"I don't think I can stand this much longer," said Mr Mountchesney, theson-in-law of Lord de Mowbray, to his wife, as he stood before the emptyfire-place with his back to the mantelpiece and his hands thrust intothe pockets of his coat. "This living in the country in August bores meto extinction. I think we will go to Baden, Joan."
"But papa is so anxious, dearest Alfred, that we should remain here atpresent and see the neighbours a little."
"I might be induced to remain here to please your father, but as foryour neighbours I have seen quite enough of them. They are not a sortof people that I ever met before, or that I wish to meet again. I do notknow what to say to them, nor can I annex an idea to what they say tome. Heigho! certainly the country in August is a thing of which no onewho has not tried it has the most remote conception."
"But you always used to say you doted on the country, Alfred," said LadyJoan in a tone of tender reproach.
"So I do; I never was happier than when I was at Melton, and evenenjoyed the country in August when I was on the Moors."
"But I cannot well go to Melton," said Lady Joan.
"I don't see why you can't. Mrs Shelldrake goes with her husband toMelton, and so does Lady Di with Barham; and a very pleasant life itis."
"Well, at any rate we cannot go to Melton now," said Lady Joanmortified; "and it is impossible for me to go to the Moors."
"No, but I could go," said Mr Mountchesney, "and leave you here. I mighthave gone with Eugene de Vere and Milford and Fitz-heron. They wantedme very much. What a capital party it would have been, and what capitalsport we should have had! And I need not have been away for more thana month or perhaps six weeks, and I could have written to you every dayand all that sort of thing."
Lady Joan sighed and affected to recur to the opened volume which duringthis conversation she had held in her hand.
"I wonder where Maud is," said Mr Mountchesney; "I shall want her toride with me to-day. She is a capital horsewoman, and always amuses me.As you cannot ride now, Joan, I wish you would let Maud have Sunbeam."
"As you please."
"Well I am going to the stables and will tell them. Who is this?" MrMountchesney exclaimed, and then walked to the window that looking overthe park showed at a distance the advance of a very showy equipage.
Lady Joan looked up.
"Come here, Joan, and tell me who this is," and Lady Joan was at hisside in a moment.
"It is the livery of the Bardolfs," said Lady Joan.
"I always call them Firebrace; I cannot get out of it," said MrMountchesney. "Well, I am glad it is they; I thought it might be anirruption of barbarians. Lady Bardolf will bring us some news."
Lord and Lady Bardolf were not alone; they were accompanied by agentleman who had been staying on a visit at Firebrace, and who, beingacquainted with Lord de Mowbray, had paid his respects to the castle inhis way to London. This gentleman was the individual who had elevatedthem to the peerage--Mr Hatton. A considerable intimacy had sprungup between him and his successful clients. Firebrace was an old placerebuilt in the times of the Tudors, but with something of its moreancient portions remaining, and with a storehouse of muniments that hadescaped the civil wars. Hatton revelled in them, and in pursuing hisresearches, had already made discoveries which might perhaps place thecoronet of the earldom of Lovel on the brow of the former championof the baronetage, who now however never mentioned the Order. Lord deMowbray was well content to see Mr Hatton, a gentleman in whom he didnot repose the less confidence, because his advice given him three yearsago, respecting the writ of right and the claim upon his estate hadproved so discreet and correct. Acting on that advice Lord de Mowbrayhad instructed his lawyers to appear to the action without entering intoany unnecessary explanation of the merits of his case. He counted on theaccuracy of Mr Hatton's judgment, that the claim would not be pursued;and he was right; after some fencing and preliminary manoeuvring, theclaim had not been pursued. Lord de Mowbray therefore, alwaysgracious, was disposed to accord a very distinguished reception to hisconfidential counsellor. He pressed very much his guests to remain withhim some days, and though that was not practicable, Mr Hatton promisedthat he would not leave the neighbourhood without paying another visitto the castle.
"And you continue quiet here?" said Mr Hatton to Lord de Mowbray.
"And I am told we shall keep so," said Lord de Mowbray. "The mills aremostly at work, and the men take the reduced wages in a good spirit. Thefact is our agitators in this neighbourhood suffered pretty smartly in'39, and the Chartists have lost their influence.
"I am sorry for poor Lady St Julians," said Lady Bardolf to Lady deMowbray. "It must be such a disappointment, and she has had so many; butI understand there is nobody to blame but herself. If she had only leftthe Prince alone, but she would not be quiet!"
"And where are the Deloraines?"
"They are at Munich; with which they are delighted. And Lady Delorainewrites me that Mr Egremont has promised to join them there. If he do,they mean to winter at Rome."
"Somebody said he was going to be married," said Lady de Mowbray.
"His mother wishes him to marry," said Lady Bardolf; "but I have heardnothing."
Mr Mountchesney came in and greeted the Bardolfs with some warmth. "Howdelightful in the country in August to meet somebody that you have seenin London in June!" he exclaimed. "Now, dear Lady Bardolf do tell mesomething, for you can conceive nothing so triste as we are here. Wenever get a letter. Joan only corresponds with philosophers and Maudwith clergymen; and none of my friends ever write to me."
"Perhaps you never write to them?"
"Well, I never have been a letter writer; because really I never wantedto write or to be written to. I always knew what was going on because Iwas on the spot; I was doing the things that people were writing lettersabout--but now not being in the world any longer, doing nothing, livingin the country--and the country in August--I should like to receiveletters every day, but I do not know who to fix upon as a correspondent.Eugene de Vere will not write, Milford cannot; and as for Fitz-heron heis so very selfish, he always wants his letters answered."
"That is very unreasonable," said Lady Bardolf.
"Besides what can they tell me at this moment? They have gone to theMoors and are enjoying themselves. They asked me to go with them, but Icould not go, because you see I could not leave Joan; though why I couldnot leave her, I really cannot understand, because Egerton has got somemoors this year, and he leaves Lady Augusta with her father."
Lady Maud entered the room in her bonnet, returning from an airing. Shewas all animation--charmed to see everybody; she had been to Mowbray tohear some singing at the Roman Catholic chapel in that town; a servicehad been performed and a collection made for the suffering workpeople ofthe place. She had been apprised of it for some days, was told that shewould hear the most beautiful voice that she had ever listened to, butit had far exceeded her expectations. A female voice it seemed; notones could be conceived more tender and yet more thrilling: in shortseraphic.
Mr Mountchesney blamed her for not taking him. He liked music, singing,especially female singing; when there was so little to amuse him, he wassurprised that Lady Maud had not been careful that he should havebeen present. His sister-in-law reminded him that she had particularlyrequested him to drive her over to Mowbray, and he had declined thehonour as a bore.
"Yes," said Mr Mountchesney, "but I thought Joan was going with you, andthat you would be shopping."
"It was a good thing our House was adjourned before these disturbancesin Lancashire," said Lord Bardolf to Lord de Mowbray.
"The best thing we can all do is to be on our estates I believe," saidLord de Mowbray.
"My neighbour Marney is in a great state of excitement," said LordBardolf; "all his yeomanry out."
"But he is quiet at Marney?"
"In a way; but these fires puzzle us. Marney will not believe that thecondition of the labourer has anything to do with them; and he certainlyis a very acute man. But still I don
't know what to say to it. Thepoor-law is very unpopular in my parish. Marney will have it, that theincendiaries are all strangers hired by the anti-Corn-law League."
"Ah! here is Lady Joan," exclaimed Lady Bardolf, as the wife of MrMountchesney entered the room; "My dearest Lady Joan!"
"Why Joan," said Mr Mountchesney, "Maud has been to Mowbray, and heardthe most delicious singing. Why did we not go?"
"I did mention it to you, Alfred."
"I remember you said something about going to Mowbray, and that youwanted to go to several places. But there is nothing I hate so much asshopping. It bores me more than anything. And you are so peculiarly longwhen you are shopping. But singing, and beautiful singing in a Catholicchapel by a woman; perhaps a beautiful woman, that is quite a differentthing, and I should have been amused, which nobody seems ever to thinkof here. I do not know how you find it, Lady Bardolf, but the countryto me in August is a something;"--and not finishing his sentence, MrMountchesney gave a look of inexpressible despair.
"And you did not see this singer?" said Mr Hatton, sidling up to LadyMaud, and speaking in a subdued tone.
"I did not, but they tell me she is most beautiful; somethingextraordinary; I tried to see her, but it was impossible."
"Is she a professional singer?"
"I should imagine not; a daughter of one of the Mowbray people Ibelieve."
"Let us have her over to the Castle, Lady de Mowbray," said MrMountchesney.
"If you like," replied Lady de Mowbray, with a languid smile.
"Well at last I have got something to do," said Mr Mountchesney. "I willride over to Mowbray, find out the beautiful singer, and bring her tothe Castle."
Book 6 Chapter 5