Mr. and Mrs. Goarly were left in a state of great
perturbation of mind. They could not in the least
make out among themselves who the gentleman was, or
whether he had come for good or evil. That he
called himself Gotobed Goarly did remember, and also
that he had said that he was an American. All
that which had referred to senatorial honours and
the State of Mickewa had been lost upon Goarly.
The question of course arose whether he was not a spy
sent out by Lord Rufford’s man of business,
and Mrs. Goarly was clearly of opinion that such had
been the nature of his employment. Had he really
been a friend, she suggested, he would have left a
sovereign behind him. “He didn’t
get no information from me,” said Goarly.
“Only about Mr. Bearside.”
“What’s the odds of that? They all
knows that. Bearside! Why should I be ashamed
of Bearside? I’ll do a deal better with
Bearside than I would with that old woman, Masters.”
“But he took it down in writing, Dan.”
“What the d—’s the odds in
that?”
“I don’t like it when they puts it down
in writing.”
“Hold your jaw,” said Goarly as he slowly
shouldered the dung-fork to take it back to his work.
But as they again discussed the matter that night
the opinion gained ground upon them that the Senator
had been an emissary from the enemy.
Lord Rufford’s Invitation
On that same Wednesday afternoon when Morton returned
with the ladies in the carriage he found that a mounted
servant had arrived from Rufford Hall with a letter
and had been instructed to wait for an answer.
The man was now refreshing himself in the servants’
hall. Morton, when he had read the letter, found
that it required some consideration before he could
answer it. It was to the following purport.
Lord Rufford had a party of ladies and gentlemen at
Rufford Hall, as his sister, Lady Penwether, was staying
with him. Would Mr. Morton and his guests come
over to Rufford Hall on Monday and stay till Wednesday?
On Tuesday there was to be a dance for the people
of the neighbourhood. Then he specified, as the
guests invited, Lady Augustus and her daughter and
Mr. Gotobed,— omitting the honourable Mrs.
Morton of whose sojourn in the county he might have
been ignorant. His Lordship went on to say that
he trusted the abruptness of the invitation might
be excused on account of the nearness of their neighbourhood
and the old friendship which had existed between their
families. He had had, he said, the pleasure of
being acquainted with Lady Augustus and her daughter
in London and would be proud to see Mr. Gotobed at
his house during his sojourn in the county. Then
he added in a postscript that the hounds met at Rufford
Hall on Tuesday and that he had a horse that carried
a lady well if Miss Trefoil would like to ride him.
He could also put up a horse for Mr. Morton.
