“Excellent girl! dutiful ward and niece!” murmured the oracle; “heaven reward you — your frank dealing is your own safety and my peace. Sit you down, and say who is this Captain Oakley, when you made his acquaintance, what his age, fortune, and expectations, and who the aunt he mentions.”
Upon all these points I satisfied him as fully as I was able.
“Wyat — the white drops,” he called, in a thin, stern tone. “I’ll write a line presently. I can’t see visitors, and, of course, you can’t receive young captains before you’ve come out. Farewell! God bless you, dear.”
Wyat was dropping the “white” restorative into a wine-glass and the room was redolent of ether. I was glad to escape. The figures and whole mise en scène were unearthly.
“Well, Milly,” I said, as I met her in the hall, “your papa is going to write to him.”
I sometimes wonder whether Milly was right, and how I should have acted a few months earlier.
Next day whom should we meet in the Windmill Wood but Captain Oakley. The spot where this interesting rencontre occurred was near that ruinous bridge on my sketch of which I had received so many compliments. It was so great a surprise that I had not time to recollect my indignation, and, having received him very affably, I found it impossible, during our brief interview, to recover my lost altitude.
After our greetings were over, and some compliments neatly made, he said —
“I had such a curious note from Mr. Silas Ruthyn. I am sure he thinks me a very impertinent fellow, for it was really anything but inviting — extremely rude, in fact. But I could not quite see that because he does not want me to invade his bed-room — an incursion I never dreamed of — I was not to present myself to you, who had already honoured me with your acquaintance, with the sanction of those who were most interested in your welfare, and who were just as well qualified as he, I fancy, to say who were qualified for such an honour.”
“My uncle, Mr. Silas Ruthyn, you are aware, is my guardian; and this is my cousin, his daughter.”
This was an opportunity of becoming a little lofty, and I improved it. He raised his hat and bowed to Milly.
“I’m afraid I’ve been very rude and stupid. Mr. Ruthyn, of course, has a perfect right to — to — in fact, I was not the least aware that I had the honour of so near a relation’s — a — a — and what exquisite scenery you have! I think this country round Feltram particularly fine; and this Bartram–Haugh is, I venture to say, about the very most beautiful spot in this beautiful region. I do assure you I am tempted beyond measure to make Feltram and the Hall Hotel my head-quarters for at least a week. I only regret the foliage; but your trees show wonderfully, even in winter, so many of them have got that ivy about them. They say it spoils trees, but it certainly beautifies them. I have just ten days’ leave unexpired; I wish I could induce you to advise me how to apply them. What shall I do, Miss Ruthyn?”
“I am the worst person in the world to make plans, even for myself, I find it so troublesome. What do you say? Suppose you try Wales or Scotland, and climb up some of those fine mountains that look so well in winter?”
“I should much prefer Feltram. I so wish you would recommend it. What is this pretty plant?”
“We call that Maud’s myrtle. She planted it, and it’s very pretty when it’s full in blow,” said Milly.
Our visit to Elverstone had been of immense use to us both.
“Oh! planted by you?” he said, very softly, with a momentary corresponding glance. “May I— ever so little — just a leaf?”
And without waiting for permission, he held a sprig of it next his waistcoat.
“Yes, it goes very prettily with those buttons. They are very pretty buttons; are not they, Milly? A present, a souvenir, I dare say?”
This was a terrible hit at the button-maker, and I thought he looked a little oddly at me, but my countenance was so “bewitchingly simple” that I suppose his suspicions were allayed.
Now, it was very odd of me, I must confess, to talk in this way, and to receive all those tender allusions from a gentleman about whom I had spoken and felt so sharply only the evening before. But Bartram was abominably lonely. A civilised person was a valuable waif or stray in that region of the picturesque an the brutal; and to my lady reader especially, because she will probably be hardest upon me, I put it — can you not recollect any such folly in your own past life? Can you not it as many minutes call to mind at least six similar inconsistencies of your own practising? For my part, I really can’t see the advantage of being the weaker sex if we are always to be as strong as our masculine neighbours.
There was, indeed, no revival of the little sentiment which I had once experienced. When these things once expire, I do believe they are as hard to revive as our dead lap-dogs, guinea-pigs, and parrots. It was my perfect coolness which enabled me to chat, I flatter myself, so agreeably with the refined Captain, who plainly thought me his captive, and was probably now and then thinking what was to be done to utilise that little bit of Bartram, or to beautify some other, when he should see fit to become its master, as we rambled over these wild but beautiful grounds.
It was just about then that Milly nudged me rather vehemently, and whispered “Look there!”
I followed with mine the direction of her eyes, and saw my odious cousin, Dudley, in a flagrant pair of cross-barred peg-tops, and what Milly before her reformation used to call other “slops” of corresponding atrocity, approaching our refined little party with great strides. I really think that Milly was very nearly ashamed of him. I certainly was. I had no apprehension, however, of the scene which was imminent.
The charming Captain mistook him probably for some rustic servant of the place, for he continued his agreeable remarks up to the very moment when Dudley, whose face was pale with anger, and whose rapid advance had not served to cool him, without recollecting to salute either Milly or me, accosted our elegant companion as follows:—
“By your leave, master, baint you summat in the wrong box here, don’t you think?”
He had planted himself directly in his front, and looked unmistakably menacing.
“May I speak to him? Will you excuse me?” said the Captain blandly.
“Ow — ay, they’ll excuse ye ready enough, I dessay; you’re to deal wi’ me, though. Baint ye in the wrong box now?”
“I’m not conscious, sir, of being in a box at all,” replied the Captain, with severe disdain. “It strikes me you are disposed to get up a row. Let us, if you please, get a little apart from the ladies if that is your purpose.”
“I mean to turn you out o’ this the way ye came. If you make a row, so much the wuss for you, for I’ll lick ye to fits.”
“Tell him not to fight,” whispered Milly; “he’ll a no chance wi’ Dudley.”
I saw Dickon Hawkes grinning over the paling on which he leaned.
“Mr. Hawkes,” I said, drawing Milly with me toward that unpromising mediator, “pray prevent unpleasantness and go between them.”
“An’ git licked o’ both sides? Rather not, Miss, thank ye,” grinned Dickon, tranquilly.
“Who are you, sir?” demanded our romantic acquaintance, with military sternness.
“I’ll tell you who you are — you’re Oakley, as stops at the Hall, that Governor wrote, over-night,