CHAPTER XV. MR. DONNE'S EXODUS.

ThenextdayShirleyexpressedtoCarolinehowdelightedshefeltthatthelittlepartyhadgoneoffsowell. "Iratherliketoentertainacircleofgentlemen,"saidshe."Itisamusingtoobservehowtheyenjoyajudiciouslyconcoctedrepast.Forourselves,yousee,thesechoicewinesandthesescientificdishesareofnoimportancetousbutgentlemenseemtoretainsomethingofthena?vetéofchildrenaboutfood,andonelikestopleasethem—thatis,whentheyshowthebecoming,decentself-governmentofouradmirablerectors.IwatchMooresometimes,totryanddiscoverhowhecanbepleasedbuthehasnotthatchild'ssimplicityabouthim.Didyoueverfindouthisaccessiblepoint,Caroline?youhaveseenmoreofhimthanI." "Itisnot,atanyrate,thatofmyuncleandDr.Boultby,"returnedCaroline,smiling.ShealwaysfeltasortofshypleasureinfollowingMissKeeldar'sleadrespectingthediscussionofhercousin'scharacter.Lefttoherself,shewouldneverhavetouchedonthesubjectbutwheninvited,thetemptationoftalkingabouthimofwhomshewaseverthinkingwasirresistible."But,"sheadded,"Ireallydon'tknowwhatitis,forIneverwatchedRobertinmylifebutmyscrutinywaspresentlybaffledbyfindinghewaswatchingme." "Thereitis!"exclaimedShirley."Youcan'tfixyoureyesonhimbuthispresentlyflashonyou.Heisneveroffhisguard.Hewon'tgiveyouanadvantage.Evenwhenhedoesnotlookatyou,histhoughtsseemtobebusyamongstyourownthoughts,tracingyourwordsandactionstotheirsource,contemplatingyourmotivesathisease.Oh!Iknowthatsortofcharacter,orsomethinginthesamestyle.Itisonethatpiquesmesingularly.Howdoesitaffectyou?" ThisquestionwasaspecimenofoneofShirley'ssharp,suddenturns.Carolineusedtobeflutteredbythematfirst,butshehadnowgotintothewayofparryingthesehome-thrustslikealittleQuakeress. "Piqueyou?Inwhatwaydoesitpiqueyou?"shesaid. "Herehecomes!"suddenlyexclaimedShirley,breakingoff,startingupandrunningtothewindow."Herecomesadiversion.InevertoldyouofasuperbconquestIhavemadelately—madeatthosepartiestowhichIcanneverpersuadeyoutoaccompanymeandthethinghasbeendonewithouteffortorintentiononmypart—thatIaver.Thereisthebell—and,byallthat'sdelicious!therearetwoofthem.Dotheyneverhunt,then,exceptincouples?Youmayhaveone,Lina,andyoumaytakeyourchoice.IhopeIamgenerousenough.ListentoTartar!" Theblack-muzzled,tawnydog,aglimpseofwhichwasseeninthechapterwhichfirstintroduceditsmistresstothereader,heregavetongueinthehall,amidstwhosehollowspacethedeepbarkresoundedformidably.Agrowlmoreterriblethanthebark,menacingasmutteredthunder,succeeded. "Listen!"againcriedShirley,laughing."Youwouldthinkthatthepreludetoabloodyonslaught.Theywillbefrightened.Theydon'tknowoldTartarasIdo.Theyarenotawarehisuproarsareallsoundandfury,signifyingnothing!" Somebustlewasheard."Down,sir,down!"exclaimedahigh-toned,imperiousvoice,andthencameacrackofacaneorwhip.Immediatelytherewasayell—ascutter—arun—apositivetumult. "OMalone,Malone!" "Down!down!down!"criedthehighvoice. "Hereallyisworryingthem!"exclaimedShirley."Theyhavestruckhim.Ablowiswhatheisnotusedto,andwillnottake." Outsheran.Agentlemanwasfleeinguptheoakstaircase,makingforrefugeinthegalleryorchambersinhothasteanotherwasbackingfasttothestairfoot,wildlyflourishingaknottystick,atthesametimereiterating,"Down!down!down!"whilethetawnydogbayed,bellowed,howledathim,andagroupofservantscamebundlingfromthekitchen.Thedogmadeaspringthesecondgentlemanturnedtailandrushedafterhiscomrade.Thefirstwasalreadysafeinabedroomheheldthedooragainsthisfellow—nothingsomercilessasterror.Buttheotherfugitivestruggledhardthedoorwasabouttoyieldtohisstrength. "Gentlemen,"wasutteredinMissKeeldar'ssilverybutvibratingtones,"sparemylocks,ifyouplease.Calmyourselves!Comedown!LookatTartarhewon'tharmacat." ShewascaressingthesaidTartar.Helaycrouchedatherfeet,hisforepawsstretchedout,histailstillinthreateningagitation,hisnostrilssnorting,hisbulldogeyesconsciousofadullfire.Hewasanhonest,phlegmatic,stupid,butstubborncaninecharacter.HelovedhismistressandJohn—themanwhofedhim—butwasmostlyindifferenttotherestoftheworld.Quietenoughhewas,unlessstruckorthreatenedwithastick,andthatputademonintohimatonce. "Mr.Malone,howdoyoudo?"continuedShirley,liftinguphermirth-litfacetothegallery."ThatisnotthewaytotheoakparlourthatisMrs.Pryor'sapartment.RequestyourfriendMr.Donnetoevacuate.Ishallhavethegreatestpleasureinreceivinghiminalowerroom." "Ha!ha!"criedMalone,inhollowlaughter,quittingthedoor,andleaningoverthemassivebalustrade."ReallythatanimalalarmedDonne.Heisalittletimid,"heproceeded,stiffeninghimself,andwalkingtrimlytothestairhead."Ithoughtitbettertofollow,inordertoreassurehim." "Itappearsyoudid.Well,comedown,ifyouplease.—John"(turningtohermanservant),"goupstairsandliberateMr.Donne.—Takecare,Mr.Malonethestairsareslippery." Intruththeywere,beingofpolishedoak.ThecautioncamealittlelateforMalone.Hehadslippedalreadyinhisstatelydescent,andwasonlysavedfromfallingbyaclutchatthebanisters,whichmadethewholestructurecreakagain. Tartarseemedtothinkthevisitor'sdescenteffectedwithunwarrantedéclat,andaccordinglyhegrowledoncemore.Malone,however,wasnocoward.Thespringofthedoghad