"Why, Terry, what did you hide for?" said Lord Clonbrony.

"Hide! I didn't hide, nor wouldn't from any man living, _let alone_ any woman.[1] Hide! no; but I just stood looking out of the window, behind this curtain, that my poor Lady Clonbrony might not be discomfited and shocked by the sight of one whom she can't abide, the very minute she come home. Oh, I've some consideration--it would have put her out of humour worse with both of you too; and for that there's no need, as far as I see. So I'll take myself off to my coffee-house to dine, and may be you may get her down and into spirits again. But, for your lives, don't touch upon Ireland this night, nor till she has fairly got the better of the marriage. _Apropos_--there's my wager to Mordicai gone at a slap. It's I that ought to be scolding you, my Lord Colambre; but I trust you will do as well yet, not in point of purse, may be. But I'm not one of those that think that money's every thing--though, I grant you, in this world there's nothing to be had without it--love excepted,--which most people don't believe in--but not I--in particular cases. So I leave you, with my blessing, and I've a notion, at this time, that is better than my company--your most devoted."

[Footnote 1: Leaving any woman out of the question.]

The good-natured Sir Terence would not be persuaded by Lord Clonbrony to stay. Nodding at Lord Colambre as he went out of the room, he said, "I've an eye, in going, to your heart's ease too. When I played myself, I never liked standers-by."

Sir Terence was not deficient in penetration, but he never could help boasting of his discoveries.

Lord Colambre was grateful for his judicious departure; and followed his equally judicious advice, not to touch upon Ireland this night.

Lady Clonbrony was full of Buxton, and he was glad to be relieved from the necessity of talking; and he indulged himself in considering what might be pa.s.sing in Miss Nugent's mind. She now appeared in remarkably good spirits; for her aunt had given her a hint that she thought her out of humour because she had not been permitted to be Miss Broadhurst's bride's-maid, and she was determined to exert herself to dispel this notion. This it was now easy for her to do, because she had, by this time, in her own imagination, found a plausible excuse for that coldness in Lord Colambre's reception of her, by which she had at first been hurt: she had settled it, that he had taken it for granted she was of his mother's sentiments respecting Miss Broadhurst's marriage, and that this idea, and perhaps the apprehension of her reproaches, had caused this embarra.s.sment--she knew that she could easily set this misunderstanding right.

Accordingly, when Lady Clonbrony had talked herself to sleep about Buxton, and was taking her afternoon's nap, as it was her custom to do when she had neither cards nor company to keep her awake, Miss Nugent began to explain her own sentiments, and to give Lord Colambre, as her aunt had desired, an account of the manner in which Miss Broadhurst's marriage had been settled.

"In the first place," said she, "let me a.s.sure you, that I rejoice in this marriage: I think your friend, Sir Arthur Berryl, is every way deserving of my friend Miss Broadhurst; and this from me," said she, smiling, "is no slight eulogium. I have marked the rise and progress of their attachment; and it has been founded on the perception of such excellent qualities on each side, that I have no fear for its permanence. Sir Arthur Berryl's honourable conduct in paying his father's debts, and his generosity to his mother and sisters, whose fortunes were left entirely dependent upon him, first pleased my friend. It was like what she would have done herself, and like--in short, it is what few young men, as she said, of the present day would do. Then his refraining from all personal expenses, his going without equipage and without horses, that he might do what he felt to be right, whilst it exposed him continually to the ridicule of fashionable young men, or to the charge of avarice, made a very different impression on Miss Broadhurst's mind; her esteem and admiration were excited by these proofs of strength of character, and of just and good principles."

"If you go on you will make me envious and jealous of my friend," said Lord Colambre.

"You jealous!--Oh, it is too late now--besides, you cannot be jealous, for you never loved."

"I never loved Miss Broadhurst, I acknowledge."

"There was the advantage Sir Arthur Berryl had over you--he loved, and my friend saw it."

"She was clear-sighted," said Lord Colambre.

"She was clear-sighted," repeated Miss Nugent; "but if you mean that she was vain, and apt to fancy people in love with her, I can a.s.sure you that you are mistaken. Never was woman, young or old, more clear-sighted to the views of those by whom she was addressed. No flattery, no fashion, could blind her judgment."

"She knew how to choose a friend well, I am sure," said Lord Colambre.

"And a friend for life, too, I am sure you will allow--and she had such numbers, such strange variety of admirers, as might have puzzled the choice and turned the brain of any inferior person. Such a succession of lovers as she has had this summer, ever since you went to Ireland--they appeared and vanished like figures in a magic lantern. She had three n.o.ble admirers--rank in three different forms offered themselves First came in, hobbling, rank and gout; next, rank and gaming; then rank, very high rank, over head and ears in debt.

All of these were rejected; and, as they moved off, I thought Mrs.

Broadhurst would have broken her heart. Next came fashion, with his head, heart, and soul in his cravat--he quickly made his bow, or rather his nod, and walked off, taking a pinch of snuff. Then came a man of wit--but it was wit without worth; and presently came 'worth without wit.' She preferred 'wit and worth united,' which she fortunately at last found, Lord Colambre, in your friend, Sir Arthur Berryl."

"Grace, my girl!" said her uncle, "I'm glad to see you've got up your spirits again, though you were not to be bride's-maid. Well, I hope you'll be bride soon--I'm sure you ought to be--and you should think of rewarding that poor Mr. Salisbury, who plagues me to death, whenever he can catch hold of me, about you. He must have our definitive at last, you know, Grace."

A silence ensued, which neither Miss Nugent nor Lord Colambre seemed able or willing to break.

"Very good company, faith, you three!--One of ye asleep, and the other two saying nothing, to keep one awake. Colambre, have you no Dublin news? Grace, have you no Buxton scandal? What was it Lady Clonbrony told us you'd tell us, about the oddness of Miss Broadhurst's settling her marriage? Tell me that, for I love to hear odd things."

"Perhaps you will not think it odd," said she. "One evening--but I should begin by telling you that three of her admirers, besides Sir Arthur Berryl, had followed her to Buxton, and had been paying their court to her all the time we were there; and at last grew impatient for her decision."

"Ay, for her definitive!" said Lord Clonbrony. Miss Nugent was put out again, but resumed.

"So one evening, just before the dancing began, the gentlemen were all standing round Miss Broadhurst; one of them said, 'I wish Miss Broadhurst would decide--that whoever she dances with to-night should be her partner for life: what a happy man he would be!'

"'But how can I decide?' said Miss Broadhurst.

"'I wish I had a friend to plead for me!' said one of the suitors, looking at me.

"'Have you no friend of your own?' said Miss Broadhurst.

"'Plenty of friends,' said the gentleman.

"'Plenty!--then you must be a very happy man,' replied Miss Broadhurst. 'Come,' said she, laughing, 'I will dance with that man who can convince me that he has, near relations excepted, one true friend in the world! That man who has made the best friend, I dare say, will make the best husband!'

"At that moment," continued Miss Nugent, "I was certain who would be her choice. The gentlemen all declared at first that they had abundance of excellent friends--the best friends in the world! but when Miss Broadhurst cross-examined them, as to what their friends had done for them, or what they were willing to do, modern friendship dwindled into a ridiculously small compa.s.s. I cannot give you the particulars of the cross-examination, though it was conducted with great spirit and humour by Miss Broadhurst; but I can tell you the result--that Sir Arthur Berryl, by incontrovertible facts, and eloquence warm from the heart, convinced every body present that he had the best friend in the world; and Miss Broadhurst, as he finished speaking, gave him her hand, and he led her off in triumph--So you see, Lord Colambre, you were at last the cause of my friend's marriage!"

She turned to Lord Colambre as she spoke these words, with such an affectionate smile, and such an expression of open, innocent tenderness in her whole countenance, that our hero could hardly resist the impulse of his pa.s.sion--could hardly restrain himself from falling at her feet that instant, and declaring his love. "But St. Omar! St.

Omar!--It must not be!"

"I must be gone!" said Lord Clonbrony, pulling out his watch. "It is time to go to my club; and poor Terry will wonder what has become of me."

Lord Colambre instantly offered to accompany his father; much to Lord Clonbrony's, and more to Miss Nugent's surprise.

"What!" said she to herself, "after so long an absence, leave me!--Leave his mother, with whom he always used to stay--on purpose to avoid me! What can I have done to displease him? It is clear it was not about Miss Broadhurst's marriage he was offended; for he looked pleased, and like himself, whilst I was talking of that: but the moment afterwards, what a constrained, unintelligible expression of countenance--and leaves me to go to a club which he detests!"

As the gentlemen shut the door on leaving the room, Lady Clonbrony awakened, and, starting up, exclaimed, "What's the matter? Are they gone? Is Colambre gone?"

"Yes, ma'am, with my uncle."

"Very odd! very odd of him to go and leave me! he always used to stay with me--what did he say about me?"

"Nothing, ma'am."

"Well, then, I have nothing to say about him, or about any thing, indeed, for I'm excessively tired and stupid--alone in Lon'on's as bad as any where else. Ring the bell, and we'll go to bed directly--if you have no objection, Grace."

Grace made no objection: Lady Clonbrony went to bed and to sleep in ten minutes. Miss Nugent went to bed; but she lay awake, considering what could be the cause of her cousin Colambre's hard unkindness, and of "his altered eye." She was openness itself; and she determined that, the first moment she could speak to him alone, she would at once ask for an explanation. With this resolution, she rose in the morning, and went down to the breakfast-room, in hopes of meeting him, as it had formerly been his custom to be early; and she expected to find him reading in his usual place.

CHAPTER XIV.

No--Lord Colambre was not in his accustomed place, reading in the breakfast-room; nor did he make his appearance till both his father and mother had been some time at breakfast.

"Good morning to you, my Lord Colambre," said his mother, in a reproachful tone, the moment he entered; "I am much obliged to you for your company last night."

"Good morning to you, Colambre," said his father, in a more jocose tone of reproach; "I am obliged to you for your good company last night."

"Good morning to you, Lord Colambre," said Miss Nugent; and though she endeavoured to throw all reproach from her looks, and to let none be heard in her voice, yet there was a slight tremulous motion in that voice, which struck our hero to the heart.

"I thank you, ma'am, for missing me," said he, addressing himself to his mother: "I stayed away but half an hour; I accompanied my father to St. James's-street, and when I returned I found that every one had retired to rest."

"Oh, was that the case?" said Lady Clonbrony: "I own I thought it very unlike you to leave me in that sort of way."

"And, lest you should be jealous of that half hour when he was accompanying me," said Lord Clonbrony, "I must remark, that, though I had his body with me, I had none of his mind; that he left at home with you ladies, or with some fair one across the water, for the deuce of two words did he bestow upon me, with all his pretence of accompanying me."