you?'
That roused him, and as I took hold of both hands and bent over him, he looked up, dazzled and muttering, 'Lucy, Lucy Alison! Arghouse! How came I here?' and then as the hot cordial came at last, in the hand of Richardson, who had once been in his service, he swallowed it, and then leant back and gazed at me as I went on rubbing his hands. 'Thank you, my dear. Is it you? I thought I was snowed up, and I have never signed that codicil about little Viola, or I could die easily. It is not such a severe mode, after all.'
'But you're not dying, you're only dreaming. You are at Arghouse. Harold here found you and brought you to us.'
And then we agreed that he had better be put to bed at once in Eustace's room, as there was already a fire there, and any other would take long in being warmed.
Harold and Eustace got him upstairs between them, and Richardson followed, while I looked out with dismay at the drifting snow, and wondered how to send either for a doctor or for Lady Diana in case of need. He had been a childless widower for many years, and had no one nearer belonging to him. Dora expressed her amazement that I did not go to help, but I knew this would have shocked him dreadfully, and I only sent Colman to see whether she could be of any use.
Harold came out first, and on his way to get rid of his snow-soaked garments, paused to tell me that the old gentleman had pretty well come round, and was being fed with hot soup and wine, while he seemed half asleep. 'He is not frost-bitten,' added Harold; 'but if he is likely to want the doctor, I'd better go on to Mycening at once, before I change my things.'
But I knew Lord Erymanth to be a hale, strong man of his years, little given to doctors, and as I heard he had said 'No, no,' when Eustace proposed to send for one, I was glad to negative the proposal from a man already wet through and tired--'well, just a little.'
Our patient dropped asleep almost as soon as he had had his meal, in the very middle of a ceremonious speech of thanks, which sent Eustace down to dinner more than ever sure that there was nothing like the aristocracy, who all understood one another; and we left Richardson to watch over him, and sleep in the dressing-room in case of such a catastrophe as a rheumatic waking in the night.
We were standing about the fire in the hall, our usual morning waiting-place before breakfast, and had just received Richardson's report that his lordship had had a good night, seemed none the worse, and would presently appear, but that he desired we would not wait breakfast, when there was a hasty ring at the door, and no sooner was it opened than Dermot Tracy, battered and worn, in a sou'-wester sprinkled with snow and with boots up to his thighs, burst into the hall.
'Alison, you there? All right, I want you,' shaking hands in an agitated way all round, and speaking very fast with much emotion. 'I want you to come and search for my poor uncle. He was certainly in the train from Mycening that ran into a drift. Men went to get help; couldn't get back for three hours. He wasn't there--never arrived at home. My mother is in a dreadful state. Hogg is setting all the men to dig at the Erymanth end. I've got a lot to begin in the Kalydon cutting; but you'll come, Alison, you'll be worth a dozen of them. He might be alive still, you see.'
'Thank you, Dermot, I am happy to say that such is the case,' said a voice from the oak staircase, and down it was slowly proceeding Lord Erymanth, as trim, and portly, and well brushed-up as if he had arrived behind his two long-tailed bays.
Dermot, with his eyes full of tears, which he was squeezing and winking away, and his rapid, broken voice, had seen and heard nothing in our faces or exclamations to prepare him. He started violently and sprang forward, meeting Lord Erymanth at the foot of the stairs, and wringing both his hands--nay, I almost thought he would have kissed him, as he broke out into some incoherent cry of scarcely- believing joy, which perhaps surprised and touched the old man. 'There, there, Dermot, my boy, your solicitude is--is honourable to you; but restrain--restrain it, my dear boy--we are not alone.' And he advanced, a little rheumatically, to us, holding out his hand with morning greetings.
'I must send to my mother. Joe is here with the sleigh,' said Dermot. 'Uncle, how did you come here?' he added, as reflection only made his amazement profounder.
'It is true, as you said just now, that Mr. Harold Alison is equal to a dozen men. I owe my preservation, under Providence, to him,' said Lord Erymanth, who, though not a small man, had to look far up as Harold stood towering above us all. 'My most earnest acknowledgments are due to him,' he added, solemnly holding out his hand.
'I might have expected that!' ejaculated Dermot, while Harold took the offered hand with a smile, and a mutter in his beard of 'I am very glad.'
'I'll just send a line to satisfy my mother,' said Dermot, taking a pen from the inkstand on the hall-table. 'Joe's here with the sleigh, and we must telegraph to George St. Glear.'
Lord Erymanth repeated the name in some amazement, for he was not particularly fond of his heir.
'Hogg telegraphed to him this morning,' and as the uncle observed, 'Somewhat premature,' he went on: 'Poor Hogg was beside himself; he came to Arked at ten o'clock last night to look for you, and, luckily, I was there, so we've been hallooing half the night along the line, and then getting men together in readiness for the search as soon as it was light. I must be off to stop them at once. I came in to get the Alisons' help--never dreamt of such a thing as finding you here. And, after all, I don't understand--how did you come?'
'I cannot give you a detailed account,' said his lordship. 'Mr. Harold Alison roused me from a drowsiness which might soon, very probably, have been fatal, and brought me here. I have no very distinct recollection of the mode, and I fear I must have been a somewhat helpless and encumbering burthen.'
Dora put in her oar. 'Harry can carry anything,' she said; 'he brought you in so nicely on his back--just as I used to ride.'
'On his back!'
'Yes,' said Dora, who was fond of Mr, Tracy, and glad to impart her information, 'on his back, with his boots sticking out on each side, so funnily!'
Lord Erymanth endeavoured to swallow the information suavely by the help of a classical precedent, and said, with a gracious smile, 'Then I perceive we must have played the part of AEneas and Anchises--' But before he had got so far, the idea had been quite too much for Dermot, who cried out, 'Pick-a-back! With his boots sticking out on both sides! Thank you, Dora. Oh! my uncle, pick-a-back!' and went off in an increasing, uncontrollable roar of laughter, while Harold, with a great tug to his moustache, observed apologetically to Lord Erymanth, 'It was the only way I could do it,' which speech had the effect of so prolonging poor Dermot's mirth, that all the good effect of the feeling he had previously displayed for his uncle was lost, and Lord Erymanth observed, in his most dry and solemn manner, 'There are some people who can see nothing but food for senseless ridicule in the dangers of their friends.'
'My dear Lord Erymanth,' I said, almost wild, 'do just consider Dermot has been up all night, and has had nothing to eat, and is immensely relieved to find you all safe. He can't be expected to quite know what he is about when he is so shaken. Come to breakfast, and we shall all be better.'
'That might be a very sufficient excuse for you or for Viola, my dear Lucy,' returned Lord Erymanth, taking, however, the arm I offered. 'Young
There was a certain truth in what he said. Dermot was not then so strong, nor had he the self-command he would have had, if his life had been more regular; but he must always have had a much more sensitive and emotional nature than his uncle could ever understand. The reproach, however, sobered him in a moment, and he followed us gravely into the dining-room, without uttering a word for the next quarter of an hour; neither did Harold, who was genuinely vexed at having made the old man feel himself ridiculous, and was sorry for the displeasure with his friend. Nobody did say much except Eustace, who was delighted at having to play host to such distinguished guests, and Lord Erymanth himself, who was so gracious and sententious as quite to restore Dermot's usual self by the time breakfast was over, and he saw his servant bringing back his sleigh, in which he offered to convey his uncle either home or to Arked. But it was still fitfully snowing, and Lord Erymanth was evidently not without touches of rheumatism, which made him lend a willing ear to our entreaties to him not to expose himself. Harold then undertook to go in search of his portmanteau either to the scene of the catastrophe or the Hall.
'My dear sir, I could not think of exposing you to a repetition of such inclement weather as you have already encountered. I am well supplied here, my young friend--I think I may use the term, considering that two generations ago, at least, a mutual friendship existed between the houses, which, however obscured for a time--
