Nor, to give him his due, was it probable that he should be in any way afraid of any man that he might encounter. He would fear neither the talent, nor the rank, nor the money influence, nor the dexterity of any such rival. In any attempt that he might make on a woman’s heart he would regard his own chance as good against that of any other possible he. Augustus Staveley was master here at Noningsby, and was a clever, dashing, handsome, fashionable young fellow; but Lucius Mason never dreamed of retreating before such forces as those. He had words with which to speak as fair as those of any man, and flattered himself that he as well knew how to use them.
It was pretty to see with what admirable tact and judicious management of her smiles Sophia received the homage of the two young men, answering the compliments of both with ease, and so conducting herself that neither could fairly accuse her of undue favour to the other. But unfairly, in his own mind, Augustus did so accuse her. And why should he have been so venomous, seeing that he entertained no regard for the lady himself? His object was still plain enough—that, namely, of making a match between his needy friend and the heiress.
His needy friend in the meantime played on through the long evening in thoughtless happiness; and Peregrine Orme, looking at the game from a distance, saw that rap given to the favoured knuckles with a bitterness of heart and an inner groaning of the spirit that will not be incomprehensible to many.
“I do so love that Mr. Felix!” said Marian, as her aunt Madeline kissed her in her little bed on wishing her good night. “Don’t you, aunt Mad—?”
And so it was that Christmas-day was passed at Noningsby.
XXIII
Christmas at Groby Park
Christmas-day was always a time of very great trial to Mrs. Mason of Groby Park. It behoved her, as the wife of an old English country gentleman, to spread her board plenteously at that season, and in some sort to make an open house of it. But she could not bring herself to spread any board with plenty, and the idea of an open house would almost break her heart. Unlimited eating! There was something in the very sounds of such words which was appalling to the inner woman.
And on this Christmas-day she was doomed to go through an ordeal of very peculiar severity. It so happened that the cure of souls in the parish of Groby had been entrusted for the last two or three years to a young, energetic, but not very opulent curate. Why the rector of Groby should be altogether absent, leaving the work in the hands of a curate, whom he paid by the lease of a cottage and garden and fifty-five pounds a year—thereby behaving as he imagined with extensive liberality—it is unnecessary here to inquire. Such was the case, and the Rev. Adolphus Green, with Mrs. A. Green and the four children, managed to live with some difficulty on the produce of the garden and the allotted stipend; but could not probably have lived at all in that position had not Mrs. Adolphus Green been blessed with some small fortune.
It had so happened that Mrs. Adolphus Green had been instrumental in imparting some knowledge of singing to two of the Miss Masons, and had continued her instructions over the last three years. This had not been done in any preconcerted way, but the lessons had grown by chance. Mrs. Mason the while had looked on with a satisfied eye at an arrangement that was so much to her taste.
“There are no regular lessons you know,” she had said to her husband, when he suggested that some reward for so much work would be expedient. “Mrs. Green finds it convenient to have the use of my drawing-room, and would never see an instrument from year’s end to year’s end if she were not allowed to come up here. Depend upon it she gets a great deal more than she gives.”
But after two years of tuition Mr. Mason had spoken a second time. “My dear,” he said, “I cannot allow the girls to accept so great a favour from Mrs. Green without making her some compensation.”
“I don’t see that it is at all necessary,” Mrs. Mason had answered; “but if you think so, we could send her down a hamper of apples—that is, a basketful.” Now it happened that apples were very plentiful that year, and that the curate and his wife were blessed with as many as they could judiciously consume.
“Apples! nonsense!” said Mr. Mason.
“If you mean money, my dear, I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t so offend a lady for all the world.”
“You could buy them something handsome, in the way of furniture. That little room of theirs that they call the drawing-room has nothing in it at all. Get Jones from Leeds to send them some things that will do for them.” And hence, after many inner misgivings, had arisen that purchase of a drawing-room set from Mr. Kantwise—that set of metallic “Louey Catorse furniture,” containing three tables, eight chairs, etc., etc.,
