第84章

'And now, since we are to go,' said Lady Clonbrony, 'pray let us go immediately, before the thing gets wind, else I shall have Mrs.Dareville, and Lady Langdale, and Lady St.James, and all the world, coming to condole with me, just to satisfy their own curiosity; and then Miss Pratt, who hears everything that everybody says, and more than they say, will come and tell me how it is reported everywhere that we are ruined.'Oh! I never could bear to stay and hear all this.I'll tell you what I'll do--you are to be of age the day after to-morrow,Colambre--very well, there are some papers for me to sign--I must stay to put my name to them, and that done, that minute I'll leave you and Lord Clonbrony to settle all the rest; and I'll get into my carriage with Grace, and go down to Buxton again; where you can come for me, and take me up, when you're all ready to go to Ireland--and we shall be so far on our way.Colambre, what do you say to this?'

'That--if you like it, madam,' said he, giving one hasty glance at Miss Nugent, and withdrawing his eyes, 'it is the best possible arrangement.'

'So,' thought Grace, 'that is the best possible arrangement which takes us away.'

'If I like it!' said Lady Clonbrony; 'to be sure I do, or Ishould not propose it.What is Colambre thinking of? I know, Grace, at all events, what you and I must think of--of having the furniture packed up, and settling what's to go, and what's to be exchanged, and all that.Now, my dear, go and write a note directly to Mr.Soho, and bid him come himself, immediately; and we'll go and make out a catalogue this instant of what furniture I will have packed.'

So, with her head full of furniture, Lady Clonbrony retired.'Igo to my business, Colambre; and I leave you to settle yours in peace.'

In peace!--Never was our hero's mind less at peace than at this moment.The more his heart felt that it was painful, the more his reason told him it was necessary that he should part from Grace Nugent.To his union with her there was an obstacle, which his prudence told him ought to be insurmountable; yet he felt that, during the few days he had been with her, the few hours he had been near her, he had, with his utmost power over himself, scarcely been master of his passion, or capable of concealing it from its object.It could not have been done but for her perfect simplicity and innocence.But how could this be supposed on his part? How could he venture to live with this charming girl? How could he settle at home? What resource?

His mind turned towards the army; he thought that abroad, and in active life, he should lose all the painful recollections, and drive from his heart all the resentments, which could now be only a source of unavailing regret.But his mother--his mother, who had now yielded her own taste to his entreaties, for the good of her family--she expected him to return and live with her in Ireland.Though not actually promised or specified, he knew that she took it for granted; that it was upon this hope, this faith, she consented; he knew that she would he shocked at the bare idea of his going into the army.There was one chance--our hero tried, at this moment, to think it the best possible chance--that Miss Nugent might marry Mr.Salisbury, and settle in England.On this idea he relied as the only means of extricating him from difficulties.

It was necessary to turn his thoughts immediately to business, to execute his promises to his father.Two great objects were now to be accomplished--the payment of his father's debts, and the settlement of the Irish agent's accounts; and, in transacting this complicated business, he derived consider-able assistance from Sir Terence O'Fay, and from Sir Arthur Berryl's solicitor, Mr.Edwards.Whilst acting for Sir Arthur, on a former occasion, Lord Colambre had gained the entire confidence of this solicitor, who was a man of the first eminence.Mr.Edwards took the papers and Lord Clonbrony's title-deeds home with him, saying that he would give an answer the next morning.He then waited upon Lord Colambre, and informed him, that he had just received a letter from Sir Arthur Berryl, who, with the consent and desire of his lady, requested that whatever money might be required by Lord Clonbrony should be immediately supplied on their account, without waiting till Lord Colambre should be of age, as the ready money might be of same convenience to him in accelerating the journey to Ireland, which Sir Arthur and Lady Berryl knew was his lordship's object.Sir Terence O'Fay now supplied Mr.Edwards with accurate information as to the demands that were made upon Lord Clonbrony, and of the respective characters of the creditors.Mr.Edwards undertook to settle with the fair claimants; Sir Terence with the rogues; so that by the advancement of ready money from THE BERRYLS, and by the detection of false and exaggerated charges, which Sir Terence made among the inferior class, the debts were reduced nearly to one half of their former amount.Mordicai, who had been foiled in his vile attempt to become sole creditor, had, however, a demand of more than seven thousand pounds upon Lord Clonbrony, which he had raised to this enormous sum in six or seven years, by means well known to himself.He stood the foremost in the list, not from the greatness of the sum, but from the danger of his adding to it the expenses of law.Sir Terence undertook to pay the whole with five thousand pounds.Lord Clonbrony thought it impossible; the solicitor thought it improvident, because he knew that upon a trial a much greater abatement would be allowed; but Lord Colambre was determined, from the present embarrassments of his own situation, to leave nothing undone that could be accomplished immediately.

Sir Terence, pleased with his commission, immediately went to Mordicai.

'Well, Sir Terence,' said Mordicai, 'I hope you are come to pay me my hundred guineas; for Miss Broadhurst is married!'