My Novel Part 92

"Nay, I don't know that he means to marry at all; I am only surmising; but if he did fall in love with a foreigner--"

"A foreigner! Ah, then Harry was--" The squire stopped short.

"Who might, perhaps," observed Randal--not truly, if he referred to Madame di Negra--"who might, perhaps, speak very little English?"

"Lord ha' mercy!"

"And a Roman Catholic--"

"Wors.h.i.+pping idols, and roasting people who don't wors.h.i.+p them."

"Signor Riccabocca is not so bad as that."

"Rickeybockey! Well, if it was his daughter! But not speak Englis.h.!.+

and not go to the parish church! By George, if Frank thought of such a thing, I'd cut him off with a s.h.i.+lling. Don't talk to me, sir; I would.

I 'm a mild man, and an easy man; but when I say a thing, I say it, Mr.

Leslie. Oh, but it is a jest,--you are laughing at me. There 's no such painted good-for-nothing creature in Frank's eye, eh?"

"Indeed, sir, if ever I find there is, I will give you notice in time. At present, I was only trying to ascertain what you wished for a daughter-in-law. You said you had no prejudice."

"No more I have,--not a bit of it."

"You don't like a foreigner and a Catholic?"

"Who the devil would?"

"But if she had rank and t.i.tle?"

"Rank and t.i.tle! Bubble and squeak! No, not half so good as bubble and squeak. English beef and good cabbage. But foreign rank and t.i.tle!--foreign cabbage and beef!--foreign bubble and foreign squeak!"

And the squire made a wry face, and spat forth his disgust and indignation.

"You must have an Englishwoman?"

"Of course."

"Money?"

"Don't care, provided she is a tidy, sensible, active la.s.s, with a good character for her dower."

"Character--ah, that is indispensable?"

"I should think so, indeed. A Mrs. Hazeldean of Hazeldean--You frighten me. He's not going to run off with a divorced woman, or a--"

The squire stopped, and looked so red in the face that Randal feared he might be seized with apoplexy before Frank's crimes had made him alter his will.

Therefore he hastened to relieve Mr. Hazeldean's mind, and a.s.sured him that he had been only talking at random; that Frank was in the habit, indeed, of seeing foreign ladies occasionally, as all persons in the London world were; but that he was sure Frank would never marry without the full consent and approval of his parents. He ended by repeating his a.s.surance, that he would warn the squire if ever it became necessary.

Still, however, he left Mr. Hazeldean so disturbed and uneasy that that gentleman forgot all about the farm, and went moodily on in the opposite direction, reentering the park at its farther extremity. As soon as they approached the house, the squire hastened to shut himself with his wife in full parental consultation; and Randal, seated upon a bench on the terrace, revolved the mischief he had done, and its chances of success.

While thus seated, and thus thinking, a footstep approached cautiously, and a low voice said, in broken English, "Sare, sare, let me speak vid you."

Randal turned in surprise, and beheld a swarthy, saturnine face, with grizzled hair and marked features. He recognized the figure that had joined Riccabocca in the Italian's garden. "Speak-a-you Italian?"

resumed Jackeymo.

Randal, who had made himself an excellent linguist, nodded a.s.sent; and Jackeymo, rejoiced, begged him to withdraw into a more private part of the grounds.

Randal obeyed, and the two gained the shade of a stately chestnut avenue.

"Sir," then said Jackeymo, speaking in his native tongue, and expressing himself with a certain simple pathos, "I am but a poor man; my name is Giacomo. You have heard of me; servant to the signore whom you saw to-day,--only a servant; but he honours me with his confidence. We have known danger together; and of all his friends and followers, I alone came with him to the stranger's land."

"Good, faithful fellow," said Randal, examining the man's face, "say on.

Your master confides in you? He has confided that which I told him this day?"

"He did. Ah, sir; the padrone was too proud to ask you to explain more,--too proud to show fear of another. But he does fear, he ought to fear, he shall fear," continued Jackeymo, working himself up to pa.s.sion,--"for the padrone has a daughter, and his enemy is a villain.

Oh, sir, tell me all that you did not tell to the padrone. You hinted that this man might wish to marry the signora. Marry her!--I could cut his throat at the altar!"

"Indeed," said Randal, "I believe that such is his object."

"But why? He is rich, she is penniless,--no, not quite that, for we have saved--but penniless, compared to him."

"My good friend, I know not yet his motives; but I can easily learn them. If, however, this count be your master's enemy, it is surely well to guard against him, whatever his designs; and to do so, you should move into London or its neighbourhood. I fear that, while we speak, the count may get upon his track."

"He had better not come here!" cried the servant, menacingly, and putting his hand where the knife was not.

"Beware of your own anger, Giacomo. One act of violence, and you would be transported from England, and your mast'r would lose a friend."

Jackeymo seemed struck by this caution.

"And if the padrone were to meet him, do you think the padrone would meekly say, 'Come sta sa Signoria'? The padrone would strike him dead!"

"Hus.h.!.+ hus.h.!.+ You speak of what in England is called murder, and is punished by the gallows. If you really love your master, for Heaven's sake get him from this place, get him from all chance of such pa.s.sion and peril. I go to town to-morrow; I will find him a house, that shall be safe from all spies, all discovery. And there, too, my friend. I can do what I cannot at this distance,--watch over him, and keep watch also on his enemy."

Jackeymo seized Randal's hand, and lifted it towards his lip; then, as if struck by a sudden suspicion, dropped the hand, and said bluntly, "Signore, I think you have seen the padrone twice. Why do you take this interest in him?"

"Is it so uncommon to take interest even in a stranger who is menaced by some peril?"

Jackeymo, who believed little in general philanthropy, shook his head sceptically.

"Besides," continued Randal, suddenly bethinking himself of a more plausible reason,--"besides, I am a friend and connection of Mr.

Egerton; and Mr. Egerton's most intimate friend is Lord L'Estrange; and I have heard that Lord L'Estrange--"

"The good lord! Oh, now I understand," interrupted Jackeymo, and his brow cleared. "Ah, if he were in England! But you will let us know when he comes?"

"Certainly. Now, tell me, Giacomo, is this count really unprincipled and dangerous? Remember I know him not personally."

"He has neither heart nor conscience."

"That defect makes him dangerous to men; perhaps not less so to women.

Could it be possible, if he obtained any interview with the signora, that he could win her affections?" Jackeymo crossed himself rapidly and made no answer.