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seen. He had retired to his chamber to soothe his anger by a
temporary resort to solitude.
ü ßut,” says Ned, “solitude was never a favourite passion with
him; and we shall have him down upon us directly. Meanwhile,
let us have some wine.”
“We had just filled our glasses when the old man, sure enough,
made his appearance. He was cloudy, but no longer savage. He
treated me with rather marked civilities, which I did not exactly
like; but for Ned he had very few words. Dinner brought him
soothing; and that night, when Ned left us together, as he thought
it his policy to do, the Major recovered his wonted kindness and
frankness, over a hot glass of whiskey toddy.
“ That boy put me out to-day, Dick, as he gave you all the
chances. Os course you made the best use of them. I confess
it makes me angry. His reluctance spoils a favourite plan. I
don’t despair of him yet, and the game will need to be played
frequently, before it finishes. You have made a point in it; and
I could almost say that I am glad, for your sake, that you have.
Certainly, Dick, though you may see me ruffled with that cub of
mine, in this matter, don't suppose that I shall ever feel any un
kindness towards you. Go ahead, as I said before. There shall
be 4 fair play’ between us.”
Such was the purport of our chat that night, the Major get
ting over his moody humour before he had entirely got through
his toddy. And so, day and night went by in rapid succession ;
society daily; the hunt, the dinner, the visitor, and, I confess, the
nightly potation, sometimes with larger liberties than are usually
accorded by the just Temperance standards. Another morning
call upon Madame Girardin, which she received only as my own
proper tribute to herself—proof of my good taste and good sense,
and her acknowledged rights—and then came a formal invitation
to the widow Mazyck’s on a certain evening, by which we knew
that a grand party was intended. Ned smiled, as the billets were
handed in by the waiter.
“ Miching malico!” quoth he. “ The fight thickens, Dick.—
It will soon become highly interesting. Well; we shall go of
course. I have a faith in parties, and some taste for them. I
love dancing, and I shall find Paula there, who is an angel on the
wing on such occasions. I mean to be quite attentive this time,
so that Dad shall have no reason to complain. Whether I shall
altogether please him by the sort of person I shall choose, on
whom to bestow my attentions, is a question which he may re
solve for my benefit, or his own, hereafter.”
When, an hour after, in the library with the Major, he showed
me his invitation, and said—
“ Well, Dick, here are the chances for both of us. I shall have
a talk with Ned, and try to spirit him on to his duty. He can’t al
together neglect the lady; and when he sees Beatrice in contrast
with his little Frenchified puppet, I am in hopes that he will see
her somewhat with your eyes. At all events, Dick, if we are to
be beaten by you in the game, it will be some consolation to me
that you are the successful player. But I shall do my best to thwart
you, my boy, if I can, so long as it is possible to do any thing for
Ned. But all in love, Dick, be assured ; nothing in malice !”
And with a warm and friendly gripe of the hand, we separated
for the night.
SUPPLEMENT TO SOUTHERN LITERARY GAZETTE.
CHAPTER IX.
*• Let me help you to a wife, sir.”
“ Help yourself, sir”—Old Play.
Let us suppose the time to have elapsed, and the night to have
arrived for the party at Mrs. Mazyck’s. We set out an hour l, v
sun for her place, the Major and Ned taking the buggy 0 f the
latter, while I accompanied Miss Bulmer, the maiden sister of the
former. The Major contrived this arrangement the better to in
form his companion, along the wav, touching his wishes, and the
particular deportment which he expected of the latter, when he
had reached the scene of action. He had, during the dav, been
showing me, in part, what he meant to say to Ned; painting
Beatrice Mazyek to me in the most glowingcolours, and evident!?
memorizing, for future use, certain wonderfully flowery phrases,
which he had recalled from his early reading of such poets as
had been popular in his day. He was as impatient for the hour
of starting as myself, and we set otf, all of us, under some excite
ment; Ned anticipating all that he should hear; the Major anx
ious to be delivered of his eloquence; Miss Bulmer thinking of
large revenues of parish chit chat; and I, shall I confess it, eager
for the meeting with one “whom I yet approached with fear and
trembling, no less than love!
Ned and his father followed us, the latter having delayed his
movements purposely to suffer the carriage to go ahead. To my
friend, subsequently, I owed a full account of the conversation.
4 The Governor,’ said he, ‘began with a long exordium, intend
ing to show me that he had lived solely for my happiness and
not for his own. To hear him, one would suppose, that, but for
the well-beloved son, he would have been better pleased to lie
down in the grave in peace. Yet no man loves a good dinner
more sincerely, or smacks his lips after a gla<s of madeira with a
more infinite sense of prevailing thirst. To see me happy and
successful—to see me well married, in brief, before he died—was
to him the onlv remaining desire of his life. He &<ked me almost
sternly, if I did not believe the marriage state, the natural and
proper state of man ? I told him —as I really thought — 4 and ot
woman too.’ ‘No jests, Ned,’ said he, ‘the subject is a very
serious one.’ ‘ Even gloomy I should say, sir, judging from your
visage and tones at this moment. Really, sir, if you look s(l
wretched on the subject, I shall be frightened forever from its con
sideration.’ 4 Pshaw ! you are a fool,’ said he, ‘it is so far serious
as the subject of human happiness is the serious question of hu
man life.’ 4 Don’t agree with you P said I. 4 1 don’t see that
we’ve any need to bother our brains with such a subject. lh (
business of mortal life is not happiness, if it be true that our bu>i
ness is the establishing of a right to happiness hereafter, 1 >u h
pose it is the proper question for mule, horse, cow or dog, “ ICII
have nothing but the present to take care of; but is clearly not
the one for us.’ ‘And what is the question for us, Mr. Philoo
pher V ‘ Clearly duty P ‘Precisely,’ quoth the Governor, and is it
not your duty, at a certain time in life, to get yourself a wife .
erable rhyme enough,’ said TANARUS, 4 no matter what may be the value 0
philosophy.’ ‘Don’t vex me, Ned,’ said he, ‘but speak
Don’t you conceive it to be your duty, now that you are |
one, or near it, to be looking about you for a help-meet ?
help-eat meat —which I take to be the more appropriate p rase
