George Fenn - Sir Hilton's Sin

“You tell if you dare!” cried the maid, with flaming face.

“Oh, I dare.”

“But you won’t. You wouldn’t be such a coward. I say, going out?”

“Yes, I want some sandwiches – a good lot. And, look here, get uncle’s flask and half fill it with milk, and then fill it up with sherry.”

“What for? What are you going to do?”

“The May-fly’s up.”

“Up where?”

“Get out! Over the river. I’m going fishing.”

“Don’t believe you. You’re going to the races.”

“Sh!” the boy hissed, and looked sharply round.

“There, I knew it!” cried the girl. “I’ll tell her ladyship, and stop that.”

“Just you do. I’m going whipping the stream.”

“Don’t believe it. But she’ll be whipping you for a naughty boy.”

“Shrubbery and old Mark,” said the boy, thoughtfully, as if speaking to himself. “Wonder what sort of a pair the new parlourmaid and groom and valet would be?”

“Oh, you!” cried the girl, with scarlet face and flashing eyes, in which the tears began to rise, making her dart out of the room so that they should not be seen.

“Checkmate, Miss Dustpan!” said Sydney, with a chuckle. “What a sharp one she is, though. My word! I never liked old Trim before. He’s off on some game of his own. Artful old beast! He isn’t such a saint as he pretends. Can’t be going to the races, can he? No, not he; not in his line. Spree in London’s more in his way. A beast, though, to talk like that. Knows too much about such matters. I wish I could find out something, and get him under my thumb, as I have saucy Jenny. How the beggar made me jump!”

He glanced round at the vase he had nearly broken, then at the door, and directly after at the window, to which he ran and looked out, for there was the grating sound of wheels on the drive, but growing fainter and fainter.

“My word! Isn’t the old girl quick at putting on her hat and scarf! She’s safe for the day. Bravo, old Trimmer! Just when I was done up for an idea to slope off. Fish rising? Yes, I’ll rise ’em. Cookie’ll have hard work to fry all the trout I catch to-day. Phew! There goes another brake. Blow up, you beauty! Why, auntie would have just met them tittuping along. They must have scared the ponies into fits. She can’t half hold them.”

He turned from the window, listening the while, though, to the rattle of wheels and the trotting of horses down the road, and after a glance at the door, through which the little maid had passed, he drew a note from his pocket and began to spell it over in a low voice.

“‘My dear darling Syd’ – why, this is three days old. I didn’t notice it before – ‘Here’s nearly a week and you haven’t been to see me. Do come. I want to say something so particular. If you don’t come before, of course you’ll be at the races. I’ve got a new frock’ – frock without a k – ‘new frock for the occasion’ – Ha, ha! What a rum little gipsy she is! Put the k she dropped in frock into occasion – ‘I say, do tell your aunt and uncle all the truth’ – Likely! – ‘and then I can tell dear dad’ – Jigger dear dad! – ‘I feel so wicked. He must know soon.’ – What did she put two thick lines under that for? – ‘That’s all now, because the dressmaker’ – with only one s – ‘has come to try on my frock. I say, do tell your dear aunt. She’ll be awfully cross at first, but when she knows all – that’s all, dear. – Your affeckshunt for ever and ever, Lar Sylphide’ – Lar la – Yar! Yar! Tell auntie – phew! Talk about all the fat in the fire, and me with it. Uncle’s parlous state won’t be nothing to mine. Ugh!”

The boy jumped as if he had received a blow, and turned towards the window. For the door was opened suddenly and Jane reappeared.

“Not gone then, Impidence?”

“No, I’m not gone yet, Saucebox. Why don’t you tell my aunt?”

“Never you mind. What was that you were scuffling into your jacket pocket? Worms for fishing?”

“Of course.”

“Was it? I know better. I heered the paper crackle; it’s another letter for her.”

“What!” cried the boy, changing colour. “What her?”

“Her as you write to. I saw you scribbling, and watched you sneak off down to the village to post it.”

“You’re a wicked fibster, Jenny.”

“Oh, no, I’m not. What did you give the postman five shillings for?”

“I didn’t,” said the boy, flaring up.

“Yes, you did, and it was to bring letters for you on the sly, I shall write and inform the post-office people.”

“Yes, you do, and I’ll half kill you, and poison old Mark.”

“There! I knew it. Who is she?”

“You be off.”

“No, nor I shan’t be off neither. I believe it’s Dan Smart’s girl, who’s gone to London. Oh, my! what a wicked one you are, Master Syd, for such a boy. Your sangwidges is ready. Shall I bring ’em here?”

“Did you get the flask?”

“Yes.”

“And filled it with milk and sherry?”

“Yes, but you don’t deserve it, for threatening to get poor Mark the sack.”

“Then you shouldn’t threaten to tell tales.”

“I won’t, Master Syd, if you won’t.”

“All right, then, it’s a truce. Here, I must be off.”

“What, without your sangwidges and flask?”

“No; to get my fishing-rod.”

“Then you won’t tell?”

“Tell? No. Here, give us a kiss, Jenny.”

“Shan’t. They’re all for Mark.”

“Must,” cried the boy, seizing her round the waist.

“Pst! Someone coming.”

Syd dashed out of the window, and the girl began to move some of the breakfast things, but was interrupted by the entrance of a sharp-looking young groom with very closely-cut hair, and trousers so tight in the leg that the wonder was how he put them on and pulled them off.

“Oh, it’s you, is it, Mark?” said the girl, tartly.

“Me it is, Jenny. Think it was the boss?”

“Maybe. Here’s a pretty time of the morning to have breakfast things about.”

“Pretty time? Of course, it’s a pretty time. Eat when you’re hungry. When the guv’nor wants his corn he’ll come down to the sally-manger as they call it.”

“But look at the time!”

“Oh, hang the time! A man ain’t a locomotive, made to live up to a time-table. I believe her ladyship has a time for everything, down to sneezing and cleaning her teeth. It’s orful, that it is.”

“Ah! you’re a pretty pair.”

“We was in the old days, Jenny,” said the young man, with a smirk, “before we began to go off and look seedy, him with being married to her ladyship, and me pulled down, fretting about you.”

“Get along with your nonsense! I know. You were a pair of regular rackety rakes, and her ladyship has done wonders for Sir Hilton.”

“Well, ain’t you done wonders and improved me, dear? You know I ain’t like the same chap.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I sometimes feel I’m very stupid to think about you. You’re always talking about your old ramping, scamping days.”

“But there wasn’t any harm in ’em, Jenny. Only a bit of sport – a race here, a steeplechase there, and a turn at hunting in the winter. Ah! they was times, Jenny, my gal Reglar old English gentleman sort of life. Go to bed when you liked; get up when you liked. Breakfast in bed or out of it. None of your tea-and-toasting, but a hock and seltzer for a start; nice little devilled something after, and there you were, fit as a fiddle. None of your time-table life, like it is here.”

“Yes, you were a nice pair.”

“We were, Jenny, and we’re not to be sneezed at now; but you’re a bit hard on us, Jenny, both of you.”

“I’m too soft on you, Mark, and you know it.”