Peter Binney Part 27

"Shall I ever forget," pursues Mr. Binney more energetically than ever, "how, when I came again to the realisation of all the many follies I had committed, you soothed and consoled me, how you brought my boy to me, and neither of you would listen to my broken cries of repentance, but gave me calves' foot jelly and grapes instead, and insisted upon carrying on a cheerful conversation? How you brought me the news of my success in the Little-go, which was greater than I deserved, but less than I expected; and finally, Martha, how you made me the happy man I am to-day by promising to become mine when I had sufficiently recovered, on the condition that I should leave Cambridge and settle down once more to my business."

"Yes, dear, and now we're all comfortable and happy," says Mrs. Binney.

"I made mistakes too, Peter, as well as you, but they're all over now.

And----"

"Well, Mrs. Binney," interrupts a well-known voice, "this is something like, eh? I don't know whether you know that if you've got any microbes or things of that sort in your system a wind like this blows 'em all away."

"I didn't know it, Mr. Stubbs," says Mrs. Binney, with a pleasant smile. "But I have no doubt the wind is a very good thing if only it wouldn't blow all one's hair about one's face so?"

"Ah, dear lady!" says Dizzy, "you may consider yourself lucky you've got any hair _to_ be blown about. Now look at the top of _my_ old pepper-box. I haven't had to use a comb for a year, and I shall soon be able to part my hair with a towel. You wouldn't like to be like that, would you?"

"No," says Mrs. Binney. "But you are very young to be going so bald, Mr. Stubbs. What do you attribute it to?"

It appears that Dizzy attributes his growing baldness to hard work and care combined, but just as he is explaining this to the sympathetic Mrs. Binney the steamer shuts off steam and is turned and backed with a good deal of commotion into her berth just by Barnes Bridge.

There is another hour to wait, but the time goes by somehow. The party stamp about the deck and huddle themselves up in coats and cloaks to keep themselves warm, and by-and-bye a m.u.f.fled roar from a mile away down the river, warns them that the boats are drawing near. The roar deepens and increases, and by-and-bye, leaning over the rail of the steamer, they can see the rhythmic flash of oars in the sunshine, and nearer and nearer come the two boats, with the Umpire's launch fussing along just behind them, and the four steamers which follow the race in the background, the Cambridge steamer--_absit omen!_--some way behind the rest. Now they are alongside, and a mighty cheer goes up from all the throats in Mr. Binney's steamer as they pa.s.s, and Cambridge is seen to be leading by half a length. Just here Oxford makes a spurt, and creeps up level. Cambridge answers it, and on they go under Barnes Bridge, fighting every inch of the way, as they have done ever since the starting gun sent them off like greyhounds from the leash, four miles down the river at Putney.

Our party spends five minutes of breathless expectation, after boats and following steamers have pa.s.sed out of sight, and then another cheer, louder than the first, goes up as the light blue flag slowly unfurls itself from the flag-staff at the finish of the course, and the dark blue is run up underneath it. Then mutually congratulating one another with every expression of delight and fulfilled expectation, our party steam away down the river, very well pleased with their afternoon's amus.e.m.e.nt.

On the night of the boat race Lucius dined with the crews; but while he was by no means a drag on the hilarity of the proceedings, and may be said on the whole to have enjoyed himself, he often found himself wishing that he was at home in Russell Square, where Betty was. He had declined the invitation he had received to the "Blue Monday" dinner, as Mr. Binney had announced his intention of exercising his hospitality on that evening in honour of the distinction Lucius had gained in rowing in the winning University crew. The company was the same as that which had graced Mr. Binney's board in the Easter vacation a year before, with the exception of Miss Tupper, who had not entered the house since Mrs. Higginbotham had taken her place there, and with the addition of Mrs. Jermyn, Betty, and John. The Reverend Julius Jermyn had returned to his parish at Norfolk directly after the boat race on the previous Sat.u.r.day. The Tollers would not have been there had not Mrs. Toller practically asked herself. She was sweetness itself in her intercourse with Mrs. Binney, but although her claws were sheathed they were not cut, and were likely to spring out at a moment's warning if she were offended, and Mrs. Binney had wisely given in at once, and warmly proffered the invitation which was being fished for. Mrs. Toller could not come without her husband, and Nesta had been asked in order to fill up.

Mr. Binney took in Mrs. Jermyn. It was known that Mrs. Toller would resent this, but she was placed on her host's left, having been paired off with Dizzy, to whom she had taken a great fancy, and smiled sweetly as she took her seat after the Doctor's extempore grace. Lucius was allowed to take in Betty, and sat between her and her mother. Next to Betty came Dr. Toller on Mrs. Binney's left. On the other side of the table was John Jermyn, who had been made happy with Nesta Toller, with Dizzy and Mrs. Toller next to them. The table was decorated with Lucius's silver cups, standing on an artistically crinkled square of light blue silk. The menus, adorned with appropriate aquatic emblems and the arms of the two Universities, had been ordered expressly from Messrs. Breedon & Co., and were quite in the orthodox Cambridge style.

"Very pretty," said Mrs. Toller, examining hers when she had settled herself. "One might almost imagine oneself transported to Cambridge, Mr. Stubbs. Quite delightful, is it not?"

"Yes," said Dizzy, "although to tell you the truth, I'm getting a bit tired of Cambridge."

"Oh! but I thought young men never got tired of University life," said Mrs. Toller. "I have always heard that it was so very attractive. I'm sure you found it so, didn't you, Mr. Binney?"

But Mr. Binney was engaged with Mrs. Jermyn and affected not to have heard the inquiry.

"It's all very well for a bit," said Dizzy, "but when a fellow gets my age he wants to settle down and do something."

"Oh! come," said Mrs. Toller, "you're not so old as all that, Mr.

Stubbs."

"Not in years perhaps," said Dizzy. "But I a.s.sure you that in other things Methuselah was a babe compared with me. I sometimes sit and look at fellows amusing themselves, and I say to myself: 'Well, you are a set o' Jugginses. Call this life! Why, you ought all to be in the nursery!' However, I've only got one more term and the whole thing will be over."

"And what are you going to do when you leave the University?" asked Mrs. Toller. "Are you still thinking of entering the Church?"

"Oh! bless me, no," said Dizzy. "That's off. My old father got a bit frightened, when these Kensit Johnnies began bally-ragging all over the place. He's a far-sighted old fellow. He saw that if I got shoved into a comfortable living and then they went and disestablished it or something, I should get left."

"Have you ever turned your attention to the Nonconformist ministry?"

inquired Mrs. Toller.

"No, I can't say I have," replied Dizzy. "Is there much in it?"

"The incomes made by our leading men are superior to anything in the Establishment," said Mrs. Toller. "Our people have been taught to give."

"_Have_ they?" said Dizzy, with interest. "Well now, that's worth knowing. I'll put my old governor on to that. If you hear of a soft thing going, I shall consider it very kind of you if you'll drop me a line. One's got to keep one's eyes skinned to pick up a living now-a-days. We're getting ready for the bar now, to tell you the truth. My old father was dining with a railway fellow down our way, and he told him that they spent I forget how many thousands a year on litigation. My governor's a cute old bird, and he thought it wouldn't be a bad thing if I could pick up a bit of it, so I've been eating dinners at Lincoln's Inn for the last year or so, and previous poor dinners they are too. I don't think I shall take to it much. In fact, the governor's been dropping hints about diplomacy lately. It seems he's found out from the papers that the people ain't over and above pleased with the way things have been carried on by the amba.s.sadors we've got now, and he thinks there might be a chance there in a few years' time. I don't much care what it is. I suppose I shall keep going somehow."

Lucius and Betty were talking quietly together on the other side of the table.

"Only two more years," Lucius was saying. "Won't it be ripping, Betty, when we're settled down in a house of our own?"

"I don't think we shall ever have a better time than we've had for the last year at Cambridge," said Betty. "And think of another summer term there together."

Lucius's face lit up. "There's nothing like a summer term at Cambridge when the girl you're in love with is there," he said. "We'll go on the Backs in a canoe every fine afternoon. I say, Betty, do you remember that backwater?"

"Of course I do, you silly boy," said Betty. "I haven't forgiven you yet for getting me to go up it on false pretences. I'll see that you don't get me there again though."

"I'll take particular good care that I do," said Lucius. "I like that backwater better than any place in Cambridge. Betty, what shall you do when I've gone down?"

"I know I shall be very miserable," said Betty, her face falling. "But don't let us talk about that. We shall have another summer term together."

Dr. Toller was making himself pleasant to his hostess. He was an agreeable man when he succeeded in banishing from his mind "the Problems that confront the Age," and brought himself down to the level of those who are content to let the Age worry along in its own way without making too much noise about it. Mrs. Binney, at the head of her own table, was an attractive figure in a gown of rich black silk, festooned with hangings of lace, and smiled engagingly at the Doctor's conversation.

"Yes, Doctor," she said, in answer to a remark from him, "I feel I am a very fortunate woman. I have a comfortable house and the best of husbands. Peter is consideration itself to all my little whims, and I a.s.sure you I have a great many whims. There was a time when I feared that this happiness would never come to me. You know all about it and were very kind to me when I thought it my duty to cut myself off from all these bright prospects. I am thankful that that trouble pa.s.sed away and I was not compelled to spend the rest of my life by myself.

There is the closest confidence between me and my husband. He is of a sanguine disposition, and I think I may say that any weight of character I may have attained to--and you know, Doctor, I am a weighty woman in more ways than one--keeps the balance true. There is not a happier couple in all Bloomsbury than Peter and myself, and you know that in marrying him I have gained a son, which is a great joy to me, for I never had a child of my own. Lucius treats me with the greatest respect and affection, and I could not be fonder of him than if he were my own. I am as proud as anyone of his success to-day. Cambridge has not proved an unmixed source of pleasure to me, as you know, but I have seldom performed a more agreeable duty than when I arranged this light blue silk on the table this afternoon with my own hands. Anything that I can do towards making the dear boy's life happy with the sweet girl he is going to marry I _shall_ do, as if they were my own children, and consider myself fortunate in being permitted to do."

If Mrs. Binney could speak in such terms of grat.i.tude of the new life she had entered upon, what words could be too strong for her husband to use in describing his content in having gained as his helpmate that most estimable woman. She was the theme on which he was expatiating to Mrs. Jermyn while the conversations already recorded were going on around him.

"n.o.body knows," Mr. Binney was saying, "what that woman has been to me.

She has stuck by me in sickness and in health, when I was working at the business to which I was brought up, and when I was trying to do something that I oughtn't have tried to do. You know all about that, Elizabeth, so I don't mind mentioning it to you, although it's all over now. I can't say that I'm altogether sorry to have had the mental training that University life affords. n.o.body can deny that there's a difference between a man who has been at the University and one who hasn't. You've had a husband at Oxford and a son at Cambridge and you know that as well as I do. But still on the whole I acknowledge that Oxford and Cambridge are for the young fellows. When I saw Lucius pulling away in such perfect style in that boat on Sat.u.r.day afternoon I can tell you it warmed my heart to see it. And Martha feels just the same as I do about it. She told me so. n.o.body knows, Elizabeth, what a treasure I've found in that woman. And as for Lucius, well, he didn't take to the idea kindly at first--I don't know that it was to be expected that he should--but they're as fond of one another as they can be now, and--and it makes me very happy to see it--very happy."

The conversation became more general after this, and great were the merriment and goodwill round Mr. Binney's table.

When dinner was over and the servants had left the room, Mr. Binney rose to his feet. There was an expectant silence and a rapping on the table from all except Lucius, who knew what was coming and wished it was well over.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said Mr. Binney, "I rise to perform a very pleasant duty, a duty which I am proud of having occasion to perform, a duty which I am sure all the friends I see gathered round me to-night will join with me heartily in--in performing, a duty which--which I will now perform. I rise, ladies and gentlemen, to propose the health of my son Lucius, who rowed with such conspicuous success in the Cambridge boat last Sat.u.r.day." (Murmured but heartfelt applause, rappings on the table, and "Well rowed, Lucy, well rowed," from Dizzy.) "We have gathered round our table to-night," continued Mr. Binney, "four members of the University of Cambridge." ("Five, sir, five,"

from Dizzy.) Mr. Binney's puzzled eye searched quickly round the table and lit upon Betty. "Five, of course," he said, "for have we not a fair representative of the great college of Newnham in the person of the dear girl whom I hope soon to welcome as a daughter?" (Renewed applause.) "We have also a distinguished member of another University, or rather of two Universities, for my friend Dr. Toller is a Bachelor of Arts of the University of London and a Doctor of Divinity--_honoris causa_--of the University of Joppa, Pa., across the water. And speaking for the ladies, I am sure there is not one present here to-night whose sympathies do not go out to the great University to which I have the honour to belong." (Rappings and subdued acquiescent murmurs from the ladies with the exception of Mrs. Toller, who thought Oxford rather more aristocratic.) "I needn't say," pursued Mr. Binney, "that to become a Blue is to gain the proudest position which Cambridge can afford, and to become a rowing Blue is perhaps the highest distinction of all. I have always had occasion to be proud of my son throughout his school and University career, and I am prouder than ever of him to-night." (Applause.) "These trophies, ladies and gentlemen, and this decoration of light blue, are signs of his having distinguished himself in the highest possible degree in one path of life--the path which only those who have youth, strength, and health on their side can hope to tread. In proposing the health of my son Lucius, I am sure you will join with me in wishing him equal success in other paths of life in the future, a success which, with the charming girl who has promised to share it with him, I for one feel confident of his attaining. Ladies and gentlemen--My son Lucius."

THE END