The Weird Of The Wentworths Volume I Part 16

"You must not abuse your liberty, my boy, but have patience; everything in its time."

The carriage now entered the barbican, crossed the drawbridge, and soon pa.s.sed beneath the archway, and entered the ample courtyard. Several other carriages, some very grand turn-outs, were drawn up before the doorway, and blocked the road; round them flitted numbers of busy servants, carrying boxes and trunks into the hall. In its due course Mr.

Ravensworth's carriage drew up before the door, where old Andrew acted the part of seneschal, and sent his inferior servants. .h.i.ther and thither at his will.

"Eh, sir, you are come at last: I hae been expecting you this lang while; and how are ye missy? a' richt noo?" said the privileged old butler, addressing Mr. and Miss Ravensworth, and patting the latter familiarly on the shoulder. "Peter--Jamie--ye idle loons--see the young leddy up the stairs, and carry their gear ben the house."

Ellen followed the footmen, and Mr. Ravensworth with Johnny and Maude walked close behind, along the great hall to the reception chamber, a large airy room, with oaken ceiling, splendidly carved, panelled with the same wood. Three large windows, opening in Venetian fashion, led to a balcony, from which a light iron suspension bridge spanned the moat, and formed a communication with the park, on which the view looked.

The room was quite full of strange faces, and Ellen hung back a moment as she entered, as if uncertain how to act, when a lady rose, and hurried forward to meet her.

"My dear Lady Arranmore, how glad I am to find you here!"

"Welcome, dearest Ellen," said the Marchioness, embracing her. "How well you look again! How d'you do, Mr. Ravensworth; how d'you do, Johnny, and my little Maude? Come and sit by me, Ellen, and tell me all about yourself: first let me introduce you to some one, Mr. Ravensworth; and Johnny, you had better run and join the haymakers."

Hardly waiting for leave, Johnny shot away like an arrow from the bow, crossed the bridge, and was soon far off, running down the park.

"The dear boy," said Lady Arranmore, "how he enjoys the country!"

She then introduced Mr. Ravensworth to Mr. Scroop, a gentlemanly looking young man, about the middle height, with rather a slight figure, and very light Saxon hair; he was the only representative of the Border family, so famous in the olden time, and was possessed of broad lands on the southern side of the Cheviots.

The two gentlemen soon engaged in conversation, whilst Ellen and her friend, seated on a sofa near the window, talked over all their travels.

At length Lady Arranmore said, "Really, Ellen, it is a sin to linger indoors such a day as this! All my guests are now arrived: what should hinder us from taking a turn and joining my brothers and Arranmore, who are with the haymakers?"

"Nothing; I shall be charmed to go with you," said Ellen, rising.

The friends then crossed the slender bridge, and conversing as they went slowly walked towards the merry groups, busily engaged at their various tasks.

"How hot it is!" said Ellen, fanning herself with her handkerchief; "it really reminds me of the weather we had at Geneva."

"It does, indeed, dear. I wonder how long this weather will continue?

If it will only hold up for two days more I do not care; you know on Wednesday we have our grand picnic at Cessford's Peel."

"Oh, I hope it will! Look, I see the Marquis, and--"

"My brother, Wentworth," said the Marchioness, finishing Ellen's sentence; "so like him, Ellen; see he has got a cask of beer, for those poor weary haymakers; how hot they must be working under such a sun."

The two ladies had now approached within fifty yards of the rustic group; conspicuous above all was Johnny mounted on the top of a huge rick, waving his cap on the end of a rake. Beneath the rick the Earl presided over an immense cask of ale, from which old Andrew was busily engaged handing foaming mugs of the refreshing beverage to the weary labourers, who, as they wiped the toil-drops from their brows, and drained the beakers, bestowed many a blessing on the stout Earl; the sons of Erin, of whom the greater number was composed, were loudest in their benedictions, and declared they would serve his grace's honour to the last drop of their blood! Others stood near, cap in hand, waiting their turn. A little to the right, leaning over a smaller rick, the Marchioness perceived the tall form of her husband; he was flirting with a very pretty girl, who stood smiling on the other side, leaning on the handle of a rake. This was Jenny Forbes, the acknowledged belle of the neighbourhood. Still further sat a young man on horseback, talking to a stout yeoman, John Forbes, the father of the village belle. Dressed as he was, in a light Indian military costume, with a white handkerchief wound turban-like round his brow, his hot, sunburnt face, high and well-chiselled nose, and dark moustache, gave quite an oriental look to Captain de Vere, who, hot as it was, still smoked his favourite black pipe. Near him, stretched at their listless ease, or seated on the new-mown gra.s.s, were several gentlemen in various att.i.tudes, talking or laughing to each other, as they leant over, or lay full length on the ground, with handkerchiefs spread over their heads to protect them from the fiery rays. Sir Richard Musgrave, and Captain Wilson, a naval commander, were amongst these. As the two ladies approached, a general movement took place through the company. The Earl walked forward to meet his guest, Johnny slipped down off the rick; the gentlemen arose; the Marquis started back from his position, and tried to put on an innocent expression as he strolled towards his lady. The Captain alone moved not; but went on with his conversation, which, to judge from his earnestness, was very interesting.

"Ha! you have found us out at last, Miss Ravensworth," said the Earl.

"Is not this quite Swiss? Blue skies, and haymaking with the sun shining. You must have seen many a scene like this in Bern, I am sure."

"Scarcely one so pretty; and certainly no group like this; it is quite charming!"

"When did you arrive? Is your father come? And where is Mr. Lennox? I thought he would have joined you."

"One question at a time, Clarence," said the Marchioness; "Ellen cannot answer so many at once. And what have you to say, my Lord?" addressing the Marquis, who had just come up. "What excuse for flirting with a country girl, as you were doing just now? Pretty well, after all your vows to me."

"Tut! Edie! what matters a pa.s.sing joke to a pretty girl. You are not jealous of Jenny Forbes, I hope?"

"By no means; only you should remember you are now married, and should leave such follies to the unmarried young men."

As they spoke the party had come to where the Captain still stood.

"John, have you nothing to say to our guest, Miss Ravensworth?" said Lady Arranmore.

"It is d--d hot, isn't it, Miss Ravensworth?"

Ellen could not forbear smiling at the curt reply, though she felt somewhat shocked.

"You were ill, I was sorry to hear," continued the young officer; "but you have apparently picked up in a wonderfully short time. I am blessed if I would have ever found it out."

They pa.s.sed on, and the Captain resumed his interrupted conversation.

"I'faith! it is hot, though. This reminds me of Spain a bit, where our men dropped dead by sunstroke like ripe acorns. There, I have nothing more to say now, Forbes, so you may go on with your work, and give my love to your fair daughter; or stay, I will save you the trouble, as my sister has carried off the Marquis. Here, boy," addressing a peasant lad, "hold my horse--or stay, lead it up to the stables; and tell Wilton to give you half-a-crown for your trouble;" at the same time flinging himself off his steed, he said, in sotto voce, to the farmer, "You will remember and send one, then?"

"Ay, ay, sir! I'll send a laddie this very night."

"All right," said the Captain. "Wilton will pay you, boy."

"You are exceedingly generous with other people's money," said the Earl, who was pa.s.sing again.

"Lord help us! You don't grudge the boy a dirty half-crown?"

"Not I; only I would give it myself if I were you. A pretty grumbling will Wilton make."

"And let him grumble, and be d--d to him. How many half-crowns does he get from me, I wonder, and half-skivs too!"

The Captain then walked off by himself to where Jenny Forbes still stood, and cracked some joke, which she resented by a pretty pout of her lips and ill-feigned frown.

"By my troth, Jenny, you should come up to town with me; I would dress you out in silks and satins, and I am shot if you wouldn't just create a _furore!_"

"I shall choose a better guide than you, when I go!" retorted the girl, with a laugh.

"It will be long ere you find a better one," said the Captain, as he walked away.

"Or one who thinks better of himself, either," said the girl, as a parting hit.

"Hallo! whom have we here?" said the Captain to himself, as he reached the road, and saw a gentleman, who seemed quite overcome by the heat, resting on a stone and wiping his hot brow; a little further off was a boy, who, with an immense carpet-bag, toiled up the hill. "By Jove! is that you, Lennox? You have chosen a d--d hot day for marching. You don't mean to say you walked out?"

"Oh, dear, no," said Mr. Lennox, dusting his boots as he rose. "Taking advantage of the coach, I proceeded by that conveyance to your n.o.ble park-gates, and, alighting there, I thought I would walk up, fancying the castle could not be far; but it is a long and hot walk. However, I hired a young man, as you see, to carry my luggage."

"Egad! then you have tramped a good five miles. What a joke! You must be jolly tired. Here, take a pull," said the Captain, producing an immense brandy-flask--his bosom companion at all times and seasons.

"Thank you all the same, no. I seldom take spirits at all; and never plain."

"A most foolish error; and one you would soon be conquered of if you lived at the Towers," said the Captain, taking a long draught. "At the least you will then take a weed?" handing his cigar-case.