The record-union., 1894-03-10

NIHOOW. OVERLOOKING IQ6 QuduTdHRl6 Ol
the castle, where the rector had told the
Duchess the girl Lucy had just been seen.
'Humph!" wheezed Lady Gray Molde;
"a very self-possessed young man for a
rector. I'd have no airs like that around
my estates. These fellows in orders are
getting much too free with their betters,
and much too close to the dear people,
Humph!"
Not bad fellow, now, my dears!
Quite charming in fact. Elegant manners;
very" lisped Lady Mincer Mather.
Rather engaging-that is, not bad;"
qNavered Lady Odde Posthume, who was
slightly in advance of the remainder OF
the moving group.
''Why, your fine rector is the very fell
low who is in love with this Ballnagee
siren, after all!' solemnly croaked the
Honorable Mrs. Edgefurther. mo doubt
whatever about itl''
'Oh, of course; yes; certainly" they all
echoed in unison.
Indeed 1 wish I was as sure" re-
sponded the Duchess with some feeling"
that Lord Vaudeville were not"
Here faint screeching cry of dismay
J from Lady Odde Posthume, who with
one hand pressed a jewelled viniagrette
to her bright little nose. and with the
other repressed the throbbing of her ripe,
little heart. while her bulbous, little eyes
opened wide upon some amazing scene be-
low, put an end to comment and conject-
ure, and brought all the ladies in haste to
the great window.
But few minutes before Lord Drogo
Victor Vaudeville, descending from the
ducal apartments of Ballnagee in some
thing like the easy attire of an under
gardener, and accompanied by his
friends, for a leisurely inspection of the
pack and studs. had proceeded half the
length OF the great quadrangle and had
arrived opposite the main castle entrance,
when he caught sight of pair of roguish
blue eyes beneath a perfect little forest OF
fluttering black curls, in turn surmounted
by very ancient and battered straw hat;
the whole now and then fitting cautiously
around one side of the arched entrance
from the courtyard to the grounds of the
demesne.
Though the figure had continued show
ing and going tauntingly. he had kept on
his way as if not observing the hat and
curls and eyes, until we'll past the de-
mesne entrance; the eyes beneath the
battered hat meantime filling with a
cloud of disappointment, and now and
then appearing and disappearing at longer
intervals; when Randeville suddenly
wheeled away from his companions,
glided lightly beneath the colonnade OF
that side of the quadrangle, and, the next
time this scarecrow figure tilted around
the arch side, with an "Pve got you now,
cushlap' in an instant had the poachers'
Lucy in his arms and dragged we'll
within the courtyard where a scene for
Lords and Commons, a scene that tempo
rarily stilled the tongues and banished
the wits of the noble ladies at the win
dow, was begun.
1t was simply English Lord and Irish
peasant appearing and disappearing III
each others arms for dozen or more
times. as prelude; and then brave ''step-
ping out' upon the courtyard pavement
that would have done credit to the ex-
hilarations of a Donegal fair. Around
and around they went, back and forth,
keeping the finest of time to weird
Gaelic chant, droned from Randeville's s
lips; retreating and advancing; now a
kiss and now a cheat; each in turn at
times breaking into slathering jig which
rang from the stones beneath them furi-
ously; again pirouting, and embracing,
all their vigorous and graceful move
ments increasing in rapidity and aban-
don - the young lord as grave as a
funeral mute; and his mite and sprite of a
companion, forgetting the bog mud upon
her clothing, for she had been helping to
beat" the struggling pheasants from the
outlying holding back upon the demesne
for the morrow's 'battue," her curls bob
bing and whipping her fair face and neck,
her battered hat swaying and Tapping
upon her pretty shoulders, her lovely
lips parted III a bewitching smile, her
cheeks afiame with the crimson of inno-
cence and not of shame, and her eyes
fairly dancing In excitement and joy
when the girls quick eyes caught a
glimpse of the white faces filled with
amazement and naughty pity, in the
great window above her.
AS in pure defiance another whirl; an
other embraces; then the smothered ex-
clamation, "Oh, I'll be murdered en-
tirely ~ and then with the swift, skulk-
ing movement of a pheasant running to
cover, she disappeared through the arch
way and on to the gamekeeper's cottage;
sending back such trills of laughter as
set the birds a-trembling on the twigs of
all the leafy copseS of song-haunted Ball
nagee.
Half an hundred faces, wedged in the
quadrangle doors and windows, were
grinning and venturing subdued ap-
plause, when the strange scene was
ended as suddenly as it was begun. The
grand ladies behind the drawing-room
window looked at each other speechless-
ly for a moment; rallied Lady Odde
Posthume from an almost complete col
lapse; gathered about the indignant
Duchess with that effusive sympathy
which told their secret enjoyment of her
deep chagrin, finally deciding in solemn
conclave that something must be done J"
while young Lords Bunraven, Scarlbor
ough, Darlington, Warcourt and Tever-
don sWore great lordlike oaths that the
London music-halls would go a hum
dred sovereigns night for such a turn
as that" and that it was a burning shame
to invite them there for but week, when
there was such glorious game for the
flushing at Ballnagee.
This sort of rallying savagely contin-
ued at lunch; in the rides and drives with
the ladies to Clifford Castle, to Porta-
down, and along the songful river Bann;
in undertoneS at dinner; in smOthered
jests during the stately nour with the
the ladies at whist; and grew into such
boisterous proportions in THE Den,"
where the lords and gentlemen at Ball
nagee, attended by the discreet John
Jolly, always retire for tales and cards
and wine, that Rector Brisbin, who had
been invited in, the entire party being
Oxonians, grew grave and white; and
young Randeville at last cried sternly,
"Gentlemen, that's enough ?''
But young Darlington, who had led the
badinage, and who was trifle heady
from the thrill of coarse wit and fine
wine, thumped the table soundly with
his fist, and sneered:
"I've been doing you far too great
honor, Randeville. Now, Pll trade you
Lucky Lord Lucky Lord" had
taken the last Derby-"for her, even; and,
by George! bar mud and pedigree ~
at probably never occurred to the
house of Carlington," came hotly back
from Randeviile. that an innocent
woman ever existed outside his family
or in it ~
The words were scarcely uttered before
the wine from Carlington's glass glittered
in the gaslight, and broke in darts and
spray upon Lord Randeyille's face.
The two, upsetting the table and their
four noble companions, were instantly
upon their feet, lunging at each others
heads furiously.
But il was storm which ended as
nuicklY as il began. Rector Brishin