Tales and Novels Volume I Part 49

"Certainly--I think so."

"Then I'll call black Tom, hey?--though I think one grows tired of going upon the water," muttered his lordship, as he left the room. "Couldn't one find something better?"

"Nothing better," thought Dashwood, "but to hang yourself, my lord, which, I'll be bound, you'll do before you are forty, for want of something better. But that's not my affair."

"Where's mademoiselle?" cried Lady Augusta, entering hastily, with a bow and arrow in her hand: "I've lost my quiver: where's mademoiselle?"

"Upon my word I don't know," said Dashwood, a.s.suming an air of interest.

"You don't know, Mr. Dashwood!" said Lady Augusta, sarcastically; "that's rather extraordinary. I make it a rule, whenever I want mademoiselle, to ask where you are, and I never found myself disappointed before."

"I am sorry, madam, you should ever be disappointed," said Dashwood, laughing. "Is this your ladyship's _own_ taste?" added he, taking the painted bow out of her hand. "It's uncommonly pretty."

"Pretty or not, Lord George did not think it worth while to look at it last night. His lordship will go through the world mighty easily, don't you think so, Mr. Dashwood?" Dashwood attempted an apology for his pupil, but in such a sort, as if he did not mean it to be accepted, and then, returning the bow to her ladyship's hand, paused, sighed, and observed, that, upon the whole, it was happy for his lordship that he possessed so much nonchalance. "Persons of a different cast," continued he, "cannot, as your ladyship justly observes, expect to pa.s.s through life so easily." This speech was p.r.o.nounced in a tone so different from Dashwood's usual careless gaiety, that Lady Augusta could not help being struck with it; and by her vanity, it was interpreted precisely as the gentleman wished. Rank and fortune were her serious objects, but she had no objection to amusing herself with romance. The idea of seeing the gay, witty Mr. Dashwood metamorphosed, by the power of her charms, into a despairing, sighing swain, played upon her imagination, and she heard his first sigh with a look which plainly showed how well she understood its meaning.

"Why now, was there ever any thing so provoking!" cried Lord George, swinging himself into the room.

"What's the matter, my lord?" said Dashwood.

"Why, don't you see, it's raining as hard as it can rain?" replied his lordship, with the true pathos of a man whose happiness is dependent upon the weather. His scheme of going upon the water being now impracticable, he lounged about the room all the rest of the morning, supporting that miserable kind of existence, which idle gentlemen are doomed to support, they know not how, upon a rainy day. Neither Lady Augusta nor her mother, in calculating the advantages and disadvantages of an alliance with his lordship, ever once considered his habits of listless idleness as any objection in a companion for life.

After dinner the day cleared up--the ladies were dressed in their archery uniform--the carriages came to the door, and Lord George was happy in the prospect of driving his new phaeton. Dashwood handed the ladies to their coach; for his lordship was too much engaged in confabulation with his groom, on the merits of his off-leader, to pay attention to any thing else upon earth.

His phaeton was presently out of sight, for he gloried in driving as fast as possible; and, to reward his exertions, he had the satisfaction of hearing two strangers, as he pa.s.sed them, say--"Ha! upon my word, those horses go well!" A postilion at a turnpike gate, moreover, exclaimed to a farmer, who stood with his mouth wide open--"There goes Lord George! he cuts as fine a figure on the road as e'er a man in England." Such was the style of praise of which this young n.o.bleman was silly enough to be vain.

"I've been in these three quarters of an hour!" cried he, exultingly, as Lady S---- got out of her coach.

"There has been no shooting yet though, I hope?" said Lady Augusta.

"No, no, ma'am," replied Dashwood; "but the ladies are all upon the green--a crowd of fair compet.i.tors; but I'd bet a thousand pounds upon your ladyship's arrows. Make way there--make way," cried the man of gallantry, in an imperious tone, to some poor people, who crowded round the carriage; and talking and laughing loud, he pushed forward, making as much bustle in seating the ladies as they could have wished. Being seated, they began to bow and nod to their acquaintance. "There's Mrs.

Temple and her daughters," said Lady S----.

"Where, ma'am?" said Lady Augusta: "I'm sure I did not expect to meet them here. Where are they?"

"Just opposite to us. Pray, Mr. Dashwood, who is that gentleman in brown, who is talking to Miss Helen Temple?" "Upon my word I don't know, madam; he bowed just now to Lord George."

"Did he?" said Lady Augusta. "I wonder who he is!"

Lord George soon satisfied her curiosity, for, coming up to them, he said negligently, "Dashwood, there's young Mountague yonder."

"Ha! is that young Mountague? Well, is his father dead? What has he done with that old quiz?"

"Ask him yourself," said Lord George sullenly: "I asked him just now, and he looked as black as November."

"He was so fond of his father--it is quite a bore," said Dashwood. "I think he'll be _a quiz_ himself in due time."

"No," said Lord George; "he knows better than that too in some things.

He has a monstrous fine horse with him here; and that's a good pretty girl that he's going to marry."

"Is he going to be married to Miss Helen Temple?" said Lady S----. "Who is he, pray? I hope a suitable match."

"That I can't tell, for I don't know what she _has_," replied Lord George. "But Mountague can afford to do as he pleases--very good family--fine fortune."

"Yes; old quiz made an excellent nurse to his estate," observed Dashwood; "he owes him some grat.i.tude for that."

"Is not he very young to settle in the world?" said Lady S----.

"Young--yes--only a year older than I am," said Lord George; "but I knew he'd never be quiet till he got himself _noosed_."

"I suppose he'll be at the ball to-night," said Lady Augusta, "and then we shall see something of him, perhaps. It's an age since we've seen the Miss Temples any where. I wonder whether there's any thing more than report, my lord, in this conquest of Miss Helen Temple? Had you the thing from good authority?"

"Authority!" said Lord George; "I don't recollect my authority, faith!--somebody said so to me, I think. It's nothing to me, at any rate." Lady Augusta's curiosity, however, was not quite so easily satisfied as his lordship's; she was resolved to study Mr. Mountague thoroughly at the ball; and her habitual disposition to coquetry, joined to a dislike of poor Helen, which originated whilst they were children, made her form a strong desire to rival Helen in the admiration of this young gentleman of--"very good family and fine fortune." Her ladyship was just falling into a reverie upon this subject, when she was summoned to join the archeresses.

The prize was a silver arrow. The ladies were impatient to begin--the green was cleared. Some of the spectators took their seats on benches under the trees, whilst a party of gentlemen stood by, to supply the ladies with arrows. Three ladies shot, but widely from the mark; a fourth tried her skill, but no applause ensued; a fifth came forward, a striking figure, elegantly dressed, who, after a prelude of very becoming diffidence, drew her bow, and took aim in the most graceful att.i.tude imaginable.

"Who is that beautiful creature?" exclaimed Mr. Mountague, with enthusiasm; and as the arrow flew from the bow, he started up, wishing it success.

"The nearest, by six inches, that has been shot yet," cried Dashwood.

"Here, sir! here!" said he to Mr. Mountague, who went up to examine the target, "this is Lady Augusta S----'s arrow, within the second circle, almost put out the bull's eye!" The clamour of applause at length subsiding, several other arrows were shot, but none came near to Lady Augusta's, and the prize was unanimously acknowledged to be hers.

The silver arrow was placed on high over the mark, and several gentlemen tried to reach it in vain: Mr. Mountague sprung from the ground with great activity, brought down the arrow, and presented it, with an air of gallantry, to the fair victor.

"My dear Helen," said Emma to her sister, in a low voice, "you are not well."

"I!" replied Helen, turning quickly: "why! can you think me so mean as to--"

"Hush, hush! you don't consider how loud you are speaking."

"Am I?" said Helen, alarmed, and lowering her tone; "but then, why did you say I was not well?"

"Because you looked so pale."

"Pale! I'm sure I don't look pale," said Helen--"do I?"

"Not now, indeed," said Emma, smiling.

"Was not it an excellent shot?" said Mr. Mountague, returning to them; "but you were not near enough to see it; do come and look at it." Mrs.

Temple rose and followed him.--"I can't say," continued he, "that I particularly admire lady archeresses; but this really is a surprising shot."

"It really is a surprising shot," said Helen, looking at it quite at ease. But a moment afterwards she observed that Mr. Mountague's eyes were not intent upon the _surprising shot_, but were eagerly turned to another side of the green, where, illuminated by the rays of the setting sun, stood a beautiful figure, playing with a silver arrow, totally unconscious, as he imagined, either of her own charms or his admiration.--"Are you acquainted with Lady Augusta?" said Mr. Mountague.

"Yes," said Mrs. Temple. "Are you?"

"Not yet; but I have met her mother often in town--a silly, card-playing woman. I hope her daughter is as little like her in her mind as in her person." Here Mr. Mountague paused, for they had walked up quite close to the seemingly unconscious beauty.--"Oh, Mrs. Temple!" said she, starting, and then recovering herself, with an innocent smile--"is it you? I beg ten thousand pardons," and, offering a hand to Helen and Emma, seemed delighted to see them. Helen involuntarily drew back her hand, with as much coldness as she could without being absolutely rude.

It was now late in the evening, and as the ball was to begin at ten, the ladies called for their carriages, that they might drive to their lodgings, in an adjacent town, to change their dress. In the crowd, Helen happened to be pretty close behind Lady S----, so close, that she could not avoid hearing her conversation.

"Dear ma'am!" an elderly lady in black was saying to her, "I can a.s.sure you, your ladyship has been misinformed. I a.s.sure you, it is no such thing. He's a relation of the family--he has paid a long visit in this country, but then it is a parting visit to his uncle: he sets out immediately for Italy, I'm told. I a.s.sure you, your ladyship has been misinformed; he and his uncle are often at Mrs. Temple's; but depend upon it he has no thoughts of Miss Helen."