24
WYLDER'S HAJVD.
Mark clapped on his hat, and rifled the pocket of his
paletot of his cigar-case and matches, and spluttered a
curse or two, according to old Nollekens' receipt for easing
the mind, and on the door-steps lighted his cheroot, and
became gradually more philosophical.
In due time the brougham came round with its lamps
lighted, and Mark, who was by this time placid, greeted
Price on the box familiarly, after his wont, and asked
him whom he was going to drive, as if he did not know,
cunning fellow; and actually went so far as to give Price
one of those cheap and nasty weeds, of which he kept a
supply apart in his case for such occasions of good fellow-
ship.
So Mark waited to put the lady into the carriage, and
he meditated walking a little way by the window and making
his peace, and there was perhaps some vague vision of
jumping in afterwards; I know not. Mark's ideas of
ladies and of propriety were low, and he was little better
than a sailor ashore, and not a good specimen of that clasp
of monster.
He walked about the courtyard smoking, looking some-
times on the solemn front of the old palatial mansion, and
sometimes breathing a white film up to the stairs. But
honest Mark forgot that young ladies do not always
come out quite alone, and jump unassisted into their
vehicles. And in fact not only did Lord Chelford assist
the fair lady, cloaked and hooded, into the carriage, but
the vicar's good-humoured little wife was handed in also,
the good Vicar looking on, and as the gay good-night and
leave-taking took place by the door-steps, Mark drew back,
like a guilty thing, in silence, and showed no sign but the
red top of his cigar, glowing like the eye of a Cyclops in
the dark; and away rolled the brougham, with the two
ladies, and Chelford and the Vicar went in, and Mark