CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
A VERY BAD DINNER.
"And I could have told her so easily then," thought Frank, as he wentaway feeling proud and pleased, and yet more troubled than ever. "WeanAndrew from his ideas? I wonder whether I could. Of course I shall tryhard; and if I succeeded, what a thing to have done! I'm not going tothink which side is right or wrong. We're the King's servants, and havenothing to do with such matters. Drew has been trying to get me over totheir side. Now I'm going to make him come to ours, in spite of all theMr George Selbys in London."
That afternoon the Princess's reception-rooms were crowded by abrilliant assemblage of court ladies and gentlemen, many of whom were inuniform; and there was plenty to take the attention of a lad fresh fromthe country, without troubling himself about political matters. He sawhis father, but not to speak to. The latter gave him a quick look and anod, though, which the boy interpreted to mean, "Don't forget thisevening."
"Just as if I am likely to," thought Frank, as he gazed proudly afterthe handsome, manly-looking officer. He had a glimpse or two of hismother, who was in close attendance upon the Princess, and with anatural feeling of pride the lad thought to himself that his father andmother were the most royal-looking couple there.
At last he found himself close to Andrew Forbes, who eagerly joined him,their duties having till now kept them separate.
"Isn't it horrible?" said Andrew, with a look of disgust in his flushedface.
"Horrible! I thought it the grandest sight I have ever seen. What doyou mean by horrible?"
"This guttural chattering of the people. Why, you can hardly hear anEnglish word spoken. It's all double Dutch, till I feel as if my teethwere set on edge."
"Nonsense! Good chance to learn German."
"I'd rather learn Hottentot. Look too what a lot of fat, muffin-facedwomen there are, and stupid, smoky, sour-kraut-eating men. To my mindthere are only two people worth looking at, and they are your father andmother."
Frank, who had felt irritated at his companion's persistent carping,began to glow, for he felt that his companion's words were genuine.
"Yes, they do look well, don't they?"
"Splendid. I do like your mother, Frank."
"Well, she likes you."
"H'm. I don't know," said the lad dubiously.
"But I do," said Frank quickly. "She told me so only this afternoon."
"What! Here, tell me what she said."
"That she knew your mother so well, and that it was sad about her dyingso young, and that she felt, as I took it, something the same toward youas she did toward me."
"Did--did she talk like that, Frank?" said Andrew, with his lower lipquivering a little.
"Yes; and told me she hoped I should always be a good friend to you, andkeep you out of mischief."
"Stuff!" cried Andrew. "I'm sure she did not say that."
"She did," said Frank warmly. "Not in those words, perhaps; but thatwas what she meant."
Andrew laughed derisively.
"Why, I'm a couple of years nearly older than you."
"So she said; but she spoke as if she thought that I could influenceyou."
"Bless her!" said Andrew warmly. "I feel as proud of her as you do,Frank, only I'm sorry for her to be here amongst all these miserableGerman people. Look, there's that stuck-up, conceited BaronBrokenstone, or whatever his name is. A common German adventurer,that's what he is; and yet he's received here at court."
"Well, he's one of the King's Hanoverian generals."
"I should like to meet him under one of our generals," said Andrew. "Iconsider it an insult for a fellow like that to be speaking to yourmother--our mother, Frank, if she talks about me like that. I hate him,and feel as if I should like to go and hit him across the face with myglove."
"What for? Oh, I say, Drew, what a hot-headed fellow you are."
"It isn't my head, Franky; it's my heart. It seems to burn when I seethese insolent Dutch officers lording it here, and smiling in theirhalf-contemptuous, half-insulting way at our English ladies. Ugh! Iwonder your father doesn't stop it. Look at him yonder, standing as ifhe were made of stone. I shall tell him what I think to-night."
"You would never be so foolish and insulting," said Frank warmly. "Hewould be angry."
"No, I suppose I must not," said Andrew gloomily. "He would say it wasthe impertinence of a boy."
They had to separate directly after, and a few minutes later Frank sawhis father crossing the room toward the door. Frank was nearest, and bya quick movement reached it first, and stepped outside so as to get aword or two from him as he came out. But Sir Robert was stopped on hisway, and some minutes elapsed before Frank saw the manly, upright figureemerge from the gaily dressed crowd which filled the anteroom, andstride toward him, but evidently without noticing his presence.
"Father," he whispered.
Sir Robert turned upon him a fierce, angry face, his eyes flashing, andlips moving as if he were talking to himself. But the stern lookssoftened to a smile as he recognised his son, and he spoke hurriedly:
"Don't stop me, my boy; I'm not fit to talk to you now. Oh, absurd!"
"Is anything the matter, father?" said Frank anxiously, as he laid hishand on his father's arm.
"Matter? Oh, nothing, boy. Just a trifle put out. The rooms are veryhot. There, I must go. Don't forget to-night, you and young Forbes."
He nodded and strode on, leaving his son wondering; for he had neverseen such a look before upon his father's face.
He thought no more of it then, for his attention was taken up by thecoming of the Princess with her ladies, the reception being at an end;while soon after Andrew Forbes joined him, and began questioning himagain about Lady Gowan, and what she had said about his dead mother,ending by turning Frank's attention from the emotion he could hardlyhide by saying banteringly:
"You'll have to be very strict with me, Frank, or you'll have a greatdeal of trouble to make me a good boy."
"I shall manage it," said Frank, with a laugh; and not very long afterthey were on their way to the Guards' messroom, both trying to appearcool and unconcerned, but each feeling nervous at the idea of diningwith the officers.
Sir Robert was there, looking rather flushed and excited, as he stoodtalking to a brother-officer in the large room set apart for the Guards;but his face lit up with a pleasant smile as the boys entered, and hegreeted them warmly, and introduced them to the officer with him.
"Makes one feel old, Murray," he said, "to have a couple of greatfellows like these for sons."
"Sons? I thought that--" began the officer.
"Oh, about this fellow," said Sir Robert merrily. "Oh yes, he'sForbes's boy; but Lady Gowan and I seem to have adopted him like. Sortof step-parents to him--eh, Andrew?"
"I wish I could quite feel that, Sir Robert," said Andrew warmly.
"Well, quite feel it then, my lad," said Sir Robert, clapping him on theshoulder. "It rests with you.--Think Frank here will ever be man enoughfor a soldier, Murray?"
"Man enough? Of course," said the officer addressed. "We must get themboth commissions as soon as they're old enough. Forbes might beginnow."
"H'm! Ha!" said Sir Robert, giving the lad a dry look. "Andrew Forbeswill have to wait a bit."
Then, seeing the blood come into the lad's face at the remark whichmeant so much:
"He's going to wait for Frank here.--Well, isn't it nearlydinner-time?--Hungry, boys?"
"Er--no, sir," said Andrew.
"Frank is," said Sir Robert, smiling at his son.
"Can't help it, father," said the boy frankly. "I always am."
"And a capital sign too, my lad," said the officer addressed as Murray."There's nothing like a fine healthy appetite in a boy. It means makingbone and muscle, and growing. Oh yes, he'll be as big as you are,Gowan. Make a finer man, I'll be bound."
"Don't look like it," said Sir Robert merrily; "why, the boy's blushinglike a great girl."
&n
bsp; The conversation was ended by the entrance of several other officers,who all welcomed the two lads warmly, and seemed pleased to do all theycould to set at their ease the son and _protege_ of the most popularofficer in the regiment.
Captain Murray, his father's friend, was chatting with Frank, when hesuddenly said:
"Here are the rest of the guests."
Six German officers entered the room, and Frank started and turned toglance at his father, and then at Andrew, whom he found looking in hisdirection; but Sir Robert had advanced with the elderly colonel of theregiment, and Captain Murray rose as well.
"I shall have to play interpreter," he said, smiling. "Come along, andthe colonel will introduce you two, or I will. They don't speak anyEnglish; and if you two do not, your father and I are the only menpresent who know German."
The introductions followed, and feeling very uncomfortable all thewhile, Frank and his companion were in due course made known to BaronSteinberg, Count Von Baumhof, and to the four other guests, whose nameshe did not catch; and then, by the help of Captain Murray and SirRobert, a difficult conversation was carried on, the German officersassuming a haughty, condescending manner towards the Guardsmen, who weremost warm in their welcome.
At the end of a few minutes Captain Murray returned to where the twolads were standing, leaving Sir Robert trying his best to comprehend thevisitors, and translating their words to the colonel and hisbrother-officers.
"Rather an unthankful task," said the captain, smiling. "These Germanstreat us as if they had conquered the country, and we were theirservants. Never mind; I suppose it is their nature to."
"Yes," said Andrew warmly; "they make my blood boil. I know I am only aboy; but that was no reason why they should insult Frank Gowan here andme with their sneering, contemptuous looks."
"Never mind, my lad. I noticed it. Show them, both of you, that youare English gentlemen, and know how to treat strangers and guests."
"Yes, yes, of course," said Frank hastily.
"They will be more civil after dinner. Ah, and there it is."
For the door was thrown open, one of the servants announced the dinner,and the colonel led off with Baron Steinberg, after saying a few wordsto Sir Robert, who came directly to his brother-officer.
"The colonel wishes the places to be changed, Murray," he said, "so thatyou and I can be closer to the head of the table on either side, to dothe talking with the visitors. I wish you would take my boy here onyour left. Forbes, my lad, you come and sit with me."
Andrew had begun to look a little glum at being set on one side onaccount of the German officers; but at Sir Robert's last words hebrightened up a little, and they followed into the messroom, which wasdecorated with the regimental colours; the hall looked gay with its finedisplay of plate, glass, flowers, and fruit, and the band was playing ina room just beyond.
The scene drove away all the little unpleasantry, and the dinnerproceeded, with the colonel and his officers doing their best toentertain their guests, but only seeming to succeed with the two pagesof honour, to whom everything was, in its novelty, thoroughlydelightful. The German officers, though noblemen and gentlemen, gavetheir hosts a very poor example of good breeding, being all throughexceedingly haughty and overbearing, and treating the attempts of SirRobert and Captain Murray to act as their interpreters to the coloneland the other officers with a contempt that was most galling; and morethan once Frank saw his father, who was opposite, bite his lip and lookacross at Captain Murray, who, after one of these glances, whispered toFrank:
"Your dad's getting nettled, my lad, and I find it very consoling."
"Why?" said Frank, who felt annoyed with himself for enjoying theevening so much.
"Why? Because I was fancying that I must have a very hasty temper forminding what has been taking place. Do you know any German at all?"
"Very little," said Frank quickly.
"What a pity! You could have said something to this stolid gentleman onmy right. He seems to think I am a waiter."
"I thought he was very rude several times."
"Well, yes, I suppose we must call it rude. The poor old colonel yonderis in misery; he does hardly anything but wipe his forehead. Does notyoung Forbes speak German?"
"No, he hates it," said Frank hastily.
"Enough to make him," muttered the captain. "But never mind; you mustboth come and dine with us another time, when we are all Englishmenpresent. This is a dreary business; but we must make the best of it."
He turned to say something courteous to the heavy, silent officer on hisright, but it was coldly received, and after a few words the Germanturned to converse with one of his fellow-countrymen, others joined in,and the colonel looked more troubled and chagrined than ever.
The dinner went slowly on; and at last, with the conversationprincipally carried on by the German guests, who were on more than oneoccasion almost insolent to their entertainers, the dessert wascommenced, several of the officers drawing their chairs closer, and ayoung ensign, who looked very little older than Frank, whispered to him:
"I heard your father say that you were coming into the army."
"Yes, I hope to," replied the lad.
"Then you set to at once to study German. We shall be having everythingGerman soon."
"Then I shall not join," said Andrew across the table; and the officeron his right laughed.
Sir Robert and Captain Murray were too much occupied now to pay anyattention to their young guests, who found the officers below them eagerto make up for this, and they began chatting freely, so that this wasthe pleasantest part of the evening. But at the upper part of the tablematters were getting more strained. The colonel and his friends, whomhe had placed with the foreign guests, after trying hard all through tomake themselves agreeable and to entertain the visitors, had received somany rebuffs that they became cold and silent, while the Germans grewmore and more loud in their remarks across the table to each other.Many of these remarks were broad allusions to the country in which theywere and its people, and the annoyance he felt was plainly marked on SirRobert's brow in deeply cut parallel lines.
Ignoring their hosts, the visitors now began to cut jokes about whatthey had seen, and from a word here and there which, thanks to hismother, Frank was able to grasp, they were growing less and lessparticular about what they said.
Baron Steinberg had had a great deal to say in a haughtily contemptuousmanner, and Frank noticed that whenever he spoke his friends listened tohim with a certain amount of deference, as if he were the most importantman present. He noted, too, that when the baron was speaking his fatherlooked more and more stern, but whenever it fell to his lot to interpretsomething said by the colonel he was most studiously courteous to theguest.
Frank had grown interested in an anecdote being related for his andAndrew's benefit by one of the young officers below, and as it was beingtold very humorously his back was half turned to the upper part of thetable, and he was leaning forward so as not to miss a word. At the sametime, though, he was half-conscious that the baron on the colonel'sright was talking loudly, and saying something which greatly amused hiscompatriots, when all at once Sir Robert Gowan sprang to his feet, andCaptain Murray cried across the table to him:
"Gowan! for Heaven's sake take no notice."
Frank's heart began to throb violently, as he saw his father dart afierce look at his brother-officer, and then take a couple of strides upthe side of the table to where the baron sat on the colonel's right.
"Gowan, what is the matter?" cried the colonel. "What has he said?"
"I'll interpret afterwards, sir," said Sir Robert, in a deep, hoarsevoice, "when we are alone;" then fiercely to the baron in German: "Takeback those words, sir. It is an insult--a lie!"
The baron sprang to his feet, his example being followed by hisbrother-officers, and, leaning forward, he seemed about to strike, butwith a brutally contemptuous laugh he bent down, caught up his glass,and threw it and its contents in Sir Robert's fa
ce.
Every one had risen now, and Captain Murray made a rush to reach theother side; but before he was half-way there, Frank had seen his fatherdart forward, there was the sound of a heavy blow, and the German baronfell back with his chair, the crash resounding through the room, butonly to be drowned by the fierce roar of voices, as the German officersclapped their hands to their swordless sides, and then made a rush toseize Sir Robert.
The colonel could not speak a word of German, but his looks and gesturessufficed as he sprang before them.
"Keep back, gentlemen!" he said; "I am in ignorance of the cause of allthis."
"A most gross insult, sir!" cried Captain Murray angrily.
"Silence, sir!" cried the colonel. "These gentlemen were _my_ guests,and whatever was said Captain Sir Robert Gowan has committed anunpardonable breach of social duty. To your quarters, sir, without aword."
"Right, colonel," replied Sir Robert quietly, as he stood pale andstern, returning the vindictive looks of the German guests, who wouldhave attacked him but for the action taken by his brother-officers.
What took place afterward was confused to Frank by the giddy excitementin his brain; but he was conscious of seeing the baron assisted to achair, and then talking in savage anger to his compatriots, while at theother end of the room there was another knot where the younger officersand Captain Murray were with Sir Robert.
"It was a mad thing to do, Gowan," cried the former.
"Flesh and blood could not bear it, lad," replied Frank's father. "Mad?What would you have done if in the presence of your son those words hadbeen uttered?"
"As you did, old lad," cried Captain Murray, with his face flushing,"and then stamped my heel upon his face."
There was a low murmur of satisfaction from the young officers around.
"Hah!" said Sir Robert, "I thought so." Then with a quiet smile hecaught Andrew's and Frank's hands: "So sorry, my dear boys, to havespoiled your evening. Go now.--Murray, old lad, see them off, and thencome to my quarters."
"Oh, Sir Robert," whispered Andrew, clinging to his hand, and speakingin a low, passionate voice, "I am glad. That did me good."
"What! You understood his words?"
"I? No."
"That's right! Go now, Frank boy. One moment, my lad. You aresuddenly called upon to act like a man."
"Yes, father! What do you want me to do?"
"Keep silence, my lad. Not a word about this must reach your mother'sears."
"Come, Frank, my lad," said Captain Murray gently. "You are better awayfrom here."
The words seemed to come from a distance, but the lad started andfollowed the captain outside, where the young officers gathered abouthim, eager to shake hands and tell him that they were all so glad; buthe hardly heard them, and it was in a strangely confused way that heparted from Captain Murray, who said that he could go no farther, as hewanted to hurry back to Sir Robert.
Then the two lads were alone.
"What does it all mean, Drew?" cried Frank passionately. "Oh, I must goback. It's cowardly to come away from my father now."
"You can't go to him. He'll be under arrest."
"Arrest!" cried Frank.
"Yes, for certain. But don't look like that, lad. It's glorious--it'sgrand."
"But arrest? He said it was an insult. They can't punish him forthat."
"Punishment? Pooh! What does that matter? Every gentleman in the armywill shout for him, and the men throw up their caps. Oh, it's grand--it's grand! And they'll meet, of course; and Sir Robert must--heshall--he will too. He'll run the miserable German through."
"What? Fight! My father fight--with him?"
"Yes, as sure as we should have done after such a row at school."
"But--with swords?"
"Officers don't fight with fists."
"Oh!" cried Frank wildly; "then that's what he meant when he said thatmy mother must not know."