lack resolution. So I thought I would interest myself a little in my estates, but my notions were so nonsensical they made Scriven smile, and put my uncle out of all patience with me. I wish—oh, how much I wish!—that my guardian had been a villain, and my agent a fool, and that the pair of them had tried to ruin me!"
"I don't see any sense in that!" objected Matthew, blinking.
"And I wish," continued Gilly, disregarding the interruption, "that no one about me wished me well, or cared for my interests, or had a particle of affection for me! But they have! God knows why, but they have! Do you know what Borrowdale, and Chigwell, and Nettlebed, and my footman—no, not my footman! Heaven reward him, for he did not know me in my cradle, and does not care a fig what may become of me! He is a splendid fellow! I wonder what wage I pay him? It must be doubled!—But the rest of them—oh, yes, and Turvey, too! how came I to forget him?—the rest of them are waiting for me to come home, and fretting themselves to flinders because I would not have my carriage ordered, and so may have been set-upon by footpads, or taken a chill! They will all be sitting up for me, you know. Borrowdale will offer me a hot posset, I daresay, and I am quite sure that Nettlebed will give me a scold!" He jumped up, and began to stride restlessly about the room. "Gideon, I have been wondering what it would be like to be plain Mr. Dash, of Nowhere in Particular!"
"Try it!" recommended his cousin.
"How can I? We are not living between the covers of a romance, but in this dead bore of a Polite World! And I am going to be married! Give me some more punch! Or had you better perhaps warn me that my digestion was never of the strongest, and it may very likely set up some disorder, for which it will be necessary to summon Dr. Baillie?"
"Go to the devil!" said Gideon, refilling his glass. "You may be as ill as you please, as long as you are not ill in my chambers. I shall bundle you into a chair, and tell 'em to carry you home."
"I like you so much," sighed the Duke, "and there is no virtue in you! You lie, Gideon, you lie! You would have half the Faculty here within an hour of my collapse!"
"Not I!"
"I wish you will stop twaddling for ever!" suddenly exclaimed Matthew, sitting up with a jerk. "I can tell you this, Gilly! It would do you a deal of good not to be a Duke, and not to have all the money you need, and scores of servants to wait on you, and not to have a stable full of blood-cattle, or a pair of sixty-guinea Mantons, or people to manage your affairs, or—or any of the things you have got, and don't so much as think about!"
"Yes, I think it would," agreed Gilly, arrested by this outburst. "Would you like to change places with me?"
"By God I would!"
"Well, you can't," said Gilly, sitting down again. "I've suddenly bethought me that if we changed places I should have Uncle Henry for my father, and although I don't wish to offend you, Matt, I don't want him."
"Adolphus, you are three parts disguised!" said Gideon severely.
The Duke smiled at him, but shook his head. "No, I am quite sober. But Matt is right! I have twaddled enough! Matt escort me home through our perilous streets! Where are you putting up?"
"Reddish's, but I don't mind going along with you," replied Matthew, draining his glass.
The Duke went out into the hall to pick up his coat. Gideon accompanied him, and helped him to put it on. "Come and dine with me tomorrow, Adolphus," he said, I'll have none of our cousins here to meet you."
"Yes, I wanted to find you alone," said Gilly.
"You shall, my little one. Eight o'clock. Do not cut your throat before then!"
"Gideon, Gideon, you don't suppose that I shave myself, do you?" riposted Gilly, much shocked.
Chapter 6
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For some few minutes after he and Gilly had left Albany, Matthew kept up a flow of alarmingly light-hearted conversation. It did not deceive
"I don't see any sense in that!" objected Matthew, blinking.
"And I wish," continued Gilly, disregarding the interruption, "that no one about me wished me well, or cared for my interests, or had a particle of affection for me! But they have! God knows why, but they have! Do you know what Borrowdale, and Chigwell, and Nettlebed, and my footman—no, not my footman! Heaven reward him, for he did not know me in my cradle, and does not care a fig what may become of me! He is a splendid fellow! I wonder what wage I pay him? It must be doubled!—But the rest of them—oh, yes, and Turvey, too! how came I to forget him?—the rest of them are waiting for me to come home, and fretting themselves to flinders because I would not have my carriage ordered, and so may have been set-upon by footpads, or taken a chill! They will all be sitting up for me, you know. Borrowdale will offer me a hot posset, I daresay, and I am quite sure that Nettlebed will give me a scold!" He jumped up, and began to stride restlessly about the room. "Gideon, I have been wondering what it would be like to be plain Mr. Dash, of Nowhere in Particular!"
"Try it!" recommended his cousin.
"How can I? We are not living between the covers of a romance, but in this dead bore of a Polite World! And I am going to be married! Give me some more punch! Or had you better perhaps warn me that my digestion was never of the strongest, and it may very likely set up some disorder, for which it will be necessary to summon Dr. Baillie?"
"Go to the devil!" said Gideon, refilling his glass. "You may be as ill as you please, as long as you are not ill in my chambers. I shall bundle you into a chair, and tell 'em to carry you home."
"I like you so much," sighed the Duke, "and there is no virtue in you! You lie, Gideon, you lie! You would have half the Faculty here within an hour of my collapse!"
"Not I!"
"I wish you will stop twaddling for ever!" suddenly exclaimed Matthew, sitting up with a jerk. "I can tell you this, Gilly! It would do you a deal of good not to be a Duke, and not to have all the money you need, and scores of servants to wait on you, and not to have a stable full of blood-cattle, or a pair of sixty-guinea Mantons, or people to manage your affairs, or—or any of the things you have got, and don't so much as think about!"
"Yes, I think it would," agreed Gilly, arrested by this outburst. "Would you like to change places with me?"
"By God I would!"
"Well, you can't," said Gilly, sitting down again. "I've suddenly bethought me that if we changed places I should have Uncle Henry for my father, and although I don't wish to offend you, Matt, I don't want him."
"Adolphus, you are three parts disguised!" said Gideon severely.
The Duke smiled at him, but shook his head. "No, I am quite sober. But Matt is right! I have twaddled enough! Matt escort me home through our perilous streets! Where are you putting up?"
"Reddish's, but I don't mind going along with you," replied Matthew, draining his glass.
The Duke went out into the hall to pick up his coat. Gideon accompanied him, and helped him to put it on. "Come and dine with me tomorrow, Adolphus," he said, I'll have none of our cousins here to meet you."
"Yes, I wanted to find you alone," said Gilly.
"You shall, my little one. Eight o'clock. Do not cut your throat before then!"
"Gideon, Gideon, you don't suppose that I shave myself, do you?" riposted Gilly, much shocked.
Chapter 6
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For some few minutes after he and Gilly had left Albany, Matthew kept up a flow of alarmingly light-hearted conversation. It did not deceive
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