CHAPTER XIV.

THE COUNCIL.

NEVER was girl in such a state of exciternent as our Livy, while the cab was driving to Half-moon Street. She was, indeed, going to consult that old physician, Dick Lumley, possibly an ignorant practitioner, certainly a selfish one, who was not likely to give advice without fees; that is to say, who would not sacrifice any thing to help a fellow creature. Sacrificing anything, with him, was giving away a scrap of his life; because it involved a disappointment, or worry, or stupidity, and, therefore, injured the current of his life. For at his age any mental injury or wear was as dangerous as anything bodily. Poor Old Dick! People were fond of noticing now that he was changing, angry at having had so often to acknowledge that he had so long falsified all their declarations that "he was going," or "breaking up," or down. It was amazing, indeed, how he clung to what he called life; that is, to the series of visits, dinners, balls, and when these intermitted, how his pulse seemed to intermit also. Life had, of late, been going very pleasantly with him; as, indeed, his perseverance deserved some recompense. Such unwearied, laborious, pushing efforts, made at the beginning of his long life, and duly sustained, should have landed him in any office or station. But the fatal principle of the Sibylline books applies with its greatest force to what are votaries of fashion, to the children of the worldthe world meaning dinner-parties, the knowing people of title, and being asked where "everybody" is asked. As the books of Old Dick Lumley were burned, one by one, what remained increased in value with alarming proportion; and, finally, it was come to this -that at the end of that long ill-paved road, which had been his life, a few yards were as precious to him as miles of the pleasant grass swards over which he had tripped so carelessly when he began to walk. He seemed to himself now, with the end of his life at hand, to be beginning. He had this refutation, at least, of the vulgar speech "he is so old!" within him; he felt strong, and a keener sense of enjoyment every day, and his will, and the necessity of "going out," helped him to do battle with, and keep in order, obstructive pains and aches.

As usual, he had, with an industry that never wearied, been harrowing and "stubbing" the fashionable ground; now writing notes, now calling, now telling his stories, now doing little trifles of service for old Lady Towler, or for Mrs. Mantower; contriving

to lay those persons under trifling social obligations, to be repaid only by "asking " him. He was content to accept the smallest eleemosynary scrap of civility, a meagre cup of tea at five, sooner than be left out or not asked. Now, a certain duchess had a great gathering at Kedgeburn, whither all his friends were hurrying, and, after infinite "stubbing" he had received the invitation to join the august party, men and women of fashion-lords, dukes, a royal prince, in short a battue, the like of which he had never yet attended. It was elixir to his old frame, the very thought made his blood course more freely through those ancient conduits, his veins; and he was busy on this evening, furbishing up his old armour, looking where the joints. had started, and wanted new riveting, amusing himself also by anticipation, burnishing his jokes and good things, and filing up and polishing a neat, unobtrusive speech, which should delicately attract the royal personage. When his servant came up to say that a young lady was below, and wished to see him, he assumed, in his eagerness and flutter, that this must be some high-born dame come to wait on him. "God bless me, who is it?" says Old Dick Lumley. "I'll go down to her--or would she step up? Is it Lady Cradock?"

It was amazing how Mr. Lumley could change and recover himself from the want of cohesion, and kind of tendency to fall to pieces. He was one man for the servant, another for the lady, who now entered, this frightened, fluttering, timorous Livy, who had come to throw herself at the feet of the only friend in town she could think of. She knew he was selfish; but still, to her he had always a sort of gallant good-nature, which might be worked into kindness, if no great pressure was put upon it.

He was a little disappointed when he saw her; he had put himself together for a lady of title.

"My dear Miss Livy, this is an honour to my poor bachelor hovel. Come to see me here!" But he added hastily, sharp enough to see that something would be required of him, "You see me all in a fuss; just setting off on one of those gay junketings. They will have me. The duchess wrote in the nicest, kindest way, herself."

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Oh, and you are going away now-and I was going to ask you— the only friend I could turn to !"

His first thought was that "this sort of thing" had been the introduction to a very favourite demand on him, and a look of alarm came into his face. Old Dick Lumley never gave money to anyone. There was something, he thought, very low in people, in real distress, coming to beg loans, and he could see little difference between them and people in the street. Of course it was a wholly different thing

when Lord A-- said "Lend me a fiver, Lumley," which was only a pleasant civility, and the payment certain as the Bank.

Livy soon reassured him. "Oh, dear Mr. Lumley, give me some advice; help us! We are in a miserable way at home. Save us!" "Oh, I suspect," said Mr. Lumley. "I suppose our friend, the Beauty, is at his old tricks. Sit down, then, and take a chair, and tell me all about it. There."

"No, indeed, it's not his fault. But there are others who hate poor mamma, and do their best to draw him away from us."

"Oh, I know that, too. A very clever woman in her way-I really admire her. But now, tell me how things stand exactly."

He put aside his preparations, and set himself to listen. Livy began, told him all; coming down to the dreadful and perplexed state in which things were. It was, indeed, hard to resist Livy's "coaxing manner," which invited confidence and aid. As she went on he grew interested, and stopped his packing.

"Oh, Beauty," he would say, "fie for shame! And yet I don't blame him. It's all that scheming woman. I know well what she's at. It's just one of the tricks of the women of the day. Lord bless you, my dear child, it's their amusement-like dram-drinking to a man that's taken to cognac. You see what is open to women of this sort. What is there piquant but something of the kind? I declare, I know I shouldn't speak this way to you; but it's the fact, I assure you. The world's a very wicked place."

Livy was aghast.

"But why," she cried, "why should base revenge? What can she gain? "Raison de plus," said Dick, gaily. game, and give a prestige, you see. and, as you see, in this case, three." Livy was beginning to see.

go

"Then what, in the name of heaven, are we to do? How can I O back to mamma? I told her I would bring her comfort, and now

I see I have worse news."

Dick was really getting sympathetic. With the pretty he was always more or less good-natured. Beside, there were the elements of a capital story, which, with a little vamping and varnishing, would make his fortune at Kedgeburn. He was curious, too, to see the end. Anything dramatic for the old soul was like breathing fresh air. He

thought a moment.

his.

“I'd have supposed that Fotheringham was her admirer, and she

And I daresay he is still."

"Oh, I know that he is not," she said, eagerly.

the train with me, and spoke very kindly indeed."

"He came up in

"Oh, you were consulting him, Miss Livy. A nice man to take into confidence. Well, I don't know but that you were sensible enough: all's fair in love, war, or filial affection. And now tell me, my dear, what did Fotheringham say to you? Don't be afraid. I assure you it is of great importance."

"Well, he was very kind and interested-I must say that."

"Of course he was; but was he friendly to her?"

"No; he seemed angry or displeased."

"Ah! a point for you. Now I tell you, as you have come to me, that man is the only chance you have. If you can make him your friend, you can do something. And your father has gone up to town with her? You don't know where they are quartered, do you?" "Oh, no," she said, despairingly. "In this great London, how should one

"Well, I do. Starridge's is the place. Decent family hotel. Lord Mundy always stops there. Comfortable, but dear. I tell you what, I was going to Kedgeburn the first thing in the morning; but a few hours will not make much difference. I can go by the evening train. See, my dear. You might just wait here a little while, till I come back. There are plenty of books, and the evening paper."

Old Dick Lumley got his hat, and set off. It was a long time since he had done so generous and unselfish an act. But he felt a new eagerness, which contributed a sort of elixir vitæ to his veins. He tottered into a Hansom cab, with as much elasticity as he could assume, and drove away to his club-" Banks'"-where he was certain of finding Colonel Fotheringham.

That gentleman was there, as he had anticipated, standing in the bow window, entertaining a number of fast gentlemen with some piquant adventure. "Banks' " was a sort of fly-by-night house, where deep card-playing always went on, and which seemed to run eternally with soda and brandy, as other places are said to run with milk and honey. On these grounds, Old Dick belonged to it, as he never cast his net into its waters for gossip without a good haul, which he could carry to his favourite Lady This, or to "My dear Mrs. This communion, too, with young and "fast" men, was one of the conduit pipes through which Mr. Lumley fancied he drank of the Fountain of Youth, and, indeed, of Life. This noisy party, then, he joined, after a way of his own: a conscious smile of anticipating enjoyment-sidling up until he was absorbed in the group.

Some of these men were officers, who had been quartered abroad; and one was apparently joking Colonel Fotheringham on that point where men of all kinds, degrees, and ages, it is to be suspected, enjoy being "rallied "—namely, what are called their "successes."

"I saw you," said this gentleman. "He was getting out of the carriage with as pretty a girl as you'd ask to meet. The man is lost to all shame. But it won't do."

"Well, what about the pretty widow? She followed you from abroad. What account have you to give of her? God knows you boasted enough."

"All in good time," said the Adonis, complacently. "I wait always till the pear is ripe; then open my mouth, and it drops into it."

"Won't do shaking the tree," said Old Lumley, thus introducing himself. "But there is another reason, Foth. Why don't you tell them that she has a little game of her own to finish first? 'Pon my soul, as diverting a thing as you ever heard. Would do for a little French piece at the Palais Royal."

"Oh, I know," said Fotheringham. "That poor creature that they call, or who calls himself, the Beauty-an ass of the first water. I can call him so, now that we have made up our little quarrel."

"Ah, you are sore about that, Foth," said Mr. Lumley. "For a handsome fellow like you, with the scalps of so many wives, maids, and mothers dangling at your belt, it is mortifying to play second fiddle to a Jemmy Jessamy of that kind."

"I beg your pardon, Lumley," said the other, pettishly. “Excuse me, you are talking of what you know nothing about. It is notorious that she doesn't care two straws about the fellow. My good Old Lumley, you are not behind the scenes everywhere. You are not quite up to this business. She keeps me posted up in every stage of the affair. A woman of her sort only lives for excitement; and what is at the bottom of the whole affair is dislike to another person."

“Very good-very good, no doubt," said Old Dick, "so far as your statement goes. But I should like proofs."

"Proofs ! A gentleman does not usually show a lady's letter. But," he added, taking one out of his pocket, "if I chose to exhibit this—which I should scorn to do-it would prove what I said. Why, she laughs at the fellow, and turns him into the greatest ridicule."

Now, clever as Mr. Lumley was, and well acquainted with the world as he was, and with the tricks of the world, it must be owned that this little episode was brought about by no contrivances on his