CHAPTER III. "Patience, unmoved, no marvel though she pause; But were we burden'd with like weight of pain, SHAKSPEARE, "Though you have tried that nothing's borne To your impenetrable face; That makes your way through all affairs, You must not think 'twill always pass." HUDIBRAS, "No thread of candour woofs her web of wiles." BYRON. THE morning after Madame d'A.'s ball, the dowager Lady de Clifford was sitting before her toilet-table, upon which were ranged, not indeed "Twelve vast French romances, neatly gilt," but a pile of war-novels-a species of literature in which her ladyship much delighted and often indulged. At the other side of the table were two sets of teeth, the Elizabethan ruff she had worn on the preceding night, and a green fan. Frump was busily employed brushing her mistress's hair, who was as busily employed reading "The Star of Fashion," by Anthony Frederick Holstein, when a knock came to the door. "Frump, Frump! see who's there," said her ladyship, throwing her handkerchief over the false teeth. Frump opened the door, at first cautiously, but seeing that it was Lord de Clifford, opened it widely as she said, "It's Lord de Clifford, my lady." "O come in, my dear; I did not think you'd have been stirring so soon after the ball last night, which, by-the-by, I thought vaustly stupid." "D- -n the ball!" said he, throwing himself into a chair, folding his dressing-gown about him, and then his arms, as he frowned at Frump and his mother, as much as to say, "Tell her to go away,' "You may go, Frump," said her ladyship, taking the hint, "and I'll ring when I want you." Long practice had rendered this amiable lady as skilful in detecting her son's changes of humour and impending storms, as the Chinese are in foreseeing change of weather, from the variations of colour in their stone man near Vuchen, on the top of the hill of Vangkiu. "What is it, my dear?” inquired she, as soon as Frump had closed the door, "O that d-d woman pretends that I have hurt or put her wrist out of joint, because I just touched her last night for answering me impertinently." "Which-who-my dear?" Why Lady de Clifford. Not that I'd care what the d-1 she said; only in a place of this sort, everything gets about, and one does not like to be talked of." "Very just observation, my dear; but how did it happen?" Why last night, instead of going for some books I asked her for, she very impertinently pointed to where they were; and I struck her hand, but in a way that could not have hurt a fly; and yet she has made a perfect uproar about it, by going to bed, and sending for a doctor; and that d- -d maid of hers has belled about through the hotel, that she will never be able to use her hand again." "I'm sure, my dear, it does great credit to your head and hort that you were so mild under such terrible provocation; but it would have been more prudent in this ill-natured world, where things are so misrepresented, if you had not touched her; but you see, my dear, you are too open and candid; but, as I always tell you, you would be so much happier and freer in every way living eng gorsong, and when we return to England we must see and contrive it. And the little gurl might be sent to school, as I think it's giving her mother too much power to leave her with her; but all this is for future consideration-the thing is now to decide upon what we had best do. Let me see," continued she, putting two fingers of her right hand against her withered cheek, and the other two on her chin, as was her wont when constructing a falsehood or a plot-"let me see-the best plan will be for you and me both, to be very civil and attentive to her, and to be loud in our regrets to every one in the house, about Lady de Clifford's accident: be sure, my dear, not to forget to call it ́ ́accident'never say 'hurt."" "You are quite right, my dear ma'am, but you are so clever-I never knew such a head for business in my life; it's a d-1 of a bore, but do you think I had better go down to her now?" "No, my dear-you had better let me pave the way by seeing her first, and in order to do so, I'll write her a note, to ask when she will see me." "I'm sure, my dear ma'am, you are extremely kind, and I feel greatly obliged to you-and, as you say, it would be much better if I could get rid of her altogether; but you see there is so much cant in the world, that it requires great skill and caution in managing it." Very just observation, my dear, but-" here another knock came to the door. "Who's there?" cried the dowager sharply. "It's only me, my dear mamma," wooed Mr. Herbert Grimstone, through the keyhole, "who wish to know how you are after the fatigues of last night ?" "O, come in, my dear." And in Mr. Herbert Grimstone came, after having imprinted a gallant kiss on his mother's skinny hand, and told her, that after her appearance and the sensation she created the night before, he no longer doubted the description of Queen Elizabeth's beauty as given in the chronicles! he turned to his brother with "Well, my dear fellow, and how are you?" "Sadly plagued, my dear, about this here tiresome business," said his mother, answering for him. "What business?" asked Herbert. Here followed a false and garbled statement of poor Julia's disjointed wrist, which when he had heard, Mr. Herbert Grimstone, after his usual preliminary grasp of the five hairs on his right temple-with the extend ed palm and whole five fingers of his right hand, affectionately turned first to his mother and next to his brother, with 66 Well, my dear ma'am-well, my dear De Clifford, what do you wish me to do? I'll be guided entirely by you. Shall I go to Julia and tell her that you can't possibly live with her after such conduct-eh ?" "O, my dear fellow, I'm sure you're very kind," said Lord de Clifford, taking Herbert's extended hand, "but-” Here their amiable mother interrupted this nobile fratrum to explain her plan on the occasion, of which Mr. Herbert Grimstone approved as highly as his brother had previously done, and then said, Perhaps, then, I had better go down and sit with her and tell her about the ball-that will look affectionate and attentive, and all that sort of thing; and if she hints at my brother having struck her, I can reason with her, and tell her how much better it will be for her to say nothing about it, but pass it off as an accident." "Very just observation, my dear." "But as I before said, my dear mamma," resumed Herbert, "I am quite ready to do whatever you and my brother wish. By-the-by, my dear fellow, I had a letter from Protocol this morning, and if Denham remains at St. Petersburg, I have no doubt of being appointed Secretary of Legation. One of his daughters would be a devilish good speculation-one could but be refused, you know, and it would be an epoch in one's life even to have been near getting forty thousand pounds. Ha! ha! ha!" "Ah, so it would," replied his brother, "but it would be a better speculation still if you succeeded, for I have no doubt of Denham's ultimately being premier." "At all events," said Herbert, "I know his intention is to return to England at the next favourable crisis, and try to be Minister for Foreign Affairs." "But what the deuce will Lord Melford do with Protocol? for after thirty years' tenacious adherence to office, through the most sudden chances, and extreme changes, I should think he would not be easily ousted or transferred," said Lord de Clifford. 66 True, but you see Denham calculates upon the friendship and influence of a certain illustrious lady, and if that influence really exists to the extent he believes, Protocol, nor even Melford himself dare scarcely run counter to it. As things are likely to turn out, I am deuced sorry that I did not from the first pay more attention to the rising sun, and boldly adopt a more decidedly radical line of politics; but then you see, as long as Shuffleton's interest was unshaken, one did not well know what to do." Tut, tut, tut, my dear," cried his mother, placing her hand upon Herbert's arm, don't talk of being radical; you know, as I always say, I'm a Tory-I think it's what all landed proprietors ought to be." "Very true, my dear mamma," replied Herbert laughing, and again gallantly kissing his revered parent's hand, "and when I am a landed proprietor I'll be a Tory too, or anything else you please." Now, fond as her ladyship was of the term "landed proprietor," as applied to the first person singular, she had a mortal dislike to the remotest allusion to the reversion of landed property, and therefore instantly changed the subject by saying to her sons, 66 Well, my dears, you had better go now, for I must write this here tiresome note to Lady de Clifford." Rejoiced at the command, the brothers did not "stand upon the order of their going," but "went at once." As soon as they had departed their mother sat down and wrote the following affectionate little note to her daughter-in-law. "DEAR MADAM, "I much regret hearing of the bad accident which you met with, and which prevented our having the pleasure of seeing you at the ball last night. I hope, my dear madam, you instantly sent for medical advice, as the money given to doctors is, I am sure, the d'argent de Clifford grudges least. I am sorry not to be at Blichingly now, that I might send you some game, as being able to supply our friends with game is the greatest pleasure we landed proprietors have. Should it be agreeable to you, I will do myself the pleasure of going to sit with you this morning; you see by this offer of going into your room I treat you quite en famille, but I think the less ceremony among friends, the better. "I remain, my dear Madam, yours truly, |