It rose to show the newly-animated pair, Junius Brutus and Barberina his wife, at the breakfast table, with a boar's head of brawn before them, while the Lady Barberina boldly asserted her claims to the headship of the house. Had she not lately been all head?
The pathetic reply was, "Would it were so still, my dear. All head and no tongue, like our present meal."
The lady heaved up the boar's head to throw at him, and the scene closed.
Next, Brutus was seen awkwardly cleaning his accoutrements, having enlisted, as he soliloquized, to escape from woman.
Enter a sergeant with a rich Irish brogue, and other recruits, forming the awkward squad. The drill was performed with immense spirit, but only one of the soldiers showed any dexterity; but while the sergeant was upholding him as 'the very moral of a patthern to the rest,' poor Brutus was seized with agonizing horror at the recognition of Barberina in this disguise!
"Why not?" she argued. "Why should not woman learn to use the arms of which man has hitherto usurped the use?"
Poor Brutus stretched out his arms in despair, and called loudly for the professor to restore him to his original state of silent felicity in the barber's window.
"Ye needn't do that, me boy," quoth the sergeant with infinite scorn. "Be ye where ye will, ye'll never be aught but a blockhead."
Therewith carriages were being announced to the heads of families; and with compliments and eager thanks, and assurances that nothing could have been more delightful, the party broke up.
Captain Duncombe, while muffling his boys, declared that he never saw a cleverer hit in his life, and that those two De Lancey brothers ought to be on the stage; while Miss Moy loudly demanded whether he did not feel it personal; and Mrs. Tallboys, gracefully shaking hands with Anne and Rosamond, declared it a grand challenge where the truth had been unconsciously hit off. Cecil was nowhere to be seen.
CHAPTER XVIII. Demonstrations
Nursing her wrath to keep it warm.-BURNS
The hours of the soiree had been early; but the breakfast was so irregular and undecided as to time, that no one took much notice of an intimation which Jenkins had received from the grim Mrs. Grindstone that Mrs, Charnock Poynsett would take breakfast in her own room. Indeed, they all felt glad that her views of etiquette did not bind them to their places; for Frank was burning to be off to Sirenwood, forgetting that it was far easier to be too early than too late for Sir Harry Vivian, who was wont to smoke till long after midnight, and was never visible till the midday repast.
And thus it was Lady Tyrrell who came to Frank alone. "Early afoot," she said; "you foolish, impatient fellow! You will outrun my best advice."
"Ah! but I'm armed. I always told you we might trust to my mother, and it is all right. She loves Lenore with all her heart, and consents freely and gladly."
"Indeed! Well, the dear child has made her conquest!"
"I always knew she would when once reserve was broken down."
"Did you get up the alarm on purpose?"
"Really, one would think I had done so. One such moment was worth years of ordinary meetings! Half the battle is won!"
"Have you seen your mother this morning?"
"No; but she knew I was coming."
"Then you do not know what her feelings are on cooler reflection?"
"My mother would never retract what she has once assured me of," said Frank, haughtily.
"Forgive me-of what has she assured you?"
"That she regards Eleonora as a dear daughter, and that implies doing the same for me as for my brothers. If Sir Harry would but be so good as to come and see her-'
"Stay, Frank, you have not come that length. You forget that if you have, as you say, gained half the battle, there is another half; and that my father very reasonably feels hurt at being the last to be favoured with the intelligence."
"Dear Lady Tyrrell, you can see how it was. There was no helping it when once I could speak to Lenore; and then no one would have let me utter a word till I had gone through the examination. We never meant to go on a system of concealment; but you know how every one would have raved and stormed if I had betrayed a thought beyond old Driver, and yet it was only being at rest about Lenore that carried me through without breaking down. Can't you see?"
"You special pleader! May you win over my father; but you must remember that we are a fallen house, unable to do all we wish."
"If I might see Sir Harry! I must make him forgive me."
"I will see whether he is ready."
Could Frank's eyes have penetrated the walls, he would have seen Lady Tyrrell received with the words, "Well, my dear, I hope you have got rid of the young man-poor fellow!"
"I am afraid that cannot be done without your seeing him yourself."
"Hang it! I hate it! I can't abide it, Camilla. He's a nice lad, though he is his mother's son; and Lenore's heart is set on him, and I can't bear vexing the child."
"Lena cares for him only because she met him before she knew what life is like. After one season she will understand what five hundred a year means."
"Well, you ought to know your sister best; but if the lad has spoken to her, Lena is not the girl to stand his getting his conge so decidedly."
"Exactly; it would only lead to heroics, and deepen the mischief."
"Hang it! Then what do you want me to say?"
"Stand up for your rights, and reduce him to submission by displeasure at not having been consulted. Then explain how there can be no engagement at once; put him on his honour to leave her free till after her birthday in November."
"What! have him dangling after her? That's no way to make her forget him."
"She never will under direct opposition-she is too high-spirited for that; but if we leave it alone, and they are unpledged, there is a fair chance of her seeing the folly both for her and for him."
"I don't know that. Lena may be high-flown; but things go deep with the child-deeper than they did with you, Camilla!"
Perhaps this was a stab, for there was bitterness in the answer. "You mean that she is less willing to give up a fancy for the family good. Remember, it is doubly imperative that Lena should marry a man whose means are in his own power, so that he could advance something. This would be simply ruin-throwing up the whole thing, after all I have done to retrieve our position."
"After all, Camilla, I am growing an old man, and poor Tom is gone. I don't know that the position is worth so much to me as the happiness to her, poor child!" said Sir Harry, wistfully.
"Happiness!" was the scornful answer. "If you said 'her own way,' it would be nearer the truth. A back street in London-going about in a cab-and occasional holidays on sufferance from Mrs. Poynsett."
However little happiness either father or daughter had derived from their chosen ways, this idea was abhorrent to both; and Lady Tyrrell pressed her advantage. "If we keep him waiting much longer he will be rushing after Lena, and if you show the least sign of relenting he will insist on dragging you to an interview with his mother."
The threat was effectual; for Sir Harry had had passages-at arms enough with Mrs. Poynsett to make him dread her curt dry civility far more than either dun or bailiff, and he was at once roused to the determination to be explicit.