"The pheasant in the falcon's claw,
He scarce will yield, to please a daw."--SCOTT.
Early in the afternoon of a warm October day, the brothers arrived at
Avomnouth, and ten minutes after both were upon the lawn at Myrtlewood,
where croquet was still in progress. Shouts of delight greeted the
Colonel, and very gracefully did Bessie Keith come to meet him, with the
frank confiding sweetness befitting his recent ward, the daughter of his
friend. A reassuring smile and monosyllable had scarcely time to pass
between him and the governess before a flood of tidings was poured
on him by the four elder boys, while their mother was obliged to be
mannerly, and to pace leisurely along with the elder guest, and poor Mr.
Touchett waited a little aloof, hammering his own boot with his mallet,
as if he found the enchanted ground failing him. But the boys had no
notion of losing their game, and vociferated an inquiry whether the
Colonel knew croquet. Yes, he had several times played with his cousins
in Scotland. "Then," insisted Conrade, "he must take mamma's place,
whilst she was being devoured, and how surprised she would be at being
so helped on!"
"Not now, not to-day," he answered. "I may go to your sister, Ailie?
Yes, boys, you must close up your ranks without me."
"Then please," entreated Hubert, "take him away," pointing to the
engrosser of their mother.
"Do you find elder brothers so easily disposed of, Hubert?" said the
Colonel. "Do you take Conrade away when you please?"
"I should punch him," returned Francis.
"He knows better," quoth Conrade in the same breath, both with infinite
contempt for Hubert.
"And I know better," returned Colonel Keith; "never mind, boys, I'll
come back in--in reasonable time to carry him off," and he waved a gay
farewell.
"Surely you wish to go too," said Bessie to Alison, "if only to relieve
them of the little girl! I'll take care of the boys. Pray go."
"Thank you," said Alison, surprised at her knowledge of the state of
things, "but they are quite hardened to Rose's presence, and I think
would rather miss her."
And in fact Alison did not feel at all sure that, when stimulated by
Bessie's appreciation of their mischief, her flock might not in her
absence do something that might put their mother in despair, and make
their character for naughtiness irretrievable; so Leoline and Hubert
were summoned, the one from speculations whether Lord Keith would have
punched his brother, the other from amaze that there was anything our
military secretary could not do, and Conrade and Francis were arrested
in the midst of a significant contraction of the nostrils and opening
of the mouth, which would have exploded in an "eehaw" but for Bessie's
valiant undertaking to be herself and Lady Temple both at once.