The Rock of the Lion

by Molly Elliot Seawell

  CHAPTER IV

  As Archy entered a room adjoining the library corridor, Lord Bellinghamrose to receive him.

  The boy's first impression was that his grandfather was the handsomestold man he had ever seen. Not very tall, but perfectly well made, withbeautiful, pale, unwrinkled features, and a pair of the darkest,clearest, brightest eyes imaginable, Lord Bellingham might well bebelieved the handsomest man of his day. He was elegantly dressed inblack satin coat and knee-breeches, with black silk stockings and blackshoes with diamond buckles on his delicate, high-arched feet. His hairwas powdered, although it was in the morning, and the dandy of the Courtof George II. was still a dandy, even in his Northern fastness.

  The day was mild, but a bright fire burned upon the hearth, and a blackvelvet cloak, thrown over the chair, was evidently for use then andthere.

  The impression made upon Archy was great and immediate, and LordBellingham had no reason to find fault with him for any want ofdeference when he advanced and shook his grandfather's hand in silence,and then waited to be addressed.

  "Grandson," said Lord Bellingham, in a musical voice with no touch ofthe tremor of age, "I had, some weeks ago, a letter from my excellentfriend, Admiral Kempenfelt, telling me of you."

  "The Admiral was most kind to me, sir." There was a pause, and then LordBellingham suddenly asked:

  "May I inquire your plans for the future?" Archy studied a moment or twobefore answering, and then said, quietly:

  "I propose to await an exchange of prisoners which will shortly takeplace in France. Then I shall join Commodore Jones again."

  At this a deep-red flush overspread Lord Bellingham's face; he clinchedhis hands, and seemed about to burst into a torrent of wrath, butrestrained himself. When he spoke, it was to say, in a cold voice:

  "I had a grandson--Trevor Langton--who was in his Majesty's service, anda loyal officer of his Majesty. It has been my hard fate to losehim--and to find you!"

  "Sir," said Archy, firmly, "although you have found me, you are notobliged to keep me. I came here on the recommendation of AdmiralKempenfelt. I have some money, and when I get my share of the _Bon HommeRichard's_ prize-money I shall have plenty--the _Serapis_, sir, was avery valuable ship, and worth a hundred of our poor old _Richard_. I amready to go away to-day--now, this moment, if you wish me."

  Lord Bellingham's reply to this was to seize the fire-tongs andvigorously attack the sea-coal fire. The tongs, however, becominginterlocked in some way, he suddenly threw them violently across theroom, where they struck a marble bust of the philosopher Plato--theapostle of mildness--and smashed the nose off. So far from agitatingLord Bellingham, this accident seemed to compose him, and he calmlyremarked:

  "I feel relieved. My temper is peculiar, and I find that by giving itvent in some noisy but harmless manner I am soonest calmed."

  Archy's response to this was to burst into a suppressed guffaw oflaughter, which his grandfather perceiving, he also smiled.

  "Rebellion seems to sit lightly on you, boy," he said, presently. "Ihave had some experience of what rebellion means. During the rising in'45 I was suspected of disloyalty. I had known the Young Pretender inRome when I was on the grand tour, and we were much together--ah, theywere wild days! After my return I was for some years at Court, althoughI disdained any appointment. At the time of the rising I happened to behere, and entertained the Duke of Cumberland on his way to the North.When everything was over, and the prisoners from Culloden were beingmarched southward, what was my surprise to find myself among them,mounted on a horse whose bridle was led by a foot-soldier, with ordersto shoot me dead if I attempted to escape. When we reached London I hadno difficulty in clearing myself from suspicion without a formal trial,and the King was pleased to admit me to his levee immediately after myrelease. The Lords Bellingham had been counted as among the Torynobility, and that was one reason that suspicion fell on me; and myenemies magnified some former acts of civility to Charles Edward intocomplicity with him."

  "But, sir," asked Archy, very earnestly, "did you really--er--a--Imean--did you not in your heart wish him to succeed?" It was now LordBellingham's turn to smile.

  "If I had, I should be now probably dwelling in a cave in America."

  "We are not cave-dwellers, sir. We have excellent, good houses. But youhad better luck when you were captured than I when I was captured at theTexel, for I was chased along the sand and marshes by the _Seahorse's_men--and knocked down, and flung into their boat as if I had been a lamepuppy--and when I tried to cry out, I was choked by a great monster of aboatswain's mate, and told they would chuck me overboard if I did notchoke my luff--and they would have done it, too, sir! And then," addedArchy, slyly, "you would have been spared the finding of me."

  "Young man, you have a gift of repartee. Be careful how you use it."

  "I did not know, sir, until now, that I had any such gift. But when aman enters the naval service"--Archy was barely sixteen, but he swelledout his breast and stretched up his lithe, handsome figure as much as hecould--"he is forced to learn to take care of himself. If he does not,certainly nobody will take care of him."

  "I suppose," said Lord Bellingham, "since, articles of exchange havebeen agreed upon, it would be best for you to remain here until you areregularly exchanged. Then I hope you will be persuaded to return to yourallegiance to your King and country."

  "Pardon me, sir," replied Archy, rising at once, "it is not customaryfor officers on parole to listen to such propositions."

  "Not from their own families, eh?"

  "My family has not been sufficiently kind to me to warrant them inadvising me in a matter so delicate. My father gave me permission,before his death, to enlist in the naval service of the colonies--andwith his warrant I need no other."

  "Your father was not so respectful to the wishes of _his_ father. But,be seated again. I am now an old man--childless, for my only remainingchild, Trevor Langton's mother, has long been estranged from me. Had herson lived, we might have been reconciled--I deserve some indulgence.Stay here for a time at least."

  It seemed to Archy that Lord Bellingham did not have much claim toindulgence, judging by what those who knew him best said of him. But, intruth, Archy was fascinated by his grandfather's interestingpersonality. He wanted to see more of so odd a character--and theconsciousness of having at least enough money to get back to Londonwhenever he wished, and last, but not least, some faint awakening of thetie of blood, determined him.

  "I will stay, sir," he said, presently. "I think my father would perhapswish me to--and my mother--I do not remember her, but--" he pausedsuddenly. Ought he to stay?

  "For your mother, I can only say that I had no fault to find with herexcept that she married my son. My ebullitions of temper were mistakenas insults to her--but it has always been my misfortune to have thesetrifling and inconsequent faults magnified and mistaken."

  Lord Bellingham's novel view of himself nearly caused Archy to explodewith laughter again--but he had begun to want to stay a while atBellingham Castle, and, like most people, he had but little difficultyin persuading himself that what he wished to do was the best thing to bedone, so he presently agreed.

  Lord Bellingham then began asking him questions about his life inAmerica, and Archy, nothing loath, plunged into a description of it,telling of the abounding plenty of the colonists, his own pleasantboyhood on the Chesapeake, the splendors of the viceregal court atWilliamsburg--these splendors did not become the less in the telling,and Archy was not without gifts as a story-teller.

  Lord Bellingham listened with the deepest interest. The story of thisnew, free, fresh life beyond the seas was fascinating to the old man,reared in courts, and spending his later days in luxurious and eccentricsolitude. And without in the least suspecting it, Archy was every momentgrowing in grace in his grandfather's eyes. Here was no hobbledehoy, buta handsome stripling, already with some knowledge of the world,fearless, frank, and quick of wit. Before either of them realized howtime was flying, the shadows grew long,
and Diggory, appearing at thedoor, announced his lordship's dinner.

  "Request Colonel Baskerville to dine with me to-day. You, grandson, willremain."

  As Archy had an idea that his grandfather's dinner was considerablybetter than what Diggory chose to provide for his uncle and himself inthe little parlor, he agreed with alacrity, and in a few moments thethree were sitting around a small round table glittering with plate,where an elaborate dinner was served.

  Every moment that Archy passed with Colonel Baskerville he felt more andmore drawn towards him. He had been through stirring scenes in Indiawith Lord Clive and Warren Hastings, and when questioned by LordBellingham, he told of them so interestingly that all three forgot thehour, and they were interrupted by a message from the village askingthem to come and give their testimony at the inquiry about the attemptedrobbery.

  When they returned it was night, and there was no invitation to joinLord Bellingham at supper; but Diggory, acting under secretinstructions, provided them with an excellent supper. Scarcely were theythrough when a request came from Lord Bellingham that ColonelBaskerville wait upon him in his own room. Archy, left alone, providedhimself with a book from the library, and, mending the fire and trimmingthe candles, seated himself for a long and delightful evening ofreading. But presently the book fell from his hand, and he beganthinking over the rapid events of the last year, and then his mindturned towards Langton. So young, so brave--Archy thought he had nevermet a more gallant fellow--and so quiet withal--the favorite alike ofofficers and men. He began to wonder how, in their many long talks,nothing had ever revealed to each other their relationship. But heremembered that he instinctively avoided all mention of his family, atrait learned from his father, who had never even told him of anyrelations named Langton. And Langton's mother had probably, for the samemelancholy reason, kept him in the dark also. While these thoughts werepassing through his mind, hours slipped away. The candles were burned totheir sockets when Colonel Baskerville appeared.

  "I have spent the evening with my brother, talking about you," he saidto Archy, seating himself. "You seem to have politely defied him, andthereby conquered him."

  "If he thinks I mean to give up my country--" began Archy.

  "Tush! You can do nothing until you are twenty-one. But I think I canpromise you that nothing will be left undone to charm you with England,and with your place as Lord Bellingham's heir. He asked me about yourclothes, and I explained about the uniform--ha! ha!"

  Colonel Baskerville laughed outright at the recollection.

  Next morning Archy went to the library for another look at his father'sportrait. To his indignation, he found it turned to the wall again.Archy then, locking the door to be secure from interruption, carefullyand deliberately turned every picture in the library to the wall. Then,with an air of triumph, he met Diggory's eye when that functionary cameto him with a message that Lord Bellingham desired to see him. At thatinterview Lord Bellingham mentioned that he had sent to York for a fullsupply of clothes for Archy, for which Archy thanked him politely.

  That very night, on going to his room--not the Duke of Cumberland's, buta smaller and less splendid one--he found two large boxes of clothes.Archy, who was by nature a dandy, examined them with pleasure. Therewere three very elegant suits, two of them laced, a quantity of linen,and a fine flowered dressing-gown.

  When he rose next morning he was surprised and annoyed to find that hisshabby continental navy uniform had disappeared mysteriously, and in itsplace lay a handsome cloth riding-suit. He remembered that Diggory hadcome into the room to make the fire, and he suspected the clothes hadgone out under Diggory's arm. A shout in the corridor broughtDiggory--but he stolidly protested that he knew nothing about theclothes.

  "He is lying," thought Archy; "but I will be even with him, and mygrandfather too." So, dressing himself, but putting on his gaydressing-gown instead of a coat and waistcoat, he coolly walked down tobreakfast. Colonel Baskerville laughed at the apparition, and he laughedstill more when Archy afterwards gravely paced up and down the terracein full view of his grandfather's windows. After a while he started off,through the park, towards the village. A window was flung up behind him,and Colonel Baskerville's voice called out:

  "Lord Bellingham desires to know where you are going?"

  "To the village, sir."

  "In that rig?"

  "I have no other, sir. My clothes have been stolen." And off Archymarched, the dressing-gown flapping about his knees.

  Just as he reached the park gates he heard some one pursuing him at aquick trot. It was Diggory.

  "Lord, sir, here are your clothes! His lordship is near having a fit athome, swearing most awful, and Colonel Baskerville laughing like tokill--and I ran and fetched the clothes."

  "Next time you take my clothes, you impudent lackey, I will break someof your worthless bones for you," was Archy's reply. And with Diggory'sassistance, in the middle of the roadway, he put on his well-beloved,shabby blue uniform, and went calmly on his way to the village.