When the elder man entered the room the younger one put down his hat and bowed. Lord Augustus also bowed and then stood for a few moments silent with his fat hands extended on the round table in the middle of the room. “This is a very disagreeable kind of thing, my Lord,” he said.
“Very disagreeable, and one that I lament above all things,” answered Lord Rufford.
“That’s all very well;—very well indeed;—but, damme, what’s the meaning of it all? That’s what I want to ask. What’s the meaning of it all?” Then he paused as though he had completed the first part of his business—and might now wait awhile till the necessary explanation had been given. But Lord Rufford did not seem disposed to give any immediate answer. He shrugged his shoulders, and, taking up his hat, passed his hand once or twice round the nap. Lord Augustus opened his eyes very wide as he waited and looked at the other man; but it seemed that the other man had nothing to say for himself. “You don’t mean to tell me, I suppose, that what my daughter says isn’t true.”
“Some unfortunate mistake, Lord Augustus;—most unfortunate.”
“Mistake be ⸻.” He stopped himself before the sentence was completed, remembering that such an interview should be conducted on the part of him, as father, with something of dignity. “I don’t understand anything about mistakes. Ladies don’t make mistakes of that kind. I won’t hear of mistakes.” Lord Rufford again shrugged his shoulders. “You have engaged my daughter’s affections.”
“I have the greatest regard for Miss Trefoil.”
“Regard be ⸻.” Then again he remembered himself. “Lord Rufford, you’ve got to marry her. That’s the long and the short of it.”
“I’m sure I ought to be proud.”
“So you ought.”
“But—”
“I don’t know the meaning of but, my Lord. I want to know what you mean to do.”
“Marriage isn’t in my line at all.”
“Then what the d⸺ business have you to go about and talk to a girl like that? Marriage not in your line! Who cares for your line? I never heard such impudence in all my life. You get yourself engaged to a young lady of high rank and position and then you say that—marriage isn’t in your line.” Upon that he opened his eyes still wider, and glared upon the offender wrathfully.
“I can’t admit that I was ever engaged to Miss Trefoil.”
“Didn’t you make love to her?”
The poor victim paused a moment before he answered this question, thereby confessing his guilt before he denied it. “No, my Lord; I don’t think I ever did.”
“You don’t think! You don’t know whether you asked my daughter to marry you or not! You don’t think you made love to her!”
“I am sure I didn’t ask her to marry me.”
“I am sure you did. And now what have you got to say?” Here there was another shrug of the shoulders. “I suppose you think because you are a rich man that you may do whatever you please. But you’ll have to learn the difference. You must be exposed, Sir.”
“I hope for the lady’s sake that as little as possible may be said of it.”
“D⸺ the ⸻!” Lord Augustus in his assumed wrath was about to be very severe on his daughter, but he checked himself again. “I’m not going to stop here talking all day,” he said. “I want to hear your explanation and then I shall know how to act.” Up to this time he had been standing, which was unusual with him. Now he flung himself into an armchair.
“Really, Lord Augustus, I don’t know what I’ve got to say. I admire your daughter exceedingly. I was very much honoured when she and her mother came to my house at Rufford. I was delighted to be able to show her a little sport. It gave me the greatest satisfaction when I met her again at your brother’s house. Coming home from hunting we happened to be thrown together. It’s a kind of thing that will occur, you know. The Duchess seemed to think a great deal of it; but what can one do? We could have had two postchaises, of course—only one doesn’t generally send a young lady alone. She was very tired and fainted with the fatigue. That I think is about all.”
“But—damme, Sir, what did you say to her?” Lord Rufford again rubbed the nap of his hat. “What did you say to her first of all, at your own house?”
“A poor fellow was killed out hunting and everybody was talking about that. Your daughter saw it herself.”
“Excuse me, Lord Rufford, if I say that that’s what we used to call shuffling, at school. Because a man broke his neck out hunting—”
“It was a kick on the head, Lord Augustus.”
“I don’t care where he was kicked. What has that to do with your asking my daughter to be your wife?”
“But I didn’t.”
“I say you did—over and over again.” Here Lord Augustus got out of his chair, and made a little attempt to reach the recreant lover;—but he failed and fell back again
