WHEN Janet and Rose returned from their concert, the door was opened for them by their father, and in the of this meeting, St. Maur House was for the time forgotten, almost in disgrace, for having taken them away just at the moment. Captain Hopkinson was a particularly father, and that his own children were to the children of all other fathers, that nobody ought to fault with them, because, as he observed, they had no faults! It was very odd, he had out to India hundreds of women, well educated, women; but some had tempers, some were nervous, some would with the cadets, most of them were affected, and all of them sea-sick. "Now my girls are nice, natural, good-humoured girls, they would not give that " (whatever that is) "for the of a whole of those boys; and the only time I gave them a in the Alacrity they were as on their as if they had been at sea all their lives." Janet was the of the two, so at every return from his he out she had considerably, and as Rose was pale, he much on her looks. Now that they upon him dressed, thanks to Mademoiselle Justine's supervision, in very costumes, by the of the day, and with the of him–he looked at them with the admiration, and when they left the room to take off their finery, he to his wife and said, "Well, old lady, those are not bad-looking girls, by any means. Why, the Miss Wallaces, who out to Calcutta this last time, and were great beauties, and gave me no end of trouble all the on would to them–they were not to be named in a day with our girls."
"Law, my dear, you see them out just for once in a way, and I don't think, John, you'll like the bill when you see it."
"Oh, the bills, I don't them a little finery. Could not they always be so, Jane? I should like to give them a walk in these gowns, one on each arm, just to see people stare."
"Stare! I should think they well might, if they saw our girls go about Dulham in those fly-away gowns. No, it's all very well for once in a way, as they had a to this music; and as the Duchess was so as to ask them, I it to dress them out; but we must go to the old gowns, John. And to-morrow you must go and see that Captain Templeton, Lord Chester that was–no, is, I mean–and they are so to little Charlie. What have you for Charlie, John?"
"For Charlie? Well! if I did not him altogether–I had no time for going about bazaars. Regent Street for my money if you want anything."
This was a little after every voyage. Captain Hopkinson always gave it to be that his family had been by him from the hour he sailed; and then, when the ship came up the river, stores of shawls, and came out for days–rarities from every port at which he had touched.
The girls came in their gowns, and "Papa would not his Cinderella's," and still he them very to the Miss Wallaces, and himself in the of two Indian shawls, now in his locker, on the Alacrity. His arm-chair was from its banishment. Mrs. Hopkinson so and so red in the if sat in "John's chair," that the girls always it from the drawing-room when he was away; but this it was replaced at the of the table, and when they all four sat to their meal, and the Captain said grace, adding thanks for his return to his dear wife and children, they all to as if the had to them, till Mrs. Hopkinson, her eyes, observed, "Well, if there were four in the world, here they sit. The idea of our John's come home. It's just like Willis. How Willis would having a good with us–I wish he were here."
"Indeed, I don't mamma, it is the last thing I should like–spoiling papa's day. I was just of the over the door, and that we should all to be out or asleep if he came. And, besides, we have so much to tell you. The was such fun, and St. Maur House is so magnificent."
"And then the music!" said Rose. "I think, mamma, they must be laughing at us when they our singing. If you but have that of Piccolomini and Giuglini's, I wonder what you would have said. It took away my breath."
"Oh, I know the of thing," said Captain Hopkinson, "I used to go to the Opera at Lisbon, and such a quavering, and shaking, and screaming, with great loud of the at the end, to you. When I on again and John Leary, one of our best mizzen-top-men, sing Home, sweet home, the of the watch joining in the chorus, I that was music–the other was only noise."
"John Leary–he has with you times, my dear," said Mrs. Hopkinson, who was in mind the Alacrity and St. Maur House, "he has a sweet voice; and his wife has had while he was away. But I say Pico–what's his name–is he a man or a woman?–sings very well too. One of the is called John. And, I suppose, the Duchess had not time to take any notice of you, girls?"
"But she did, indeed, mamma; you know we were with Lady Sarah, and the Duchess took such of her, and took her and Miss Grenville to some of the best places in the room, and us there with them, and when she was walking by with the Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Mary, she stopped to talk to us and asked how we liked the music."
"Did she indeed?" said Mrs. Hopkinson, looking pleased; "and so you saw the Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Mary close. Only to think, John, of our girls being at a party with their Royal Highnesses. When you came in so and asked what had of them, you little they were in such company, and all just is so very good-natured. Only think there was a Sir Somebody Something, who, it appears, asked your father to at his house at Garden Reach, all the time the Alacrity was at Calcutta; and Lady Chester has Charlie such a little dog. And, I say, if the Queen had come to St. Maur House, the Duchess would have been just the same to you. People are so kind. I Her Majesty did not in?" added Mrs. Hopkinson faintly.
"No, mamma."
"No, of not; what with all her children, and what with making and making peace, and and Parliaments, and the Government always changing, she has not much time for visiting, thing! I you did not know any of the company?"
"Oh yes, there were Lord Chester, and Colonel Hilton, and Mr. Grenville; and Mr. Harcourt," said Janet, "got a seat next to Rose."
Captain Hopkinson Rose had more colour now than her sister.
"And Mr. Greydon," said Rose, "took us to the room, and to the carriage."
Janet herself up, and her father said she was a tall woman now. Then the Alacrity the for a time: there had been that to the hearers, but which were of great merit, as the of the ship; then in a she had nearly off the of Tattyminibo, having it for the port of Tammyhominy, and no other ship have so under the as she did. Mrs. Hopkinson was that it was the which was to blame, and which had come and put itself in the way; she of an in the Mediterranean or Baffin's Bay that had played just the same trick; and then, as she to of at sea, she the to her own doings the day–how Lady Chester had sent for her to give her opinion upon some that had been sent to Pleasance; and how she had the cheapest, which were than any she had seen; and how Lady Chester had always the dearest; and how they had had a about and babies, and Charlie; and how she had just got home and was about the Valenciennes the mantle, when John walked in.
And at this in walked Willis, gloomy, after the Marble Hall festivities.
"All black again," Rose to her sister, "even to his gloves; then there has been no proposal."
"Or a refusal," answered her sister; "he will be than ever."
But Willis was a different man under the of his sensible, father-in-law, from when he over the good-natured Mrs. Hopkinson. Captain Hopkinson a large of good to every of querulousness–put the of grievances, as not consideration, and either or laughed at the of the day. Parade of he looked upon as an impossibility. It was to be with alone, not on the attention of the public. And by in the that Willis must take some in the of others, and by him as a of his own very family, he always him into a more shape. Willis did not like it, but he succumbed. In fact, it would have been difficult to the of that cheerful-looking room and that happy family. He to ask if the girls had been amused, and when Mrs. Hopkinson asked if Princess Mary's was blue, though she ought to have that the was in for the Prince of Saxe Badenheim. He gave a account of the at Marble Hall, in the that there were a great many over-dressed people, that the tables were over-loaded, and the ball-room over-crowded.
"In short, it was nearly all 'over' with you, Charles," said Captain Hopkinson.
"With me?" said Willis, "oh, I see; a pun–I am not quick at puns. In fact, I am not in to-night." (Janet and Rose looked at each other.) "The Baroness took me to the singing," and he naturally as he mentioned the song and the more songstress.
"But there is nothing in that," said Janet; "you often us sing?"
"Yes, so often that it not me at all; I am used to it; I it. It not prevent me from to my book," and Willis that he was paying his sisters a most compliment, "but this Miss Corban out her jokes, so that it was to help them. It was a spectacle!"
"Could not you just give us an idea, Charles, of the air, and some of the words?" said Rose.
"I! I sing a song! my dear Rose, do think a little you speak. Have you anything in me that would lead you to than I can sing?"
"No, but I never, till the other day, saw anything in you that me to you dance. Singing may come next. Papa, you can't think how well Charles dances, such little chassés and balancés, and his was almost a and a half. It was to look at him."
Willis up and the room as Captain Hopkinson's of his triumphs, and took up his to go. But he went, he that Baron Sampson was to make with the Captain, and to some that might be of to one of his schemes; and a of him to add, "He is a man, and you had take his statements, where any are concerned, with a little abatement."
"He is not a after all," said the Captain as the door closed on Willis.
"Who? dear Willis? Oh no! he is too tender-hearted, and cannot over Mary's loss, otherwise, as I tell the girls, he would be as as else." It need be added that this was by Mrs. Hopkinson.
