Page:Littell's Living Age - Volume 128.djvu/748

738 justice to the meal, there being still nearly four hours to wait for dinner, the children in great glee at having it in company. Yorke had not enjoyed any part of his visit so much before; the long ride had put him on confidential terms with Miss Cathy; her sister, having the children to talk and attend to, was less shy than she had hitherto appeared to the visitor; and when, somewhat later, Mrs. Peevor joined the party assembled round the cosy little table, she found them all in high spirits. And Mr. Peevor coining up-stairs afterwards, while naturally exercised in spirit at the guest having been brought into that humble apartment for the meal, could not repress his satisfaction at the pleasant footing in which he found him, and partook of tea and muffin placidly, sitting in the easy-chair which Lucy placed for him by the fire, and offering from time to time more or less desultory and inconsequential remarks about hunting.

 

evening there was a large dinner-party at "The Beeches," and the luxurious meal of the previous day was quite a frugal repast in contrast with the profusion of luxuries which now succeeded each other in apparently interminable courses. The table was loaded with plate and glass; the gorgeously embossed bills of fare had evidently been printed for the occasion; the ample staff of servants was supplemented by various portly gentlemen, evidently hired waiters, and this time five decanters graced each end of the table with the dessert; but Yorke noticed that, except the vicar of the parish and his wife, none of the guests appeared to be neighbours. Some had come from town and were to sleep at "The Beeches;" the rest had driven from long distances. Yorke's part in the long repast was a dull one; being himself the principal guest, none of the young ladies fell to his share, but he took into dinner a stout lady gorgeously set out with jewels, with a low dress and ample bust, who did not talk much, but eat steadily through the bill of fare from beginning to end; while her husband, who sat nearly opposite, and also did his best to qualify for the gout, observing, after the ladies had left, that Yorke drank sherry, recommended him to try the claret, winking his eye knowingly as if by way of certificate of the goodness of the vintage. Conversation, indeed, was not the strong point of the evening, there being apparently a sort of general understanding that nobody was to talk about anything on which he or she felt the smallest interest; and Yorke could now appreciate the dismal forebodings which the young ladies while at tea in the nursery had expressed about the coming entertainment. The general company, however, seemed to regard the occasion with satisfaction as a sort of an alderman's feast, an opportunity not to be thrown away, the result being generally suggestive of doctor's bills and premature decease to come, while Mr. Peevor hospitably pressed his wines on his guests, supporting his recommendations of the different kinds by more or less direct allusions to their price, and little anecdotic stories of the mode in which various select parcels had come into his possession. Nevertheless, when the gentlemen rose there remained a considerable residuum in the ten decanters; and the honest fellows who waited on them evidently appreciated good wine, for a certain unsteadiness of gait was very noticeable when they handed the tea round afterwards in the drawing-room. The conversation in that apartment was not of a more lively character than that which passed at dinner, most of the guests being in that happy state of repletion which is not conducive to the play of wit or humour. It was a case, in short, of high living and plain thinking; but the two young ladies — the only unmarried ones present, for Miss Maria on this occasion kept her room — each went through their little performance of playing and singing. "I know it bores you tremendously," said Miss Lucy to Yorke, when he thanked her after the song; "but papa likes us to do it, and nobody listens, so there is no harm done, is there?" Mr. Peevor meanwhile introduced all the male guests in turn to Yorke, as "our friend Colonel Yorke, the distinguished cavalry officer, you know; of course you have heard how he won his Victoria Cross. We feel quite proud to have him as our guest; we hope he is going to honour us with a long visit," and so on, till Yorke became quite sulky with shame and vexation, although sufficiently impressed with the absurdity of the position.

Next day Mr. Peevor was bustling about all the morning, attending at their departure on the guests, who drove away at various times between breakfast and lunch, some in their own carriages, others in their host's. The two younger ladies also went off after breakfast to spend the day with a relative, and do an afternoon's shopping in town. Miss Maria was unwell and still keeping her room; so after