Captain Charteris was not aware of a colloquy in which Owen had a share.
'This lucky fellow,' said the young Life-guardsman, 'he is as good as an eldest son-famous shooting county-capital, well-timbered estate.'
'No, Charles,' said Owen, 'my cousin Honor always says I am nothing like an eldest son, for there are nearer relations.'
'Oh ha!' said Charles, with a wink of superior wisdom, 'we understand that. She knows how to keep you on your good behaviour. Why, but for cutting you out, I would even make up to her myself-fine-looking, comely woman, and well-preserved-and only the women quarrel with that splendid hair. Never mind, my boy, I don't mean it. I wouldn't stand in your light.'
'As if Honor would have you!' cried Owen, in fierce scorn. Charles Charteris and his companions, with loud laughter, insisted on the reasons.
'Because,' cried the boy, with flashing looks, 'she would not be ridiculous; and you are-' He paused, but they held him fast, and insisted on hearing what Charles was.
'Not a good Churchman,' he finally pronounced. 'Yes, you may laugh at me, but Honor shan't be laughed at.'
Possibly Owen's views at present were that 'not to be a good Churchman' was synonymous with all imaginable evil, and that he had put it in a delicate manner. Whether he heard the last of it for the rest of his visit may be imagined. And, poor boy, though he was strong and spirited enough with his own contemporaries, there was no dealing with the full-fledged soldier. Nor, when conversation turned to what 'we' did at Hiltonbury, was it possible always to disclaim standing in the same relation to the Holt as did Charles to Castle Blanch; nay, a certain importance seemed to attach to such an assumption of dignity, of which Owen was not loth to avail himself in his disregarded condition.
PART II
CHAPTER I
We hold our greyhound in our hand,
Our falcon on our glove;
But where shall we find leash or band
For dame that loves to rove?-SCOTT
A June evening shed a slanting light over the greensward of Hiltonbury Holt, and made the western windows glisten like diamonds, as Honora Charlecote slowly walked homewards to her solitary evening meal, alone, except for the nearly blind old pointer who laid his grizzled muzzle upon her knees, gazing wistfully into her face, as seating herself upon the step of the sun-dial, she fondled his smooth, depressed black head.
'Poor Ponto!' she said, 'we are grown old together. Our young ones are all gone.'
Grown old? Less old in proportion than Ponto-still in full vigour of mind and body, but old in disenchantment, and not without the traces of her forty-seven years. The auburn hair was still in rich masses of curl; only on close inspection were silver threads to be detected; the cheek was paler, the brow worn, and the gravely handsome dress was chosen to suit the representative of the Charlecotes, not with regard to lingering youthfulness. The slow movement, subdued tone, and downcast eye, had an air of habitual dejection and patience, as though disappointment had gone deeper, or solitude were telling more on the spirits, than any past blow had done.
She saw the preparations for her tea going on within the window, but ere going indoors, she took out and re-read two letters.
The first was in the irregular decided characters affected by young ladies in the reaction from their grandmothers' pointed illegibilities, and bore a scroll at the top, with the word 'Cilly,' in old English letters of bright blue.
'Lowndes Square, June 14th.
'MY DEAR HONOR,-Many thanks for wishing for your will-o'-th'-wisp
again, but it is going to dance off in another direction. Rashe and
I are bound to the west of Ireland, as soon as Charles's inauguration
is over at Castle Blanch; an odd jumble of festivities it is to be,
but Lolly is just cockney enough to be determinedly rural, and
there's sure to be some fun to be got out of it; besides, I am
pacified by having my special darling, Edna Murrell, the lovely
schoolmistress at Wrapworth, to sing to them. How Mr. Calthorp will
admire her, as long as he thinks she is Italian! It will be hard if
I can't get a rise out of some of them! This being the case, I have
not a moment for coming home; but I send some contributions for the
prize-giving, some stunning articles from the Lowther Arcade. The
gutta-percha face is for Billy Harrison, whether in disgrace or
not. He deserves compensation for his many weary hours of Sunday
School, and it may suggest a new art for beguiling the time. Mind
you tell him it is from me, with my love; and bestow the rest on all
the chief reprobates. I wish I could see them; but you have no loss,
you know how unedifying I am. Kiss Ponto for me, and ask Robin for
his commands to Connaught. I know his sulkiness will transpire
through Phoebe. Love to that dear little Cinderella, and tell her
mamma and Juliana, that if she does not come out this winter, Mrs.
Fulmort shall have no peace and Juliana no partners. Please to look
in my room for my great nailed boots and hedging-gloves, also for the
pig's wool in the left-hand drawer of the cabinet, and send them to
me before the end of next week. Owen would give his ears to come
with us, but gentlemen would only obstruct Irish chivalry; I am only
afraid there is no hope of a faction fight. Mr. Saville called
yesterday, so I made him dine here, and sung him into raptures. What
a dear old Don he is!
'Your affectionate cousin, CILLY.'
The second letter stood thus:-
'Farrance's Hotel, June 14th.
'MY DEAR MISS CHARLECOTE,-I have seen Lawrence on your business, and
he will prepare the leases for your signature. He suggests that it
might be more satisfactory to wait, in case you should be coming to
town, so that you might have a personal meeting with the parties; but
this will be for you to determine. I came up from --College on
Wednesday, having much enjoyed my visit. Oxford is in many respects
a changed place, but as long as our old Head remains to us, I am sure
of a gratifying welcome, and I saw many old friends. I exchanged
cards with Owen Sandbrook, but only saw him as we met in the street,
and a very fine-looking youth he is, a perfect Hercules, and the
champion of his college in all feats of strength; likely, too, to
stand well in the class list. His costume was not what we should
once have considered academical; but his is a daring set,
intellectual as well as bodily, and the clever young men of the
present day are not what they were in my time. It is gratifying to
hear how warmly and affectionately he talks of you. I do not know
how far you have undertaken the supplies, but I give you a hint that
a warning on that subject might not be inappropriate, unless they
have come into some great accession of fortune on their uncle's
death. I ventured to call upon the young lady in Lowndes Square, and
was most graciously received, and asked to dinner by the young Mrs.
Charteris. It was a most recherche dinner in the new Italian
fashion, which does not quite approve itself to me. "Regardless of
expense," seems to be the family motto. Your pupil sings better than
ever, and knew how to keep her hold of my heart, though I suspected
her of patronizing the old parson to pique her more brilliant
admirers, whom she possesses in plenty; and no wonder, for she is
pretty enough to turn any man's head and shows to great advantage
beside her cousin, Miss Charteris. I hope you will be able to