“Time will show,” rejoined Lawless, turning towards the door, which opened at this moment to admit Mr. Vernor; and, alas! him only.
His reception of us, though perfectly easy and well-bred, was anything but agreeable or encouraging. He answered our inquiries after Miss Saville's health by informing us, cursorily, that no ill effects had ensued from her alarm of the previous evening. He received Lawless's apologies with a calm, half-ironical smile, and an assurance that they were not required; and he slightly thanked me for my obliging assistance in words perfectly unexceptionable in themselves, but which, from a peculiarity in the tone of voice more than anything else, impressed one with a sense of insult rather than of compliment. Still, in compliance with certain expressive looks from Lawless, who evidently was most unwilling to be convinced of the failure of his little bit of diplomacy, I used every means I could think of to prolong the visit. I first admired, then criticised, the carving of the chimney-piece; I dived into a book of prints which lay upon the table, and prosed about mezzo-tint and line engraving, and bored myself, and of course my hearers also, till our powers of endurance were taxed almost beyond their strength; and, at last, having completely exhausted not only my small-talk, but my entire stock of conversation of all sorts and sizes, I was regularly beaten to a stand-still, and obliged to take refuge in alternately teasing and caressing a beautiful black and tan setter, which seemed the only member of the party thoroughly sociable and at his ease.
At length it became apparent even to Lawless himself that the visit could not be protracted longer, and we accordingly rose and took our leave, our host (I will not call him entertainer, for it would be a complete misnomer) preserving the same tone of cool and imperturbable politeness to the very last. On reaching the hall we encountered the surly old footman, whose features looked more than ever as if they had been carved out of some very hard species of wood.
“I say, old boy, where's the young lady, eh?” exclaimed Lawless, as soon as he caught sight of him; “she never showed so much as the tip of her nose in the room; how was that, eh?”
“If she com'd into the room when gentlemen was calling, master would eat her without salt,” was the reply.
“Which fact you were perfectly aware of when you took my tip so quietly just now?”
“In course I was, why should I not be?”
“Done brown for once, by Jove!” muttered Lawless as he left the hall; “a raw-boned old rogue, I'll be even with him some day, though——, we shall see, eh?”
While Lawless was busily engaged in settling some of the harness which had become disarranged the old footman came up to me and whispered, “Make use of your eyes as you drive through the park, and mayhap you'll spy some game worth looking after, young gentleman”.
Surprised at this unexpected address, I turned to question him as to its meaning, but in vain; for no sooner had he finished speaking than he re-entered the hall and shut the door behind him.