第99章

Acknowledge your grand-daughter, sir--acknowledge Miss Nugent.'

'Acknowledge who, sir?'

'Acknowledge Miss Reynolds--your grand-daughter; I ask no more --do what you will with your fortune.'

'Oh, now I understand--I begin to understand this young gentleman is in love--but where is my grand-daughter?--how shall I know she is my grand-daughter? I have not heard of her since she was an infant--I forgot her existence--I have done her great injustice.'

'She knows nothing of it, sir,' said Lord Colambre, who now entered into a full explanation of Miss Nugent's history, and of her connexion with his family, and of his own attachment to her;concluding the whole by assuring Mr.Reynolds that his grand-daughter had every virtue under heaven.'And as to your fortune, sir, I know that she will, as I do, say--'

'No matter what she will say,' interrupted old Reynolds; 'where is she? When I see her, I shall hear what she says.Tell me where she is let me see her.I long to see whether there is any likeness to her poor father.Where is she? Let me see her immediately.'

'She is one hundred and sixty miles off, sir, at Buxton.'

'Well, my lord, and what is a hundred and sixty miles? I suppose you think I can't stir from my chair, but you are mistaken.Ithink nothing of a journey of a hundred and sixty miles--I'm ready to set off to-morrow--this instant.'

Lord Colambre said, that he was sure Miss Reynolds would obey her grandfather's slightest summons, as it was her duty to do, and would be with him as soon as possible, if this would be more agreeable to him.'I will write to her instantly,' said his lordship, 'if you will commission me.'

'No, my lord, I do not commission--I will go--I think nothing, Isay, of a journey of a hundred and sixty miles--I'll go--and set out to-morrow morning.'

Lord Colambre and the count, perfectly satisfied with the result of their visit, now thought it best to leave old Reynolds at liberty to rest himself, after so many strong and varied feelings.They paid their parting compliments, settled the time for the next day's journey, and were just going to quit the room when Lord Colambre heard in the passage a well-known voice the voice of Mrs.Petito.

'Oh no, my compliments, and my Lady Dashfort's best compliments, and I will call again.'

'No, no,' cried old Reynolds, pulling his bell; 'I'll have no calling again--I'll be hanged if I do! Let her in now, and I'll see her--Jack! let in that woman now or never.'

'The lady's gone, sir, out of the street door.'

'After her, then--now or never, tell her.'

'Sir, she was in a hackney coach.'

Old Reynolds jumped up, and went to the window himself, and, seeing the hackney coachman just turning beckoned at the window, and Mrs.Petito was set down again, and ushered in by Jack, who announced her as--'The lady, sir.' The only lady he had seen in that house.

'My dear Mr.Reynolds, I'm so obliged to you for letting me in,'

cried Mrs.Petito, adjusting her shawl in the passage, and speaking in a voice and manner well mimicked after her betters.

'You are so very good and kind, and I am so much obliged to you.'

'You are not obliged to me, and I am neither good nor kind,' said old Reynolds.

'You strange man,' said Mrs.Petito, advancing graceful in shawl drapery; but she stopped short.'My Lord Colambre and Count O'Halloran, as I hope to be saved!'

'I did not know Mrs.Petito was an acquaintance of yours, gentlemen,' said Mr.Reynolds, smiling shrewdly.

Count O'Halloran was too polite to deny his acquaintance with a lady who challenged it by thus naming him; but he had not the slightest recollection of her, though it seems he had met her on the stairs when he visited Lady Dashfort at Killpatrickstown.

Lord Colambre was 'indeed UNDENIABLY AN OLD AQUAINTANCE:' and as soon as she had recovered from her first natural start and vulgar exclamation, she with very easy familiarity hoped 'My Lady Clonbrony, and my lord, and Miss Nugent, and all her friends in the family, were well;' and said, 'she did not know whether she was to congratulate his lordship or not upon Miss Broadhurst, my Lady Berryl's marriage, but she should soon have to hope for his lordship's congratulations for another marriage in HER present family--lady Isabel to Colonel Heathcock, who has come in for a large portion, and they are buying the wedding clothes--sights of clothes--and the di'monds, this day; and Lady Dashfort and my Lady Isabel sent me especially, sir, to you, Mr.Reynolds, and to tell you, sir, before anybody else; and to hope the cheese COMEsafe up again at last; and to ask whether the Iceland moss agrees with your chocolate, and is palatable; it's the most DILUENTthing upon the universal earth, and the most TONIC and fashionable--the DUTCHES of Torcaster takes it always for breakfast, and Lady St.James' too is quite a convert, and I hear the Duke of V-- takes it too.'

'And the devil may take it too, for anything that I care,' said old Reynolds.

'Oh, my dear, dear sir! you are so refractory a patient.'

'I am no patient at all, ma'am, and have no patience either; I am as well as you are, or my Lady Dashfort either, and hope, God willing, long to continue so.'

Mrs.Petito smiled aside at Lord Colambre, to mark her perception of the man's strangeness.Then, in a cajoling voice, addressing herself to the old gentleman--'Long, long, I hope, to continue so, if Heaven grants my daily and nightly prayers, and my Lady Dashfort's also.So, Mr.

Reynolds, if the ladies' prayers are of any avail, you ought to be purely, and I suppose ladies' prayers have the precedency in efficacy.But it was not of prayers and deathbed affairs I came commissioned to treat--not of burials, which Heaven above forbid, but of weddings my diplomacy was to speak; and to premise my Lady Dashfort would have come herself in her carriage, but is hurried out of her senses, and my Lady Isabel could not in proper modesty; so they sent me as their DOUBLE to hope you, my dear Mr.

Reynolds, who is one of the family relations, will honour the wedding with your presence.'