Читать книгу Too Clever by Half - Lang John - Страница 7

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ON returning from church, George Harroway went to luncheon with the colonel, and Sam Freeport sought his own rooms preparatory to going down to see the Newshams. He was met at the entrance to his quarters by Blew, who said, "This is a fearful business, sir; I don't know what Mr. Harroway will say."

"What's the matter now?" inquired Sam.

"Sailor's a corpse, sir!"

"A what?"

"A dead corpse—without a particle of life in it. That physic must have been a strong poison, sir!"

Sam stood, and became very pale.

"You had not been gone five minutes, sir," said Blew, "before the poor creature laid down and rolled in the agonies of spasms; but in less than an hour his sufferings were ended, for he died on the hearth-rug before the fire, and there he lies now, till Mr. Harroway sees him, and orders him decent burial. If the dog was analyzed, I am pretty sure he'd be found to contain poison."

Freeport went upstairs, and sure enough there was poor Sailor, stretched out in death. Sam was extremely annoyed; for the dog was a great favourite with himself as well as his chum.

"Go, and fetch Dr. Blink," said Sam to Blew, describing the street, and the house, and the brass plate. "Run! say I have got a relapse."

Blink was not long in responding to the call. He brought with him another draught, which he hoped to administer to the patient; for he carried it in his hand into the room.

"You are a pretty fellow to make up medicines!" said Sam, half laughing and half annoyed. "Here is a work of desolation for you." (He pointed to the dog). "I wouldn't have taken a hundred guineas for him; and here you go and settle him with one dose. What's that, another in your hand?"

Blink was naturally taken all aback.

"The fact is this," said Sam; "I had a suspicion of your physic—a sort of presentiment, and I didn't take it. After you left this I gave it to that dog; and when we returned from church, the dog was found dead."

Blink wanted to laugh it off; but Sam said, "Now, look here." (He took the phial from Blink's hand.) "Is this from the same bottle?"

"It is."

"Then if I give it to a dog, and he dies within half an hour, will you be satisfied this is poison?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Why, because what would poison a dog wouldn't poison a man."

"What—a dog as big as that? Look at his size."

"Its the formation of the stomach."

"Well, will you consent to take a couple of table spoonsful of the mixture?"

"Why, no, because I have no fever in the gizzard. And that, of course, accounts for the death of the dog. The medicine was intended to act on a diseased gizzard. The dog's gizzard probably is in good order; and, if so——"

"The medicine would stick in it, and kill him, eh?"

"You had better have the dog analyzed, sir, by the assistant-surgeon, sir," suggested Blew.

This threw Blink in a state of excitement and alarm. He kept his prussic acid near one of the medicines which formed this draught; and it was just possible that he had made the mistake, as the two were of the same colour and appearance. So it turned out. Blink begged Sam not to mention the circumstance, as it would be his ruin; and Sam not only promised him to be silent, but he made Harroway make a similar promise, before he would let him into the particulars of the dog's demise.

"There's a fatality, Sam, hanging over all your acts in York," said Harroway. "I mean as far as I am concerned."

"How so?"

"Why, in the course of three days, you have deprived me of my best horse, and made me pay one guinea for the destruction of my favourite dog."

"You draw such gloomy pictures of life," said Sam, "that you make me quite melancholy. Here have I introduced you to a most amiable and agreeable family, and this summing up of your losses is the ungrateful return."

Harroway reproached himself, as he looked in Sam's good humoured and benevolent face, and slapping him on the back he observed: "Well, never mind, old boy."

"George," said Sam, "you could do me a very great favour."

"What is it?"

"Why, keep away from the hunt to-morrow morning. You can easily say we have drills and parades."

"Why should I do that?"

"Because I cannot manage this jumping business, and it will look so odd if you go and I stay away. I cannot stick on a beast's back when he leaps."

"You have not practised, Sam; that's the reason. Stick your knees well in, keep your hands well down, and throw yourself back as soon as the horse springs, and it is as easy as cribbage."

"I don't mind being scratched and bruised; but I funk my neck, George."

"Nonsense. Join the field. That little horse will carry you beautifully. He looks a most pluckey little animal."

"Like his dear mistress," said Sam. "Well, I suppose I must go; for it would look very bad to stay away after making an engagement with her."

The morning came, the horses were saddled, and a four-mile walk commenced by Sam and George Harroway. When they reached the place where the hounds met, they beheld a good concourse of men in red coats, and four ladies in dark green habits. These were "the Newsham girls" as they were called. Anne rode up to Sam and bade him good morning, and then spoke to Harroway, and Sam's steed "Mazeppa."

In half an hour there was a find, and ere long the fox broke cover, and the hounds were in full cry.

To Sam Freeport's great disgust he could not keep up with Anne and Harroway. They were better mounted than any one in the field, and in riding neither of them could be well surpassed.

Seeing that he was all behind in the chase, and that it was useless to go on any further, Sam pulled up, and said to himself: "This is not the sport for women to join in, and if she wont give it up I'll think no more about her. George Harroway may have her if he likes. Scratching one's face to pieces, and running the risk of breaking one's neck every five minutes, is much too serious a business to be called sport. No, no, Anne, you must cut this, or I must cut you."

Extremely vexed, Sam turned round and made for home, which he reached by nine or ten o'clock.

Harroway admired Anne Newsham for the very quality which Sam Freeport disliked. Her skill in handling her horse, her judgment in making points, and thus sparing the animal, while she placed herself well in the field, as far as regarded being in at the death, quite captivated George Harroway; and had he not felt it would be wrong to be a rival of Sam's, he would have made desperate love to her. As it was he was only "very attentive;" and Anne Newsham was equally pleased with George Harroway's horsemanship, and paid him some very pretty compliments, in plain language, while the fox was being torn to pieces.

"What pretty eyes that girl has got!" said Harroway, after they had dined, and he had composed himself snugly in his easy chair.

"What of that?" said Sam. "I know she has."

"And although she does not strike one as being pretty at first, yet when you come to talk to her she has a very charming face. The cheeks are prettily shaped, and her teeth are so white and regular, and her neck is very good, and she talks such good sound sense without any kind of affectation."

"She seems to have made an impression upon you, my dear George. But you need not trouble yourself, old fellow. You would stand a deuced poor chance against me anywhere, George; and in this particular matter, the girl's gone, sir, as I told you the other day."

"Well, I know that. But surely there was no harm in my praising her in your presence?"

"Of course not. But young men of your age often flatter yourselves, and here it would be of no use."

"We had a most delightful day."

"I have no doubt you had; but it will be the last you'll have with her, I can tell you. I shall put a stop to her riding for the future."

"Why should you do that?"

"Because I don't like it."

"Do you mean to say you are going to propose to her, Sam?"

"I am; and if she accepts me, it will be on a distinct understanding that she leaves off galloping and jumping and going on like mad in the presence of every body that attends the meet."

"She'll never give up the chase."

"I should like to bet you a mild thousand pound she does if I ask her."

"I wont bet, Sam, because I should win your money; but mark my word, she'll laugh at the proposal fettered with such a condition."

"Well, we shall see."

There was a heavy fall of snow that night, and next morning it froze fearfully hard. This was a gloomy prospect for Harroway, whose heart and soul were in the chase. But for Sam Freeport it was quite the contrary. It put a decided stop to the hunting.

Two days after the conversation just narrated, Freeport called on the Newshams, and took the girls shopping. While the other sisters were engaged selecting silks for dresses for the assize ball, Sam coolly walked Anne out of the shop and down the street, to talk to her on what he called a serious subject.

"You cannot be ignorant," he began, "that I like you very much."

"Yes—I know you do," she replied.

"I more than like you—I love you."

"Well, I am not sorry for it, for I feel happy when you are talking to me."

"Will you marry me?"

"I will consider your proposal."

"And we'll be happy?"

"That would depend upon how we agree. I am not extravagant, and far from inconsiderate; but, I am very fond of having my own way, and if I am put out I can show my temper, as well as other people."

"I'll give up everything in the world to you."

"You would be a fool to do that."

"There are some things I should expect you to give up for me."

"Let me hear what they are."

"Hunting and waltzing."

She stared at him in astonishment, and replied——

"Surely you are not serious?"

"Yes I am."

"I would not give up either one or the other for any man living!"

"Just fancy my feelings, if I saw any other man put his arm round your waist."

"Fiddlestick! Why, you waltz yourself!"

"Yes; but that is a different matter."

"No, no. And as for hunting, I couldn't think of giving it up. I've been used to it, and I like it. It's a glorious amusement. You have been smoking this morning, and I am very much mistaken if you have not had a glass of brandy-and-water."

Sam blushed, and acknowledged his weakness, whereon Anne Newsham said——

"Now, suppose I asked you to give up cheroots and the stimulus which diluted spirits affords you—and I dare say, if the truth be known, you have been used to both for the last six or seven years—would you not think me very selfish?"

"Certainly not; I would not touch either of them."

"What nonsense! Now, just fancy, when you had lighted a nice cheroot, if I were to come up and insist on your throwing it away, because I disliked the smell of that horrid tobacco—(I don't dislike it, recollect; on the contrary, I rather like it—but I say suppose)—would you not feel very much disgusted, and think me a very selfish person for debarring you from what was a pleasure? And suppose I saw you walk up to the sideboard—pour a little brandy into the bottom of a tumbler, and then goggle out the water on it from the jug—suppose I was to call out 'What, guzzling again?' would you not wish me further? Of course you would, and very naturally."

"I don't think I should."

"Well, you are too good for me—I judge by my own feelings. Give up waltzing and hunting! You might just as well ask me to pull out all my pretty teeth, shave off all my hair, and wear a bag wig. I couldn't think of it."

"Then accept me unconditionally."

"No. As your wife it would be extremely improper in me to indulge in pleasures which I knew were distasteful to yourself."

"Then you refuse me?"

"Yes."

Sam sighed—said "Very well"—and led her back to the shop, where her sisters were still busily engaged in making purchases.