The Quiet Gentleman

“Oh, yes! So kind!” she managed to say. “It is of no consequence — the tiniest rent!”

She went with him thankfully to the door, but here they were met by Lord Ulverston, who said, in a rallying tone: “Ger, you are a base fellow, and are trying to steal a march on me! Miss Bolderwood is promised to me for this dance! Unhand her, villain!”

He perceived as he spoke that she was suffering from some embarrassment. One swift glance round the room, if it did not put him in possession of the facts, at least informed him that Martin was in some way to blame for this; and with the ready address which sprang as much from good-nature as from good-breeding he continued to rattle on in his droll style, accusing his friend of treachery, and insisting that he would very likely call him out for it in the morning.

“No, no!” said Gervase, ably seconding his efforts. “That would be a great breach of hospitality! If you can be so unmindful of your duty towards your host, I at least shall not forget my duty towards my guest!”

“Humdudgeon, Ger! Miss Bolderwood, do not be taken-in by these soft words! He played me just such a trick once in France, and was not for a moment at a loss to explain why he should not be punished for it! But, come! We shall find no places if we don’t make haste!”

The Earl relinquished her into his friend’s care, and she allowed herself to be led back into the ballroom. Gervase turned to look his brother up and down, and to say icily: “Have the goodness to preserve the appearance at least of a gentleman, Martin! These manners may do very well at a Covent Garden masquerade: they are out of place at Stanyon!”

“How dare you?” Martin ejaculated, starting forward a pace. “You are not to be the arbiter of my conduct!”

“You are mistaken. I am the only arbiter of the conduct of those who live under my roof!”

“Yes! You would like to be rid of me, would you not? You are afraid you have no chance with Marianne while I — ”

“We will leave Miss Bolderwood’s name out of this. I will not suffer any guest of mine to be insulted, least of all a girl entrusted to our protection! You should be ashamed of yourself!”

Since Martin was, in fact, very much ashamed of himself, this scathing remark made him angrier than ever. His sister then further exacerbated his temper by pronouncing in a pontifical tone strongly reminiscent of her mother: “I am bound to say that St. Erth is perfectly in the right. Such behaviour, my dear brother, is not at all the thing. Grampound would be very much shocked.”

“Grampound may go to the devil, and take you and St. Erth with him!” said Martin furiously.

“Now, Martin, do not fly into one of your stupid puckers!” recommended her ladyship. “You had better beg Miss Bolderwood’s pardon. I shall tell her that you are a trifle foxed.”

“You will do no such thing! I want none of your curst meddling, Louisa, I thank you! I mean to marry Marianne!”

“Possibly,” said Gervase dryly, “but before you press attentions upon her which she appears to find unwelcome, you would be well-advised to obtain her father’s consent to your pretensions.”

“Very true,” agreed Lady Grampound. “It is no use to scowl, Martin, for St. Erth’s observation is excessively just. When Grampound offered for me, it was not until dear Papa had assured him that he should not dislike the match for me. Indeed, until Mama informed me of it I had not a notion that Grampound was fallen passionately in love with me, for he behaved with the greatest propriety towards me, so that I am sure I thought he cared more for his dinner than for me!”

She laughed heartily at this recollection, but the only effect it had upon her young brother was to make him eye her with acute dislike, and to grip his lips so firmly together that they seemed no more than a thin line drawn across his face.

“I am persuaded that Grampound did just as he ought,” said Gervase gravely, but with a twitching lip. “Enough has been said, I think: we had better go back into the ballroom.”

“Well, I have not said all I wish to!” Martin shot at him. “You may stop talking to me as though I were a damned rake, just trifling with Marianne! It’s no such thing, and if you think I mean to await your permission before I ask her to marry me, you will discover your mistake!”

He was interrupted by the entrance of Theo, who came in, looking startled, and considerably shocked. He quickly shut the door behind him, saying: “Gervase! Martin! For God’s sake — ! Your voices can be heard in the ballroom! What is it?”

“No concern of yours!” replied Martin.

“It is all Martin’s fault,” explained Lady Grampound. “He has been behaving very badly, and now he will not own it! But so it is always with him! And Mama so much encourages him that Grampound says it is no wonder — ”

Gervase intervened hastily: “Grampound is a very good sort of a man, Louisa, but I doubt whether Martin wants to be told of his sayings. Let Theo take you back to the ballroom! It will occasion too much remark if we all go together.”