LADY TEMPLE’S TROUBLES.
“The pheasant in the falcon’s claw,
He scarce will yield, to please a daw.”—Scott.
Early in the afternoon of a warm October day, the
brothers arrived at Avomnouth, and ten minutes after
both were upon the lawn at Myrtlewood, where croquet
was still in progress. Shouts of delight greeted
the Colonel, and very gracefully did Bessie Keith come
to meet him, with the frank confiding sweetness befitting
his recent ward, the daughter of his friend.
A reassuring smile and monosyllable had scarcely
time to pass between him and the governess before
a flood of tidings was poured on him by the four elder
boys, while their mother was obliged to be mannerly,
and to pace leisurely along with the elder guest,
and poor Mr. Touchett waited a little aloof, hammering
his own boot with his mallet, as if he found the enchanted
ground failing him. But the boys had no notion
of losing their game, and vociferated an inquiry whether
the Colonel knew croquet. Yes, he had several
times played with his cousins in Scotland. “Then,”
insisted Conrade, “he must take mamma’s
place, whilst she was being devoured, and how surprised
she would be at being so helped on!”
“Not now, not to-day,” he answered.
“I may go to your sister, Ailie? Yes,
boys, you must close up your ranks without me.”
“Then please,” entreated Hubert, “take
him away,” pointing to the engrosser of their
mother.
“Do you find elder brothers so easily disposed
of, Hubert?” said the Colonel. “Do
you take Conrade away when you please?”
“I should punch him,” returned Francis.
“He knows better,” quoth Conrade in the
same breath, both with infinite contempt for Hubert.
“And I know better,” returned Colonel
Keith; “never mind, boys, I’ll come back
in—in reasonable time to carry him off,”
and he waved a gay farewell.
“Surely you wish to go too,” said Bessie
to Alison, “if only to relieve them of the little
girl! I’ll take care of the boys.
Pray go.”
“Thank you,” said Alison, surprised at
her knowledge of the state of things, “but they
are quite hardened to Rose’s presence, and I
think would rather miss her.”
And in fact Alison did not feel at all sure that,
when stimulated by Bessie’s appreciation of
their mischief, her flock might not in her absence
do something that might put their mother in despair,
and make their character for naughtiness irretrievable;
so Leoline and Hubert were summoned, the one from
speculations whether Lord Keith would have punched
his brother, the other from amaze that there was anything
our military secretary could not do, and Conrade and
Francis were arrested in the midst of a significant
contraction of the nostrils and opening of the mouth,
which would have exploded in an “eehaw”
but for Bessie’s valiant undertaking to be herself
and Lady Temple both at once.
