The Black Moth: A Romance of the XVIIIth Century

Carew won't wait, and stap me if I'd ask him, the lean-faced scarecrow!--so I came to you, Dick." He let go Richard's arm and flung himself down on a fallen tree-trunk, regardless of velvet and laces. "You're a good fellow, and you don't lecture a man as Tracy does, devil take him! And you play high yourself, or you did, though 'tis an age since I saw you win or lose enough to wink at. And, after all, you're Lavvy's husband, and--oh, damn it all, Dick, 'tis monstrous hard to ask you!" Carstares, leaning against a tree, surveyed the youthful rake amusedly. "'Tush, Andrew!" he reassured him. "You're welcome to ask, but the Lord knows where I'm to find it! Gad, what a life! Here's Lavinia keeps buying silks, and I don't know what all, and--" "She was ever a spendthrift jade," said Andrew with a mighty frown. Richard laughed at him. "You're a thrifty fellow yourself, of course!" Andrew looked round for something to throw at him, and finding nothing, relapsed once more into deepest despondency. "You're in the right of't. We're a worthless lot. 'Tis the old man's blood in us, I doubt not, with a smattering of her Grace. You never knew my mother, Richard. She was French--Lavvy's the spit of her. There's Tracy--stap me, but Tracy's the very devil! Have you ever seen a face like his? No, I'll swear you've not! What with his sneering mouth and his green eyes--oh, 'tis enough to make a fellow go to the dogs to have a brother like it, 'pon my soul it is! Ay, you laugh, but I tell you 'tis serious!" "Ay, go on!" "Well next there's Bob--damn it all, but I'm sorry for Bob! 'Tis a beggarly pittance they give one in the army, and he was never one to pinch and scrape. Well, as I say, there's Bob, and I never see him, but what it's: 'Lend me a hundred, Andy!' or the like. And all to buy his mistress some gewgaw. That's what sickens me! Why, Bob's for ever in some scrape with a petticoat, and as for Tracy! Gad, how they can! Then there's Lavinia, but I should think you know her by now, and lastly, there's your humble servant. And I tell you, Dick, what with the racing, and the cards, and the bottle, I shall be a ruined man before you can turn round! And the pother is I'll never be any different. 'Tis in the blood, so where's the use in trying?" He made a rueful grimace, and rose. "Come on, young rip! We're going back." John, engaged in the task of hunting for tadpoles in the water some yards distant, nodded and ran on. "I fear my lady is indisposed," said Richard hesitatingly. "You wished to see her?" Andrew winked knowingly. "Tantrums, eh? Oh, I know her. No, I do not care an I do not see her; 'tis little enough she cares for me, though she's as thick as thieves with Tracy--oh, ay, I'll be dumb." They walked slowly back to the house, Andrew, silent for once, twirling his gold-mounted cane. "You shall have the money, of course. When do you want it?" said Richard presently. "'Pon honour, you're a devilish good fellow, Dick! But if 'tis like to put you to any--" "Nonsense. When do you need it?" "I should pay Carew as soon as may be. Markham can wait over if--" "No, no! Wednesday?" "'Twill do excellently well. Dick, you're a--" "Oh, pshaw! 'Tis nought. I want your opinion on the bay mare I bought last week. You'll maybe think her a trifle long in the leg, but she's a fine animal." John had run indoors, and the two men proceeded to the stables alone, Andrew discoursing all the way, recounting for his brother-in-law's benefit the choicest morsels of scandal that were circulating town at the moment. That his auditor but attended with half an ear affected him not at all; he never paused for an answer, and, in any case, was far too good-natured to care if he received none. By the time they had duly inspected the mare and walked back to the house, it was nearly four o'clock, and, not altogether to Carstares' surprise, Lavinia was awaiting them on the terrace, clad in a totally different gown, and with her hair freshly arranged and curled. "'Twould appear that Lavinia has recovered," remarked Andrew as they mounted the steps. "She was ever thus--not two minutes the same. Well, Lavvy?" "Well, Andrew?" She gave him a careless hand to kiss, but smiled sweetly up at her husband. "My headache is so much better," she told him, "and they said that Andrew was come to see you. So I came downstairs." She turned eagerly to her brother. "Tell me, Andrew, is Tracy at home?" "Lord, yes! He arrived yesterday, devil take him! Do you want him?" "Oh, yes," she nodded. "I want to see him again. I've not set eyes on him for an age. I want you to take me back with you." "Surely, my dear, 'tis a trifle late in the day for such a drive?" demurred Richard, trying to conceal his annoyance. "Can you not wait until to-morrow?" "Faith, you'll have to, Lavvy, for I'll not take you to-day, that's certain. I'm riding to Fletcher's when I leave here. Tracy can visit you to-morrow an he chooses." "Will he?" she asked doubtfully. Andrew clapped his hand to his vest pocket. "If I had not forgot!" he exclaimed. "I've a letter from him for you. He intends waiting on you to-morrow, in any case. Lord, what it is to have a scatter brain like mine!" He pulled a handful of papers from his pocket and selected one, sealed, and addressed in a sloping Italian handwriting. Lavinia pounced upon it joyfully, and tore it open. Andrew restored the rest of the documents to his pocket with yet another rueful laugh. "Duns, Richard! Duns!" "Give them to me," answered the other, holding out his hand. "Oh, no! But many thanks, Dick. These are quite unimportant." "Why not pay them all, and start afresh?" urged Carstares. "Lord, no! Why, I should be so damned elated that before the day was out there'd be a score of fresh debts staring me in the face!" "Let me lend you a thousand to begin on? Could you not keep out of debt?" "I keep out of debt? Impossible! Don't look so solemn, Dick; I told you 'twas in the blood. We never have a penny to bless ourselves with, but what's the odds? I shall have a run of luck soon--a man can't always lose. Then I shall be able to repay you, but, of course, I shan't. It'll all go at the next table. _I_ know!" He spoke so ingenuously that Richard could not be angry with him. There was a certain frankness about him that pleased, and though he might be spendthrift and heedless, and colossally selfish, Richard felt a genuine affection for him. He would have liked to argue the point further, but Lavinia came forward, refolding her letter. "Tracy is coming to-morrow afternoon," she told her husband. "'Twill be prodigiously agreeable, will it not?" He assented, but with a lack of warmth that did not fail to strike her ears. "And he will stay to dine with us!" she cried challengingly. "Certainly, my love." "Look pleased, Dicky, look pleased! Why don't you like Tracy? He is my own brother; you _must_ like him!" "Of course I like him, Lavinia. Pray, do not be foolish." "Oh, I am not! Don't be cross, Dicky dear!" "Well, if you like him, I'm surprised," broke in Andrew. "I can't bear him! Ay, flash your eyes at me, Lavvy; I don't mind." Lavinia opened her mouth to retaliate, but Richard hastily interposed. Their bickering was more than he could bear, and he never understood how Lavinia could stoop to quarrel with the boisterous youth, who tried so palpably to rouse her. He bore them both off to the house, feeling much like a nursemaid with two recalcitrant children. CHAPTER V HIS GRACE OF ANDOVER Lady Lavinia dressed herself with even more than her usual care next afternoon, and well-nigh drove her maid distracted by her flashes of temper and impatient, contradictory orders. So lengthy was the toilet that she was only just in her boudoir when his Grace of Andover was announced. She had no time to tell the footman that she would receive his Grace, for almost before the words were out of James' mouth, he stood bowing in the doorway, sure of his welcome. He was curiously like his sister, this man, and at the same time curiously unlike. Hers were the high cheek-bones and pinched, aristocratic nostrils, but the mouth with its thin lips, and the heavy-lidded green eyes, were totally different. His Grace's brows slanted up at the corners, and his eyes, though piercing and bright, were constantly veiled by the black-lashed lids. He wore his own black hair, unpowdered, and that, together with the black and silver garments that he always affected, greatly enhanced the natural pallor of his countenance. Altogether it was a very striking figure that stood just before the closed white door and bowed to my lady. Lavinia took an eager step towards him, swinging her pearl-grey brocades. "Oh, Tracy!" she cooed, holding out both hands. His Grace advanced into the room and bent low over them. "I rejoice to find you within, Lavinia," he said, a faint tinge of sarcasm running through his smooth tones. "As you perceive, I rode over." He made a gesture towards his high boots with their wicked-looking spurs. "No doubt Andrew forgot to give you my letter?" "No," she said, slipping her hand in his arm. "He remembered in time, and--oh, Tracy, I was so vastly delighted to have it!" "I am indeed honoured," he replied. "I am come on a sufficiently important matter." "Oh!" She pulled her hand away disappointedly. "Money!" "You are really wonderful, my dear. As you so crudely remark--money! Will you not be seated?" She sank down on the couch dejectedly and watched him take a chair opposite her. "Your most noble lord and master lent me a trifling sum the other day, but very trifling. I am, as usual, hard-pressed. And that young fool Andrew must needs fall into debt." My lady opened wide her eyes in surprise. "Do you tell me you need money from Richard to pay Andrew's debts?" she asked, frankly incredulous. "I do not. Is it likely? The remark was purely by the way." "Well, in any case, Andrew borrowed three thousand from poor Dick only yesterday. I know, because I heard him speak of it." His Grace raised his black brows in patient exasperation. "How unnecessary of Andrew! And how typical! So 'poor Dick' has been squeezed already?" "Don't speak like that, Tracy!" she cried. "Dicky is good to me!" She met his piercing look unflinchingly. "Now this becomes interesting," drawled the Duke. "Since when have you come to that conclusion? And why this sudden loyalty?" "I have _always_ been loyal to him, Tracy! You know I have! I worry him--and indeed he is very forbearing." "But how charming of him!" "No, do not sneer, Tracy! He has promised to take me to London for the whole winter--" His Grace leant back in his chair again. "Now I understand," he said placidly. "I was at a loss before." "'Tis not that, Tracy! Indeed I realise how kind he is to me. And we have quarrelled again. We are always quarrelling, and I know 'tis all my fault." "What a comfortable conviction, my dear!" "No, no! 'Tis not comfortable, Tracy! For somehow I cannot change my disposition, though I _mean_ to be patient and sweet. Tracy, I hate Wyncham!" "You hate Wyncham? There was a time--" "I know, I know! But I never meant to live here always like this! I want to go to London!" "I thought you said you were going?" "Yes, I am! But I want to go with someone who is gay-not--not--" "In fact, you want distraction, and not with the amiable Richard? Well, I can conceive that life with him might prove uninspiring. Safe, my dear, but not exciting." "I knew you would understand! You see, he does not like me to play at cards, because I cannot stop! And he cannot see how 'tis that I care