Westward Ho [145]
sir."
"You would not have me a coward, madam?" and so forth.
Now all this time Don Guzman had been talking at Rose Salterne, and giving her the very slightest hint, every now and then, that he was talking at her; till the poor girl's face was almost crimson with pleasure, and she gave herself up to the spell. He loved her still; perhaps he knew that she loved him: he must know some day. She felt now that there was no escape; she was almost glad to think that there was none.
The dark, handsome, stately face; the melodious voice, with its rich Spanish accent; the quiet grace of the gestures; the wild pathos of the story; even the measured and inflated style, as of one speaking of another and a loftier world; the chivalrous respect and admiration for woman, and for faithfulness to woman--what a man he was! If he had been pleasant heretofore, he was now enchanting. All the ladies round felt that, she could see, as much as she herself did; no, not quite as much, she hoped. She surely understood him, and felt for his loneliness more than any of them. Had she not been feeling for it through long and sad months? But it was she whom he was thinking of, she whom he was speaking to, all along. Oh, why had the tale ended so soon? She would gladly have sat and wept her eyes out till midnight over one melodious misery after another; but she was quite wise enough to keep her secret to herself; and sat behind the rest, with greedy eyes and demure lips, full of strange and new happiness--or misery; she knew not which to call it.
In the meanwhile, as it was ordained, Cary could see and hear through the window of the hall a good deal of what was going on.
"How that Spanish crocodile ogles the Rose!" whispered he to young St. Leger.
"What wonder? He is not the first by many a one."
"Ay--but-- By heaven, she is making side-shots at him with those languishing eyes of hers, the little baggage!"
"What wonder? He is not the first, say I, and won't be the last. Pass the wine, man."
"I have had enough; between sack and singing, my head is as mazed as a dizzy sheep. Let me slip out."
"Not yet, man; remember you are bound for one song more."
So Cary, against his will, sat and sang another song; and in the meanwhile the party had broken up, and wandered away by twos and threes, among trim gardens and pleasaunces, and clipped yew-walks--
Where west-winds with musky wing About the cedarn alleys fling Nard and cassia's balmy smells--"
admiring the beauty of that stately place, long since passed into other hands, and fallen to decay, but then (if old Prince speaks true) one of the noblest mansions of the West.
At last Cary got away and out; sober, but just enough flushed with wine to be ready for any quarrel; and luckily for him, had not gone twenty yards along the great terrace before he met Lady Grenville.
"Has your ladyship seen Don Guzman?"
"Yes--why, where is he? He was with me not ten minutes ago. You know he is going back to Spain."
"Going! Has his ransom come?"
"Yes, and with it a governorship in the Indies."
"Governorship! Much good may it do the governed."
"Why not, then? He is surely a most gallant gentleman."
"Gallant enough--yes," said Cary, carelessly. "I must find him, and congratulate him on his honors."
"I will help you to find him," said Lady Grenville, whose woman's eye and ear had already suspected something. "Escort me, sir."
"It is but too great an honor to squire the Queen of Bideford," said Cary, offering his hand.
"If I am your queen, sir, I must be obeyed," answered she, in a meaning tone. Cary took the hint, and went on chattering cheerfully enough.
But Don Guzman was not to be found in garden or in pleasaunce.
"Perhaps," at last said a burgher's wife, with a toss of her head, "your ladyship may meet with him at Hankford's oak."
"At Hankford's oak! what should take him there?"
"Pleasant company, I reckon" (with another toss). "I heard him and Mistress Salterne talking about the oak just now."
Cary turned
"You would not have me a coward, madam?" and so forth.
Now all this time Don Guzman had been talking at Rose Salterne, and giving her the very slightest hint, every now and then, that he was talking at her; till the poor girl's face was almost crimson with pleasure, and she gave herself up to the spell. He loved her still; perhaps he knew that she loved him: he must know some day. She felt now that there was no escape; she was almost glad to think that there was none.
The dark, handsome, stately face; the melodious voice, with its rich Spanish accent; the quiet grace of the gestures; the wild pathos of the story; even the measured and inflated style, as of one speaking of another and a loftier world; the chivalrous respect and admiration for woman, and for faithfulness to woman--what a man he was! If he had been pleasant heretofore, he was now enchanting. All the ladies round felt that, she could see, as much as she herself did; no, not quite as much, she hoped. She surely understood him, and felt for his loneliness more than any of them. Had she not been feeling for it through long and sad months? But it was she whom he was thinking of, she whom he was speaking to, all along. Oh, why had the tale ended so soon? She would gladly have sat and wept her eyes out till midnight over one melodious misery after another; but she was quite wise enough to keep her secret to herself; and sat behind the rest, with greedy eyes and demure lips, full of strange and new happiness--or misery; she knew not which to call it.
In the meanwhile, as it was ordained, Cary could see and hear through the window of the hall a good deal of what was going on.
"How that Spanish crocodile ogles the Rose!" whispered he to young St. Leger.
"What wonder? He is not the first by many a one."
"Ay--but-- By heaven, she is making side-shots at him with those languishing eyes of hers, the little baggage!"
"What wonder? He is not the first, say I, and won't be the last. Pass the wine, man."
"I have had enough; between sack and singing, my head is as mazed as a dizzy sheep. Let me slip out."
"Not yet, man; remember you are bound for one song more."
So Cary, against his will, sat and sang another song; and in the meanwhile the party had broken up, and wandered away by twos and threes, among trim gardens and pleasaunces, and clipped yew-walks--
Where west-winds with musky wing About the cedarn alleys fling Nard and cassia's balmy smells--"
admiring the beauty of that stately place, long since passed into other hands, and fallen to decay, but then (if old Prince speaks true) one of the noblest mansions of the West.
At last Cary got away and out; sober, but just enough flushed with wine to be ready for any quarrel; and luckily for him, had not gone twenty yards along the great terrace before he met Lady Grenville.
"Has your ladyship seen Don Guzman?"
"Yes--why, where is he? He was with me not ten minutes ago. You know he is going back to Spain."
"Going! Has his ransom come?"
"Yes, and with it a governorship in the Indies."
"Governorship! Much good may it do the governed."
"Why not, then? He is surely a most gallant gentleman."
"Gallant enough--yes," said Cary, carelessly. "I must find him, and congratulate him on his honors."
"I will help you to find him," said Lady Grenville, whose woman's eye and ear had already suspected something. "Escort me, sir."
"It is but too great an honor to squire the Queen of Bideford," said Cary, offering his hand.
"If I am your queen, sir, I must be obeyed," answered she, in a meaning tone. Cary took the hint, and went on chattering cheerfully enough.
But Don Guzman was not to be found in garden or in pleasaunce.
"Perhaps," at last said a burgher's wife, with a toss of her head, "your ladyship may meet with him at Hankford's oak."
"At Hankford's oak! what should take him there?"
"Pleasant company, I reckon" (with another toss). "I heard him and Mistress Salterne talking about the oak just now."
Cary turned