Harum Scarum's Fortune
*CHAPTER XI.*
*THE NEW SECRETARY.*
Toney had set apart two of her new rooms for the secretary, and shelooked round to see that all was comfortable before his arrival. A bigknee-hole writing table was so placed that it could look over the park,and there was an easy chair and even a box of cigars for his comfort.
"He'll feel very strange at first," she thought, "and I expect he'llhate messing about this work all day as much as I should if I had to bea private secretary. Gracious stars! What a heap of writing moneybrings with it. There's a mountain of letters already for him. I mustlearn to drive the motor-car and then I'll take out tired workers, thatwill be nice! if only I can get time for it all. Life is beautiful,isn't it, Trick?" Trick wagged his tail and assented, then hearing thecarriage wheels they both flew into the hall to receive the newsecretary. Jim was driving the waggonette, and Sir Evas and the youngman were inside, and Toney's quick eyes caught sight of her new tallpale secretary. Sir Evas was half smiling as he introduced her.
"Here's Mr. Plantagenet Russell, Toney---- Ehem---- Miss Whitburn. Ihope you won't be overwhelmed with the work expected of you."
"There's piles already," exclaimed Toney, holding out her hand, "but youare to do them just when you like. The paper-basket will be the bestplace for half of them. Uncle Evas has told you all my sins I expect.Mr. Diggings, will you show Mr. Russell to his room. Lady Dove isn'tvisible till lunch time."
"Thanks," said Mr. Plantagenet Russell slowly; he wore an eye-glass inthe right eye, and slightly raised the left eyebrow. So this was thegreat heiress he had come to work for, he had expected somebody verydifferent. He was not at all pleased with life in general. He had beenbrought up in the lap of luxury, when suddenly, just when he washalf-way through his college career, his father, a lawyer, died. Thenit was discovered that he had swindled his clients, and that his wifeand his only son were penniless. His mother's brother had given shelterto both, and after trying several clerkships, Mr. Plantagenet Russellhad by chance heard of this post, and much to his surprise had obtainedit. Plantagenet had thought this would be a far easier life than mereclerkships. The heiress was, of course, to be beautiful, and he couldtake life in the leisurely fashion which he deemed to be consistent withhis early bringing up. The disgrace incurred by his father'sdefalcation weighed heavily on Plantagenet Russell, but he hoped thisfact was but little known, and he himself was perfectly trustworthy asfar as money was concerned. Here again life had been very unfair tohim, and now he felt taken in because the heiress was so unlike hisexpectations, her very movements denoted a youthful energy which mightprove most inconvenient, and which was not at all consistent withriches. In Plantagenet's mind to be poor when you had once been rich,was a disgrace very ill deserved.
Lunch time brought the members of Aldersfield together, andPlantagenet's spirits rose when Sir Evas introduced him to Lady Dove.Here was a lady of high degree who knew her own position. He bowed lowand with great deference, and Lady Dove immediately took a liking tohim. She saw that this young man recognised that she was Lady Dove, ofAldersfield House, and she had heard he had once been rich.
"I am glad you are coming to assist my niece, Mr. Russell, with the manyduties wealth should entail upon her. You will, I hope, help her tocarry out these duties as she has had very little experience. Of coursethose born to wealth know how hardly the duties of it press upon theconscientious mind." She looked sympathetically at him, and PlantagenetRussell was comforted.
"I shall endeavour to follow your wishes in all things, Lady Dove," saidthe secretary with another bow. Lady Dove smiled upon him. A young manwho deferred to her wishes warmed her heart, "so unlike that stuck-up,conceited Lewis Waycott," she mentally said.
"I am sure your presence here will be a real satisfaction to my niece"(since her accession of fortune Toney had been usually spoken of as "myniece"), "and she will benefit greatly by having you here. Do have someof that pheasant, I daresay you will like a little shooting. Sir Evasis so glad of a companion when he goes out with his gun. Our preservesare really most satisfactory this year."
Both the lady and the young man were mightily pleased, one by being ableto offer and the other to accept the slaughter of aristocratic birds.Sir Evas listened with an amused smile and Toney exclaimed,
"I wish one could decide if it is right to kill birds and fishes. St.Francis wouldn't have shot a pheasant I'm sure, though there's nothingabout pheasants in my new book; but St. Anthony really preached to thefishes at Rimini because the heretics wouldn't listen to him."
"Salmon?" inquired Sir Evas.
"All sizes and kinds, and they held up their heads above the water andstood to attention, all according to their height, and then he preachedan awfully jolly little sermon, and reminded them how nice it was tohave fins and to be able to go where they liked."
"It's only a legend, dear," said Mrs. Faber, smiling.
"And how did they take it?" asked Sir Evas, hoping the new secretary wasnot listening.
"They opened their mouths and bowed their heads and St. Anthony wasawfully pleased, and said the fishes were better than the heretics."
"They made less noise evidently. I hope the heretics were impressed."
"Yes, they were, and were converted by it."
Plantagenet Russell at this moment behaved like the fishes, for heopened his mouth as if to remonstrate with Toney but thought better ofit. His heart sank within him. This heiress' brain was evidentlyderanged, and however on earth should he deal with her? Thank heaven hehad Lady Dove to fall back upon. She was the real thing. Sir Evasquickly changed the conversation.
"I hear the new motor-car is coming this afternoon, and that you and Jimare both dying to take lessons in driving."
"Yes, I thought we ought. It will save time, but I can't do away withmy beloved Colon. It's not half a full stop, Mr. Russell, it's shortfor Colonist--he'll do for the dog-cart as well as for riding; but youmust learn to drive the motor, too, uncle. You mustn't be behind thetimes! The excitement will keep you young."
"I consider motor-cars are a vulgar ostentation of money. In old dayscounty families did not air their poverty or their wealth," said LadyDove.
"Wasn't that a sort of pretending anyway?" said Toney meditatively.
"'Noblesse oblige' is a motto only one class can really understand,"retorted Lady Dove, looking sympathetically at Plantagenet Russell. Sheconcluded he was of _her_ class and would understand.
"No class was ever made that would fit you, Toney," said Sir Evaslaughing.
"By the way, if you are going in a horrid machine, Antonia, I wish youwould go to the Towers. Lady Southbourne has sent us a note asking usto come to tea to-day, and I am quite too tired. Her son is there."
"All right, Aunt Dove, I'll go! Mr. Russell had better wait and see ifI can bring myself home safely before trying the motor. Chum, dear, Ithink Brother Angel wouldn't like you to go either, but we shall soon beback."
"I can't spare Anne Faber to-day," said Lady Dove decidedly. "Youforget I am alone."
When Mr. Russell was established in his room, which to his disgust Toneycalled "his office," and left to his first pile of letters and thecigars, all went to the hall door to inspect the new motorcar, which wasToney's first big purchase for herself. It had been ordered some timeago, and was very well planned. It could make a comfortable omnibus aswell as an open carriage. A professional chauffeur had come to instructthe mistress and her groom, and off they sped to the Towers, the bigcounty house some eight miles away. But on going through the villageToney found her car turned into a Juggernaut, all the people flew out ofthe cottages shouting their welcome, Toney stopped the car and let themall examine the monster as it was the first they had seen at such closequarters; then some of the children had to be taken a little drive tillthe chauffeur objected to it as waste of time, and Toney had to move on.
"When I can drive myself you shall have fine
rides," she said, "besidesit's an awfully good way of teaching geography," and amid the shouts ofdelight the heiress drove off, feeling warm within.
"It's like champagne, isn't it, Jim?"
Jim grinned and touched his hat and said, "Yes, miss," not knowing theleast what was like champagne, but of course it was like champagne ifMiss Toney said so.
When they arrived at the Towers, she told Jim and the chauffeur toexercise round the park, and prepared to pay her first call alone. Shedid not feel shy, that was not in her nature, but she shook her head asshe followed the stiff footman.
"It's all that basket of Gwyddnen Garanhir," she thought; "but I thinkit works too well when it works at all: still, I had less bother when Iwas only a poor relation. Oh dear, there's another man-servant; what isthe use of being thrown from one to the other like a bale. A good day'sdigging with the Kanakas would do these men good."
But now Toney found herself in a big drawing-room full of pretty things,very unlike Aldersfield where solid comfort reigned supreme. LadySouthbourne was making lace for a bazaar, to save herself giving money.Her son, a very bright young fellow, who had been charming at the ball,was now sunk in the depth of an armchair chatting to his mother. Oddlyenough, their talk had been of Toney, and both looked rather guilty whenshe entered.
"How very kind of you, Miss Whitburn, to come and have an early cup oftea with us. It's such a long way. Did you drive?"
"I came in the new motor-car, and I only drove a little way as thechauffeur says I give it the jumps, but I shall soon learn. It will beso useful for people who want things in a hurry, and it will save thehorses."
"Of course. Lord Southbourne talks of getting one, but I don't knowwhen. We must congratulate you on your party very much."
"It was the best that I ever saw," said the Hon. Edward Lang; "I am gladyou have come to talk it over with us. But you will ruin the bumpkins."
"Oh, no, you see they were all our own personal friends. Even uncle,who has a bad memory, has nearly learnt up all the children."
"Good heavens!" said Edward, "you don't mean to say you expectus--to----"
"But you feel ever so much less stupid if you know the names of thepiccaninnies of your own people. I think I've got a talent forgenealogies. It was much harder to know the Kanakas from each otherbecause of the colour of their faces, but possible too."
"The contrast must be depressing," said Edward, and his mother joinedin:
"Lord Southbourne declares you are helping on Socialism; but then wecounty people are getting poorer, and such windfalls as yours don'thappen every day," and Lady Southbourne laughed.
"By Jove, they don't!" echoed Edward.
Then they chatted happily about the various episodes of the party, andToney had no time to feel out of her element, so that she had reallyenjoyed herself when she remembered the waiting chauffeurs.
"Oh, there's Jim and the grand gentleman from London waiting. I'm goingto make my groom a chauffeur, as he will do all he is told. Thosestuck-up reefed-in men are rather tyrants."
"We are all tyrannized over by our servants," said Lady Southbourne witha smile.
"Wouldn't suit me," said Toney emphatically. "Aunt Dove's head gardeneris a tyrant, and there are ructions between them. They go out tobattle, but he _always_ wins!"
"So does mother's head gentleman," said Edward laughing; "but man is thesuperior creature."
"I think co-operation is best. St. Francis never lauded it over hisbrothers."
"St. Francis!" said Lady Southbourne interrogatively, not being at alllearned in saints.
"Yes; St. Francis of Assisi. It was one of my birthday presents, andI've read a lot of it already, but I can't quite see clearly yet how oneis to imitate him!"
"Pray don't try, Miss Whitburn; you are much nicer as you are," said theHon. Edward as Toney went off.
"She's charming and original, mother!" he said on his return to thedrawing-room.
"She has fifty thousand a year; I have it on good authority," said hismother. "I do think, Edward, you couldn't do better!"
"The point is, could she? Money just melts in my hands."
"Yes; so it's most important you should settle down and retrench."
"On fifty thousand a year? I don't mind trying, Lady Mother."
"There's a good boy--and she really is original, and originality is soin the fashion just now."