The Bramleighs of Bishop's Folly Part 17

If there 's anything equal to coal.

"At Naples we 'll live on the Chiaja, With our schooner-yacht close to the Mole, And make daily picknickings to Baja, If we only come down upon coal, Coal!

If we only come down upon coal."

"One of the fishermen's songs," said Lord Culduff, as he beat time on the table. "I 've pa.s.sed many a night on the Bay of Naples listening to them."

And a wild tumultuous laugh now convulsed the company, and Cutbill, himself overwhelmed by the absurdity, rushed to the door, and made his escape without waiting for more.

CHAPTER XIII. AT THE COTTAGE.

Julia L'Estrange was busily engaged in arranging some flowers in certain vases in her little drawing-room, and, with a taste all her own, draping a small hanging lamp with creepers, when Jack Bramleigh appeared at the open window, and leaning on the sill, cried out, "Good-morning."

"I came over to scold you, Julia," said he. "It was very cruel of you to desert us last evening, and we had a most dreary time of it in consequence."

"Come round and hold this chair for me, and don't talk nonsense."

"And what are all these fine preparations for? You are decking out your room as if for a village fete," said he, not moving from his place nor heeding her request.

"I fancy that young Frenchman who was here last night," said she, saucily, "would have responded to my invitation if I had asked him to hold the chair I was standing on."

"I've no doubt of it," said he, gravely. "Frenchmen are vastly more gallant than we are."

"Do you know, Jack," said she again, "he is most amusing?"

"Very probably."

"And has such a perfect accent; that sort of purring French one only hears from a Parisian?"

"I am charmed to hear it."

"It charmed me to hear it, I a.s.sure you. One does so long for the sounds that recall bright scenes and pleasant people: one has such a zest for the most commonplace things that bring back the memory of very happy days."

"What a lucky Frenchman to do all this!"

"What a lucky Irish girl to have met with him!" said she, gayly.

"And how did you come to know him, may I ask?"

"George had been several times over to inquire after him, and out of grat.i.tude Count Pracontal,--I am not sure that he is count though, but it is of no moment,--made it a point to come here the first day he was able to drive out. Mr. Longworth drove him over in his pony carriage, and George was so pleased with them both that he asked them to tea last evening, and they dine here to-day."

"Hence these decorations?"

"Precisely."

"What a brilliant neighborhood we have! And there are people will tell you that this is all barbarism here."

"Come over this evening, Jack, and hear M. Pracontal sing--he has a delicious tenor voice--and you 'll never believe in that story of barbarism again. We had quite a little 'salon' last night."

"I must take your word for his attractive qualities," said Jack, as his brow contracted and his face grew darker. "I thought your brother rather stood aloof from Mr. Long-worth. I was scarcely prepared to hear of his inviting him here."

"So he did; but he found him so different from what he expected--so quiet, so well-bred, that George, who always is in a hurry to make an 'amende' when he thinks he has wronged any one, actually rushed into acquaintance with him at once."

"And his sister Julia," asked Jack, with a look of impertinent irony, "was she, too, as impulsive in her friends.h.i.+p?"

"I think pretty much the same."

"It must have been a charming party."

"I flatter myself it was. They stayed till midnight; and M. Pracontal declared he'd break his other leg to-morrow if it would ensure him another such evening in his convalescence."

"Fulsome rascal! I protest it lowers my opinion of women altogether when I think these are the fellows that always meet their favor."

"Women would be very ungrateful if they did not like the people who try to please them. Now, certainly, as a rule, Jack, you will admit foreigners are somewhat more eager about this than you gentlemen of England."

"I have about as much of this as I am likely to bear well from my distinguished stepmother," said he, roughly, "so don't push my patience further."

"What do you say to our little 'salon' now?" said she. "Have you ever seen ferns and variegated ivy disposed more tastefully?"

"I wish--I wish"--stammered he out, and then seemed unable to go on.

"And what do you wish?"

"I suppose I must not say it. You might feel offended besides."

"Not a bit, Jack. I am sure it never could be your intention to offend me, and a mere blunder could not do so."

"Well, I 'll go round and tell you what it is I wish," and with this he entered the house and pa.s.sed on into the drawing-room, and taking his place at one side of the fire, while she stood at the other, said seriously, "I was wis.h.i.+ng, Julia, that you were less of a coquette."

"You don't mean that?" said she, roguishly, dropping her long eyelashes, as she looked down immediately after.

"I mean it seriously, Julia. It is your one fault; but it is an immense one."

"My dear Jack," said she, very gravely, "you men are such churls that you are never grateful for any attempts to please you except they be limited strictly to yourselves. You would never have dared to call any little devices, by which I sought to amuse or interest you, coquetry, so long as they were only employed on your own behalf. My real offence is that I thought the world consisted of you and some others."

"I am not your match in these sort of subtle discussions," said he, bluntly, "but I know what I say is fact."

"That I'm a coquette?" said she, with so much feigned horror that Jack could scarcely keep down the temptation to laugh."

"Just so; for the mere pleasure of displaying some grace or some attraction, you 'd half kill a fellow with jealousy, or drive him clean mad with uncertainty. You insist on admiration--or what you call 'homage,' which I trust is only a French name for it--and what's the end of it all? You get plenty of this same homage; but--but--never mind. I suppose I'm a fool to talk this way. You 're laughing at me besides, all this while. I see it--I see it in your eyes."

[Ill.u.s.tration: 124]

"I was n't laughing, Jack, I a.s.sure you. I was simply thinking that this discovery--I mean of my coquetry--was n't yours at all. Come, be frank and own it. Who told you I was a coquette, Jack?"

"You regard me as too dull-witted to have found it out, do you?"