Quicksilver Part 2

"I will," said the doctor; "and in two years' time I shall publish my book with the result of my long studies of the question. I say, sir, that a boy's a boy."

"Oh yes, we all agree to that, doctor," said Lady Danby sweetly.

"Edgar, my dear, I'm sure you've had enough."

"Pa, mayn't I have half a gla.s.s of Madeira!"

"Now, my dear boy, you have had some."

"But that was such a teeny weeny drop, ma. That gla.s.s is so thick."

"For goodness' sake, Maria, give him some wine, and keep him quiet,"

cried Sir James. "Don't you hear that Dr Grayson and I are discussing a point in philosophy!"

"Then you mustn't ask for any more, Eddy dear," said mamma, and she removed the decanter stopper, and began to pour out a very thin thread of wine, when the young monkey gave the bottom of the decanter a tilt, and the gla.s.s was nearly filled.

"Eddy, for shame!" said mamma. "What will Miss Grayson think?"

"I don't care," said the boy, seizing the gla.s.s, drinking some of the rich wine, and then turning to the thick slice of pine-apple his mother had cut.

The doctor gave his daughter another droll look, but she preserved her calm.

"To continue," said the doctor: "I say a boy's a boy, and I don't care whose he is, or where he came from; he is so much plastic clay, and you can make of him what you please."

"You can't make him a gentleman," said Sir James.

"I beg your pardon."

"And I beg yours. If the boy has not got breed in him--gentle blood-- you can never make him a gentleman."

"I beg your pardon," said the doctor again. "I maintain, sir, that it is all a matter of education or training, and that you could make a gentleman's son a labourer, or a labourer's son a gentleman."

"And are you going to put that in your book, doctor?"

"Yes, sir, I am: for it is a fact. I'm sure I'm right."

Sir James laughed.

"And I'm sure you are wrong. Look at my boy, now. You can see in an instant that he has breed in him; but if you look at my coachman's son, you will see that he has no breeding at all."

_Crork, crork, crork, crork_.

"Oh!" from her ladys.h.i.+p, in quite a scream.

"Good gracious!" cried Sir James; and the doctor and Helen Grayson both started to their feet, while Master Edgar Danby kept on making the most unearthly noises, kicking, gasping, turning black in the face, and rolling his eyes, which threatened to start from their sockets.

"What is it?" cried Sir James.

Crash went a gla.s.s. A dessert-plate was knocked off the table, and Master Edgar kept on uttering his hoa.r.s.e guttural sound of _crork, crork, crork_!

He was choking, and the result might have been serious as he sat struggling there, with papa on one side, and mamma on the other, holding his hands, had not Dr Grayson come behind him, and given him a tremendous slap on the back which had a beneficial effect, for he ceased making the peculiar noise, and began to wipe his eyes.

"What was it, dear? what was it, my darling?" sobbed Lady Danby.

"A great piece of pine-apple stuck in his throat," said the doctor. "I say, youngster, you should use your teeth."

"Edgar, drink some water," said Sir James sternly.

Master Edgar caught up his wine-gla.s.s, and drained it.

"Now, sir, leave the room!" said Sir James.

"Oh, don't, don't be harsh with him, James," said her ladys.h.i.+p pathetically. "The poor boy has suffered enough."

"I say he shall leave the room," cried Sir James in a towering fury; and Master Edgar uttered a howl.

"Really, James, I--"

Here her ladys.h.i.+p had an hysterical fit, and had to be attended to, what time Master Edgar howled loudly till the butler had been summoned and he was led off like a prisoner, while her ladys.h.i.+p grew worse, but under the ministrations of Helen Grayson, suddenly becoming better, drank a gla.s.s of water, and wiped her eyes.

"I am so weak," she said unnecessarily, as she rose from the dessert-table and left the room with Helen Grayson, who had hard work once more to keep her countenance, as she encountered her father's eye.

"Spoils him, Grayson," said Sir James, as they settled down to their port. "n.o.ble boy, though, wonderful intellect. I shall make him a statesman."

"Hah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the firm-looking grey-haired doctor, who had taken high honours at his college, practised medicine for some years, and since the death of his wife lived the calm life of a student in the old Manor House of Coleby.

"Now, you couldn't make a statesman of some boys whom you took out of the gutter."

"Oh yes, I could," said the doctor. "Oh yes, sir."

"Ah, well; we will not argue," said Sir James good-humouredly.

"No," said the doctor, "we will not argue."

But they did argue all the same, till they had had their coffee, when they argued again, and then joined the ladies in the drawing-room, where Master Edgar was eating cake, and dropping currants and crumbs between the leaves of a valuable ill.u.s.trated book, which he turned over with fingers in a terrible state of stick,--the consequence being that he added ill.u.s.trations--prints of his fingers in brown.

"Have you settled your debate, Dr Grayson!" said Lady Danby, smiling.

"No, madam; I shall have to prove my theory to your husband, and it will take time."

"My dear James, what is the matter!" said her ladys.h.i.+p as a howl arose.

"Pa says I'm to go to bed, ma, and it's only ten; and you promised me I might sit up as long as I liked."

"How can you make such foolish promises, Maria?" said Sir James petulantly. "There, hold your tongue, sir, and you may stay another half-hour."

"But ma said I might stop up as long as I liked," howled Master Edgar.

"Then for goodness' sake stop up all night, sir," said Sir James impatiently; and Master Edgar stayed till the visitors had gone.