Thereby Hangs a Tale Part 41

And the young man turned crimson.

"Not pre-engaged, I hope?" said Sir Hampton.

"Well, Sir Hampton," said Vanleigh, modestly, after a pause, during which he sat with his eyes on the carpet, "this is all so new to me, and you have confused me so with your kind invitation, that my business--our business--comes doubly hard to us to state."

"Er-rum--pray go on," said Sir Hampton, smiling condescendingly, for all this was sweet to his soul; two scions of aristocratic houses with sense enough to respect his position in life. Captain Vanleigh might have borrowed a hundred pounds on the instant had he liked; but he was playing for higher stakes.

"Then, if you won't speak, Landells, I must," said Vanleigh, who seemed overcome with confusion. "No doubt there is a proper etiquette to be observed in such cases, but I confess I am too agitated to recall it, and I merely appeal to you, Sir Hampton, as a gentleman and a parent."

Sir Hampton bowed, and uttered a cough that seemed wrapped up in cotton wool, it was so soft.

"The fact is, Sir Hampton, we have been here now three weeks--Landells and I--and we have been so charmed, so taken with your sweet daughters, that, in this hurried, confused way--I tell you, in short, we thought it right, as gentlemen, to come first and tell you, to ask you for your permission to visit more frequently, to be more in their society--to, in short, make formal proposals for their hands."

There was another soft cough, and Vanleigh continued--

"I hope I am forgiven, Landells, for my awkward way?"

"Yes. Pray go on; capital," said Landells, who was perspiring profusely.

"It is only fair to say how we are placed in the world, Sir Hampton. My friend there, Sir Felix, has his eight thousand per annum; and it will increase. For myself, I am but a poor officer of the Guards."

"Er-rum! a gentleman is never poor," said Sir Hampton, with dignity.

"I think I can say no more, Sir Hampton," said Vanleigh, bowing to the compliment. "You see now my hesitation about the dinner; for, of course, if you refuse to regard our application favourably, to-morrow we should--eh, Landells?"

"Back--town--certainly," said Sir Felix, wiping his face.

"Er-rum!" said Sir Hampton, rising, and placing a hand in his breast.

"Gentlemen, you take me by surprise, and you ask a great deal in-- er-rum--I say you ask a great deal--I, er-rum, I--honoured by your-- er-rum--proposals--and--and--er-rum, if I express myself badly, it is a father's emotion. In short, I--er-rum--gentlemen--I, er-rum, give both my full consent to visit here as often as you wish, and Lady Rea and my daughters shall be acquainted with your proposals. I can, er-rum, say no more now. Let us join the ladies."

Sir Felix, with tears in his eyes, took and wrung the old man's hand, and, as the friends followed him out, Vanleigh bestowed upon the young baronet a most solemn, but very vulgar, wink.

Volume 2, Chapter IX.

AN INTERVIEW WITH BARNEY STURT.

"Couldn't you make it a four-wheeler, Sam," said Mrs Jenkles, one evening, "and take me up and bring us all back together?"

"Now, lookye here, old lady," said Sam, "I don't want to be hard, nor I don't want to be soft, but what I says is this here--Where's it going to end?"

"What _do_ you mean, Sam?" exclaimed Mrs Jenkles.

"What I says, my dear--Where's it going to end? You've got over me about the money, and you've got over me about the lodgings. You're allus going to Mrs Lane to tea, as I knows they don't find; and now you wants me to give up my 'ansom, borrer a four-wheeler, and lose 'bout a pound as I should make in fares; and what I says is--Where's it going to end?"

"Sam, Sam, Sam," said Mrs Jenkles, "when did you ever go out with your cab for about a couple of hours and make a pound?"

Sam stood rubbing his nose, and there was a droll twinkle in his eye as he replied--

"Well, I might make a pound, you know."

"Now don't talk stuff, Sam, but go to the yard and change your cab, take me up there, and bring us all back comfortable."

"You're argoing it, you are, missus," said Sam. "That's the way--order your kerridge. 'Sam,' says you, 'the kerridge at six.' 'Yes, mum,'

says I. 'Oppery or dinner party?' 'Only to make a hevening call, Sam,'

says you. 'Werry good, mum,' says I."

"If you want me to go up there by myself, Sam, and fetch them, I'll go, and we can get back somehow by the 'bus; but I thought you'd like to come up and see that those ladies and your wife weren't insulted."

"I should jest like to catch anybody at it, that's all," said Sam, sharply.

"I didn't mean to say anything, Sam," continued Mrs Jenkles; "for I thought if we'd got such a man as you with us, no one would dare to interfere."

"Now, look here," said Sam, "I never did come across such an old snail as you are, missus; I like the allus being at home part of it, but it's the hiding as I don't like. Now, look here, I never does nothing without coming and telling you all about it; and as for you, why, you've allus got something in the way for me to find out."

"What's the use of me bothering you with trifles, Sam, when you've got plenty of troubles on your mind? I would tell you if it was anything you need know."

"Well, come now, what's it all mean bout Miss Lane?" said Sam.

"Only, dear, that since those people have found that Mrs Lane meant to leave, they've turned very strange, and the poor child's quite frightened and timid like."

"Now, why couldn't you say so at first," said Sam, "instead of dodging and hiding, and making a blind man's buffer of me? That's it, is it?

Mr Barney of the betting ring--'Ten to one bar one'--means to be nasty, does he? Well, all I've got to say is, just let him try it on, that's all!"

"Now, there it is," said Mrs Jenkles; "that's just what I want to avoid. Tell you about it, and you want to do the very thing as will upset that poor girl; and oh! Sam, do be careful, she--"

Mrs Jenkles added something in a whisper.

"I'll be careful enough," said Sam; "and look here--how long shall you be?"

"I'm ready now, Sam," said his wife.

"Yes, but I've got to go down to the yard, and get the keb changed; take me 'bout three-quarters of an hour, it will, and then I'm back."

Sam went off, muttering to himself; the only words audible being--

"Jest let him, that's all!"

And within the prescribed time he was driving Mrs Jenkles up to Mrs Lane's wretched lodgings.

Mrs Jenkles pa.s.sed in, after a word or two with her husband, and saw at a glance Barney of the black chin smoking in his shop, and Mrs Barney looking over his shoulder. She took no notice of them, and went upstairs, to find Mrs Lane looking very pale and much excited, holding Netta's hand.

"And how's my pretty to-night?" said Mrs Jenkles, after a quick glance had pa.s.sed between her and the mother.

"Quite--quite well," said the girl, placing both her hands in those of Mrs Jenkles, and holding her face to be kissed; but her unnaturally bright eyes and flushed face contradicted her words, and she kept glancing timidly towards the door.

"That's right, my dear," said Mrs Jenkles. "Ah! and I see you've got the trunk packed, and all ready. I've got some flowers for you at home, and everything waiting; so don't you go looking like that."

"She has been a little frightened today," said Mrs Lane; "the people downstairs--"