Cashel Byron's Profession

"Still," said Lydia, when they were at leisure to resume the

conversation, "I do not quite understand why you have come to me.

Personally you are quite welcome; but in what way did you expect to

relieve Mr. Byron's mind by visiting me? Did he ask you to come?"

"He'd have died first. I came down of my own accord, knowing what

was the matter with him."

"And what then?"

Mrs. Skene looked around to satisfy herself that they were alone.

Then she leaned towards Lydia, and said in an emphatic whisper, "Why won't you marry him, miss?"

"Because I don't choose, Mrs. Skene," said Lydia, with perfect

good-humor.

"But consider a little, miss. Where will you ever get such another

chance? Only think what a man he is! champion of the world and a

gentleman as well. The two things have never happened before, and

never will again. I have known lots of champions, but they were not

fit company for the like of you. Ned was champion when I married

him; and my family thought that I lowered myself in doing it,

although I was only a professional dancer on the stage. The men in

the ring are common men mostly; and so, though they are the best men

in the kingdom, ladies are cut off from their society. But it has

been your good luck to take the fancy of one that's a gentleman.

What more could a lady desire? Where will you find his equal in

health, strength, good looks, or good manners? As to his character,

I can tell you about that. In Melbourne, as you may suppose, all the

girls and women were breaking their hearts for his sake. I declare

to you that I used to have two or three of them in every evening

merely to look at him, and he, poor innocent lad, taking no more

notice of them than if they were cabbages. He used to be glad to get

away from them by going into the saloon and boxing with the

gentlemen; and then they used to peep at him through the door. They

never got a wink from him. You were the first, Miss Carew; and,

believe me, you will be the last. If there had ever been another he

couldn't have kept it from me; because his disposition is as open as

a child's. And his honesty is beyond everything you can imagine. I

have known him to be offered eight hundred pounds to lose a fight

that he could only get two hundred by winning, not to mention his

chance of getting nothing at all if he lost honestly. You know--for

I see you know the world, ma'am--how few men would be proof against

such a temptation. There are men high up in their profession--so

high that you'd as soon suspect the queen on her throne of selling

her country's battles as them--that fight cross on the sly when it's

made worth their while. My Ned is no low prize-fighter, as is well

known; but when he let himself be beat by that little Killarney

Primrose, and went out and bought a horse and trap next day, what

could I think? There, ma'am, I tell you that of my own husband; and

I tell you that Cashel never was beaten, although times out of mind

it would have paid him better to lose than to win, along of those

wicked betting men. Not an angry word have I ever had from him, nor

the sign of liquor have I ever seen on him, except once on Ned's

birthday; and then nothing but fun came out of him in his cups, when

the truth comes out of all men. Oh, do just think how happy you

ought to be, miss, if you would only bring yourself to look at it in

the proper light. A gentleman born and bred, champion of the world,

sober, honest, spotless as the unborn babe, able to take his own

part and yours in any society, and mad in love with you! He thinks

you an angel from heaven and so I am sure you are, miss, in your

heart. I do assure you that my Fan gets quite put out because she

thinks he draws comparisons to her disadvantage. I don't think you

can be so hard to please as to refuse him, miss."