One of Our Conquerors - World eBook Library

George Meredith
row in town’; and he repeated to Nesta the policeman’s opinion
and his own of the ‘Army’ fellows, and the way to treat
them. Both were for rigour.
‘The name of “Army” attracts poor Skepsey so, I am sure
he would join it, if they would admit him,’ Nesta said.
‘He has an immense respect for a young woman, who belongs
to his “Army”; and one doesn’t know what may have
come,’ said Manton.
Two or three minutes after eleven, a feeble ring at the bell
gained admission for some person: whispering was heard in
the passage.
Manton played eavesdropper, and suddenly bursting on
Skepsey, arrested him when about to dash upstairs. His young
mistress’s voice was a sufficient command; he yielded; he
pitched a smart sigh and stepped into her presence for his
countenance to be seen, or the show of a countenance, that
it presented.
‘Skepsey wanted to rush to bed without saying good night
to me?’ said she; leaving unnoticed, except for woefulness of
tone, his hurried shuffle of remarks on ‘his appearance,’ and
‘little accidents’; ending with an inclination of his disgraceful
person to the doorway, and a petition: ‘If I might, Miss
Nesta?’ The implied pathetic reference to a surgically-treated
nose under a cross of strips of plaster, could not obtain dismissal
for him. And he had one eye of sinister hue, showing
beside its lighted-grey fellow as if a sullen punished
dragonwhelp had couched near some quick wood-pigeon.
The two eyes blinked rapidly. He was a picture of Guilt in
the nude, imploring to be sent into concealment.
The cruelty of detaining him was evident.
‘Yes, if you must,’ Nesta said. ‘But, dear Skepsey, will it be
the magistrate again to-morrow?’
He feared it would be; he fancied it would needs be. He
concluded by stating, that he was bound to appear before
the magistrate in the morning; and he begged assistance to
keep it from the knowledge of the Miss Duvidneys, who had
been so kind to him.
‘Has there been bailing of you again, Skepsey?’
‘A good gentleman, a resident,’ he replied; ‘a military gentleman;
indeed, a colonel of the cavalry; but, it may so be, retired;
and anxious about our vast possessions; though he
thinks a translation of a French attack on England unimpor-
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