ARTHUR'S return great into the Pleasance life. There were all the Hilton and relations to be and feasted, and whole families of Grenvilles and Chestertons were to have of the of for all the Hiltons and St. Maurs that were born. Mr. Leigh, the uncle and guardian, was to come and talk settlements, and make which, as soon as they had Colonel Hilton and Aileen to despair, were as difficulties, and vanished. Mr. Leigh was so in the article of pin-money, so aggravating, that Colonel Hilton, who would have permitted Aileen to his or the whole of it, if she liked, was into saying that he did not see that she want any pin-money at all, she ask him for what money she required. But here Aunt Sarah's good in: she it that married should have a income, it might be called, pin-money or allowance. They then what they ought to spend, and all their little charities, or any presents they to give, would be the fruits of their own self-denial, and she that the most and husbands would, after a term of married life, object to milliners' bills, and with an idea that their were and always for money. And although Colonel Hilton said it was he be such a as that, yet he Aunt Sarah's sensible, and named to her a much larger amount of pin-money than had been asked for by Mr. Leigh, "just to the what he do, if he were not bullied;" and, moreover, he it to the of himself and Aileen to up to Hancock's and secure a diamond necklace that was on the point of being "submitted to the Empress Eugénie for approval," that being now the term for and selling.
Lord Chesterton came to talk Prussian politics of the most and description, and to an air of over the love making that was going on in the house. He at to the lovers in their walks, but himself so de that he that occupation, with the that the manners of the present day had a which him. He had been allowed to be tête-à-tête with Lady Chesterton they married; but, of course, if Lady Sarah did not object, he there was not that in these which his old-fashioned notions. Sir William and Lady Eleanor de Vescie came for a days to see their brother, though, as Sir William observed, it was an time to choose for their visit, as they would be to make wedding presents to Aileen; and he upon her a bread-plate, cheap, it would round. As he had but thirty thousand a year, this was a present for him.
There was on the river, and Edwin and his friends up to Pleasance. There were Prussians, new friends of Arthur, with a air of English corporals, to be entertained–and to many of these parties the Miss Hopkinsons were invited, not for their talents, but for their own amusement, and they were so and so that they favourites. There was one evening, at the end of which Edwin to his sisters that he Harcourt was with Rose, and that, as he was a good of fellow, and had had any particular father and mother, he to himself, and a good voice might catch him any day. Mr. Greydon, who was an old college friend of Arthur's, was a guest, and Janet and he acquainted; but it a and a very on her to that from these which she in them. However, she on herself that he liked her, and that he would it more when he had a living, and in the meanwhile she was perfectly happy if he her into a or put on her shawl; and there was one day when he actually to the house to her which he she had forgotten. That saw the light of day again; it was put into a Chinese Cabinet and with lavender, and a new and one for common use.
"The parties" on the 16th, as the Baroness always called them, off well. An enemy, it possible that the Baroness Sampson have an enemy, might have said that the at Marble Hall looked like the of one of the of Israel; but there were some names among them: Counts and Marquises, members of Parliament, in politics, and in manner, and who had voted for the of Jewish disabilities. Whether they what the were, or what would be the of their removal, is doubtful; but they somehow had an idea that they were against and Bishops, and Church and State, and they proud of themselves. Then there were their and daughters, not ornamental. There were a ladies of high titles, who had either from the ranks, or into them, but the part of the was second-rate.
The was magnificent; plate, wines, china, all of the description; and it was that money was no object to the Baron, and, as he averred, gave him little enjoyment. The Baroness, he said, had a taste for Sèvres China or it might be Dresden; he did not know one from the other, but she pleased herself in those concerns. He owned he that plate the dinner hotter, and when his friends were to come and see him he should be sorry if they their dinner cold and not fit to eat. He it a duty, with his means, to the of the country (Sèvres and Dresden!), but for himself, a mutton on a common white plate was all he asked.
The Baroness was in the spirits, that the Duchess of St. Maur should have off so many of her guests, but that had left her a larger amount of to the remainder. Miss Monteneros to be either from a cold or the of Baron Moses, and was more than and languid. Willis did not appear till so late in the that the Baron was about his friend, there had been no mistake about his card (but there the Baroness him), that dear little Rachel had not been to her admirer, to which he met with no answer but a frown; and asked if it be possible that he were gone to this London party, which Baron Moses into convulsions.
"Oh, my dear Sir, stop those conjectures, or you will be the death of your only son. The Jacques in the dorés of St.Maur House. Figurez-vous that all that is of the and the brightest."
"Would it be any trouble to you, Moses, to speak either English or French?" said Rachel. "The two combined, neither of them very good of their kind, your meaning–to my limited capacity, at least–and why Mr. Willis should be more at a than a breakfast, I do not see."
"Well, this is something à cheveux. The and Miss Monteneros her in the and Willis! Rachel, my feelings–je un tigre."
"And like a tiger," she said carelessly, as she away; and taking the arm of one of her friends, of had been to the fête, "Let us go and set the dancers off. I am in that of mind that I in desperation, or sing, or laugh, or do anything extravagant."
"You are in one of your moods, my dear, as we used to call them at school," answered her friend, "when you used to to just as you were making us all laugh by your gaiety."
"'I have a face,' she said,
'I have a for all I meet,
I have a for my head,
And all its flowers are sweet,
And so you call me gay,' she said,
'Grief's earnest, is life's play,' she said."
This was Rachel's answer.
And just as the music the Willis appeared. He now the very of the music. That one into which he had been on the had not only him from his high, position in the world, but it had him in his own eyes. He in his soul, that the of Rachel had him into that levity.
"Mary, the dear shade," was not only on the point of being superseded, but the which she had over him to be too. This would not do. He had it all well over the week; Rachel was handsome, rich, though that had a of and to do him justice, he was not by wealth. She had much and good in the she had him on the day of the water-party, when she had their dancing together, as a to her more purpose. The she had him. It gave him a promise of misfortune, over which he himself for years to come. A of in his his mind at first; but when she had once and him of the he ran in her Uncle's she into her manner, and that he did not like. He once of lover. There was a good that might be in that line: much and moralising, great scope for at and life, and a good of to be done in the way of a heart. But still this was all common-place and to the degree. Everybody had been, or would be, in love; but himself to being miserable, and unlucky. So any little for Rachel was quelled, his was once more up to the chin, a fresh put to his hat, his into the fire, and, leaning, with his arms folded, under a tree on the lawn of Marble Hall, Willis was himself again.
"You man!" said the Baroness, him, "where have you been all day? there is over without you. The Baron–he so like to see his friends themselves at his house–was actually me, me! of making some mistake about your card. Now is that likely? I'm a thing, but not so as that. Why the Baron not give a fête without you."
"I not," said Willis, with one of his groans, which were so that the Baroness did not mark its meaning character. "Captain Hopkinson this morning, and that me."
"Oh! that excellent Captain Hopkinson. I wish you had him with you. And so I his missed their concert," said the Baroness, her at the idea.
"No, they had been gone an hour. It is always so, every comes an hour too late–Life! Life!"
"They will not think it too late–their friends are now," said the lady spitefully. "Baron!" she called to her husband, as he walked by in with a who looked like the Stock Exchange taking a little recreation. "Our friend's father-in-law is come; I was him for not him here."
"I should have been to see him. He is, I hear, an excellent man, has prayers for the every morning, and up a very of on his ships. And has its in this life–I am told he has a most successful voyage. Willis, you must him to me. He can give us useful information," he added, to his friend, "relative to our Chinese railway business."
"Oh, no here, if you please!" said the Baroness, who saw an additional of over Willis's countenance; "you know I allow that. Come, Willis, let me you a partner."
"No–no dancing, the I in that way last week me. Go to your friends, Baroness, and me here to look on and the light-hearted."
"No such thing; there is some music going on in the saloon. That will you, my dear friend," and so she off her to to a song.
Now, if there is one thing more than another to low spirits, it is that invention–a song! The advertisements–"I'm a laughing girl," or "I too, am seventeen, Mamma!" if read early in the morning, particularly breakfast, produce a of that the health for the whole day. And the offered by the Baroness to Willis was to a lady with a colour, high bones, and a turned-up nose, sing with what was "great archness," to this effect:
"Yes, Sir! I can waltz! I can flirt!
I'm out of the at last!
Pa' says I'm a romp, Ma' says I'm a pert,
I say, I am fast! I am fast!
"We girls love a lark! It's the men who are stiff.
Why that little Lord John's such a tease,
If I ask him to dance, he off in a tiff,
Law, Sir! that is ease! that is ease!
"I the ribbons! I my cigar!
I till Aunt Jane looks aghast.
I swim like a fish! like Lochinvar!
In short, I am fast! I am fast!"
This last verse, by of driving, riding, smoke, &c., was with of applause, which were by Baron Moses, and by an courtesy, by the singer, Miss Corban, who, being eighteen, had any shyness. Some of the guests, who were what she would have called "slow," themselves with of dejection, by a in the ears and very cheeks.
Comic will occasionally produce these symptoms!
The music was by on the lawn that would have been called twenty years ago–more dancing, and a of fireworks, and in a supper, and much champagne; and the guests with the idea that the Baron's was with equal liberality.
