When Silverbridge undertook to return with Tregear to London instead of going direct to Matching, it is to be feared that he was simply actuated by a desire to postpone his further visit to his father's house. He had thought that Lady Mabel would surely be gone before his task at Polpenno was completed. As soon as he should again find himself in his father's presence he would at once declare his intention of marrying Isabel Boncassen. But he could not see his way to doing this while Lady Mabel should be in the house.
'I think you will find Mabel still at Matching,' said Tregear on their way up. 'She will wait for you I fancy.'
'I don't know why she should wait for me,' said Silverbridge almost angrily.
'I thought that you and she were fast friends.'
'I suppose we are--after a fashion. She might wait for you perhaps.'
'I think she would,--if I could go there.'
'You are much thicker with her than ever I was. You went to see her at Grex,--when nobody else was there.'
'Is Miss Cassewary nobody?'
'Next door to it,' said Silverbridge, half jealous of the favours shown to Tregear.
'I thought,' said Tregear, 'that there should be a closer intimacy between you and her.'
'I don't know why you should think so.'
'Had you ever had any such idea yourself?
'I haven't any now,--so there may be an end of it, I don't think a fellow ought to be cross-questioned on such a subject.'
'Then I am very sorry for Mabel,' said Tregear. This was uttered solemnly, so that Silverbridge found himself debarred from making any flippant answer. He could not altogether defend himself. He had been quite justified, he thought, in changing his mind, but he did not like to awn that he had changed it so quickly.
'I think we had better not talk any more about it,' he said, after pausing for a few moments. After that nothing more was said between them on the subject.
Up in town Silverbridge spent two or three days pleasantly enough, while a thunderbolt was being prepared for him, or rather, in truth, two thunderbolts. During these days he was much with Tregear, and though he could not speak freely of his own matrimonial projects, still he was brought round to give some sort of assent to the engagement between Tregear and his sister. This new position which his friend had won for himself did in some degree operate on his judgement. It was not perhaps that he himself imagined that Tregear as a Member of Parliament would be worthier, but that he fancied that such would be the Duke's feelings. The Duke had declared that Tregear was nobody. That could hardly be said of a man who had a seat in the House of Commons;--certainly could not be said by so staunch a politician as the Duke.
But had he known of those two thunderbolts he would not have enjoyed his time at the Beargarden. The thunderbolts fell upon him in the shape of two letters which reached his hands at the same time, and were as follows:
'The Bobtailed Fox, 18 December.
'MY LORD, 'At a meeting held in this house today in reference to the hunting of the Runnymede country, it was proposed that the management of the hounds should be taken out of the hands of Major Tifto, in consequence of certain conduct of which it is alleged he was guilty at the last Doncaster races.
'Major Tifto was present and requested your Lordship's opinion should he be asked as to his guilt. I do not know myself that we are warranted in troubling your Lordship on the subject. I am, however, commissioned by the majority of the gentlemen who were present to ask you whether you think that Major Tifto's conduct on that occasion was of such a nature as to make him unfit to be the depositary of that influence, authority and intimacy which ought to be at the command of a Master of Hounds.
'I feel myself bound to inform your Lordship that the hunt generally will be inclined to place great weight upon your opinion, but that it does not undertake to reinstate Major Tifto, even should your opinion be in his favour.
'I have the honour to be, My Lord, Your Lordship's most obedient Servant, 'JEREMIAH JAWSTOCK 'Juniper Lodge, Staines.'
Mr Jawstock, when he had written this letter, was proud of his own language, but still felt that the application was a very lame one.
Why ask any man for an opinion, and tell him at the same time that his opinion might probably not be taken! And yet no other alternative had been left to him. The meeting had decided that the application should be made; but Mr Jawstock was well aware that let the young Lord's answer be what it might, the Major would not be endured as master in the Runnymede country. Mr Jawstock felt that the passage in which he explained that a Master of Hounds should be a depositary of influence and intimacy, was good;--but yet the application was lame, very lame.
Lord Silverbridge as he read it thought it was very unfair. It was a most disagreeable thunderbolt. Then he opened the second letter, of which he well knew the handwriting. It was from the Major.
Tifto's letters were very legible, but the writing was cramped, showing that the operation had been performed with difficulty.
Silverbridge had hoped that he might never receive another epistle from his late partner! The letter, as follows, had been drawn out for Tifto in rough by the livery-stable keeper in Long Acre.
'MY DEAR LORD SILVERBRIDGE, 'I venture respectfully to appeal to your Lordship for an act of justice. Nobody has more of a true-born Englishman's feeling of fair play between man and man than your Lordship; and as you and me have been a good deal together, and your Lordship ought to know me pretty well, I venture to appeal to your Lordship for a good word.