A Shepherd at Court, Chapters X - XI [pp. 344-356]

1884.] A Shepherd at Court. 351
husband came to the, rescue, and averred blaze of light and flower-bells and wedding
that it would be "bully," and they'd have a gifts, after which the young couple departed
"high old time." He would write to Gur- for Europe, the Mecca of matrimonial derney himself, and would come do~n later. vishes. Mrs. Graves drew a sigh of relief
AIr. Graves's family ties, lightly as th~ held when they were fairly gone, and began to
him, galled now and then, and he was not co~template with some interest the prospect
averse to a season of solitude. Tina pro- of a rest from worldly weights. She dreaded
posed to precede the party as an avant-couri- Tina's caprices and indiscriminate flirtations,
er.`It is impossible to wait a whole month," and thought with some satisfaction that noshe said. Helen wondered with some amuse- body but safe and eligible parties like Gurment what part in this selfish symposium the ney and Mr. Fessenden could be found at
host would hold. Merivale-thanking fortune that Jack Cran "You must take a riding habit, Helen. dali was safely away somewhere. One day
Thus Tina, breaking in upon her meditation. she bethought herself to ask her husband if
"I am not goin~," said that young lady, he had written to Gurney.
rather coldly. "By 7'ove! I forgot it," he said, bringing
Mrs. Rivers stopped short in a lively con- his hand down on the breakfast-table with a
sultation with somebody, and shot a keen jarring blow; "but I'll do it to-day. It don't
glance at her cousin. matter. You'll have to`rough it' anyhow.
"What nonsense, my dear girl! of course Can't expect a bachelor to take you all in
you will go." and have things in apple-pie order. But
Tina laughed incredulously, and the rest Gurney's a fellow of resources. You can
made some flattering protest. Mrs. Lawlor sleep in the haystacks if there isn't room.
was loudest of all in this; but when Tina I've done it hundreds of times when I was
plied her friend with pretty imperious "whys" a boy-and gone barefooted, too."
she could not resist the temptation to "`Blessings on thee, little man,
say, "You mustn't ask embarrassing ques- Barefoot boy, with cheek of tan,"'
tions, love. It's ridiculous to tease Helen; quoted his daughter melodr~matical1y. She
no doubt she has the best of reasons." And had found that any side thrust of quotation
Mrs. Lawlor, who was as usual seated -at the brought his vainglorious declarations inpiano, trolled out with a saucy smile ove~ her continently to an end; and in this instance
shoulder, "He loves and he rides away." she was certainly successful, for the doughty
Whether or not anybody else saw the millionaire, who quailed not before disastei
motzf of the song at that particular time, it in commerce or politics, said, abruptly:
stung none the less; but Helen looked po. "Well, I'm ofl," and was gone before the
litely unconscious and went on talking to further beauties of Mr. Whittier's popular
Mr. Graves. She endured without wincing lay could be unfolded to his ears.
all the stray shots she received thereafter, Mrs. Lawlor, not often a laggard in correnot only from`the widow, who was in such spondence, had astutely delayed her commuhigh spirits that her better judgment was nication to cut off any possible retreat.
dimnied, but from her cousin as well. The So it came to pass that Gurney, smoking
final outcome of all her mental pros and his morning cigar under his own vine and
cons had been a resolution that Gurney at least in sight of his own fig.tree, received
should come to her-she certainly would not two letters of the same tenor at the same
go to him. time, both eminently characteristic, both cor Re posing on that resolve, she put on her dial, but certainly not very welcome, for he
fine blue silk (which Tina had named "la flushed and frowned, and something very
robe de gratitude," since it had been bestowed like an oath slipped through his set teeth.
by Mr. Rivers after her two weeks' siege with Max, lying at his feet, looked up deprecatMaster Tom) and went to Nellie'swedding~a ingly, and got up to push his soft nose into