at twickenham the young duke recovered rapidly. not altogether displeased with his recent conduct, his self-complacency assisted his convalescence. sir lucius grafton visited him daily. regularly, about four or five o’clock, he galloped down to the pavilion with the last on dit: some gay message from white’s, a mot of lord squib, or a trait of charles annesley. but while he studied to amuse the wearisome hours of his imprisoned friend, in the midst of all his gaiety an interesting contrition was ever breaking forth, not so much by words as looks. it was evident that sir lucius, although he dissembled his affliction, was seriously affected by the consequence of his rash passion; and his amiable victim, whose magnanimous mind was incapable of harbouring an inimical feeling, and ever respondent to a soft and generous sentiment, felt actually more aggrieved for his unhappy friend than for himself. of arundel dacre the duke had not seen much. that gentleman never particularly sympathised with sir lucius grafton, and now he scarcely endeavoured to conceal the little pleasure which he received from the baronet’s society. sir lucius was the last man not to detect this mood; but, as he was confident that the duke had not betrayed him, he could only suppose that miss dacre had confided the affair to her family, and therefore, under all circumstances, he thought it best to be unconscious of any alteration in arundel dacre’s intercourse with him. civil, therefore, they were when they met; the baronet was even courteous; but they both mutually avoided each other.
at the end of three weeks the duke of st. james returned to town in perfect condition, and received the congratulations of his friends. mr. dacre had been of the few who had been permitted to visit him at twickenham. nothing had then passed between them on the cause of his illness; but his grace could not but observe that the manner of his valued friend was more than commonly cordial. and miss dacre, with her father, was among the first to hail his return to health and the metropolis.
the bird of paradise, who, since the incident, had been several times in hysterics, and had written various notes, of three or four lines each, of enquiries and entreaties to join her noble friend, had been kept off from twickenham by the masterly tactics of lord squib. she, however, would drive to the duke’s house the day after his arrival in town, and was with him when sundry loud knocks, in quick succession, announced an approaching levée. he locked her up in his private room, and hastened to receive the compliments of his visitors. in the same apartment, among many others, he had the pleasure of meeting, for the first time, lady aphrodite grafton, lady caroline st. maurice, and miss dacre, all women whom he had either promised, intended, or offered to marry. a curious situation this! and really, when our hero looked upon them once more, and viewed them, in delightful rivalry, advancing with their congratulations, he was not surprised at the feelings with which they had inspired him. far, far exceeding the bonhomie of macheath, the duke could not resist remembering that, had it been his fortune to have lived in the land in which his historiographer will soon be wandering; in short, to have been a pacha instead of a peer, he might have married all three.
a prettier fellow and three prettier women had never met since the immortal incident of ida.
it required the thorough breeding of lady afy to conceal the anxiety of her passion; miss dacre’s eyes showered triple sunshine, as she extended a hand not too often offered; but lady caroline was a cousin, and consanguinity, therefore, authorised as well as accounted for the warmth of her greeting.
