And there did indeed stand the eldest brother, who had obtained a few days' leave, as he told them, and had ridden over from Strawyers after church. He came in with elaborate caution in his great muddy boots, and looked at Herbert like a sort of natural curiosity, exclaiming that he only wanted a black cap and a pair of bands to be exactly like Bishop Bowater, a Caroline divine, with a meek, oval, spiritual face, and a great display of delicate attenuated fingers, the length of which had always been a doubt and marvel to his sturdy descendants.
"Hands and all," quoth Philip; "and what are you doing with them?" as he spied a Greek Testament in the fingers, and something far too ponderous for them within reach. "Jenny, how dare you?" he remonstrated, poising the bigger book as if to heave it at her head. "That's what comes of your encouraging followers, eh?"
"Ah!" said Jenny, pretending to dodge the missile, while Rollo exercised great forbearance in stifling a bark, "Greek is not quite so severe to some folks as dragoon captains think."
"Severe or not he might let it alone," said Phil, looking much disposed to wrest away the little book, which Herbert thrust under his pillow, saying-
"It was only the Lesson."
"Why can't you read the Lesson like a sensible man in its native English? Don't laugh, children, you know what I mean. There's no good in this fellow working his brain. He can't go up again before September, and according to the Bishop's letter to my father, he is safe to pass, if he could not construe a line, after what he did at Wil'sbro'. The Bishop and Co. found they had made considerable donkeys of themselves. Yes, 'tis the ticket for you to be shocked; but it is just like badgering a fellow for his commission by asking him how many facets go to a dragon-fly's eye, instead of how he can stand up to a battery."
"So I thought," said Herbert; "but I know now what it is to be in the teeth of the battery without having done my best to get my weapons about me."
"Come now! Would any of those poor creatures have been the better for your knowing
"How many notes a sackbut has, Or whether shawms have strings,"
or the Greek particles, which I believe were what sacked you?"
"They would have been the better if I had ever learnt to think what men's souls are, or my own either," said Herbert, with a heavy sigh.
"Ah! well, you have had a sharp campaign," said Phil; "but you'll soon get the better of it when you are at Nice with the old folks. Jolly place-lots of nice girls-something always going on. I'll try and get leave to take you out; but you'll cut us all out! Ladies won't look at a fellow when there's an interesting young parson to the fore."
Herbert made an action of negation, and his sister said-
"The doctors say Nice will not do after such an illness as this. Papa asked the doctor there, and he said he could not advise it."
"Indeed! Then I'll tell you what, Herbs, you shall come into lodgings at York, and I'll look after you there. You shall ride Pimento, and dine at the mess."
"Thank you, Phil," said Herbert, to whom a few months ago this proposal would have been most seducing, "but I am going home, and that's all the change I shall want."
"Home! Yes, Ellen is getting ready for you. Not your room-oh, no! but the state bedroom! When will you come? My leave is only till Tuesday."
"Oh! I don't know how to think of the drive," sighed Herbert wearily.
"We must wait for a fine day, when he feels strong enough," said Jenny.
"All right," said Phil; "but ten days or a fortnight there will be quite enough, and then you'll come. There are some friends of yours, that only looked at me, I can tell you, for the sake of your name-eh, Master Herbs?"
Herbert did not rise to the bait; but Jenny said, "The Miss Strangeways?"
"Yes. Wouldn't he be flattered to hear of the stunning excitement when they heard of Captain Bowater, and how the old lady, their mother, talked by the yard about him? You'll get a welcome indeed when you come, old fellow. When shall it be?"
"No, thank you, Phil," said Herbert, gravely. "I shall come back here as soon as I am well enough. But there is one thing I wish you would do for me."
"Well, what? I'll speak about having any horse you please taken up for you to ride; I came over on Brown Ben, but he would shake you too much."
"No, no, it's about a young fellow. If you could take him back to York to enlist-"
"My dear Herbert, I ain't a recruiting-sergeant."
"No, but it might be the saving of him," said Herbert, raising himself and speaking with more animation. "It is Harry Hornblower."
"Why, that's the chap that bagged your athletic prizes! Whew! Rather strong, ain't it, Joan!"
"He did no such thing," said Herbert, rather petulantly; "never dreamt of it. He only was rather a fool in talking of them- vaunting of me, I believe, as not such a bad fellow for a parson; so his friends got out of him where to find them. But they knew better than to take him with them. Tell him, Jenny; he won't believe me."
"It is quite true, Phil," said Jenny, "the poor fellow did get into bad company at the races, but that was all. He did not come home that night, but he was stupefied with drink and the beginning of the fever, and it was proved-perfectly proved-that he was fast asleep at a house at Backsworth when the robbery was committed, and he was as much shocked about it as any one-more, I am sure, than Herbert, who was so relieved on finding him clear of it, that he troubled himself very little about the things. And now he has had the fever- not very badly-and he is quite well now, but he can't get anything to do. Truelove turned him off before the races for hanging about at the Three Pigeons, and nobody will employ him. I do think it is true what they say-his mother, and Julius, and Herbert, and all- that he has had a lesson, and wants to turn over a new leaf, but the people here won't let him. Julius and Herbert want him to enlist, and I believe he would, but his mother-as they all do-thinks that the last degradation; but she might listen if Captain Bowater came and told her about his own regiment-cavalry too-and the style of men in it-and it is the only chance for him."
Philip made a wry face.
"You see I took him up and let him down," said Herbert, sadly and earnestly.
"I really do believe," said Jenny, clenching the matter, "that Herbert would get well much faster if Harry Hornblower were off his mind."
Phil growled, and his younger brother and sister knew that they would do their cause no good by another word. There was an odd shyness about them all. The elder brother had not yet said anything about Jenny's prospects, and only asked after the party at the Hall.
"All nearly well, except Frank's deafness," said Jenny. "In a day or two he is going up to London to consult an aurist, and see whether he can keep his clerkship. Miles is going with him, and Rosamond takes Terry up to see his brother in London, and then, I believe, she is going on to get rooms at Rockpier, while Miles comes home to fetch his mother there."
"Mrs. Poynsett!" with infinite wonder.
"Oh yes, all this has really brought out much more power of activity in her. You know it was said that there was more damage to the nervous system than anything else, and the shock has done her good. Besides, Miles is so much less timid about her than dear Raymond, who always handled her like a cracked teapot, and never having known much of any other woman, did not understand what was good for her."
"Miles has more pith in him than ever poor old Raymond had," said Phil. "Poor old Poynsett, I used to think he wanted to be spoony on you, Joan, if he had only known his own mind. If he had, I suppose he would have been alive now!"
"What a pleasing situation for Jenny!" Herbert could not help muttering.
"Much better than running after ostriches in the wilderness," quoth Philip. "You ride them double, don't you?"
"Two little negro boys at a time," replied Jenny, "according to the nursery-book. Will you come and try, Phil?"
"You don't mean to go out?"
"I don't know," said Jenny; "it depends on how mamma is, and how Edith gets on."