"Sir Grantley," she said, softening her voice down to a contralto coo as she laid her fan on the arm of the elderly young man, whose face on one side was all eye-gla.s.s and wrinkles, on the other blank, "will you take down my daughter?"

"Charmed, I'm shaw," was the hesitating reply, as a puzzled look came over the baronet's face; "but her husband, don't you know?"

"I mean Lady Maude," said her ladyship, with a winning smile.

"Yes, of course; beg pardon, I'm shaw," said the baronet hastily, and he crossed the room with her ladyship in a weak-kneed fashion, and apparently suffering from tight boots.

But it so happened that a flank movement had been set on foot by Viscount Diphoos.

"Charley, old man," he was saying to the visitor with the fair beard, who now, as he stood in one of the windows, showed himself to be a fine, broad-shouldered fellow of about eight or nine and twenty, with a fair Saxon forehead half-way down to his brows, where it became ruddily tanned, as if by exposure to the air. "Charley, old man, go across and nail Maude at once, or the old lady will be handing her over to that wretched screw, Wilters.--Have you seen Tryphie?"

"There she is, over in the far corner, talking to the doctor," said the young man addressed--a bosom friend of the viscount: Charley Melton, the son of a country gentleman with a very small income and no prospects, unless a cousin in the navy should kindly leave this world in his favour, when he would be heir to a t.i.tle and a goodly domain.

He crossed the room quickly to where Lady Maude was standing, and a curious, conscious look appeared on the girl's face as he approached.

There was a warm rosy hue in her cheeks as their eyes met, and then, happy and palpitating, she let her little fingers press very timidly the strong muscular arm that held them to the side within which beat--beat-- beat, rather faster than usual, Charley Melton's heart, a habit it had had of late when fortune had thrown him close to his companion.

Her ladyship saw the movement as she was approaching with Sir Grantley Wilters, and darted an angry look at her daughter and another at her son. Then, with her face all smiles, she brought up her light cavalry and took her son in the flank in his turn.

"So sorry, Sir Grantley," she said sweetly; "we were too late. Will you take down my niece?"

"Yas, delighted," said Sir Grantley, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g the whole of his face up till it formed a series of concentric circles round his eye-gla.s.s. "But who is that fellow?"

"Friend of my son," said her ladyship in the most confidential way.

"Very nice manly fellow, and that sort of thing. Tryphie, my dear, Sir Grantley Wilters will take you down," she continued, as she stopped before a little piquante, creamy-skinned girl with large hazel eyes, abundant dark-brown hair, and a saucy-looking little mouth. She had a well-shaped nose, but her face was freckled as liberally as nature could arrange it without making the markings touch: but all the same she was remarkably bright and pretty.

"Sold!" muttered Tom, spitefully, as he saw her ladyship beaming upon him after striking him in his tenderest part. But he was consoled a little the next moment as Maude gave him a grateful glance, looking as happy and bright as Melton himself, while as Tryphie took the proffered arm of Sir Grantley Wilters, whose face expressed pain above and a smile below, the sharp little maiden made a _moue_ with her lips expressive of disgust at her partner, and gave Diphoos a glance which made him feel decidedly better.

"I don't like that fellow, Tom, my boy," said Lord Barmouth, sidling up to his son, and bending down for a furtive rub at his leg. "Damme, Tom, I don't believe he's forty, and he looks as old as I do. If her ladyship means him to marry little Tryphie there, I shan't--shan't like--like--Damme, it would be too bad."

"Hang it all, gov'nor; don't talk like that," cried Tom, impatiently.

"No, no, certainly not, my boy, certainly not; but I say, Tom, that's a doosed nice boy that young Charley Melton. I like the look of him.

He's a manly sort of a fellow. Your uncle and I were at Eton with his father years ago. I say, Tom," he continued, rubbing his leg, "he wouldn't make a bad match for our Maude. Yes, yes, my dear; I'm coming."

"Anthony, for shame!" whispered her ladyship. "They are all waiting.

Lady Rigby. I've been looking for you. Take her down at once."

The earl crossed over to make himself agreeable to Lady Rigby, the stout mamma; and the hostess took counsel with herself.

"Either would do," she said. "But Mr Melton's attentions will bring Sir Grantley to the point."

A few minutes later the guests were seated at the wedding breakfast, while Dolly Preen again leaned out of the window, having returned there after attending to the bride, to whom two fresh pocket-handkerchiefs were supplied. Luigi of the organ was still below, handsome and smiling as he scented good things, and he played on as Mistress Preen listened and thought of love and marriage, and music, and how handsome Italian men were, and ended by doing as she had done for many weeks, wrapping a three-penny piece up in many papers and dropping it into Luigi's soft felt hat. For how could she offer coppers to such a man as that!

She was not the only one who dreamed of love, for Justine Framboise, her ladyship's maid, was enjoying a pleasant flirtation with Monsieur Hector Launay, Coiffeur de Paris, from Upper Gimp Street, Marylebone, a gentleman whose offices were largely in request in Portland Place, and who that morning had left his place of business in charge of a boy, so that he might perform certain capillary conjuring tricks, and then stay and look in the eyes of the fair Justine--a French young lady, who would have been a fortune to her father if she had been a dentist's daughter, so liberally did she show her fine white teeth.

The said flirtation took place upon the stairs, and Perkins, the bride's new maid, took interest therein, to the neglect of her packing and the annoyance of Henry, the Resident's man, with whom she was to ride in the rumble, and then second-cla.s.s to Paris that day on the honeymoon trip.

For Monsieur Hector, with all the gallantry of the fair city from which he hailed, had called Perkins, in Henry's hearing, _une demoiselle charmante_.

"Like his furren imperdence," as Henry said, and then the said Henry had to go in and stand behind his master's chair. As soon after three parts of a bottle of champagne was pa.s.sed upstairs with a gla.s.s by a kindly disposed waiter, the packing of the newly-married lady went on worse than ever, and several travelling-cases were left unfastened in the bedroom.

"I say," whispered Tom, going behind her ladyship's chair, "you are never going to let the gov'nor speak?"

"Yes, certainly. He must," said her ladyship in a decisive tone; and she turned to the guest on her right.

"But he'll break down as sure as a gun," remonstrated the son.

"I have prompted him, and he knows what to say," replied her ladyship.

"Go back to your place."

"Oh, just as you like," grumbled Tom; and he returned to his seat, determined in his own mind to stand behind his father's chair, and to prompt him to the best of his ability.

The breakfast went on amidst the pleasant tinkle of gla.s.s and plate, the conversation grew louder, there was the frequent pop of champagne corks, and the various couples grew too much engrossed to notice what took place with their neighbours.

"Maude," said Charley Melton at last, "if you were put to the test, should you give up any one you loved, and accept a comparative stranger because he could do as that man has done--load you with diamonds?"

She turned her eyes to his with a reproachful look, and the colour suffused her face.

"No one can hear what I say," he whispered, with his eyes fixed upon his plate. "But listen to me. I feel that it is almost madness, but I love you very, very dearly. You know it--you must know it. Ever since we met, six months since, you have been my sole thought. I ought not to speak, but I cannot keep it back waiting for an opportunity that may never come. And if some day I awoke to the fact that I had made no declaration and another had carried you off, I believe I should go mad.

Give me one word of hope. I am very poor--terribly poor, but times may change, and money does not provide all the happiness of life.--Not one word? Have I been deceived? Was I mad to think that you met me these many times with pleasure? Give me one word--one look."

"I mustn't," said Lady Maude, colouring. "Mamma is giving you one."

Charley Melton gave an unintentional kick under the table, touching his opposite neighbour so hard that he turned reproachfully to the gentleman at his side.

"Oh, Lady Maude!" groaned Charley in tragic tones.

There was a hearty laugh here at some sally made by the doctor, and Maude whispered back in a husky voice--

"I dare not look at you;" and he saw that the colour was mounting to her temples.

"One word then," he whispered, as the conversation waxed louder, but there was no reply.

"Maude," he said, in a low deep voice, "I will not believe you to be cold--heartless."

"Oh no," she sighed.

"Then give me one word to tell me that I may hope."

Still no reply, as the lady sat playing with the viands upon her plate; then her face turned slightly towards him; her long lashes lifted softly, her eyes rested for a moment upon his, and he drew a long breath of relief, turning composed and quiet the next moment as he leaned towards her, saying--

"I never felt what it was to be truly happy until now."

"Nonsense?" said the doctor loudly, after just finishing a _very_ medical story--one he always told after his third gla.s.s of champagne, "I can a.s.sure you it is perfectly true. Good--isn't it? She really did elope with her music-master. Fact,--twins."

Several ladies looked shocked, for Lady Rigby, the stout mamma, an old patient, had laughed loudly, and then wiped her mouth with her lace handkerchief as if to take off the smile of which she felt rather ashamed, for her countenance afterwards looked preternaturally solemn.

The earl had escaped the usual supervision, and he also had partaken of a gla.s.s of champagne or two--or three--and he thoroughly enjoyed the doctors story.

"It puts me in mind of one," he said, with a chuckle. "You know it, doctor. If the ladies will excuse its being a little indelicate. Quite medical though, quite."