Stanley thought Mildred was anxious to make up her quarrel with him, and it was quite certain that Lady Talmash would be glad to effect a reconciliation between the former lovers. But Stanley had become very unlike his former self, and made no advance. That Rose Hylton had gained possession of his heart was not absolutely certain, but Mildred thought so. Be that as it might, she determined to win it back again.
Breakfast over, the Squire announced his plans for the day. “In the first place,” he said, “I intend to go and pay for the horse. You can then do what you like with it, but I would advise you to leave it at Tattersall’s stables. As I am merely going to Hyde Park Comer on business, I shan’t take you with me, but I advise you to go and call on Lady Starkey in Berkeley Square. If her ladyship and her niece will dine with us at Blackwall I shall be delighted. Don’t wait for me. I shall go down by one of the steamers, and will order dinner as soon as I arrive. For you, Mildred, I have a special injunction. Should you meet Sir John Lambert at Lady Starkey’s, pray ask him to dine with us. I shall be terribly disappointed if you don’t see him.”
“Make yourself perfectly easy on that score,” said Stanley. “I’ll engage to find him, and deliver the invitation, and I’m quite certain he’ll come.”
Soon after this, the Squire set off to Tattersall’s, having his cheque book in his pocket, with the intention of paying for the horse.
But we do not mean to follow him. Our way lies towards Berkeley Square, for it is to Lady Starkey’s charming house that three of our friends are bound.
As soon as the door was thrown open, and Stanley perceived Minshull in the hall, he felt certain his mother had arrived, and so it proved, for on questioning the old man-servant, he learnt that Mrs. Brereton had arrived tolerably early on the previous evening, and had not been much fatigued by the journey.
“Where are the ladies?” demanded Stanley.
“They have just finished breakfast, sir,” replied Minshull, “and are now in her ladyship’s boudoir.”
While these inquiries were answered, a footman had been waiting to conduct them to the ladies, and he now fulfilled his duties.
As they entered the boudoir, Lady Starkey rose to welcome them, and Stanley perceived his mother seated on a sofa with Rose. She looked none the worse for the journey — in fact, the exertion had roused her up, and done her good.
“How long is it since you were last in town?” said Stanley.
“I can scarcely tell you,” she replied. “But it’s a great many years ago, and I never expected to be here again. But I couldn’t resist Lady Starkey’s kind invitation.”
“And very glad I am to see you,” said her ladyship.
“We’re all in town just now, you see, Mrs. Brereton,” said Mildred; “and enjoying ourselves immensely.”
“To say nothing of an occasional tumble into the river,” rejoined Mrs. Brereton. “I’ve already heard of your accident.”
“Luckily, it wasn’t attended by any unpleasant consequences. I didn’t even catch cold. Papa wants you to dine with him at Blackwall to-day, Lady Starkey, and bring your party with you, and I hope you will do so.”
“With much pleasure,” replied her ladyship, consulting the others.
“I have been to Richmond, when I was quite young,” said Mrs. Brereton; “but not to Blackwall, so the trip will be something quite new to me. In fact, I have so much to see that I scarcely know where to begin, and as yet I haven’t caught a glimpse of the Thames.”
“Then you may expect to be greatly amused by what you will see from the steamboat,” said Lady Talmash.
Just then, Sir John Lambert made his appearance. He was heartily welcomed by all, but being a stranger to Mrs. Brereton, he had to be presented to her by her son. He then had a little talk to her, and found her very chatty and agreeable.
“Now, Sir John,” said Mildred coming up to him, “I must give you an invitation which cannot be refused. In fact, it is a command. You must dine with us to-day at Blackwall — to meet the rest of the party.”
“That I will with the greatest pleasure, my dear,” he replied. “But are we to have precisely the same party we had yesterday?”
“We have already got one new guest,” replied Mildred. “But I shouldn’t at all be surprised if papa were to ask Captain Darcy and Colonel Ratcliffe. He is sure to meet them at Tattersall’s.”
“And sure to invite them, I think, though he declared that he wouldn’t,” said Stanley. “Besides, you can’t object,” he added, lowering his voice, “Captain Darcy is now an established admirer of yours.”
“Nothing of the kind,” she replied.
Shortly afterwards, to the great surprise of his daughter and Lady Talmash, the Squire made his appearance.
“Has something happened,. Papa, that we see you here?” cried Mildred.
“I’ll attend to you in a minute,” replied the Squire.
And after he had paid his respects to all the ladies, and shaken hands very heartily with Sir John Lambert, he took his daughter and Lady Talmash aside, and said to them, “Now, I’ll tell you why I came here in such a desperate hurry. What do you think? Captain Darcy wishes to present you with his famous hunter. Tattersall refused to accept the cheque for £300 that I offered him, and said I owed him nothing. He then told me that Captain Darcy intended to present the horse to my daughter. While I was trying to recover from my surprise at this information, Darcy made his appearance with his faithful friend, Colonel Ratcliffe, and, in very complimentary terms, begged permission to offer you the horse. I thanked him very much, but declined. However, he said it would be a great disappointment to him, and begged me to consider the matter. Since he urged it so much, I said I would consult you.”
“Well, you have consulted me, dear papa,” said Mildred, “and I answer that I won’t accept the horse as a gift. I’ll buy it — or rather, you’ll buy it — but I couldn’t be beholden to Captain Darcy for such a present.”
“Quite right,” said Lady Talmash. “You can’t accept the horse.”
“I won’t,” said Mildred.
“I am very glad you have come to that determination,” said the Squire.
They were still talking over the matter when Captain Darcy and Colonel Ratcliffe arrived, and shook hands with Lady Starkey. Darcy then went up to Mildred and said, “I cannot make up my mind to sell you my horse, I trust you will allow me to present him to you?”
“Impossible!” she replied, in a decided tone.
The response was heard by all the room.
Darcy looked a good deal confused.
“You are needlessly punctilious,” he said. “I am sure I know a dozen girls who would accept the horse from me.”
“That may be,” said Lady Talmash; “but I think Miss Warburton quite right She cannot consent to be under so great an obligation to you.”
“If that is your ladyship’s real opinion, I will say no more,” replied Darcy; “however mortified I may be at the refusal.”
“And I trust you will allow me to pay you the cheque for £300, which I have drawn out?” said the Squire.
“Yes, yes, you must take it,” cried Colonel Ratcliffe.
“I yield, since everybody is against me,” replied Darcy.
And with a reproachful look at Mildred, he put the cheque in his waistcoat pocket.
The Squire made no difference in his manner towards Darcy after this incident, though he didn’t like it.
In fact, as soon as the matter was settled, he asked him and Colonel Ratcliffe to dinner at Greenwich.
CHAPTER XXIII.
A DINNER AT GREENWICH.
LATER in the day, all the ladies, attended by Sir John Lambert and Stanley, set out by steamboat to Greenwich.
The Squire had gone on by himself to order dinner, and Captain Darcy and Colonel Ratcliffe meant to follow by rail.
As the steamer in which the ladies had embarked was by no means full, they all remained on deck, and greatly enjoyed the excursion.
The crowded state of the river, the various objects to be seen on either side, the magnificent new embankment (the greatest of modern metropolitan improvements), the noble bridges, St. Paul’s, the Tower, and other buildings, which, though scarcely noticed by the ordinary Londoner, have a special attraction to countryfolk — these gave them plenty to look at and talk about, till the magnificent hospital was reached.
So far from finding the trip tedious, they were quite sorry when it was ended.
On landing, the party walked for a short time upon the terrace, and examined the obelisk, after which Sir John Lambert led them to the Painted Hall.
We shall content ourselves by saying that they found more than enough to occupy them for an hour, and after this brief inspection they proceeded to the Park, where they spent another hour to their entire satisfaction.
Old Minshull had been permitted to attend his mistress on this trip, and to him it was a wonderful treat. Often had he dreamed of Greenwich Hospital, but never expected to behold it. Now the vision was realised.
Owing to the absence of the other gentlemen, the care of the ladies necessarily devolved on Sir John Lambert, and Stanley. Sir John, who was acquainted with everything worth seeing about town, proved himself an excellent cicerone, and Stanley did his best.
The weather was quite as fine as it had been on the previous day, so that the Park was most enjoyable, and all the distant views could be seen.
On the question being put to her by Stanley, Rose declared she didn’t know which she liked best — Richmond or Greenwich — both were enchanting. Mildred unhesitatingly decided in favour of Richmond.
They were still lingering in the Park, seated on the side of a hill, commanding a lovely and most extensive prospect, when they were joined by the Squire, who had got through all his business very satisfactorily — had secured a good room looking on the river, at the principal hotel, and had ordered the best fish dinner that could be produced. Evidently, the looks and manner of the country gentleman had propitiated the manager of the hotel, who treated him with profound respect, and told him that if he had been the Lord Mayor himself, his commands would not have been more carefully attended to. All matters that had bothered our worthy friend during the morning had long since subsided, and he was now extremely cheerful.
Seating himself on the grass between Lady Starkey and Mrs. Brereton, he began to look around, and lifted up his hands with wonder and delight.
“I don’t think I ever beheld a scene, even in Cheshire, that pleased me more than this!” he exclaimed.
“I am quite of the same opinion, Mr. Warburton,” said Mrs. Brereton.
Then, noticing old Minshull standing at no great distance, gazing rapturously at the prospect, she asked his opinion.
“I can’t express my feelings, ma’am,” replied the old man. “But while reflecting that it is the great river Thames I behold, I am struck with amazement.”
“A very good answer, Minshull,” said the Squire. “That consideration makes the view so striking. From no other hill in England — perhaps, none in the world — can such a prospect be contemplated. Nowhere else can such magnificent docks be seen as yonder — nor such splendid ships, and such a fine arsenal.”
Nothing could be pleasanter than the position taken up by the party, and they had not quitted it, when Captain Darcy and Colonel Ratcliffe entered the Park, and speedily discovering their friends, made their way to them.
Placing himself, without ceremony, beside Mildred, Darcy at once commenced an animated conversation with her — hoping all was now right, and expressing his infinite regret at the unintentional annoyance he had caused her.
“I shall know how to conduct myself in future,” he said. “I didn’t think you were so particular; and I couldn’t possibly imagine you would object to such a trifling present.”
“Do you call that valuable horse a trifling present?” she remarked. “However, we’ve agreed to let the subject drop.”
“But understand that my sole desire was to please you,” said Darcy, with an expression of great humility, “and if I have been guilty of an error, it has been purely unintentional. I ought certainly to have consulted you before acting as I did. But I really and truly thought you would be pleased.”
This was said with such an air of penitent devotion that Mildred could not but forgive him.
Just then the Squire looked at his watch, and informed his friends that it was time to proceed to dinner.
Thereupon all were quickly in motion, and led by the Squire, who took charge of Lady Starkey, the whole party moved off towards the hotel.
Darcy had contrived to obtain Mildred’s arm, and did not mean to surrender it. Sir John Lambert selected Lady Talmash, Colonel Ratcliffe took Mrs. Brereton, and Stanley was made happy by the possession of Rose.
Thus agreeably arranged, the party could not be otherwise than cheerful.
A large room with windows looking upon the river had been selected, and the table was remarkably well set out — an unwonted display of plate and glass being made.
The dinner commenced with turtle soup, and it proved so good that a second supply was required.
Punch was offered to the gentlemen, and in no instance refused, but the pleasant beverage did not find favour with the ladies, who rejected it in favour of well-iced champagne.
All fish dinners seem alike, but there is an immense difference in the actual entertainment. On this occasion every dish was meritorious, and several were so good that two of our elderly friends ran some risk of repletion. The whitebait was perfection — both plain and devilled — and, in this case, the palm of merit was assigned to Greenwich. Of the rest of the dinner we can speak very highly, but its great triumphs consisted in the fish. Even at Amsterdam, turbot, salmon, soles, whitings, lobsters, lampreys, and oysters were never better dressed than on this occasion. The only wines served were champagne and hock — both being super-excellent.
At the close of the repast, the company returned to town by rail.
Lady Starkey and her friend
s were taken to Berkeley Square by Sir John Lambert and Stanley, while Darcy and Colonel Ratcliffe insisted on attending Lady Talmash and Mildred to the Grosvenor.
On taking leave of the Squire, both these gentlemen were very particular in thanking him for what they termed “the best fish dinner they had ever eaten.”
They did not enter the hotel — though they were asked to do — as everything had been said that it was safe to say on the railway, but Darcy obtained permission to call on the ladies next day.
As the two officers walked across St. James’s Park to their club, Darcy remarked, “I think I have now completely reinstated myself, both with father and daughter.”
“Yes, I think you have,” replied the Colonel. “But proceed cautiously. You will never win her if you commit a second error. Try and make a friend of Lady Talmash.”
“I despair of doing so,” replied Darcy. “She favours Stanley Brereton.”
CHAPTER XXIV.
HOW DARCY WAS RECEIVED NEXT MORNING.
TRUE to his appointment, Darcy presented himself next morning at the Grosvenor.
The Squire had gone out, but the ladies, who were attired for a walk, received him in a very friendly manner.
Mildred seemed to like his society, but not more than that of half a dozen other young men, whom she had held in her fetters, and who were now happily released.
Mildred’s fault was in giving her admirers too much encouragement at first, and then suddenly throwing them over in favour of a new pretendant So fascinating was she, when she chose, and she almost always chose to be fascinating, that few could resist her.
Perhaps the only person who had really produced an impression on her volatile heart was Stanley Brereton, and, until very recently, he had no chance whatever of obtaining her hand. But by an unaccountable perversity, ever since his position had been so unexpectedly improved, she had become apparently indifferent to him. Apparently, we say, because such was not in reality the case, but the feigned coolness produced just the same effect as the true on Stanley’s highly susceptible temperament.
The Works of William Harrison Ainsworth Page 798
