peer between one of thesilver branches and the epergne.
The young man at whom he stared was worth a second look, as he leanedforward with his elbows upon the table and his head on one side, hischeek leaning upon his clasped hands.
He was fair with closely curling hair, broad forehead, dark eyes, andwhat was very unusual in those days, his face was innocent of the touchof a razor, his nut-brown beard curling closely and giving him rather apeculiar appearance among the scented and closely-shaven dandies around.
As the song went on he kept his eyes fixed on Colonel Mellersh, but thewords had no charm for him: he was thinking of the man who sang, and ofthe remarkable qualities of his voice, uttering a sigh of satisfactionand sinking back in his seat as the song ended and there was anabundance of applause.
"Come," cried Major Rockley, starting up again; "I have done so wellthis time, gentlemen, that I shall call upon my friend here, MrLinnell, to give us the next song."
"Indeed, I would with pleasure," said the young man, colouring slightly;"but Colonel Mellersh there will tell you I never sing."
"No; Linnell never sings, but he's a regular Orpheus with his lute orpipe--I mean the fiddle and the flute."
"Then perhaps he will charm us, and fancy he has come into the infernalregions for the nonce; only, 'fore gad, gentlemen, I am not the Plutowho has carried off his Eurydice."
"Really, this is so unexpected," said the young man, "and I have noinstrument."
"Oh, some of your bandsmen have stringed instruments, Rockley."
"Yes, yes, of course," cried the Major. "What is it to be, Mr Linnell?We can give you anything. Why not get up a quintette, and let MattBray there take the drum, and charming Sir Harry Payne the cymbals?"
"Play something, Dick," said Colonel Mellersh quietly.
"Yes, of course," said the young man. "Will you help me?"
"Oh, if you like," said the Colonel. "Rockley, ask your men to lend usa couple of instruments."
"Really, my dear fellow, we haven't a lute in the regiment."
"I suppose not," said the Colonel dryly. "A couple of violins will do.Here, my man, ask for a violin and viola."
The military servant saluted and went out, and to fill up the time MajorRockley proposed a toast.
"With bumpers, gentlemen. A toast that every man will drink. Are youready?"
There was a jingle of glasses, the gurgle of wine, and then a scatteredvolley of "Yes!"
"Her bright eyes!" said the Major, closing his own and kissing his hand.
"Her bright eyes!" cried everyone but the Adjutant, who growled out amalediction on somebody's eyes.
Then the toast was drunk with three times three, there was the usualclattering of glasses as the gentlemen resumed their seats, and some ofthose who had paid most attention to the port began with tears in theireyes to expatiate on the charms of some special reigning beauty,receiving confidences of a like nature. Just then, the two instrumentswere brought and handed to the Colonel and Richard Linnell, a sneeringtitter going round the table, and a whisper about "fiddlers" making thelatter flush angrily.
"Yes, gentlemen, fiddlers," said Colonel Mellersh quietly; "and itrequires no little skill to play so grand and old an instrument. I'lltake my note from you, Dick."
Flushing more deeply with annoyance, Richard Linnell drew his bow acrossthe A string, bringing forth a sweet pure note that thrilled through theroom, and made one of the glasses ring.
"That's right," said the Colonel. "I wish your father were here.What's it to be?"
"What you like," said Linnell, whose eyes were wandering about thetable, as if in search of the man who would dare to laugh and call him"fiddler" again.
"Something simple that we know."
Linnell nodded.
"Ready, gentlemen," said the Major, with a sneering look at Sir HarryPayne. "Silence, please, ye demons of the nether world. `Hark, thelute!' No: that's the wrong quotation. Now, Colonel--Mr Linnell, weare all attention."
Richard Linnell felt as if he would have liked to box the Major's earswith the back of the violin he held; but, mastering his annoyance, hestood up, raised it to his shoulder, and drew the bow across thestrings, playing in the most perfect time, and with the greatestexpression, the first bars of a sweet old duet, the soft mellow violataking up the seconds; and then, as the players forgot all present inthe sweet harmony they were producing, the notes came pouring forth intrills, or sustained delicious, long-drawn passages from two fineinstruments, handled by a couple of masters of their art.
As they played on sneers were changed for rapturous admiration, and atlast, as the final notes rang through the room in a tremendous vibratingchord that it seemed could never have been produced by those fewtightly-drawn strings, there was a furious burst of applause, glasseswere broken, decanters hammered the table, and four men who had sunkbeneath, suffering from too many bottles, roused up for the moment toshout ere they sank asleep again, while the Major excitedly stretchedout his hand first to one and then to the other of the performers.
"Gentlemen," he cried at last, hammering the table to obtain order, "Iam going to ask a favour of our talented guests. This has come upon melike a revelation. Such music is too good for men."
"Hear! hear! hear! hear!" came in chorus.
"It is fit only for the ears of those we love."
"Hear!--hear!--hear!--hear!"
"We have drunk their health, to-night; each the health of the woman ofhis heart."
"Hear!--hear!--hear!--hear!"
"And now, as we have such music, I am going to beg our guests to comewith us and serenade a lady whose name I will not mention."
"Hear!--hear!--hurrah!"
"It is the lady I am proud to toast, and I ask the favour of you,Colonel Mellersh, of you, Mr Linnell, to come and play that air oncethrough beneath her window."
"Oh, nonsense, Rockley. My dear fellow, no," cried the Colonel.
"My dear Mellersh," said the Major with half-tipsy gravity. "My dearfriend; and you, my dear friend Linnell, I pray you hear me. It maymean much more than you can tell--the happiness of my life. Come, mydear fellow, you'll not refuse."
"What do you say, Linnell?" cried the Colonel good-humouredly.
"Oh, it is so absurd," said Linnell warmly.
"No, no, not absurd," said the Major sternly. "I beg you'll notrefuse."
"Humour him, Dick," said the Colonel in a whisper.
"You are telling him not to play," said the Major fiercely.
"My dear fellow, no: I was asking him to consent. Humour him, Dick,"said the Colonel. "It's nearly two, and there'll be no one about. Ifwe refuse it may mean a quarrel."
"I'll go if you wish it," said Richard Linnell quietly.
"All right, Major; we'll serenade your lady in good old Spanish style,"said the Colonel laughingly. "Quick, then, at once. How far is it?"
"Not far," cried the Major. "Who will come? Bray, Payne, and half adozen more. Will you be one, Burnett?"
"No, not I," said the little, fair man with the sneering smile; "I shallstay;" and he gave effect to his words by sinking back in his chair andthen gliding softly beneath the table.
"Just as you like," said the Major, and the result was that a party ofabout a dozen sallied out of the barrack mess-room, crossed the yard,and were allowed to pass by the sentry on duty, carbine on arm.
It was a glorious night, and as they passed out into the fresh, pure airand came in sight of the golden-spangled sea, which broke amongst theshingle with a low, dull roar, the blood began to course more quicklythrough Linnell's veins, the folly of the adventure was forgotten, and asecret wish that he and the Colonel were alone and about to play somesweet love ditty, beneath a certain window, crossed his brain.
For there was something in the time there, beneath the stars that wereglitteringly reflected in the sea! Did she love him? Would she everlove him? he thought, and he walked on in a sweet dream of those wakingmoments, forgetful of the Major, and hearing nothing of the conversat
ionof his companions, knowing nothing but the fact that he was a man ofseven and twenty, whose thoughts went hourly forth to dwell upon one onwhom they had long been fixed, although no words had passed, and he hadtold himself too often that he dare not hope.
"Who is the Major's Gloriana, Dick?" asked the Colonel suddenly. "ByJove, I think we had better tune up a jig. It would be far more suitedto the woman he would choose than one of our young composer's lovelystrains."
"I don't know. He's going towards our place. Can it be Cora