第35章

without anybody.Oh, merciful! Miss Nugent, if you could stand still for one single particle of a second.So then I thought of stepping in to Miss Nugent; for the young ladies are talking so fast, says I to myself, at the door, they will never know how time goes, unless I give 'em a hint.But now my lady is below, there's no need, to be sure, to be nervous, so we may take the thing quietly, without being in a flustrum.Dear ladies, is not this now a very sudden motion of our young lord's for Ireland?

--Lud a mercy! Miss Nugent, I'm sure your motions is sudden enough; and your dress behind is all, I'm sure, I can't tell how.'--'Oh, never mind,' said the young lady, escaping from her;'it will do very well, thank you, Petito.'

'It will do very well, never mind,' repeated Petito muttering to herself, as she looked after the ladies, whilst they ran downstairs.'I can't abide to dress any young lady who says never mind, and it will do very well.That, and her never talking to one confiDANtially, or trusting one with the least bit of her secrets, is the thing I can't put up with from Miss Nugent; and Miss Broadhurst holding the pins to me, as much as to say, Do your business, Petito, and don't talk.--Now, that's so impertinent, as if one wasn't the same flesh and blood, and had not as good a right to talk of everything, and hear of everything, as themselves.And Mrs.Broadhurst, too, cabinet-councilling with my lady, and pursing up her city mouth when Icome in, and turning off the discourse to snuff, forsooth; as if I was an ignoramus, to think they closeted themselves to talk of snuff.Now, I think a lady of quality's woman has as good a right to be trusted with her lady's secrets as with her jewels;and if my Lady Clonbrony was a real lady of quality, she'd know that, and consider the one as much my paraphernalia as the other.

So I shall tell my lady to-night, as I always do when she vexes me, that I never lived in an Irish family before, and don't know the ways of it--then she'll tell me she was born in Hoxfordshire --then I shall say, with my saucy look, "Oh, was you, my lady?--Ialways forget that you was an Englishwoman:" then maybe she'll say, "Forget!-- you forget yourself strangely, Petito." Then Ishall say, with a great deal of dignity, "If your ladyship thinks so, my lady, I'd better go." And I'd desire no better than that she would take me at my word; for my Lady Dashfort's is a much better place, I'm told, and she's dying to have me, I know.'

And having formed this resolution, Petito concluded her apparently interminable soliloquy, and went with my lord's gentleman into the antechamber, to hear the concert, and give her judgment on everything; as she peeped in through the vista of heads into the Apollo saloon--for to-night the Alhambra was transformed into the Apollo saloon--she saw that whilst the company, rank behind rank, in close semicircles, had crowded round the performers to hear a favourite singer, Miss Broadhurst and Lord Colambre were standing in the outer semicircle, talking to one another earnestly.Now would Petito have given up her reversionary chance of the three nearly new gowns she expected from Lady Clonbrony, in case she stayed; or, in case she went, the reversionary chance of any dress of Lady Dashfort's except her scarlet velvet, merely to hear what Miss Broadhurst and Lord Colambre were saying.Alas! she could only see their lips move;and of what they were talking, whether of music or love, and whether the match was to be on or off; she could only conjecture.

But the diplomatic style having now descended to waiting-maids, Mrs.Petito talked to her friends in the antechamber with as mysterious and consequential an air and tone, as a CHARGED'AFFAIRES, or as the lady of a CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, could have assumed.She spoke of HER PRIVATE BELIEF; of THE IMPRESSION LEFTUPON HER MIND; and her CONFIDANTIAL reasons for thinking as she did; of her 'having had it from the FOUNTAIN'S head;' and of 'her fear of any COMMITTAL of her authorities.'

Notwithstanding all these authorities, Lord Colambre left London next day, and pursued his way to Ireland, determined that he would see and judge of that country for himself, and decide whether his mother's dislike to residing there was founded on caprice or reasonable causes.

In the meantime, it was reported in London that his lordship was gone to Ireland to make out the title to some estate, which would be necessary for his marriage settlement with the great heiress, Miss Broadhurst.Whether Mrs.Petito or Sir Terence O'Fay had the greater share in raising and spreading this report, it would be difficult to determine; but it is certain, however or by whomsoever raised, it was most useful to Lord Clonbrony, by keeping his creditors quiet.