CHAPTER XI.
SIR HUGH AND HIS BROTHER ARCHIE.
There was a numerous gathering of Claverings in the drawing-room ofthe Great House when the family from the rectory arrived comprisingthree generations; for the nurse was in the room holding the heirin her arms. Mrs. Clavering and Fanny of course inspected the childat once, as they were bound to do, while Lady Clavering welcomedFlorence Burton. Archie spoke a word or two to his uncle, and SirHugh vouchsafed to give one finger to his cousin Harry by wayof shaking hands with him. Then there came a feeble squeak fromthe infant, and there was a cloud at once upon Sir Hugh's brow."Hermione," he said, "I wish you wouldn't have the child in here.It's not the place for him. He's always cross. I've said a dozentimes I wouldn't have him down here just before dinner." Then a signwas made to the nurse, and she walked off with her burden. It was apoor, rickety, unalluring bairn, but it was all that Lady Claveringhad, and she would fain have been allowed to show it to herrelatives, as other mothers are allowed to do.
"Hugh," said his wife, "shall I introduce you to Miss Burton?"
Then Sir Hugh came forward and shook hands with his new guest, withsome sort of apology for his remissness, while Harry stood by,glowering at him, with offence in his eye. "My father is right,"he had said to himself when his cousin failed to notice Florenceon her first entrance into the room; "he is impertinent as well asdisagreeable. I don't care for quarrels in the parish, and so I shalllet him know."
"Upon my word she's a doosed good-looking little thing," said Archie,coming up to him, after having also shaken hands with her;--"doosedgood-looking, I call her."
"I'm glad you think so," said Harry, drily.
"Let's see; where was it you picked her up? I did hear, but Iforget."
"I picked her up, as you call it, at Stratton, where her fatherlives."
"Oh, yes; I know. He's the fellow that coached you in your newbusiness, isn't he? By-the-by, Harry, I think you've made a mess ofit in changing your line. I'd have stuck to my governor's shop if I'dbeen you. You'd got through all the d----d fag of it, and there's theliving that has always belonged to a Clavering."
"What would your brother have said if I had asked him to give it tome?"
"He wouldn't have given it of course. Nobody does give anything toanybody now-a-days. Livings are a sort of thing that people buy. Butyou'd have got it under favourable circumstances."
"The fact is, Archie, I'm not very fond of the church, as aprofession."
"I should have thought it easy work. Look at your father. He keepsa curate and doesn't take any trouble himself. Upon my word, if I'dknown as much then as I do now, I'd have had a shy for it myself.Hugh couldn't have refused it to me."
"But Hugh can't give it while his uncle holds it."
"That would have been against me to be sure, and your governor's lifeis pretty nearly as good as mine. I shouldn't have liked waiting; soI suppose it's as well as it is."
There may perhaps have been other reasons why Archie Clavering'sregrets that he did not take holy orders were needless. He had neversucceeded in learning anything that any master had ever attempted toteach him, although he had shown considerable aptitude in picking upacquirements for which no regular masters are appointed. He knew thefathers and mothers,--sires and dams I ought perhaps to say,--andgrandfathers and grandmothers, and so back for some generations,of all the horses of note living in his day. He knew also thecircumstances of all races,--what horses would run at them, and atwhat ages, what were the stakes, the periods of running, and thespecial interests of each affair. But not, on that account, should itbe thought that the turf had been profitable to him. That it mightbecome profitable at some future time, was possible; but CaptainArchibald Clavering had not yet reached the profitable stage inthe career of a betting man, though perhaps he was beginning toqualify himself for it. He was not bad-looking, though his face wasunprepossessing to a judge of character. He was slight and well made,about five feet nine in height, with light brown hair, which hadalready left the top of his head bald, with slight whiskers, and awell-formed moustache. But the peculiarity of his face was in hiseyes. His eyebrows were light-coloured and very slight, and this wasmade more apparent by the skin above the eyes, which was loose andhung down over the outside corners of them, giving him a look ofcunning which was disagreeable. He seemed always to be speculating,counting up the odds, and calculating whether anything could be donewith the events then present before him. And he was always ready tomake a bet, being ever provided with a book for that purpose. Hewould take the odds that the sun did not rise on the morrow, andwould either win the bet or wrangle in the losing of it. He wouldwrangle, but would do so noiselessly, never on such occasionsdamaging his cause by a loud voice. He was now about thirty-threeyears of age, and was two years younger than the baronet. Sir Hughwas not a gambler like his brother, but I do not know that hewas therefore a more estimable man. He was greedy and anxious toincrease his store, never willing to lose that which he possessed,fond of pleasure, but very careful of himself in the enjoyment ofit, handsome, every inch an English gentleman in appearance, andtherefore popular with men and women of his own class who were notnear enough to him to know him well, given to but few words, proudof his name, and rank, and place, well versed in the business of theworld, a match for most men in money matters, not ignorant, though herarely opened a book, selfish, and utterly regardless of the feelingsof all those with whom he came in contact. Such were Sir HughClavering and his brother the captain.
Sir Hugh took Florence in to dinner, and when the soup had been eatenmade an attempt to talk to her. "How long have you been here, MissBurton?"
"Nearly a week," said Florence.
"Ah;--you came to the wedding; I was sorry I couldn't be here. Itwent off very well, I suppose?"
"Very well indeed, I think."
"They're tiresome things in general,--weddings. Don't you think so?"
"Oh dear, no,--except that some person one loves is always beingtaken away."
"You'll be the next person to be taken away yourself, I suppose?"
"I must be the next person at home, because I am the last that isleft. All my sisters are married."
"And how many are there?"
"There are five married."
"Good heavens--five!"
"And they are all married to men in the same profession as Harry."
"Quite a family affair," said Sir Hugh. Harry, who was sitting onthe other side of Florence, heard this, and would have preferredthat Florence should have said nothing about her sisters. "Why,Harry," said the baronet, "if you will go into partnership with yourfather-in-law and all your brothers-in-law you could stand againstthe world."
"You might add my four brothers," said Florence, who saw no shame inthe fact that they were all engaged in the same business.
"Good heaven!" exclaimed Sir Hugh, and after that he did not say muchmore to Florence.
The rector had taken Lady Clavering in to dinner, and they two didmanage to carry on between them some conversation respecting theparish affairs. Lady Clavering was not active among the poor,--norwas the rector himself, and perhaps neither of them knew how littlethe other did; but they could talk Clavering talk, and the parson waswilling to take for granted his neighbour's good will to make herselfagreeable. But Mrs. Clavering, who sat between Sir Hugh and Archie,had a very bad time of it. Sir Hugh spoke to her once during thedinner, saying that he hoped she was satisfied with her daughter'smarriage; but even this he said in a tone that seemed to imply thatany such satisfaction must rest on very poor grounds. "Thoroughlysatisfied," said Mrs. Clavering, drawing herself up and looking veryunlike the usual Mrs. Clavering of the rectory. After that there wasno further conversation between her and Sir Hugh. "The worst of himto me is always this," she said that evening to her husband, "that heputs me so much out of conceit with myself. If I were with him long Ishould begin to find myself the most disagreeable woman in England!""Then pray don't be with him long," said the rector.
But Archie made
conversation throughout dinner, and added greatly toMrs. Clavering's troubles by doing so. There was nothing in commonbetween them, but still Archie went on laboriously with his work.It was a duty which he recognized, and at which he would work hard.When he had used up Mary's marriage, a subject which he economizedcarefully, so that he brought it down to the roast saddle of mutton,he began upon Harry's match. When was it to be? Where were they tolive? Was there any money? What manner of people were the Burtons?Perhaps he might get over it? This he whispered very lowly, and itwas the question next in sequence to that about the money. When, inanswer to this, Mrs. Clavering with considerable energy declared thatanything of that kind would be a misfortune of which there seemedto be no chance whatever, he recovered himself as he thought veryskilfully. "Oh, yes; of course; that's just what I meant;--a doosednice girl I think her;--a doosed nice girl, all round." Archie'squestions were very laborious to his fellow-labourer in hisconversation because he never allowed one of them to pass without ananswer. He always recognized the fact that he was working hard onbehalf of society, and, as he used to say himself, that he had noidea of pulling all the coach up the hill by his own shoulders.Whenever therefore he had made his effort he waited for hiscompanion's, looking closely into her face, cunningly driving her on,so that she also should pull her share of the coach. Before dinnerwas over Mrs. Clavering found the hill to be very steep, and thecoach to be very heavy. "I'll bet you seven to one," said he,--andthis was his parting speech as Mrs. Clavering rose up at LadyClavering's nod,--"I'll bet you seven to one, that the whole box anddice of them are married before me,--or at any rate as soon; and Idon't mean to remain single much longer, I can tell you." The "boxand dice of them" was supposed to comprise Harry, Florence, Fanny,and Lady Ongar, of all of whom mention had been made, and that savingclause,--"at any rate as soon,"--was cunningly put in, as it hadoccurred to Archie that he perhaps might be married on the same dayas one of those other persons. But Mrs. Clavering was not compelledeither to accept or reject the bet, as she was already moving beforethe terms had been fully explained to her.
Lady Clavering as she went out of the room stopped a moment behindHarry's chair and whispered a word to him. "I want to speak to youbefore you go to-night." Then she passed on.
"What's that Hermione was saying?" asked Sir Hugh, when he had shutthe door.
"She only told me that she wanted to speak to me."
"She has always got some cursed secret," said Sir Hugh. "If there isanything I hate, it's a secret." Now this was hardly fair, for SirHugh was a man very secret in his own affairs, never telling hiswife anything about them. He kept two banker's accounts so that nobanker's clerk might know how he stood as regarded ready money, andhardly treated even his lawyer with confidence.
He did not move from his own chair, so that, after dinner, his unclewas not next to him. The places left by the ladies were not closedup, and the table was very uncomfortable.
"I see they're going to have another week after this with thePytchley," said Sir Hugh to his brother.
"I suppose they will,--or ten days. Things ain't very early thisyear."
"I think I shall go down. It's never any use trying to hunt hereafter the middle of March."
"You're rather short of foxes, are you not?" said the rector, makingan attempt to join the conversation.
"Upon my word I don't know anything about it," said Sir Hugh.
"There are foxes at Clavering," said Archie, recommencing his duty."The hounds will be here on Saturday, and I'll bet three to one Ifind a fox before twelve o'clock, or, say, half-past twelve,--thatis, if they'll draw punctually and let me do as I like with the pack.I'll bet a guinea we find, and a guinea we run, and a guinea we kill;that is, you know, if they'll really look for a fox."
The rector had been willing to fall into a little hunting talk forthe sake of society, but he was not prepared to go the length thatArchie proposed to take him, and therefore the subject dropped.
"At any rate I shan't stay here after to-morrow," said Sir Hugh,still addressing himself to his brother. "Pass the wine, will you,Harry; that is, if your father is drinking any."
"No more wine for me," said the rector, almost angrily.
"Liberty Hall," said Sir Hugh; "everybody does as they like aboutthat. I mean to have another bottle of claret. Archie, ring the bell,will you?" Captain Clavering, though he was further from the bellthan his elder brother, got up and did as he was bid. The claretcame, and was drunk almost in silence. The rector, though he had ahigh opinion of the cellar of the great house, would take none ofthe new bottle, because he was angry. Harry filled his glass, andattempted to say something. Sir Hugh answered him by a monosyllable,and Archie offered to bet him two to one that he was wrong.
"I'll go into the drawing-room," said the rector, getting up.
"All right," said Sir Hugh; "you'll find coffee there, I daresay. Hasyour father given up wine?" he asked, as soon as the door was closed.
"Not that I know of," said Harry.
"He used to take as good a whack as any man I know. The bishop hasn'tput his embargo on that as well as the hunting, I hope?" To thisHarry made no answer.
"He's in the blues, I think," said Archie. "Is there anything thematter with him, Harry?"
"Nothing as far as I know."
"If I were left at Clavering all the year, with nothing to do, ashe is, I think I should drink a good deal of wine," said Sir Hugh."I don't know what it is,--something in the air, I suppose,--buteverybody always seems to me to be dreadfully dull here. You ain'ttaking any wine either. Don't stop here out of ceremony, you know,if you want to go after Miss Burton." Harry took him at his word,and went after Miss Burton, leaving the brothers together over theirclaret.
The two brothers remained drinking their wine, but they drank it inan uncomfortable fashion, not saying much to each other for the firstten minutes after the other Claverings were gone. Archie was in somedegree afraid of his brother, and never offered to make any bets withhim. Hugh had once put a stop to this altogether. "Archie," he hadsaid, "pray understand that there is no money to be made out of me,at any rate not by you. If you lost money to me, you wouldn't thinkit necessary to pay; and I certainly shall lose none to you." Thehabit of proposing to bet had become with Archie so much a matter ofcourse, that he did not generally intend any real speculation by hisoffers; but with his brother he had dropped even the habit. And heseldom began any conversation with Hugh unless he had some pointto gain,--an advance of money to ask, or some favour to beg in theway of shooting, or the loan of a horse. On such occasions he wouldcommence the negotiation with his usual diplomacy, not knowing anyother mode of expressing his wishes; but he was aware that hisbrother would always detect his manoeuvres, and expose them beforehe had got through his first preface; and, therefore, as I have said,he was afraid of Hugh.
"I don't know what's come to my uncle of late," said Hugh, after awhile. "I think I shall have to drop them at the rectory altogether."
"He never had much to say for himself."
"But he has a mode of expressing himself without speaking, which Ido not choose to put up with at my table. The fact is they are goingto the mischief at the rectory. His eldest girl has just married acurate."
"Fielding has got a living."
"It's something very small then, and I suppose Fanny will marry thatprig they have here. My uncle himself never does any of his own work,and now Harry is going to make a fool of himself. I used to think hewould fall on his legs."
"He is a clever fellow."
"Then why is he such a fool as to marry such a girl as this, withoutmoney, good looks, or breeding? It's well for you he is such a fool,or else you wouldn't have a chance."
"I don't see that at all," said Archie.
"Julia always had a sneaking fondness for Harry, and if he had waitedwould have taken him now. She was very near making a fool of herselfwith him once, before Lord Ongar turned up."
To this Archie said nothing, but he changed colour, and it may almostbe said of h
im that he blushed. Why he was affected in so singular amanner by his brother's words will be best explained by a statementof what took place in the back drawing-room a little later in theevening.
When Harry reached the drawing-room he went up to Lady Clavering, butshe said nothing to him then of especial notice. She was talkingto Mrs. Clavering while the rector was reading,--or pretending toread,--a review, and the two girls were chattering together inanother part of the room. Then they had coffee, and after awhile thetwo other men came in from their wine. Lady Clavering did not move atonce, but she took the first opportunity of doing so, when Sir Hughcame up to Mrs. Clavering and spoke a word to her. A few minutesafter that Harry found himself closeted with Lady Clavering, in alittle room detached from the others, though the doors between thetwo were open.
"Do you know," said Lady Clavering, "that Sir Hugh has asked Julia tocome here?" Harry paused a moment, and then acknowledged that he didknow it.
"I hope you did not advise her to refuse."
"I advise her! Oh dear, no. She did not ask me anything about it."
"But she has refused. Don't you think she has been very wrong?"
"It is hard to say," said Harry. "You know I thought it very cruelthat Hugh did not receive her immediately on her return. If I hadbeen him I should have gone to Paris to meet her."
"It's no good talking of that now, Harry. Hugh is hard, and we allknow that. Who feels it most, do you think; Julia or I? But as he hascome round, what can she gain by standing off? Will it not be thebest thing for her to come here?"
"I don't know that she has much to gain by it."
"Harry,--do you know that we have a plan?" "Who is we?" Harry asked;but she went on without noticing his question. "I tell you, because Ibelieve you can help us more than any one, if you will. Only for yourengagement with Miss Burton I should not mention it to you; and, butfor that, the plan would, I daresay, be of no use."
"What is the plan?" said Harry, very gravely. A vague idea ofwhat the plan might be had come across Harry's mind during LadyClavering's last speech.
"Would it not be a good thing if Julia and Archie were to bemarried?" She asked the question in a quick, hesitating voice,looking at first eagerly up into his face, and then turning away hereyes, as though she were afraid of the answer she might read there."Of course I know that you were fond of her, but all that can benothing now."
"No," said Harry, "that can be nothing now."
"Then why shouldn't Archie have her? It would make us all so muchmore comfortable together. I told Archie that I should speak to you,because I know that you have more weight with her than any of us; butHugh doesn't know that I mean it."
"Does Sir Hugh know of the,--the plan?"
"It was he who proposed it. Archie will be very badly off when he hassettled with Hugh about all their money dealings. Of course Julia'smoney would be left in her own hands; there would be no intention tointerfere with that. But the position would be so good for him; andit would, you know, put him on his legs."
"Yes," said Harry, "it would put him on his legs, I daresay."
"And why shouldn't it be so? She can't live alone by herself always.Of course she never could have really loved Lord Ongar."
"Never, I should think," said Harry.
"And Archie is good-natured, and good-tempered,and--and--and--good-looking. Don't you think so? I think it wouldjust do for her. She'd have her own way, for he's not a bit likeHugh, you know. He's not so clever as Hugh, but he is much moregood-natured. Don't you think it would be a good arrangement, Harry?"Then again she looked up into his face anxiously.
Nothing in the whole matter surprised him more than her eagerness inadvocating the proposal. Why should she desire that her sister shouldbe sacrificed in this way? But in so thinking of it he forgot her ownposition, and the need that there was to her for some friend to benear to her,--for some comfort and assistance. She had spoken trulyin saying that the plan had originated with her husband; but since ithad been suggested to her, she had not ceased to think of it, and towish for it.
"Well, Harry, what do you say?" she asked.
"I don't see that I have anything to say."
"But I know you can help us. When I was with her the last time shedeclared that you were the only one of us she ever wished to seeagain. She meant to include me then especially, but of course she wasnot thinking of Archie. I know you can help us if you will."
"Am I to ask her to marry him?"
"Not exactly that; I don't think that would do any good. But youmight persuade her to come here. I think she would come if youadvised her; and then, after a bit, you might say a good word forArchie."
"Upon my word I could not."
"Why not, Harry?"
"Because I know he would not make her happy. What good would such amarriage do her?"
"Think of her position. No one will visit her unless she is firstreceived here, or at any rate unless she comes to us in town. Andthen it would be up-hill work. Do you know Lord Ongar had absolutelydetermined at one time to--to get a divorce?"
"And do you believe that she was guilty?"
"I don't say that. No; why should I believe anything against my ownsister when nothing is proved. But that makes no difference, if theworld believes it. They say now that if he had lived three monthslonger she never would have got the money."
"Then they say lies. Who is it says so? A parcel of old women whodelight in having some one to run down and backbite. It is all false,Lady Clavering."
"But what does it signify, Harry? There she is, and you know howpeople are talking. Of course it would be best for her to marryagain; and if she would take Archie,--Sir Hugh's brother, mybrother-in-law, nothing further would be said. She might go anywherethen. As her sister, I feel sure that it is the best thing she coulddo."
Harry's brow became clouded, and there was a look of anger on hisface as he answered her.
"Lady Clavering," he said, "your sister will never marry my cousinArchie. I look upon the thing as impossible."
"Perhaps it is, Harry, that you,--you yourself would not wish it."
"Why should I wish it?"
"He is your own cousin."
"Cousin indeed! Why should I wish it, or why should I not wish it?They are neither of them anything to me."
"She ought not to be anything to you."
"And she is nothing. She may marry Archie, if she pleases, for me. Ishall not set her against him. But, Lady Clavering, you might as welltell him to get one of the stars. I don't think you can know yoursister when you suppose such a match to be possible."
"Hermione!" shouted Sir Hugh,--and the shout was uttered in a voicethat always caused Lady Clavering to tremble.
"I am coming," she said, rising from her chair. "Don't set yourselfagainst it, Harry," and then, without waiting to hear him further,she obeyed her husband's summons. "What the mischief keeps you inthere?" he said. It seemed that things had not been going well in thelarger room. The rector had stuck to his review, taking no notice ofSir Hugh when he entered. "You seem to be very fond of your book, allof a sudden," Sir Hugh had said, after standing silent on the rug fora few minutes.
"Yes, I am," said the rector,--"just at present."
"It's quite new with you, then," said Sir Hugh, "or else you're verymuch belied."
"Hugh," said Mr. Clavering, rising slowly from his chair, "I don'toften come into my father's house, but when I do, I wish to betreated with respect. You are the only person in this parish thatever omits to do so."
"Bosh!" said Sir Hugh.
The two girls sat cowering in their seats, and poor Florencemust have begun to entertain an uncomfortable idea of her futureconnexions. Archie made a frantic attempt to raise some conversationwith Mrs. Clavering about the weather. Mrs. Clavering, paying noattention to Archie whatever, looked at her husband with beseechingeyes. "Henry," she said, "do not allow yourself to be angry; pray donot. What is the use?"
"None on earth," he said, returning to his book. "No use onearth;--and wors
e than none in showing it."
Then it was that Sir Hugh had made a diversion by calling to hiswife. "I wish you'd stay with us, and not go off alone with oneperson in particular, in that way." Lady Clavering looked round andimmediately saw that things were unpleasant. "Archie," she said,"will you ring for tea?" And Archie did ring. The tea was brought,and a cup was taken all round, almost in silence.
Harry in the meantime remained by himself thinking of what he hadheard from Lady Clavering. Archie Clavering marry Lady Ongar,--marryhis Julia! It was impossible. He could not bring himself even tothink of such an arrangement with equanimity. He was almost franticwith anger as he thought of this proposition to restore Lady Ongar tothe position in the world's repute which she had a right to claim, bysuch a marriage as that. "She would indeed be disgraced then," saidHarry to himself. But he knew that it was impossible. He could seewhat would be the nature of Julia's countenance if Archie should everget near enough to her to make his proposal! Archie indeed! Therewas no one for whom, at that moment, he entertained so thorough acontempt as he did for his cousin, Archie Clavering.
Let us hope that he was no dog in the manger;--that the feelingswhich he now entertained for poor Archie would not have been rousedagainst any other possible suitor who might have been named as afitting husband for Lady Ongar. Lady Ongar could be nothing to him!
But I fear that he was a dog in the manger, and that any marriagecontemplated for Lady Ongar, either by herself or by others for her,would have been distasteful to him,--unnaturally distasteful. He knewthat Lady Ongar could be nothing to him; and yet, as he came out ofthe small room into the larger room, there was something sore abouthis heart, and the soreness was occasioned by the thought that anysecond marriage should be thought possible for Lady Ongar. Florencesmiled on him as he went up to her, but I doubt whether she wouldhave smiled had she known all his heart.
Soon after that Mrs. Clavering rose to return home, having swalloweda peace-offering in the shape of a cup of tea. But though the teahad quieted the storm then on the waters, there was no true peace inthe rector's breast. He shook hands cordially with Lady Clavering,without animosity with Archie, and then held out three fingers to thebaronet. The baronet held out one finger. Each nodded at the other,and so they parted. Harry, who knew nothing of what had happened, andwho was still thinking of Lady Ongar, busied himself with Florence,and they were soon out of the house, walking down the broad road fromthe front door.
"I will never enter that house again, when I know that Hugh Claveringis in it," said the rector.
"Don't make rash assertions, Henry," said his wife.
"I hope it is not rash, but I make that assertion," he said. "I willnever again enter that house as my nephew's guest. I have borne agreat deal for the sake of peace, but there are things which a mancannot bear."
Then, as they walked home, the two girls explained to Harry what hadoccurred in the larger room, while he was talking to Lady Claveringin the smaller one. But he said nothing to them of the subject ofthat conversation.