Luttrell Of Arran Part 55

"Grenfell, Grenfell--never heard of any Grenfells but c.o.x and Grenfell, the Piccadilly people, eh?"

Kate gave no answer, but still held the card, with her eyes fixed upon it.

"Sad thing to shoot a hen--very sad thing--and a remarkably fine bird; quite young, quite young," muttered Sir Within to himself. "Could scarcely be the game sauce Grenfell, I think, eh, Kate? This apology smacks of the gentleman. What was he like, Michael?"

"A fine-looking man, Sir, standing as tall as me; and about thirty-six or thirty-eight, perhaps. He had a nice spaniel with him, Sir, one of the Woburn breed; I know 'em well."

"I'm sorry he shot that hen. Ain't you, Kate?"

But Kate was deep in thought, and did not hear him.

CHAPTER x.x.xIV. SIR WITHIN'S GUESTS

A short, somewhat plump, dark-eyed young man, with a low but wide forehead, and a well-formed but rather thick-lipped mouth, lay in his dressing-gown on the sofa smoking, and at intervals conversing with a smart-looking valet. These were Mr. Adolphus Ladarelle, and his man Fisk. The time--a little past midnight; the place--a bedroom in Dalradern Castle.

"The governor gone to bed yet, Fisk?"

"No, Sir; he's still talking with the old gent. They seemed to have had high words of it awhile ago, but they've got quiet again."

"The governor came down expressly for that! He likes a bit of a breeze, too, and I believe it does him good."

"Well, indeed I think you're right, Sir! I never seed him in such health as after that trial where Mr. Hythe, the cas.h.i.+er, was sentenced to fourteen years. It was just like putting so much to the master's own life."

Whether the prospect of such longevity was so agreeable to the young gentleman, I cannot say, but he winced a little under the remark, and said, half moodily: "This old cove here ought to be thinking of that same journey. It's slow work waiting for the death of a man, after he pa.s.ses seventy-four or five. The a.s.surance offices know that much."

"It's to be all yours, Master Dolly, ain't it?" asked the man, in a coaxing sort of tone.

"Every stone of it, and every stick that the old boy doesn't manage to cut down in the mean while."

"You'll never live here, Master Dolly? You'd not stand this lonesome place a week!"

"I don't think I should, Tom. I might come down for the shooting, and bring some fellows with me, or I might run down for a few weeks 'on the sly.' By the way, have you found out who she is?"

"No, Sir; they're as close as wax. Mrs. Simc.o.x, I see, knows all about it, but she won't say a word beyond the 'young lady as is my master's ward.'"

"Is she French or English?"

"Can't say, Sir; but I suspect she's French."

"Is she his daughter?"

"At times I do think she is; but she ain't like him, Sir, not a bit!"

"But why can't you find out where she came from when she came here, who and what her friends, if she has any?"

"It's clear impossible, Sir. They has all got orders to know nothing, and it's nothing they know."

"Did you try them with a 'tip,' Tom?"

"No use, Sir. In a town-house you can always do that, but these savages--they are just savages--in the country, think they are bound to their masters, body and soul."

"What a mistake, Tom," said the other, with a twinkle of the eye.

"Well, Sir, it's a mistake when a man does not love his master;" and Mr.

Fisk turned away and drew his hand across his eyes.

The grin upon young Mr. Ladarelle's face was not a very flattering commentary on this show of feeling, but he did not speak for some minutes. At last he said: "He presented her to my governor as Mademoiselle O'Hara, saying, 'My ward;' and she received us as calmly as if she owned the place. That's what puzzles _me_, Tom--her cool self-possession."

"It ain't nat'ral, Sir; it ain't, indeed!"

"It is the sort of manner a man's wife might have, and not even that if she were very young. It was as good as a play to see how she treated the governor as if he had never been here before, and that everything was new to him!"

Mr. Fisk rubbed his hands and laughed heartily at this joke.

"And as for myself, she scarcely condescended to acknowledge me."

"Warn't that too imperent, Sir?"

"It was not gracious, at all events, but we'll know more of each other before the week is over. You'll see."

"That's pretty sartain, Sir."

"Not but I'd rather you could have found out something like a clue to her first of all."

"Well, indeed, Sir, there wasn't no way of doin' it. I even went down to the stable-yard and saw her own boxes. She has two as neat nags as ever you'd see in the Park, and I tried it on with her groom--Bill Richey they call him--and there was nothing to be done, Sir. He had just one answer for everything; and when I said, 'Can she ride?' 'Ride! why wouldn't she!' 'Has she these two for her own use?' says I. 'Why wouldn't she!' says the fellow again. 'So I suppose,' says I, 'she's got lots of tin?' 'Why wouldn't she have lots of it?' said he, in the same voice. I don't know whether he was more rogue or fool, Sir, but it was no good saying any more to him."

Young Ladarelle arose, and with his hands thrust low in his pockets, and his head slightly bent forward, walked the room in deep thought. "Cool as he is, he'd scarcely have presented her to the governor if there was a screw loose," muttered he; "he's too much a man of the world for that.

And yet, what can it be?"

"There must be something in it, that's certain, Sir; for none of the neighbours visit here, and Sir Within don't go out anywhere."

"How did you learn that?"

"From the gardener, Sir. He was saying what a cruel shame it was to see the fruit rotting under the trees; and that last September he gave a basketful of pine-apples to the pigs, for that none of the people round would take presents when Sir Within sent them. 'That's all on account of her,' says I, with a wink, for I thought I had him landed. 'I don't well know,' says he, 'what it's on account of, but here's the master comin'

up, and maybe he'll tell you!' And I had just time to cut away before he seen me."

"All that we know, then, is, that there's a mystery in it. Well,"

muttered he, "I couldn't ask a prettier skein to unravel. She is very beautiful! Are they late or early here, Tom?" asked he, after a pause.

"They be just as they please, Sir. The housekeeper told me there's breakfast from ten to one every morning, and dinner is served for six people every day, though only them two selves sits down to it; but the old gent says, perhaps some one might drop in. He says that every day of the year, Sir; but they never drop in. Maybe he knows why!"

"Call me at eleven or twelve. I don't care if it be one; for the day will be long enough here, after that."

"They tell me it's a very pretty place, Sir, and plenty to see."