"Captain Macmurdo, you speak like a man of sense," Mr. Wenham cried

out, immensely relieved--"I forget any words that Colonel Crawley has

used in the irritation of the moment."

"I thought you would," Rawdon said with a sneer.

"Shut your mouth, you old stoopid," the Captain said good-naturedly.

"Mr. Wenham ain't a fighting man; and quite right, too."

"This matter, in my belief," the Steyne emissary cried, "ought to be

buried in the most profound oblivion. A word concerning it should

never pass these doors. I speak in the interest of my friend, as well

as of Colonel Crawley, who persists in considering me his enemy."

"I suppose Lord Steyne won't talk about it very much," said Captain

Macmurdo; "and I don't see why our side should. The affair ain't a

very pretty one, any way you take it, and the less said about it the

better. It's you are thrashed, and not us; and if you are satisfied,

why, I think, we should be."

Mr. Wenham took his hat, upon this, and Captain Macmurdo following him

to the door, shut it upon himself and Lord Steyne's agent, leaving

Rawdon chafing within. When the two were on the other side, Macmurdo

looked hard at the other ambassador and with an expression of anything

but respect on his round jolly face.

"You don't stick at a trifle, Mr. Wenham," he said.

"You flatter me, Captain Macmurdo," answered the other with a smile.

"Upon my honour and conscience now, Mrs. Crawley did ask us to sup

after the opera."

"Of course; and Mrs. Wenham had one of her head-aches. I say, I've got

a thousand-pound note here, which I will give you if you will give me a

receipt, please; and I will put the note up in an envelope for Lord

Steyne. My man shan't fight him. But we had rather not take his money."

"It was all a mistake--all a mistake, my dear sir," the other said with

the utmost innocence of manner; and was bowed down the Club steps by

Captain Macmurdo, just as Sir Pitt Crawley ascended them. There was a

slight acquaintance between these two gentlemen, and the Captain, going

back with the Baronet to the room where the latter's brother was, told

Sir Pitt, in confidence, that he had made the affair all right between

Lord Steyne and the Colonel.

Sir Pitt was well pleased, of course, at this intelligence, and

congratulated his brother warmly upon the peaceful issue of the affair,

making appropriate moral remarks upon the evils of duelling and the

unsatisfactory nature of that sort of settlement of disputes.

And after this preface, he tried with all his eloquence to effect a

reconciliation between Rawdon and his wife. He recapitulated the

statements which Becky had made, pointed out the probabilities of their

truth, and asserted his own firm belief in her innocence.




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024