THROUGH THE DARK NIGHT. or, THIRTY YEARS AGO. CHAPTER XIX. THE BALL.. THNA was glowing with triumph and excitement when Mr. bowed, the young men advanced. "Your friend is the hero of the hour, Miss Moore," said Philip, in that calmly indifferent voice that seems to say heroism in general is a humbug, aud emotion about it, laughable. "I am delighted he won," replied Ethna, feeling her enthusiasm suddenly collapse. "I suppose we shall meet you at the ball," said Mrs. Taylor, when after a few minutes the young men were moving on. 66 Yes," replied Henry Moore, "we shall have to do duty, though you and I might as well stay at home, Taylor, our day is done; the women are not half so agreeable to us now, since we became the owners of two of them." "Inconsistencies of the sex, sir," said Mr. Taylor, "but there is one thing, if it can be called a consolation; if you haven't a variety of many, you have extraordinary diversity in one. You can't be up to them." "It is quite the other way," replied Mrs. Taylor, smiling at her husband. "Men are our thermometers, and we have to watch for every change. Is it not true, Ethna ?" "I'm not a patient watcher," answered the girl. "I'm afraid I should get tired of contemplating weathercocks." "Well, she will have to narrow her taste some day," answered Mr. Taylor. If George Taylor comes up, Mary, give him his luncheon. We are going on to the weighing yard." Ethna looked after them with the old sense of desolation in her heart, but she would meet him at the ball; he could not but ask her to dance, and all this horrible change may be explained away. Vincent was, indeed, the hero of the hour. Crowds came up congratulating Mr. Talbot on the generous conduct of his son, and he learnt, under the most mollifying influences, the objectionable fact of his being part-owner of a racehorse; he was touched himself with the boy's unselfishness, and when he heard his praises echoed on every side and witnessed the country people's enthusiasm his irritation melted away. He shook his head, however, and made a decent show of indifference to the general applause. Tut, tut, making a noise about nothing; when that poor fool had no one to ride for him, why shouldn't he do it? But he'd set his face against horseracing, he certainly would; it was all very fine for a man who had a couple of thousand a-year and wanted to throw away one of them; but people who had to earn their living-folly and nonsense!" He and Mr. Taylor were present at the sale of Lady Clare, and to his care was confided a cheque for one hundred and fifty pounds, which sum, along with the stakes, placed the almost ruined farmer far above his wants, and it enabled him to look forward to the future with a happy heart. "Is it to think of racing again, sir," he replied, in answer to advice Mr. Talbot felt called upon to offer. "Ah, then don't fear me, your honour. With the help of God, you'll never see me with anythin' but a strammel, as long as the breath is in me. I got enough of it; and only for God and Misther Vincent did it for me, I'd be in Ballycoree before this week was out, thinkin' of the miaw I brought down on herself and the childher. Don't fear me, your honour; bought sinse is betther than taught sinse, an' the divil a bridle you'll ever see me put on anythin' but an ould carthorse till the day of me death." The day wore on. Daisy picker won the Consolation Stakes, which slightly lessened the acerbity of Mr. Martin's temper; but he and Vincent had not subsided into amicable relations; on the contrary, they had a renewed discussion on the question of the day, which ended inharmoniously and threatened to bring to a final issue their partnership in horseflesh. The race was over, cars and carriages,wheeled out of the course and drove homewards in a whirlwind of dust, and cries, cracking whips, collisions, restive horses, cheers, screams, laughter, and curses, the last possessed with as wild a desire to be first as if they were firc-escapes bound for a burning building. Ethna was silent, lost in her own thoughts; she woke up occasionally to answer a remark, or listen to the two attorneys talking, as men will, the same subject over and over again. When they reached home, Mrs. Taylor made her sit down quietly until dinner, and when that important meal had been discussed, insisted on her resting on the sofa until it was time to dress for the ball. Very fresh and handsome Ethna looked in her white tulle dress when she entered the ball-room. She had several engagements to dance, so her girlish heart was not oppressed with the possibility of being left a wall-flower. She Vincent was her first partner, and she heard comments on her appearance which gave additional brightness to her eyes. glanced frequently at the door, and about twelve o'clock had the satisfaction of seeing the Moore party enter. The bride with her husband, and Miss Butler leaning on Philip, both ladies wonderfully dressed, and looking very lovely. "I am rested now, Vincent," said Ethna, and again they glided into the whirl and floated past the fashionable arrivals. "There is Miss Moore and her handsome swain," said Miss Butler; "he looks nicer than ever. Oh, Captain Crofts, I hope you have not been waiting for our dance; we are late, I believe." "You must make amends at once," replied the officer. "You have been too cruel." Philip leaned his back against a window and looked around him; he had seen Ethna encircled by Vincent Talbot's arm at the first glance, and listened calmly to a conversation near him, in which their marriage was discussed. "The families are very anxious for it," said one gentleman. "Taylor told me they were to see about settling matters at once. Her mother has saved a good bit of money, and she'll come in for the place, of course." "Old Talbot will be able to make a good settlement," answered the other. "He must be very wealthy." Philip moved on to speak to a lady who bowed to him, and he also poised himself on the "light fantastic toe," and whirled away into the sporting maze. An hour passed on. Ethna had passed close to Mrs. Moore, who was standing among a group of friends, and that unconsciously VOL. XXV. No. 291. 34 cold-mannered lady bowed with calm politeness, and continued her conversation. Ethna's temper kindled at being treated with such lofty indifference. She met Miss Butler and Philip a moment after, and adopted an equally indifferent demeanour, which caused that young lady, who, up to the present, was very natural herself, to make some laughing remark about her changeable manners. But Ethna's temper only gave a greater impetus to her spirits. She would show the Moores that others regarded her, and laughed, danced, and chatted for that desirable end with admirable perseverance. She was resting for a few moments after dancing a galop, when Henry Moore came up. "I made several efforts to come near you," he said, with his pleasant smile, "but you had so many warriors bristling about you that I could not succeed. Will you give an old married man a dance? Where is your card? Full for hours, and I must leave soon." 66 Why must you leave soon?" asked Ethna. "Surely you are not tired yet?" "No; but we leave on to-morrow. I suppose Philip told you his news? "I wasn't speaking much to him," she answered, her heart giving a sudden leap. Was his marriage with Miss Butler settled? "His regiment has been ordered to Canada, and we go with him to England." "To-morrow?" "Yes, to-morrow; we intended to remain another fortnight, but this order has changed our plans. We like to see the last of him. You look tired; would you like to come over to my wife and rest?" "Oh, no, thank you. I am not at all tired. I suppose it is a long time before any of you come to this part of the world again," said Ethna, tranquilly smashing the delicate ivory of her fan, which she shut and opened. "I dare say 'tis years till Phil sees it," answered Henry Moore. "But I may run over again next autumn if nothing occurs to prevent me." "A year," Ethna said mechanically. "A great many things may happen in a year." "Your marriage, perhaps," answered Mr. Moore, laughing. "Is not that a likely occurrence? " "Very likely," she said, with a forced smile. "Here is Mr. Langton coming to claim me. I suppose we shall meet again." "There is some truth in the report about Ethna Moore and young Talbot," said Henry to his brother later on. "She admitted as much to me." Philip made no reply, but felt a sudden inclination for strong drink, and to indulge such desire, wended his way to the supperroom. Ethna was there waiting for Vincent Talbot, who had gone to get her some lemonade. "Can I do anything for you?" he asked, with the instinctive politeness of a gentleman. Nothing, thank you," she replied. "Mr. Talbot is getting me some lemonade. You are leaving the Lodge to-morrow, your brother told me," she continued, with a desperate effort, feeling that, if he did not speak now, all was over. "Yes; I am glad to say I am done with this stupid locality at last. It was becoming too much of a bore." "Why did you remain in it, if you found it so objectionable?" said Ethna, flushing with resentment. This was the way he spoke of the months that to her had been filled with an intoxicating sweetness. "Because I was a fool," he replied, briefly. "We "You contrive to conceal your folly, at all events," she retorted. "Well, I congratulate you on your wisdom," said he. both have recovered our senses. I can wish you every happiness, and you will wish me a good voyage. You ought to take a little sherry in your lemonade. Bad drink when one is heated. I think I shall follow your example, Talbot. Any champagne to be had ?” Philip Moore passed on to the supper-table. Ethna drank her lemonade, took Vincent's arm again, and went back to the dancingroom, In half an hour after, she saw Philip in the hall, carefully wrapping up Miss Butler, and heard him speaking to Mr. Taylor. "I suppose I'll be a grandfather before I see you again," said the latter. "Too bad, Miss Butler, to have our bachelors leaving us this way, is it not?" "If we could stop them in England, Mr. Taylor, I should be quite reconciled," answered the girl laughing. "I'd have no objection to stop there," said Philip; "but I must broil abroad for heaven knows how many years. Is that all |