第80章

``What! that romantic story is true, then?--And pray, does the valorous knight aspire, as is befitting on such occasions, to the hand of the young lady whom he redeemed from peril? It is quite in the rule of romance, I am aware; and I did think that she was uncommonly dry to me as we walked together, and seemed from time to time as if she watched whether she was not giving offence to her gallant cavalier.''

``Dear Hector,'' said his sister, ``if you really continue to nourish any affection for Miss Wardour''--``If, Mary?--what an _if_ was there!''

``--I own I consider your perseverance as hopeless.''

``And why hopeless, my sage sister?'' asked Captain M`Intyre:

``Miss Wardour, in the state of her father's affairs, cannot pretend to much fortune;--and, as to family, I trust that of M`lntyre is not inferior.''

``But, Hector,'' continued his sister, ``Sir Arthur always considers us as members of the Monkbarns family.''

``Sir Arthur may consider what he pleases,'' answered the Highlander scornfully; ``but any one with common sense will consider that the wife takes rank from the husband, and that my father's pedigree of fifteen unblemished descents must have ennobled my mother, if her veins had been filled with printer's ink.''

``For God's sake, Hector,'' replied his anxious sister, ``take care of yourself! a single expression of that kind, repeated to my uncle by an indiscreet or interested eavesdropper, would lose you his favour for ever, and destroy all chance of your succeeding to his estate.''

``Be it so,'' answered the heedless young man; ``I am one of a profession which the world has never been able to do without, and will far less endure to want for half a century to come; and my good old uncle may tack his good estate and his plebeian name to your apron-string if he pleases, Mary, and you may wed this new favourite of his if you please, and you may both of you live quiet, peaceable, well-regulated lives, if it pleases Heaven.My part is taken--I'll fawn on no man for an inheritance which should be mine by birth.''

Miss M`Intyre laid her hand on her brother's arm, and entreated him to suppress his vehemence.``Who,'' she said, ``injures or seeks to injure you, but your own hasty temper?--what dangers are you defying, but those you have yourself conjured up?--Our uncle has hitherto been all that is kind and paternal in his conduct to us, and why should you suppose he will in future be otherwise than what he has ever been, since we were left as orphans to his care?''

``He is an excellent old gentleman, I must own,'' replied M`Intyre, ``and I am enraged at myself when I chance to offend him; but then his eternal harangues upon topics not worth the spark of a flint--his investigations about invalided pots and pans and tobacco-stoppers past service--all these things put me out of patience.I have something of Hotspur in me, sister, I must confess.''

``Too much, too much, my dear brother! Into how many risks, and, forgive me for saying, some of them little creditable, has this absolute and violent temper led you! Do not let such clouds darken the time you are now to pass in our neighbourhood, but let our old benefactor see his kinsman as he is--generous, kind, and lively, without being rude, headstrong, and impetuous.''

``Well,'' answered Captain M`Intyre, ``I am schooled--good-manners be my speed! I'll do the civil thing by your new friend--I'll have some talk with this Mr.Lovel.''

With this determination, in which he was for the time perfectly sincere, he joined the party who were walking before them.

The treble disquisition was by this time ended; and Sir Arthur was speaking on the subject of foreign news, and the political and military situation of the country, themes upon which every man thinks himself qualified to give an opinion.An action of the preceding year having come upon the _tapis,_ Lovel, accidentally mingling in the conversation, made some assertion concerning it, of the accuracy of which Captain M`Intyre seemed not to be convinced, although his doubts were politely expressed.

``You must confess yourself in the wrong here, Hector,'' said his uncle, ``although I know no man less willing to give up an argument; but you were in England at the time, and Mr.Lovel was probably concerned in the affair.''

``I am speaking to a military man, then?'' said M`Intyre;``may I inquire to what regiment Mr.Lovel belongs?''--Mr.

Lovel gave him the number of the regiment.``It happens strangely that we should never have met before, Mr.Lovel.Iknow your regiment very well, and have served along with them at different times.''

A blush crossed Lovel's countenance.``I have not lately been with my regiment,'' he replied; ``I served the last campaign upon the staff of General Sir -- --.''

``Indeed! that is more wonderful than the other circumstance!

--for although I did not serve with General Sir -- --, yet I had an opportunity of knowing the names of the officers who held situations in his family, and I cannot recollect that of Lovel.''

At this observation Lovel again blushed so deeply as to attract the attention of the whole company, while, a scornful laugh seemed to indicate Captain M`Intyre's triumph.``There is something strange in this,'' said Oldbuck to himself; ``but Iwill not readily give up my phoenix of post-chaise companions --all his actions, language, and bearing, are those of a gentleman.''

Lovel in the meanwhile had taken out his pocket-book, and selecting a letter, from which he took off the envelope, he handed it to M`lntyre.``You know the General's hand, in all probability--I own I ought not to show these exaggerated expressions of his regard and esteem for me.'' The letter contained a very handsome compliment from the officer in question for some military service lately performed.Captain M`Intyre, as be glanced his eye over it, could not deny that it was written in the General's hand, but drily observed, as be returned it, that the address was wanting.``The address, Captain M`Intyre,''