Roland Cashel Volume I Part 63

"We've come to take a last look at the 'Hall,' Mr. Linton," said the old man. "Tom Keane tells me that your gay company will soon arrive; indeed, rumor says that some have already reached Limerick, and will be here to-morrow."

"This is more than I knew of," said Linton; "but here comes the redoubted Tom himself, and with a full letter-bag, too." Hastily unlocking the leather sack, Tom Linton emptied its contents upon a gra.s.sy bench, where the party seated themselves to learn the news.

"There are no secrets here," said Linton, tossing over the letters, with nearly all of whose handwriting he was familiar; "help me, Miss Leicester, I beg, to get through my task. Pray break some of the seals, and tell us who our dear friends are whose presence is so soon to charm and enliven us. And will you, too, sir, bear your part?" Thus invited, old Mr. Corrjgan put on his spectacles, and slowly prepared to a.s.sist in the labor.

"That's the Dean's hand, Miss Leicester--the Dean of Drumcondera. I hope he 's not coming; I 'm sure he was never invited."

"He regrets he cannot be with you this week, but will certainly come next, and take the liberty of presenting his distinguished friend, the Hofrath von Dunnersleben, professor of Oriental Literature at Hochenkanperhausen."

"This is painting the lily with a vengeance; 'color on color' is bad heraldry, but what shall we say of the taste that brings 'bore upon bore'?"

"'Mrs. Leicester White has prevailed upon Mr. Howie to defer his departure from Ireland--'"

"This is too bad," interrupted Linton. "What fortune have you, sir? I hope better tidings than Miss Leicester."

"This is a strange kind of scrawl enough," said the old man; "it runs thus:--'Dear Tom, we are starting for your wild regions this evening--two drags and a mail phaeton. I have sent Gipsy and the white fetlocked colt by Hericks, and will bring Tom Edwards with me. The mare looks well, but fleshy; you must look to it that we haven't heavy ground--'"

"Oh, I know who that's from," said Linton, hastily taking the letter from Corrigan's hand; "it's Lord Charles Frobisher,--a silly fellow, that never thinks of anything but horse-racing and training."

"He would seem to speculate on something of the kind here," said Corrigan; "at least, it looks very like premeditation, this sending off grooms and racers."

"He does so everywhere he goes," said Linton, affecting to laugh; "a surgeon would no more travel without his lancets, than Charley without some chance of a 'match;' but what's this?

"Dear Mr. Cashel,--I and my little girl are already _en route_ for your hospitable castle, too happy to a.s.sist in the celebration of your house-warming--"

"Oh, that's Meek," said Linton. "And now for this rugged little hand here.

"Lady Janet and Sir Andrew MacFarline--"

"Strange style,--the lady first," interposed Miss Leicester.

"She is always so," said Linton, continuing the perusal--

--"will reach Tubbermore by Tuesday, and have only to request that their apartments may not have a north aspect, as Lady J. has still a heavy cold hanging over her. Sir A.'s man, Flint, will arrange the rooms himself and, with Mr. Cashel's permission, give directions about double doors--if there be none.

"Sir A. has taken the liberty of mentioning to Gordon that the sherry is far too hot and acrid, and hopes Mr. Cashel will pardon his having ordered some dozens of 'Amontillado' for trial. Lady J. asks, as a favor, that plants and flowers may be banished from the house during her brief stay, Dr. Grimes positively forbidding all herbaceous odors; and if the cook could make the 'cuisine' particularly simple, it would also oblige her, as Dr. G. says she ought not to be exposed to the irritation of tempting viands, even to see them at table.

"Lady J. hopes that the society will be cheerful without dissipation, and gay without debauch; above all, she stipulates for early hours, and trusts that by eleven, at latest, the house will have retired to rest.

Lady Janet has no objection to meeting any one Mr. Cashel may honor with his invitation, but leaves it to Mr. C.'s discretion not to abuse this liberality. Were she to particularize, she should merely suggest that the Kennyf.e.c.ks, except perhaps the elder girl, are odious--Mrs. White a perfect horror--the Meeks something too atrocious--and that rather than meet the Kilgoffs and their set, Lady J. would almost prefer to relinquish all her much-antic.i.p.ated pleasure. Mr. Linton can be, and very often is, gentlemanlike and amusing, but 'Lintonism,' as occasionally practised, is intolerable.

"Lady Janet has ventured on these remarks, far less for her own convenience than in the discharge of what she feels to be a duty to a very young and inexperienced man, whose unsuspecting nature will inevitably expose him to the very insidious attacks of selfishness, cunning, and to that species of dictation that sooner or later ends in debasing and degrading him who permits himself to be its subject.

"Janet MacFarline."

"What a chaste specimen of disinterestedness her Ladys.h.i.+p's own letter,"

said Mary. "Is she a near relative, or a very old friend of Mr. Cashel's family?"

"Neither; a mere acquaintance, undistinguished by anything like even a pa.s.sing preference."

"She is a Lady Janet," interposed old Corrigan, "and it is surprising what charms of influence pertain to those segments of great families, as they descend a scale in society, and live among the unt.i.tled of the world; besides that, whatever they want in power, they 'take out' in pretension, and it does quite as well."

"She is 'mauvaise langue,'" said Linton; "and there are few qualities obtain such sway in society. But who comes here in such haste? It is Tom Keane. Well, Tom, what has happened--is the Hall on fire?"

"No, sir; but the company 's comin' rowlin' in as fast as 'pays'

down the big avenue, and into the coort; there was three coaches all together, and I see two more near the gate."

"Then we shall leave you to your cares of host," said Corrigan, rising; "but don't forget that when affairs of state permit, we shall be delighted to see you at the cottage."

"Oh, by all means, Mr. Linton. I have acquired the most intense curiosity to hear about your fine company and their doings--pray compa.s.sionate my inquisitiveness."

"But will you not join us sometimes?" said Linton; "can I not persuade you to make part of our little company? for I trust we shall be able to have some society worth showing you."

The old man shook his head and made a gesture of refusal.

"Nay," said he, "I am so unfitted for such scenes, and so grown out of the world's ways, that I am going to play hermit, and be churlish enough to lock the wicket that leads down to the cottage during the stay of your visitors--not against _you_, however. You'll always find the key at the foot of the holly-tree."

"Thanks--I'll not forget it," said Linton; and he took a cordial leave of his friends, and returned to the house, wondering as he went who were the punctual guests whose coming had antic.i.p.ated his expectations.

He was not long in doubt upon this point, as he perceived Mr. Phillis, who, standing on the terrace before the chief entrance, was giving directions to the people about, in a tone of no small authority.

"What, Phillis! has your master arrived?" cried Linton, in astonishment.

"Oh, Mr. Linton!" cried the other, obsequiously, as hat in hand he made his approaches, "there has been such a business since I wrote--"

"Is he here? Is he come?" asked Linton, impatiently.

"No, sir, not yet; nor can he arrive before to-morrow evening. You received my letter, I suppose, about the result of the yachting-party and Lady Kilgoff?"

"No! I know not one word about it," said Linton, with a firmness that showed how well he could repress any trace of anxiety or excitement.

"Come this way, out of the hearing of these people, and tell me everything from the beginning."

Phillis obeyed, and walked along beside him, eagerly narrating the whole story of Cashel's departure, to the moment when the yacht foundered, and the party were s.h.i.+pwrecked off the coast of Wexford.

"Well, go on," said Linton, as the other came to a full stop. "What then?"

"A few lines came from Mr. Cashel, sir, with orders for certain things to be sent down to a little village on the coast, and directions for me to proceed at once to Tubbermore and await his arrival."

Linton did not speak for some minutes, and seemed totally occupied with his own reflections, when by hazard he caught the words "her Ladys.h.i.+p doing exactly as she pleases--"

"With whom?" asked he, sternly.

"With Mr. Cashel, sir; for it seems that notwithstanding all the terror and danger of the late mishap, Mr. Sickleton has been despatched to Cowes to purchase the 'Queen of the Harem,' Lord Wellingham's new yacht, and this at Lady Kilgoff's special instigation. Mr. Sickleton slept one night at our house in town, and I took a look at his papers; there was nothing of any consequence, however, except a memorandum about 'Charts for the Mediterranean,' which looks suspicious."

"I thought, Phillis, I had warned you about the Kilgoff intimacy. I thought I had impressed you with the necessity of keeping them from him."

"So you had, sir; and, to the very utmost of my power, I did so; but here was a mere accident that foiled all my care and watchfulness."

"As accidents ever do," muttered Linton, with suppressed pa.s.sion. "The game of life, like every other game, is less to skill than chance! Well, when can they be here?"

"To-morrow afternoon, sir, if not delayed by something unforeseen; though this is not at all unlikely, seeing the difficulty of getting posters. There are from thirty to forty horses engaged at every stage."