One Maid's Mischief Part 55

"Of course--yes," he replied. "That is where I make things wrong. You English place the ladies first, and I always make mistakes like that."

"You will soon acquire our habits," said Grey, who could not help her eyes wandering in search of Hilton.

"Thank you," said the Prince. "I shall try; but as I say, it is so hard to make a feast quite right. If I want to make a banquet for my people with flowers, and fireworks, and elephants, and gongs, and tom-toms, it is all so easy; but an English party, to satisfy all you--ah! it is too much."

Meanwhile, heart-sick and disgusted with everything and everybody present, Hilton wandered away to the paG.o.da, where Mr Stuart had taken up hi quarters directly after supper.

"Hullo! young fellow," said the old merchant, gruffly, "come to your senses again?"

"Senses? Haven't been out of them that I know of," retorted Hilton.

"Well, ye've been running wild after Perowne's la.s.sie."

"Mr Stuart!"

"And one never sees her without Captain Hilton ahint her."

"Mr Stuart, I was not aware that I was answerable to you for my conduct," exclaimed the young officer, hotly.

"Nay--nay--nay--dinna--don't be fashed, laddie, I was vexed to see ye rinning after a la.s.sie who will throw ye over for the next man she sees--that's a'--"

"Mr Stuart, I will not listen to anything in Miss Perowne's disparagement!" cried the young man hotly. "How dare you speak to me like this!"

"Have a cigar, laddie?" said the old Scot, drily. "They're verra good, and they'll soothe ye down better than anything I ken."

Hilton glared at him angrily. "There, there, there, let me have my say, laddie. I rather like ye, Hilton, though ye are only a soldier; so don't fly in a pa.s.sion with an old man. Tak' a cigar."

Hilton hesitated, but finally took the cigar, lit it, and began to smoke.

"I ken weel what's wrong," said the old man; "but never heed it, mon.

It mak's ye sore to-day, but ye'll soon get over it. I've seen ivery thing that's gone on sin the la.s.sies have been here. Try a drappie o'

that whuskie, laddie; that and yon cigar will mak' ye forget all about the trouble wi' the girl."

"Mr Stuart, I must request you to be silent upon this question, unless you wish to quarrel."

"Quarrel? Not I, lad! I'm as peaceable a body as ever lived; but tak'

my advice--don't wherret yoursel' about Helen Perowne. She's not made for ye."

"Sir!"

"Hoot, laddie, in a pa.s.sion again! I tell ye you're much too good for such a body as she. I ken she's handsome enough for an angel; but what's all that if she don't care a twistle o' the finger for ye?"

Bertie Hilton frowned heavily and smoked furiously; while, when the old merchant thrust the whiskey decanter towards him, he s.n.a.t.c.hed it up, poured out half a tumbler full, and had stretched out his hand to take it and gulp it down, when, to his surprise and anger, old Stuart s.n.a.t.c.hed the tumbler away, poured half of the spirit back into the decanter, and then filled up the tumbler with water.

"Not while I'm sitting by ye, Bertie Hilton," said the old man. "I like my whuskie and I like to see a fren' enjoy his drappie wi' me; but it must be a drappie. When I see a man making a fool o' himsel' by taking more than is good, I just stop him if I can, as I stopped you."

The young man's face flushed, and an angry remark was about to issue from his lips, when the ridiculous and friendly sides of the question presented themselves to him, and instead of going into a fit of temper consequent upon his irritable state, he burst into a hearty fit of laughter.

"Hah! That's better, my lad," said the old merchant, smiling in his dry, grim fashion. "I like that. Ye're an officer and ye know how to command yourself as well as your men. Now then, sit down and sup your whuskie and smoke like a man."

"You shall be obeyed, sir," said Hilton, good-humouredly.

"That's right, laddie. Tak' your misfortunes like a man. I know it's hard to bear, and nothing wherrets a man more than seeing a la.s.sie play wi' others before his very een, when a' the time she has been leading him to believe she cares for him alone?"

"Would it be a very difficult task to you, Mr Stuart, to leave my private affairs alone?" said Hilton, quietly.

"Oh, ay, I'll leave them alone if ye'll only be sensible and act like a mon. Bertie Hilton, ye're a big mon, and a captain in Her Majesty's service, and ye're been acting like a weak boy."

Hilton's eyes flashed again as he turned angrily upon the old man, who seemed to become more Scottish in his language as he slowly imbibed his native drink.

"I see ya glowering at me, my lad; but I dinna mind it, for I'm one of your best frens, and when I thrash ye with words about your la.s.sie it's a' for your good. There, haud yer whisht. I ken what ye'd say, that ye're a mon and not a boy to be dictated to by an old Scotchman like this."

"Well, I was thinking something of the kind, Mr Stuart, and so I tell you frankly," cried Hilton, who could not help feeling amused at the old man's dry ways. The reproofs, too, came at a time when the younger was very much open to conviction, for his experiences of the last few days had all been towards showing him that Helen Perowne was trifling with him, and if she were now, he felt that she had been from the first.

Still, it was very painful to have to be taken to task like this upon so tender a subject; and after sitting awhile with the old man, he suddenly jumped up, relit his cigar, which he had allowed to go out, and nodding shortly, he strolled out of the paG.o.da into the grounds.

"Coming to his senses," said old Stuart, in a thoughtful way. "Hah! I should go rather cross it my la.s.sie were to carry on like Perowne's Helen. Why, she drives nearly all the young fellows wild. The young hussy! she ought to be shut up in a convent till she comes to her senses. I'd have none of it at home with me."

VOLUME TWO, CHAPTER NINE.

A SUPPLEMENT TO A STRANGE EVENING.

It was very beautiful in the gardens, and in spite of the number of people present, the place was so large that Hilton had no difficulty in finding a shady path in whose gloom he could walk up and down, finding the silence and darkness congenial in his present state of mind.

Every here and there there were lanterns, and flashes of light came from the illuminated lawn in company with the strains of music; but for the greater part the light was that from the great soft stars in the begemmed arch overhead, and the music that of the swift river rippling against the bank.

What should he do? he asked himself. Would he not be acting a wiser and a more manly part if he at once gave up his pursuit of Helen, and treated her with the contempt she deserved?

For she did deserve contempt. He felt this, and he knew the state of the warm affection he had had for her. He knew she had flirted a little before, but he looked upon that as mere maiden trifling before she had been ready to bestow upon him all the riches of her fresh young love.

He was ready to condone anything that had taken place before; but when, after some long experience, he found that he was only being made the plaything of the hour, and that she was ready to throw him over in favour of the newest comer, his heart rebelled.

The fact was that Hilton was coming back to his normal senses very fast, and the idol that he had been worshipping and accrediting with all the perfections under the sun, was beginning to a.s.sume a very matter-of-fact, worldly aspect in his eyes.

The chaplain, officer after officer on board ship, Chumbley, Mr Harley, himself--they had all been favoured lovers in turn, and then thrown over after a certain amount of trifling.

"I cannot think how I could have been so foolish!" he exclaimed, suddenly; "and yet she is very beautiful--most beautiful; and when she gives a fellow one of those tender, beseeching looks, he need be made of iron to resist her."

He walked up and down a little longer, finished his cigar, lit another, and went on, evidently feeling in better spirits.

"I shall get over it in a few days," he said, with a half laugh, "unless I turn disappointed swain, and go and jump into the river. The crocodiles would soon make short work of me. By jove! how beautiful those fire-flies are!" he exclaimed.

Then he sighed, and went backward mentally.

"They put one in mind of Helen's beautiful eyes," he muttered.

Beautiful Helen! Bah! Stuff! I'll be fooled by no woman living!

"'Shall I, wasting in despair.