The Span o' Life Part 41

What was the support on which she relied? If her brother--then I regretted from the bottom of my heart I had missed the occasion of squaring that account of which he had spoken. If a man at all, it was he; for the woman who had so discomfited me was heart-whole I could swear; a defiant modesty rang in every note of her voice.

Possibly the convent, that fallacious sanctuary for disappointment.

But if I knew anything of her s.e.x, she was the last to whom such a retreat could bring satisfaction. Heavens! It was a coil involved enough to drive a man wellnigh distracted.

Dinner, and the intercourse it entailed, did much to restore me to my ordinary bearing, and when Kit sought me in the afternoon, with a polite request from his Captain that I would wait upon him when at leisure, I had quite recovered. Nothing could have fallen out more to my liking; I was anxious to discover his cause of quarrel with me, and, if possible, to arrive at some solution of Margaret's att.i.tude. So I followed Kit to his room at once.

Nairn I found a trifle pale, with a well-bandaged head, but his welcome was open and unconstrained, and his greeting met me at the threshold. As I advanced to return it, I caught the flutter of a dress out of the opposite door, which informed me that his sufferings were not without certain consolations.

I took the hand extended to me with the same heartiness as it was offered.

"Will you accept a broken man's apology for a whole man's insult, Chevalier? I have promised my sister that I would make you this reparation, and I am heartily glad we can return to our old footing of Louisbourg."

"Readily, Nairn. I have seen your sister this morning, and I cannot blame your action. I might have done the same myself. Let us say no more about it."

"With all my heart! Well, Chevalier, the fortune of war has reversed our personal positions from Louisbourg, but I do not see that the end is much more certain now than then."

"Much the same," I answered; "the result altogether depends on the first s.h.i.+ps."

"And I suppose you abide by it as before?"

"I must, Nairn. We need not reopen that subject."

"I only mention it, because I am anxious about the future of your boy, Christopher. I congratulate you on finding such a son. Will you understand me, if I say I trust you have not thought of influencing him to leave our service, though I could not blame you wis.h.i.+ng him beside you."

"Nairn, I owe you my thanks for having broached the subject. I have been too dependent on my own exertions all my life to make me a good beggar, even for my son. When in Louisbourg you expressed yourself as under some obligation towards me. Will you discharge it by using your best endeavours for his advancement? He is too good metal to waste as a common soldier."

"He is that! And if you allow him to remain, I pledge my word he shall not continue as such. It may sound presumptions in a mere captain to promise so confidently, but if we come out of this successfully, promotions will follow. He has been most favourably marked by the General, and also by our Colonel."

"Let me see; he is a son of old Lovat, is he not?"

"That he is, and in more ways than one."

"If he be like his sainted father, he will have a longer memory for his own interests than those of his friends."

"This is rank treason, Chevalier. I won't listen to another word of it," said Nairn, laughing. "But I am depending on the General, he never forgets any one, I can tell you, too," he added, eagerly, "he is a stickler for birth, and he will appreciate the fact of Christopher being your son."

"That is a rare advantage!" I said, banteringly.

"Of course it is! Would you not value a good horse the more if you knew his pedigree?" he answered, without the ghost of a smile.

"Oh, come, come, Nairn! You must not attempt flattery, it has too overwhelming an effect. But, tell me--in what manner did you meet with your sister again?" I ventured boldly, knowing there was nothing to be gained by a subtler policy with him.

"Simple enough. She was in the General Hospital when I was placed in command there, and very pleased I was to find her," he answered, as though the meeting were the most ordinary affair in the world, his tone clearly indicating that he had concluded the matter, and did not intend to reopen it.

"I should apologise for having frightened her away as I came in,"

I continued, feeling for another opening; but he feigned ignorance of my move, and explained in the most natural manner--"Oh, that was not my sister, but a very good friend of hers, to whom we are both indebted for many kindnesses."

"Ah, that is much. I trust she appreciates your grat.i.tude in your allowing her to nurse you?"

"Not at all; I do not think she looks upon it in that way. I believe there are some women who love the bother of looking after you. I try to give her as little trouble as I can," he ended, with a catch in his voice.

"Nairn, you are a gentleman! Forgive my humbugging."

"I didn't know you were, or I shouldn't have been so simple as to answer you. Do you know, I've often wished I could tell when a man is in earnest. I'm no good at guessing what his intent may be unless he has a sword in his hand; and as for a woman, I can never tell at all."

"You're no worse off than the best of us, in that respect, Nairn.

Some day I trust some good woman will engage you in dead earnest, and then the quicker you surrender at discretion the better. And for your sake, I hope the day will come soon."

"I don't know, I'm sure," he answered, in so woe-begone a tone that I left him, convinced his enemy had already been making serious advances, and that his defence was likely to be as feeble as his most ardent well-wisher could desire.

I discovered my ex-Jacobite sergeant to be as matter-of-fact as his captain. He would discuss military matters freely enough, but on the subject of our night's adventure I could not get him to advance a word. _Exempli gratia_ "Neil, how is the officer you a.s.sisted on the field the other night?"

"Indeed, Captain, you must go away in and ask for yourself."

"You are not uneasy as to his hurt proving dangerous?"

"Not half as dangerous as undigested catechising, sir, saving your presence, and meaning no offence."

And in the face of so diplomatic a rebuke I would abandon the subject and fall back on the safer ground of mines and countermines, carca.s.ses and grenadoes.

I made no attempt to see Margaret, for I felt I would be foolish to risk another rebuff, which might be final, and that my best play was a waiting game. My reflections had been bitter; possibly hers would be generous.

The garrison was fully occupied, for M. de Levis had made such advances to invest the town as to call for constant watchfulness.

His fire throughout had necessarily been light, as he was wretchedly supplied with artillery, but he succeeded in blowing up one of the magazines the very first night, and there were the usual number of casualties. General Murray, on his part, attempted one sortie, but as it was unsuccessful, and the officer in command captured, he thereafter held himself strictly on the defensive. No general attack was attempted on our side, and wisely too; for even the capture of the town would avail nothing, if the first reinforcements by sea were not ours.

I pa.s.sed my time making further acquaintance with Kit, whose eager affection went far to relieve my melancholy, in a few visits of courtesy to various officers, and in renewing my friends.h.i.+p with Gaston and with Nairn.

Each day, as I visited the latter towards eleven o'clock, I was treated to the same disappearing flutter of what I did not doubt was the same petticoat, until at length I became piqued.

"Nairn," I declared, "I must either give up visiting you, or you must persuade that timid lady-in-waiting that I am not to be run away from with impunity. Either she must remain in her place to-morrow, or I cease disturbing her."

"Indeed, that is what I have been doing my best to persuade her, but she is somewhat shy until a little matter of difference between us is settled."

"What, Nairn! Is it possible you have already met the fair one strong in fight, of whom I prophesied?"

"Yes, I suppose so," he said, with a happy laugh. "I may as well tell you. She is Mademoiselle de Sarennes. The only thing that troubles me is, that she wishes to leave the matter to chance."

"I congratulate you on the lady, first of all, sir. And now, what are the chances?"

He moved uneasily. "Just a woman's fancy, I suppose; but she wishes it to depend on the arrival of the s.h.i.+ps."

"What! Are those fateful s.h.i.+ps to carry the decisions of Cupid as well as Mars? What part are they to play in your affairs?"

"Part enough. If a French s.h.i.+p arrives first, she marries me; if an English, then I marry her."

"Good heavens, Nairn! What an anxiety to have hanging over you!

Have you provided against the possible appearance of a Spaniard?"

"None of your nonsense, Chevalier!" he exclaimed, hotly. "This is no jesting matter for me. Cannot you take anything seriously? I conceive it to make all the difference in the world, whether the man take the woman, or the woman the man. I hate turning things upside-down, and, if I marry at all, I must do so in a decent, orderly way, like my fathers before me."