CHAPTER XVI.
_Three Graces_
AT TWICKENHAM the young Duke recovered rapidly. Not altogetherdispleased with his recent conduct, his self-complacency assisted hisconvalescence. Sir Lucius Grafton visited him daily. Regularly, aboutfour or five o'clock, he galloped down to the Pavilion with the last _ondit_: some gay message from White's, a _mot_ of Lord Squib, or a traitof Charles Annesley. But while he studied to amuse the wearisome hoursof his imprisoned friend, in the midst of all his gaiety an interestingcontrition was ever breaking forth, not so much by words as looks. Itwas evident that Sir Lucius, although he dissembled his affliction,was seriously affected by the consequence of his rash passion; and hisamiable victim, whose magnanimous mind was incapable of harbouring aninimical feeling, and ever respondent to a soft and generous sentiment,felt actually more aggrieved for his unhappy friend than for himself.Of Arundel Dacre the Duke had not seen much. That gentleman neverparticularly sympathised with Sir Lucius Grafton, and now he scarcelyendeavoured to conceal the little pleasure which he received from theBaronet's society. Sir Lucius was the last man not to detect this mood;but, as he was confident that the Duke had not betrayed him, he couldonly suppose that Miss Dacre had confided the affair to her family, andtherefore, under all circumstances, he thought it best to be unconsciousof any alteration in Arundel Dacre's intercourse with him. Civil,therefore, they were when they met; the Baronet was even courteous; butthey both mutually avoided each other.
At the end of three weeks the Duke of St. James returned to town inperfect condition, and received the congratulations of his friends.Mr. Dacre had been of the few who had been permitted to visit him atTwickenham. Nothing had then passed between them on the cause of hisillness; but his Grace could not but observe that the manner of hisvalued friend was more than commonly cordial. And Miss Dacre, withher father, was among the first to hail his return to health and themetropolis.
The Bird of Paradise, who, since the incident, had been several times inhysterics, and had written various notes, of three or four lines each,of enquiries and entreaties to join her noble friend, had been kept offfrom Twickenham by the masterly tactics of Lord Squib. She, however,would drive to the Duke's house the day after his arrival in town, andwas with him when sundry loud knocks, in quick succession, announced anapproaching levee. He locked her up in his private room, and hastenedto receive the compliments of his visitors. In the same apartment, amongmany others, he had the pleasure of meeting, for the first time, LadyAphrodite Grafton, Lady Caroline St. Maurice, and Miss Dacre, all womenwhom he had either promised, intended, or offered to marry. A curioussituation this! And really, when our hero looked upon them oncemore, and viewed them, in delightful rivalry, advancing with theircongratulations, he was not surprised at the feelings with which theyhad inspired him. Far, far exceeding the _bonhomie_ of Macheath, theDuke could not resist remembering that, had it been his fortune to havelived in the land in which his historiographer will soon be wandering;in short, to have been a pacha instead of a peer, he might have marriedall three.
A prettier fellow and three prettier women had never met since theimmortal incident of Ida.
It required the thorough breeding of Lady Afy to conceal the anxiety ofher passion; Miss Dacre's eyes showered triple sunshine, as she extendeda hand not too often offered; but Lady Caroline was a cousin, andconsanguinity, therefore, authorised as well as accounted for the warmthof her greeting.