The Parson O' Dumford Part 33

Volume 1, Chapter XVIII.

THE PLAN BEGINS TO WORK.

The vicar was standing by the flower-stand talking to Eve, and opening out the calyx of a new orchid, a half faded blossom of which he had picked from the pot to explain some peculiarities of its nature, while Eve, looking bright and interested, drank in his every word.

Mr Purley was filling out an easy-chair, having picked out one without arms for obvious reasons, and he was gossiping away to Mrs Glaire.

"How do, Purley?" said Richard, with a face as smooth as if nothing had occurred to fret him. "Glad to see you."

"Glad to see you too, Glaire; but you don't say, 'How are you?'"

"Who does to a doctor," laughed Richard. "Why you couldn't be ill if you tried."

"Ha-ha-ha!" laughed Mr Purley. "Well, if I'm not ill, I'm hungry."

"Always are," said Richard, with a sneer; and then seeing that his retort was a little too pointed, he blunted it by pandering to the stout medico's favourite joke, and adding, "Taken any one for a ride lately?"

"Ha-ha-ha!" laughed the doctor. "That's good! He's getting a regular Joe Miller in kid gloves, Mrs Glaire: that he is. Ha-ha-ha!"

Richard gave a short side nod, for he was already crossing the room to the flower-stand.

"Talking about flowers?" he said, quietly. "That's pretty. I didn't know they'd asked you to dinner, Mr Selwood, and you must have thought me very gruff."

"Don't name it," said the vicar, frankly; but he was looking into the younger man's eyes in a way that made him turn them aside in a s.h.i.+fty manner, and begin picking nervously at the leaves of a plant as he went on--

"Fact is, don't you know, I'm cross and irritable. When a man's got all his fellows on strike or lock out, it upsets him."

"Yes, Mr Selwood," interposed Eve, "the poor fellow has been dreadfully worried lately. But it's all going to be right soon, I hope."

"I don't know," said Richard, cavalierly; "they're horribly obstinate."

Mrs Glaire, who had been watching all this eagerly, while she made an appearance of listening to Mr Purley's prattle, gave her son a grateful look, to which he replied with a smile and a nod, when a servant entered and announced the dinner.

Richard Glaire's smile and nod turned into a scowl and a twitch on hearing his mother's next words, which were--

"Mr Selwood, will you take in my niece? Mr Purley, your arm."

The vicar pa.s.sed out with Eve, followed by the doctor and their hostess, leaving Richard to bring up the rear, which he did after s.n.a.t.c.hing up a book and hurling it across the room crash into the flower-stand.

"She's mad," he muttered,--"she's mad;" and then grinding his teeth with rage he followed into the dining-room.

Richard contrived to conceal his annoyance tolerably during the dinner, but his mother saw with secret satisfaction that he was thoroughly piqued by the way in which Eve behaved towards their visitor; and even with the effort he made over himself, he was not quite successful in hiding his vexation; while when they went out afterwards on to the croquet lawn, and the vicar and Eve were partners against him, he gave vent to his feelings by vicious blows at the b.a.l.l.s, to the no slight damage of Mrs Glaire's flowers.

This lady, however, bore the infliction with the greatest equanimity, sitting on a garden seat, knitting, with a calm satisfied smile upon her face even though Eve looked aghast at the mischief that had been done.

Matters did not improve, for Richard, after being, to his great disgust, thoroughly beaten, and having his ball driven into all kinds of out-of-the-way places by his adversaries, found on re-entering the drawing-room that he was to play a very secondary part.

Eve recollected that Mr Selwood could sing a little, and he sang in a good manly voice several songs, to which she played the accompaniment.

Then Eve had to sing as well, a couple of pretty ballads, in a sweet unaffected voice, and all this time the whist-table was waiting and Richard pretending to keep up a conversation with the doctor, who enjoyed the music and did not miss his whist.

At length the last ballad was finished, tea over, and Richard had made his plans to exclude Eve from the whist-table, when he gnashed his teeth with fury, for his mother said--

"Eve, my dear, why don't you ask Mr Selwood to try that duet with you?"

"What, the one Richard was practising, aunt?"

"Yes, my dear, that one."

"Oh, no," exclaimed the vicar. "If Mr Glaire sings I will not take his place. Perhaps he will oblige us by taking his part with you."

"But d.i.c.k doesn't know it, Mr Selwood," said Eve, laughing merrily, "and he's sure to break down. He always does in a song. Do try it."

d.i.c.k turned livid with rage, for this was more than he could bear, and, seeing his annoyance, Mr Selwood pleasantly declined, saying--

"But I have an engagement on; I am to win some money of the doctor here, for my poor people."

"Didn't know it was the correct thing to gamble to win money for charity."

"Oh, I often do," said the vicar, pleasantly. "Now I'll be bound, Mr Glaire, if I'd asked you for a couple of guineas to distribute, you'd think me a great bore."

"You may depend upon that," said Richard. "I never give in charity."

"But at the same time, you would not much mind if I won that sum from you at whist."

"You'd have to win it first," said Richard, with a sneer.

"Exactly," said the vicar; "and I might lose."

"There, don't talk," said Richard; "let's play. Come along, mamma."

Mrs Glaire was about to excuse herself, but seeing her son's looks, she thought better of her decision, and to keep peace went up to the table; Eve saying she would look on.

It fell about then that the vicar and Mrs Glaire were partners, and as sometimes happens, Richard and his partner, the doctor, had the most atrocious of hands almost without exception. This joined to the fact that Mrs Glaire played with shrewdness, and the vicar admirably, so disgusted Richard that at last he threw down the cards in a pet, vowing he would play no more.

"Well, it is time to leave off, really," said the vicar, glancing at his watch. "Half-past ten."

"Don't forget to give your winnings away in charity, parson," said Richard, in a sneering tone.

"d.i.c.k!" whispered Eve, imploringly.

"Hold _your_ tongue," was the reply. "I know what I'm saying."

"No fear," said the vicar, good-temperedly, as he was bidding Mrs Glaire good night; "shall I send you an account? Good night, Miss Pelly. Thanks for a delightful evening. Good night, Mr Glaire."

He held out his hand, and gave Richard's a grip that made him wince, and then, after a few words in the hall, he was gone, with the doctor for companion.

"Thank goodness!" exclaimed Richard, savagely.