"Demmed smart that now, wasn't it?" he said, turning pleasantly to the Vicomte."Clever woman my wife, sir....You will find THAT out if you live long enough in England.""Sir Percy is right, Vicomte," here interposed Lord Antony, laying a friendly hand on the young Frenchman's shoulder."It would hardly be fitting that you should commence your career in England by provoking him to a duel."For a moment longer the Vicomte hesitated, then with a slight shrug of the shoulders directed against the extraordinary code of honour prevailing in this fog-ridden island, he said with becoming dignity,--"Ah, well! if Monsieur is satisfied, I have no griefs.You mi'lor', are our protector.If I have done wrong, I withdraw myself.""Aye, do!" rejoined Blakeney, with a long sigh of satisfaction, "withdraw yourself over there.Demmed excitable little puppy," he added under his breath, "Faith, Ffoulkes, if that's a specimen of the goods you and your friends bring over from France, my advice to you is, drop `em `mid Channel, my friend, or I shall have to see old Pitt about it, get him to clap on a prohibitive tariff, and put you in the stocks an you smuggle.""La, Sir Percy, your chivalry misguides you," said Marguerite, coquettishly, "you forget that you yourself have imported one bundle of goods from France."Blakeney slowly rose to his feet, and, making a deep and elaborate bow before his wife, he said with consummate gallantry,--"I had the pick of the market, Madame, and my taste is unerring.""More so than your chivalry, I fear," she retorted sarcastically.
"Odd's life, m'dear! be reasonable! Do you think I am going to allow my body to be made a pincushion of, by every little frog-eater who don't like the shape of your nose?""Lud, Sir Percy!" laughed Lady Blakeney as she bobbed him a quaint and pretty curtsey, "you need not be afraid! `Tis not the MEN who dislike the shape of my nose.""Afraid be demmed! Do you impugn my bravery, Madame? I don't patronise the ring for nothing, do I, Tony? I've put up the fists with Red Sam before now, and--and he didn't get it all his own way either--""S'faith, Sir Percy," said Marguerite, with a long and merry laugh, that went enchoing along the old oak rafters of the parlour, "Iwould I had seen you then...ha! ha! ha! ha!--you must have looked a pretty picture....and...and to be afraid of a little French boy...ha! ha!...ha! ha!""Ha! ha! ha! he! he! he!" echoed Sir Percy, good-humouredly.
"La, Madame, you honour me! Zooks! Ffoulkes, mark ye that!
I have made my wife laugh!--The cleverest woman in Europe!...Odd's fish, we must have a bowl on that!" and he tapped vigorously on the table near him."Hey! Jelly! Quick, man! Here, Jelly!"Harmony was once more restored.Mr.Jellyband, with a mighty effort, recovered himself from the many emotions he had experienced within the last half hour."A bowl of punch, Jelly, hot and strong, eh?" said Sir Percy."The wits that have just made a clever woman laugh must be whetted! Ha! ha! ha! Hasten, my good Jelly!""Nay, there is no time, Sir Percy," interposed Marguerite.
"The skipper will be here directly and my brother must get on board, or the DAY DREAM will miss the tide.""Time, m'dear? There is plenty of time for any gentleman to get drunk and get on board before the turn of the tide.""I think, your ladyship," said Jellyband, respectfully, "that the young gentleman is coming along now with Sir Percy's skipper.""That's right," said Blakeney, "then Armand can join us in the merry bowl.Think you, Tony," he added, turning towards the Vicomte, "that the jackanapes of yours will join us in a glass? Tell him that we drink in token of reconciliation.""In fact you are all such merry company," said Marguerite, "that I trust you will forgive me if I bid my brother good-bye in another room."It would have been bad form to protest.Both Lord Antony and Sir Andrew felt that Lady Blakeney could not altogether be in tune with them at the moment.Her love for her brother, Armand St.Just, was deep and touching in the extreme.He had just spent a few weeks with her in her English home, and was going back to serve his country, at the moment when death was the usual reward for the most enduring devotion.
Sir Percy also made no attempt to detain his wife.With that perfect, somewhat affected gallantry which characterised his every movement, he opened the coffee-room door for her, and made her the most approved and elaborate bow, which the fashion of the time dictated, as she sailed out of the room without bestowing on him more than a passing, slightly contemptuous glance.Only Sir Andrew Ffoulkes, whose every thought since he had met Suzanne de Tournay seemed keener, more gentle, more innately sympathetic, noted the curious look of intense longing, of deep and hopeless passion, with which the inane and flippant Sir Percy followed the retreating figure of his brilliant wife.
