It had been better for Linton's cause that he had omitted the last words, at least: as Laura turned away her head, a curl of insolent meaning was on her lip, but she did not speak, and they now walked along, side by side, in silence.

"You will go, then?" said he, at last, in a low whisper.

"Yes," said she, faintly.

Linton stole a glance at her unperceived, and suddenly the sparkle of his eyes and the elation of his whole expression showed the transport of pleasure he experienced.

"Now for one word of caution," said Linton, as, drawing closer to her side, he a.s.sumed the tone of sincere friendship. "Lord Kilgoff has just revealed to me, in deep confidence, that he has been much offended by certain attentions shown to you by this Mr. Cashel, and which were of so marked a nature that he was almost determined never to admit his intimacy in future. Had his Lordship known you as well as I do, he might have spared himself this anxiety. I believe such savage excellence as his has few attractions for you; nor, save the admiration that all must yield you, has the youth taste or feeling to appreciate your excellence.

However, 'my Lord' is jealous; let it be your care, by knowledge of the fact, not to incur anything to sustain the suspicion."

"How very absurd all this is! Do you know that Mr. Cashel did not condescend to pay me the poor compliment of a special invitation to his house, but asked my Lord to come, and hoped I would accompany him; just as people invite their humbler acquaintances, hoping that only half the request may be accorded."

"He is underbred even to barbarism," said Linton.

"He seems a most good-natured creature, and full of generosity."

"Overwealth has sometimes that air. When the gla.s.s is brimful, none but the steadiest hand can carry, without spilling, the wine."

"He does not appear even to make the effort. They tell me he has squandered some thousands already, making presents to every one who will accept them."

"He gave me this cane," said Linton, superciliously, exhibiting a little riding cane, which he had taken himself out of Cashel's hand, and was of no value whatever. "Not any great evidence of exaggerated generosity,"

said he. "As to his house, however, I trust its honors may be well done; he has given me _carte blanche_, and I must only try and not disgrace my prerogative."

"How very late it is--nearly seven," said Lady Kilgoff, looking at her watch.

"Shall I see your Ladyship to your carriage?" said Linton.

"I think not," said she, blushing slightly; "as I left it unaccompanied, so I shall return to it Good-bye."

She held out her hand as she spoke, but slightly averted her head, so that Linton could not mark the expression of her features. As it was, he pressed the gloved fingers to his lips, but, when doing so, contrived to unclasp her bracelet,--a singularly rich one, and a present from Lord Kilgoff on the day of her marriage. This he let fall noiselessly on the gra.s.s, and murmured, in a low voice, "Goodbye."

Lady Kilgoff, hastily wrapping her shawl about her, left the spot.

Linton watched her till he had seen her seated in the carriage, and continued to gaze after it, as it drove rapidly away, and so intently occupied by his thoughts, that he did not notice the approach of a horseman, who came up at a walking pace behind him.

"Eh, Tom!" cried out Lord Charles Frobisher, "this is flying at high game!"

"You are mistaken, Charley," said he, in some confusion. "This 'meeting under the green-wood tree' was nothing less than a love affair."

"Oh, hang your morality, Mr. Joseph; it's rather good fun to see the 'insolent beauty' of the season capitulating."

"Wrong again," said Linton, affecting a laugh. "Everton is in a sc.r.a.pe, and his wife wants me to get him out of the way--"

"Nonsense, man, I saw the carriage; there is no need of mystifying here.

Besides, it's no affair of mine--I'm sure I wish it were! But come, what are the odds on Hitchley's colt--are seven to two taken?"

"Don't bet," said Linton, knowingly; "there is something 'wrong' in that stable, and I have n't found out the secret."

"What a deep fellow you are, Tom."

"Nothing of the kind, Charley. If I were, you 'd never have discovered it. Your only deep fellow is he that the world deems shallow--your light-hearted, rattling knave, whose imputed thoughtlessness covers every breach of faith, and makes his veriest schemes seem purely accident. But, once get the repute of being a clever or a smart fellow, and success is tenfold more difficult. The world, then, only plays with you as one does with a sharper, betting small stakes, and keeping a steady eye on the cards. Your own sleepy eye, Charley, your languid, careless look, are a better provision than most men give their younger children."

Lord Charles lifted his long eyelashes lazily, and, for a second, something like a sparkle lit up his cold, dark eye, but it was gone in a moment, and his habitually lethargic expression once more returned. "You heard that we were nearly 'out,' I suppose?" said he, after a pause.

"Yes. This is the second time that I bought Downie Meek's carriage-horses on the rumor of a change of administration."

"And sold them back again at double the price, when he found that the ministry were safe!"

"To be sure; was n't it a 'good hedge' for him to be Secretary for Ireland at the cost of a hundred or so?"

"You 'll get the name of spreading the false intelligence, Tom, if you always profit so much by it."

"With all my heart. I wish sincerely some good-natured fellow would lay to my charge a little roguery that I had no share in. I have experienced all manner and shades of sensations, but injured innocence, that would really be new to me."

"Well," sighed Lord Charles, with a yawn, "I suppose we have only a short time before us here. The end of the session will scarcely see us in office."

"About that: by keeping all hands at the pumps we may float the ship into harbor, but no more."

"And what 's to become of us?" said the _aide-de-camp_, with a deep depression in his accent.

"The usual lot of a crew paid off," cried Linton, laughing; "look out for a new craft in commission, and go to sea again. As for you, Charley, you can either marry something in the printed calico line, with a hundred and fifty thousand, or, if you prefer it, exchange into a light cavalry corps at Suntanterabund."

"And you?" said Lord Charles, with something almost of sternness.

"I? Oh, as for me, I have many alternatives. I can remain a Whig, and demand office from the Tories--a claim Peel has never resisted; I can turn Repealer, and be pensioned by something in the Colonies; I can be a waiter on Providence, and live on all parties by turns. In fact, Charley, there never was a better age for your 'adventurer' than this year of our Lord 18--. All the geography of party has been erased, and it is open to every man to lay down new territorial limits."

"But for any case of the kind you should have a seat in Parliament"

"So I mean it, my boy. I intend to represent,--I'm sure I forget the name of my const.i.tuency,--in the next a.s.semblage of the collective wisdom."

"How do you manage the qualification?" said the _aide-de-camp_, slyly.

"The man who gives the borough must take care of that; it's no affair of mine," said Linton, carelessly. "I only supply the politics."

"And what are they to be?"

"_Cela depend_. You might as well ask me what dress I 'll wear in the changeable climate of an Irish July."

"Then you 'll take no pledges?"

"To be sure I will; every one asked of me. I only stipulate to accompany each with a crotchet of my own, so that, like the gentleman who emptied his snuff-box over the peas, I 'll leave the dish uneatable by any but myself."

"Well, good-bye, Tom," said Lord Charles, laughing. "If you only be as loyal in love as you promise to be in politics, our fair friend is scarcely fortunate." And so saying, he cantered slowly away.

"Poor fellow!" said Linton, contemptuously, "your little bit of principle haunts you like a superst.i.tion." And with this reflection, he stepped out briskly to where the boy was standing with his horse.

"Oh, Mr. Linton, darlin', only sixpence! and I here this two hours?"

said the ragged urchin, with a cunning leer, half roguery, half shame.

"And where could you have earned sixpence, you scoundrel, in that time?"