CHAPTER X. His Grace Entertains.
MR. DACRE again wrote to the Duke of St. James. He regretted that he hadbeen absent from home when his Grace had done him the honour of callingat Castle Dacre. Had he been aware of that intended gratification, hecould with ease, and would with pleasure, have postponed his visit toNorfolk. He also regretted that it would not be in his power to visitLondon this season; and as he thought that no further time should belost in resigning the trust with which he had been so honoured, hebegged leave to forward his accounts to the Duke, and with them somenotes which he believed would convey some not unimportant informationto his Grace for the future management of his property. The young Duketook a rapid glance at the sum total of his rental, crammed all thepapers into a cabinet with a determination to examine them the firstopportunity, and then rolled off to a morning concert of which he wasthe patron.
The intended opportunity for the examination of the important paperswas never caught, nor was it surprising that it escaped capture. It isdifficult to conceive a career of more various, more constant, or moredistracting excitement than that in which the Duke of St. James was nowengaged. His life was an ocean of enjoyment, and each hour, like eachwave, threw up its pearl. How dull was the ball in which he did notbound! How dim the banquet in which he did not glitter! His presence inthe Gardens compensated for the want of flowers; his vision in the Parkfor the want of sun. In public breakfasts he was more indispensablethan pine-apples; in private concerts more noticed than an absentprima donna. How fair was the dame on whom he smiled! How dark was thetradesman on whom he frowned! Think only of prime ministers and princes,to say nothing of princesses; nay! think only of managers of operasand French actors, to say nothing of French actresses; think only ofjewellers, milliners, artists, horse-dealers, all the shoals who hurriedfor his sanction; think only of the two or three thousand civilisedbeings for whom all this population breathed, and who each of them hadclaims upon our hero's notice! Think of the statesmen, who had so muchto ask and so much to give; the dandies to feed with and to be fed; thedangerous dowagers and the desperate mothers; the widows, wild as earlypartridges; the budding virgins, mild as a summer cloud and soft as anopera hat! Think of the drony bores, with their dull hum; think ofthe chivalric guardsmen, with their horses to sell and their bills todiscount; think of Willis, think of Crockford, think of White's, thinkof Brooks', and you may form a faint idea how the young Duke had totalk, and eat, and flirt, and cut, and pet, and patronise!
You think it impossible for one man to do all this. There is yet muchbehind. You may add to the catalogue Melton and Newmarket; and if tohunt without an appetite and to bet without an object will not sickenyou, why, build a yacht!
The Duke of St. James gave his first grand entertainment for the season.It was like the assembly of the immortals at the first levee of Jove.All hurried to pay their devoirs to the young king of fashion; and eachwho succeeded in becoming a member of the Court felt as proud as apeer with a new title, or a baronet with an old one. An air ofregal splendour, an almost imperial assumption, was observed in thearrangements of the fete. A troop of servants in rich liveries filledthe hall; grooms lined the staircase; Spiridion, the Greek page, loungedon an ottoman in an ante-chamber, and, with the assistance of six younggentlemen in crimson-and-silver uniforms, announced the coming ofthe cherished guests. Cartloads of pine-apples were sent up from theYorkshire Castle, and waggons of orange-trees from the Twickenham Villa.
A brilliant coterie, of which his Grace was a member, had amusedthemselves a few nights before by representing in costume the Court ofCharles the First. They agreed this night to reappear in their splendiddresses; and the Duke, who was Villiers, supported his character, evento the gay shedding of a shower of diamonds. In his cap was observed anhereditary sapphire, which blazed like a volcano, and which was rumouredto be worth his rent-roll.
There was a short concert, at which the most celebrated Signora madeher debut; there was a single vaudeville, which a white satin play-bill,presented to each guest as they entered the temporary theatre, indicatedto have been written for the occasion; there was a ball, in whichwas introduced a new dance. Nothing for a moment was allowed to lag._Longueurs_ were skilfully avoided, and the excitement was so rapid thatevery one had an appetite for supper.
A long gallery lined with bronzes and _bijouterie_, with cabinets andsculpture, with china and with paintings, all purchased for the futureornament of Hauteville House, and here stowed away in unpretending, butmost artificial, confusion, offered accommodation to all the guests.To a table covered with gold, and placed in a magnificent tent upon thestage, his Grace loyally led two princes of the blood and a child ofFrance. Madame de Protocoli, Lady Aphrodite Grafton, the Duchess ofShropshire, and Lady Fitz-pompey, shared the honours of the pavilion,and some might be excused for envying a party so brilliant and asituation so distinguished. Yet Lady Aphrodite was an unwilling memberof it; and nothing but the personal solicitation of Sir Lucius wouldhave induced her to consent to the wish of their host.
A pink _carte_ succeeded to the satin play-bill. Vi-tellius might havebeen pleased with the banquet. Ah, how shall we describe those soups,which surely must have been the magical elixir! How paint those ortolansdressed by the inimitable artist, a la St. James, for the occasion, andwhich look so beautiful in death that they must surely have preferredsuch an euthanasia even to flying in the perfumed air of an Auso-nianheaven!
Sweet bird! though thou hast lost thy plumage, thou shalt fly to mymistress! Is it not better to be nibbled by her than mumbled by acardinal? I, too, will feed on thy delicate beauty. Sweet bird! thycompanion has fled to my mistress; and now thou shalt thrill the nervesof her master! Oh! doff, then, thy waistcoat of wine-leaves, prettyrover! and show me that bosom more delicious even than woman's. Whatgushes of rapture! What a flavour! How peculiar! Even how sacred IHeaven at once sends both manna and quails. Another little wanderer!Pray follow my example! Allow me. All Paradise opens! Let me die eatingortolans to the sound of soft music!
Even the supper was brief, though brilliant; and again the cotillon andthe quadrille, the waltz and the galoppe! At no moment of his life hadthe young Duke felt existence so intense. Wherever he turned his eye hefound a responding glance of beauty and admiration; wherever he turnedhis ear the whispered tones were soft and sweet as summer winds. Eachlook was an offering, each word adoration! His soul dilated; the gloryof the scene touched all his passions. He almost determined not againto mingle in society; but, like a monarch, merely to receive theworld which worshipped him. The idea was sublime: was it even to himimpracticable? In the midst of his splendour he fell into a reverie, andmused on his magnificence. He could no longer resist the convictionthat he was a superior essence, even to all around him. The world seemedcreated solely for his enjoyment. Nor man nor woman could withstand him.From this hour he delivered himself up to a sublime selfishness. Withall his passions and all his profusion, a callousness crept over hisheart. His sympathy for those he believed his inferiors and his vassalswas slight. Where we do not respect we soon cease to love; when wecease to love, virtue weeps and flies. His soul wandered in dreams ofomnipotence.
This picture perhaps excites your dislike; perchance your contempt.Pause! Pity him! Pity his fatal youth!