Tony Butler

"The house will be full after Tuesday, Mark," said Lady Lyle. "The Gores and the Ma.s.seys and the M'Clintocks will all be here, and Gambier Graham threatens us with himself and his two daughters."

"If they come," broke in Mark, "you'll have my rooms at your disposal."

"I delight in them," said Mrs. Trafford; "and if your elegantly fastidious friend should really come, I count upon them to be perfect antidotes to all his impertinence. Sally Graham and the younger one, whom her father calls 'd.i.c.k,' are downright treasures when one is in want of a forlorn hope to storm town-bred pretension."

"If Maitland is to be baited, Alice, I 'd rather the bullring was somewhere else," said her brother, angrily.

"The real question is, shall we have room for all these people and their followers?" said Lady Lyle.

"I repeat," said Mark, "that if the Graham girls are to be here, I 'm off. They are the most insufferably obtrusive and aggressive women I ever met; and I 'd rather take boat and pa.s.s a month at the Hebrides than stop a week in the house with them."

"I think Sally thrashed you when you came home once for the holidays,"

said Mrs. Trafford, laughing.

"No, Alice, it was Beck," broke in her sister. "She has a wonderful story of what she calls a left-hander, that she planted under his eye.

She tells it still with great gusto, but owns that Mark fought on very bravely for two rounds after."

"And are these the people you expect me to show Maitland?" said Mark, rising from the table; "I'd rather, fifty times rather, write and say, 'We cannot receive you; our house is full, and will be for a month to come.'"

"Yes, dear Mark, that is the really sensible way to look at it. n.o.body nowadays has any scruple in such matters. One is invited from Monday to Thursday, but on no possible pretext can he stay to Friday." And so Mrs.

Trafford ran away, heaping, by apparent consolations, coals of fire on his angry head.

"I think you had better get Alice to write the letter herself," said Bella; "I'm sure she will do it with great tact and discretion."

"Pray do," added she. "Entrust me with the despatch, and I promise you the negotiation will be completed then and there."

"It is quite bad enough to shut the door in a man's face, without jeering at him out of the window," said Mark; and he dashed out of the room in a rage.

"I wish he had shown us his friend's note," said Alice. "I'm quite certain that his anger has far, more to do with that epistle than with any of our comments upon it."

"I'm very sorry Mark should be annoyed," said Bella; "but I'm selfish enough to own that, if we escape Mr. Maitland's visit, I shall deem the bargain a good one."

"I suspect Mr. Maitland does not intend to honor us by his company, and that we may spare ourselves all the embarra.s.sment of preparing for it,"

said Lady Lyle. And now the three ladies set themselves to consider in committee that oft-vexed problem of how to make a country-house hold more people than it had room for, and how to persuade the less distinguished of the guests that they are "taking out" in cordiality all that their reception wants in convenience. One difficulty presented itself at every step, and in a variety of shapes. Never before had the Abbey been full of visitors without Tony Butler being there to a.s.sist in their amus.e.m.e.nt,--Tony, equally at home on land and on sea, the cavalier of young ladies, the safe coachman of mammas, the guide to all that was noteworthy, the fisherman, the yachtsman whom no weather disconcerted, no misadventure could provoke,--so good-tempered and so safe; ay, so safe! for Tony never wanted to flirt

"I wish, papa, you would ride over and see Mrs. Butler, and ask when Tony is expected back again."

"Or if," added Mrs. Trafford--"or if we could get him back by writing, and saying how much we want him."

"I know I 'll never venture on Soliman till Tony has had a hand on him."

"And those chestnuts mamma wants for the low phaeton,--who is to break them now?" cried Bella.

"I only heard yesterday," said Sir Arthur, "that the 'Mermaid's' sails were all cut up. Tony was going to make a schooner of her, it seems; and there she is now, dismantled, and not one of us able to put her in commission again."

"I declare it sounds absurd," broke in Lady Lyle, "but I fancy the garden is beginning to look neglected already. Certainly I never saw Mr. Graft there the whole morning; and he would not have dared to absent himself if Tony were here."

"I 'd go over willingly and see his mother," said Sir Arthur; "but as Tony did not confide to us his intended journey, but set off without a word, it would have the appearance of a certain prying curiosity on my part were I to ask after him, and when he is expected home again."

"Not if you were to say frankly that we wanted him, and could n't get on without him, papa," said Alice. "I 'd have no shame in saying that we are perfectly helpless without his skill, his courage, his ready wit, and his good nature."

"Why not secure all those perfections beyond risk, Alice?" said Sir Arthur, laughing.

"How so?--only tell me."

"Marry him."

"First of all, papa, he might not marry me; and, secondly, if he should, it might not be the way to insure the perpetuity I covet. You know what Swift says of the 'promising' Princes and the 'bad' Kings the world is full of?"

"I protest," said Lady Lyle, haughtily, "I have a great regard for young Butler; but it has never gone the length of making me desire him for a son-in-law."

"Meanwhile, papa,--for we have quite time enough to think over the marriage,--pray let me order them to saddle Peter for you, and ride over to the Burnside."

"Do so, Alice; I'm quite ready; but, first of all, give me my instructions."

"We want Tony," broke in Bella.

"Yes; and insist on having him. He must be here by Monday night or Tuesday morning, if it cost an express to go after him."

"We ought to bear in mind, girls, that Tony has not left home in pursuit of pleasure. The poor fellow has had some call of urgency or necessity, and our selfishness must not go the length of a cruelty."

"But with your nice tact, papa, you'll find out all that; you 'll learn, in the course of conversation, whether anything of importance has called him away, or whether it be not, as I half suspect, a sort of pa.s.sing caprice." And she looked significantly at Bella, and left her sentence unfinished.

"Do you know of anything that should induce you to believe this, Alice?"

"Nothing more than a chance word that dropped from Mark this morning.

He took it into his head last night that poor Tony was presumptuous, and gave himself airs,--Tony! of all creatures in the world; and so the great hussar, in the plenitude of his regimental experiences, essayed what he called 'to put him down'! Now, the chances are that this may have occasioned some unpleasantness, and it is not in the least unlikely may have led to Tony's departure."

"You must be right, Alice; and since we have been standing here at the window, I saw Mrs. Butler's herd give Mark a letter, which, after reading, he crushed impatiently in his hand and thrust into his pocket.

This decides me at once. I will go down to Mrs. Butler's without delay."

"Please explain that I have not called, solely because the carriage-road is so bad. The drive down through that forest of fern and reeds is like a horrid nightmare on me," said Lady Lyle.

"Well, I think I can apologize for your absence without telling her that she lives in an unapproachable wilderness," said he, laughing; "and as she cares little for visiting or being visited, the chances are my task will be an easy one.

"Would you like me to go with you, papa?" asked Alice.

"Yes, by all means; but stay," added he, quickly, "it might possibly be better not to come; if anything unpleasant should have occurred between Mark and Tony, she will have less reluctance to speak of it when we are alone."

They all agreed that this was well thought of, and soon after saw him set out on his mission, their best wishes for his success following him.

Sir Arthur pondered as he went over what he should say, and how he would meet the remarks he deemed it likely she would make to him. Without being in the least what is called a person of superior abilities, Mrs.

Butler was a somewhat hard-headed woman, whose North of Ireland caution and shrewdness stood her in stead for higher qualities; and if they would not have guided her in great difficulties, she had the good fortune or the prudence to escape from such. He knew this; and he knew besides that there pertains to a position of diminished means and station a peculiar species of touchy pride, always suggesting to its possessor the suspicion that this or that liberty would never have been taken in happier days, and thus to regard the most well-meant counsels and delicately conveyed advice as uncalled-for interference, or worse.

It was after much consideration he saw himself at the little wicket of the garden, where he dismounted, and, fastening his bridle to the gate, knocked at the door. Though he could distinctly hear the sound of voices within, and the quick movement of feet, his summons was unanswered, and he was about to repeat it for the third time when the door was opened.

"Is your mistress at home, Jeanie?" said he, recognizing with a smile the girl's courtesy to him.

"Yes, sir, she's at home," was the dry answer.