XLIII
Apinmight have been heard to fall on the hall parquet. And then the voice of Lord Carabbas rose to a bellow.
“What! Son of old Norris!”
“Yes, sir,” said the modest George. But there was a note in the voice of my lord that at once enabled George Norris to assume perfect mastery over himself. “And my father married Miss Hook, the maid to your mother the Duchess.” With an air mildly ironical the young man turned as he spoke to the girl at his side.
Lady Elfreda was biting her lip sharply. She had turned rather pale.
Another pin might have been heard to fall on the hall parquet and then George Norris said very quietly and calmly: “I should like you to understand, sir, that when I asked Lady Elfreda to marry me I was under the impression that she was a governess without a situation, without money, without friends.”
Lord Carabbas nodded truculently. He was wise, no doubt, not to trust himself with words.
“And, of course, you will understand, also, that when Lady Elfreda did me the honor to accept my offer she had no idea that I was the only son of hergrandfather’s late head butler and her grandmother’s second—I believe it was second—maid.”
The young man ended this speech with a slight bow for the benefit of Lady Elfreda. And then quite suddenly he exploded in laughter. Lady Elfreda had the wit to respond with a tempered outburst of her own. But it lacked spontaneity. For all her power of will she was obviously laughing now on the wrong side of her mouth. As for Lord Carabbas, sore, bewildered, seeking to fix a quarrel, he saw a new affront in the method by which this son of old Norris chose to handle a matter quite without precedent.
“I’m hanged ifIcan see anything to laugh at,” he said.
Again Lord Carabbas stood looking from one to the other of the culprits as if he would dearly like to commit murder. But at this grim moment he was saved from any rash or overt act by the composure of his daughter and the manly commonsense of this son of old Norris.
“I suppose, sir, I ought to apologize,” he said matter-of-factly, “for landing you in this hocus. But, of course, I hadn’t the least idea——”
“No, that I quite see,” snapped Lord Carabbas.
“And of course it alters the case.”
Lord Carabbas saw that too. His nod, at any rate, affirmed as much. And basking in a sense of acute relief that the more pressing evil was in process ofbeing removed, he suddenly remembered what was due to this brilliant son of an old family retainer.
Recovering his air of grand seigneur, Lord Carabbas, with as much heartiness as he could muster, congratulated George Norris on his achievements in the field. They did him great credit and his lordship was quite sure that George’s parents, who had retired years ago from the Duke’s service to the keeping of an hotel near a golf links in County Down, a more lucrative if less distinguished proposition, must be proud of their son.
George modestly hoped that the old people were. Lord Carabbas grew quite reassured. “By the way,” he said, “were you ever in the Duke’s service? I seem to remember you.”
“I was never really in the house, sir, except that as a boy I did odd jobs; but at sixteen I contrived to get into the estate office. You see, sir,” George laughed, “I was always inclined to be ambitious. There was an idea at the back of my mind that one day I might become a land agent.”
Lord Carabbas nodded approvingly. “Now the war is over I don’t know what your plans are, but I daresay that something might be arranged.”
“As a matter of fact, sir,” said George, “I have just received the offer of a billet in British East Africa. You see, I have decided to make the Army my profession.”
Again Lord Carabbas nodded approvingly. Sucha career sounded almost as attractive as the offer of a stool in the Bally Euchra Estate Office. Still, the civilian career might be the less precarious. Anyhow, Lord Carabbas would be pleased to do what he could in the matter if the son of old Norris cared to consider the project.
George thanked Lord Carabbas. Thereupon that peer congratulated him upon his success, hoped that whatever course he took would prove to be the right one and shook him gravely but cordially by the hand. Having thus disposed of one whom he was bound to regard as his protégé, my lord went up to his room and proceeded resolutely to compose his ruffled feelings in a mustard bath.