An English Squire. Coleridge Christabel Rose

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СКАЧАТЬ step sounded, both his brothers’ doors burst open simultaneously, and Jack and Bob, in various stages of dressing, at once ejaculated, —

      “Well!”

      “How can I tell? It’s awfully late. I shall never be ready,” and Cherry banged his own door, too much astounded by the new brother to stand a discussion on him.

      As soon as he was ready he went down stairs, and found Alvar, rather to his relief, attired in correct evening costume.

      “I suppose you haven’t seen my grandmother yet?” he said.

      “Your grandmother? I did not know there was a grandmother,” said Alvar, in a much puzzled voice, which, together with the sense of how much his brother had to learn, nearly upset Cherry’s gravity.

      “My father’s mother, you know. She lives with us,” he said. “She is your grandmother too.”

      “Ah!” said Alvar, “I loved my grandmother much. This other one, she will be most venerable, I am sure.”

      “Come along then,” said Cherry, unable to stand more conversation at present.

      Mrs Lester, whatever her private opinions might be, had too much respect for the heir, for herself, and for the house of Lester, not to attire herself with unusual dignity, and to rise and advance to receive her grandson.

      “How do you do, Alvar?” she said. “You have been a long time in coming to see us.”

      Alvar, after a moment’s pause, as if doubtful what sort of salutation would be acceptable, bowed low and kissed her hand. Nettie laughed; but her grandmother drew herself up as if the act of homage was not altogether displeasing to her, and then looked keenly at the new grandson, who, as far as looks went, was no unworthy scion of the handsome Lesters.

      He was as tall as his father, though of a different and slighter make, and stood with a sort of graceful stiffness, unlike the easy loose-limbed air of most young English gentlemen. He had a dark olive skin, and oval face; but his features were not unlike the prevailing family type; and though his hair was raven black, it grew and curled in the picturesque fashion of his father’s, which Cheriton alone of the other sons inherited. But he had the splendid black liquid eyes, with blue whites, and slender arched eyebrows of his Spanish mother, and possessed a picturesque foreign beauty that seemed to group the fair-haired brothers into a commonplace herd. He had a grave, impassive face, and held his head up with an air suggestive of Spanish grandees.

      It was very difficult to make conversation when they went in to dinner, the more so as Alvar evidently did not easily follow rapid English, and either he was bewildered by new impressions, or not very open to them, for he had not much to say about his journey. Cheriton, as he tried to talk as if there was no perplexing stranger present, could not help wondering whether all that was so strange to himself came with any familiarity to his father. Had he known what his son would be like? Could he touch any chord to which Alvar could find a response? Had eyes like those great rolling black ones ever looked love into his own? And if so, was it all forgotten, or was the remembrance distasteful?

      “He was older than I am now,” thought Cherry. “Surely the thoughts of to-day could never fade away entirely.”

      Mr Lester uttered no word that betrayed any knowledge of his son’s country. He spoke less than usual, and after due inquiries for Alvar’s relations, entirely on local matters; Alvar volunteered few remarks, but as the dessert appeared, he turned to Cherry, who sat beside him, and said, —

      “Is it not now the custom to smoke?”

      “Not at dinner,” said Cherry hurriedly, as his father replied, —

      “Certainly not,” and all the bright blue eyes round the table stared at Alvar, who for the first time coloured, and said, —

      “Pardon, I have transgressed.”

      “We’ll go and have a pipe presently,” said Cherry; and oh! how ardently he longed for that terrible evening to be over.

      “It was a horrid Christmas Eve,” muttered Nettie to Bob; and perhaps her father thought so too, for he rang the bell early for prayers.

      “What is this?” said Alvar, looking puzzled, as a prayer-book was placed before him.

      “We’re going to have prayers,” said Nettie, rather pertly. “Don’t you?”

      “Ah, it is a custom,” said Alvar, and he took the book, and stood and knelt as they did, evidently matching for his cue.

      When this ceremony was over, Bob and Nettie rushed off, evidently to escape saying good-night, and Cheriton invited the stranger to come and smoke with him, conducting him to a little smoking-room downstairs, which was only used for visitors, as the boys generally smoked in a room at the top of the house, into which Cherry knew Bob and Jack would greatly resent any intrusion. Mr Lester walked off with a general good-night. Alvar watched Cherry kiss his grandmother, but contented himself with a bow. Jack discreetly retired, and when Cheriton had ascertained that Alvar never smoked a pipe, but only a cigar or a cigarette, and had made him sit down by the fire, Alvar said, —

      “My father is then a member of the clerical party?”

      “I don’t think I quite understand you,” said Cherry.

      “Your prayers – he is religious?”

      “Oh, most people have prayers – I don’t think we’re more particular than others. My father and Mr Ellesmere, our rector, are friends, naturally,” said Cherry, feeling it very difficult to explain himself.

      “My grandfather,” said Alvar, “is indifferent.”

      “But – you’re a Protestant, aren’t you?”

      “Oh, yes. I have been so instructed. But I do not interest myself in the subject.”

      Cheriton had heard many odd things at Oxford said about religion, but never anything to equal the naïveté of this avowal. He was quite unprepared with a reply, and Alvar went on, —

      “I shall of course conform. I am not an infidel; but I leave those things to your – clergy, do you not call them?”

      “Well, some people would say you were right,” said Cherry, thankful that Jack was not present to assert the inalienable right of private judgment.

      “And politics?” said Alvar; “I know about your Tories and your Whigs. On which side do you range yourself?”

      “Well, my father’s a Tory and High Churchman, which I suppose is what you mean by belonging to the clerical party; and I – if all places were like this – I’d like things very well as they are. Jack, however, would tell you we were going fast to destruction.”

      “There are then dissensions among you?”

      “Oh, he’ll come round to something, I dare say. But our English politics must seem mere child’s play to you.”

      “I have taken no part,” said Alvar. “My grandfather would conform to anything for peace, and I, you know, my brother, am in Spain an Englishman – though a Spaniard here.”

      “I hope you’ll be an Englishman soon.”

      “It is the same with marriage,” said Alvar; “I have never СКАЧАТЬ