Thereby Hangs a Tale Part 83

"Time's up, d.i.c.k, come. You shall see her again," said Pratt, looking ruefully at his meerschaum sc.r.a.ps, as he dusted his hat. Then followed a little whispering with Pin, and he caught his friend's arm, as his fellow-conspirator led her sister away.

"This is madness," groaned Richard, as he yielded to his friend's touch, and they walked rapidly away. "Oh, Franky, you contrived this."

"To be sure I did," said Pratt, grinning; "and you shall have another dose to cure you both, if you are good. But, quick; now, then, look a man. Here we are."

Richard walked steadily up to the house, where he was pleased to find that all the servants' faces were new. Humphrey met him at the door, and Mr and Mrs Lloyd were in the hall ready to approach timidly, as the young man gravely kissed the late housekeeper, and shook hands with Lloyd.

Polly was in the drawing-room, for it was to be a very homely, unconventional marriage; and she blushed warmly on encountering the former owner of the place.

"I wish you every happiness, my dear," said Richard, to set her at ease; and he bent down and kissed her. "Humphrey has told me of your good little heart."

"And you will listen to him, Mr Lloy--Trevor?" said the girl, mixing the two names together.

"Time to go," said Humphrey; and he handed Polly, Mrs Lloyd, and her husband into the first carriage, which was kept back while he, Richard, and Pratt entered the other, and were driven off to the church.

In spite of the endeavours to keep the affair quiet, the little churchyard was crowded, and it was a harder trial for Richard even than he had expected, to hear the whisperings, and receive the friendly nods and bows from so many of those who knew him well.

But he bore it all in a calm, manly fashion; shook hands warmly with Mr Mervyn, who had come with a white favour in his b.u.t.ton-hole; stood best man to Humphrey; and after little Polly, but a week before at school, had been given away by her uncle, and, the wedding over, the carriage had driven back with the bride and bridegroom, he took his place again quite calmly, shook hands with those who cl.u.s.tered round, and was driven away.

Everything went off well; and at the simple wedding breakfast, when called upon, Richard, in a very manly speech, wished health and happiness to the bride and bridegroom. Humphrey responded, broke down, tried again, broke down again, and then, leaving his place, crossed to where Richard sat, grasped his hand, and in a voice choking with emotion, exclaimed--

"Master d.i.c.k, I'm speaking for my wife as well as myself when I tell you that, if you wish us to be a happy couple, you must come back to your own."

Richard rose, and returned the strong grasp; but before he could utter a word Pratt brought his hand down bang upon the table, exclaiming--

"Mother Hubbard, by Jove!"

Every face was directed at the door, where, standing, in her black hat and scarlet shawl, with her hands resting upon the horn handle of her umbrella, was the little grey old woman of Plymouth Station.

"It's dear Aunt Price," cried Polly, jumping up; and, regardless of her finery, she ran to the severe-looking old lady, hugged her affectionately, and then began to unpin her shawl, and take off her hat.

"Oh, aunty, I'm _so_ glad you've come."

"And are you married, look you?" said the old lady.

"Married, yes," cried Humphrey, heartily; "we couldn't wait, you know, or it would have been too late. Give's your umbrella, and come and sit down. Why didn't you come last night?"

"It was too far, my poy," said the old lady; "and I was tired. It's a long way, look you, from Caerwmlych, and I'm a very old woman now.

Well, Lloyd--well, Chane, you're both looking older than when I was here last, close upon thirty years ago, and nursed you through two illnesses."

"We are quite well," said Mrs Lloyd; "but didn't expect you here."

"P'r'abs not, p'r'abs not," said the old lady; "put Polly here wrote to me to come, and I thought it was time, for she's peen telling me strange news, look you."

Lloyd shuffled in his chair, Mrs Lloyd was silent, and Richard's brow knit as he glanced across the table at Pratt, while Humphrey busied himself in supplying the old lady's plate.

"I cot Polly's letter, look you, and I teclare to cootness, if I'd been tead and perried, I think I should have cot up and t come, look you.

And so you're married to Humphrey! Ah, well, he was a tisacreeable paby; but he's grown, look you, into a fine lad, and I wish you poth choy."

The old lady took a gla.s.s of wine and ate a little, and then grew more garrulous than ever, while no one else seemed disposed to speak.

"And I'm glad to see you again," said the old lady, looking at Richard.

"I tidn't expect it when I left you at the railway place; and yet I seemed to know you again, look you. I felt I knew the face, and I teclare to cootness I couldn't tell where I'd seen it, but I rememper now."

"Come, aunt, darling," said Polly, "make a good breakfast."

"Tinner you mean, child," said the old lady.

"Well, dinner, dear," said Polly, "because I want a long talk with you before we go."

"You're coing away, then?"

"Yes, aunt, for a month; but you'll stay till we come back?"

"Well, I ton't know, look you," said the old lady, st.u.r.dily. "Chane Lloyd and I never tid get on well together; but if Mr Richard Trevor there isn't too prout to ask a poor old woman off the mountains--who nursed his poor mother, and tantled him in her arms when he was a paby-- I teclare to cootness I will stay."

A dead silence fell upon the group at the table. Humphrey seemed uncomfortable, Polly clung to his arm, Mrs Lloyd looked white and downcast, and her husband glanced at the door, and motioned a servant who was entering to retire.

Richard broke the silence, after giving a rea.s.suring smile to Humphrey and his wife, by saying, gravely--

"I would ask you to stay with pleasure, Mrs Price, if I were master here, but you are mistaken. There sits Mr Humphrey Trevor; I am your own kith and kin, Richard Lloyd."

"Chut!--chut!--chut!" exclaimed the old lady, starting up and speaking angrily, as she pointed at him with one finger. "Who ever saw a Lloyd or a Price with a nose like that? Ton't tell me! You're Mr Richard Trevor, your father's son, and as much like him, look you, as two peas."

The Lloyds rose, Mrs Lloyd looking like ashes as she clung to her husband's arm; while Pratt left his place, and stood behind the chair of his friend.

"I'd forgotten all about it, look you," said the old lady, prattling away, "till Polly wrote to me from her school; and then it all came back about Chane Lloyd and her paby, and her having the fever when her mistress died. Why, look you, tidn't I go up to the nursery after peing town to see the funeral, and find Chane Lloyd hat peen up there, and put her paby in the young master's cratle? and, look you, t.i.tn't I go town to chite her, and find her all off her heat, and she was ill for weeks?

I thought she'd tone it without knowing, or, peing wild-like, had liked to see her little one in the young master's clothes. I put that all right again, and nursed poth pabies till she cot well. Lloyd--Trevor-- tidn't I see them poth as soon as they came into the worlt, and to you think I ton't know them? Why, look at them!"

She turned to Pratt, who was nearest to her; but she cried out in alarm, for the little fellow had caught her in his arms and kissed her on both cheeks, as he cried--

"It isn't Mother Hubbard, d.i.c.k, but the good fairy out of the story-book. G.o.d bless you! old lady, for this. Here, Humphrey, see to your mother."

But Humphrey was pumping away at both Richard Trevor's arms, as he cried, excitedly--

"Hooray! Master d.i.c.k. I never felt so happy in my life. Polly, la.s.s, we shall get the cottage after all."

He saw the next moment, though, that Mrs Lloyd had fainted dead away; and his were the arms that carried her to her bedroom, while Polly crept to the old Welshwoman's side.

"I came, look you, Master Richard, to put all this right," said the old lady. "Putt it was all nonsense, I teclare to cootness. Anypody might have seen."

"I--I thank you--I'm contused--dazed, rather," said Trevor, looking from one to the other. "Polly, my poor girl, I'll try to make up to you for this disappointment."

"I'm not disappointed, please, Mr Richard, sir," said Mrs Humphrey, bobbing a curtsey, and then trying a boarding-school salute and failing, and blushing terribly.

"I'm very happy indeed, and I'm sure Humphrey is--he said so, and he always tells the truth. And if you please, sir, aunt and I will go now into the housekeeper's room."

"That you won't, if I have any influence with some one here," said Pratt. "No, my pretty little wife; you and your brick of a husband shall go off in triumph; and oh, by Jove! here's the present I brought down for you."