PAGE 13
The Virginians
by
On the day set for Madame Esmond’s entertainment to General Braddock the House of Castlewood was set out with the greatest splendour; and Madame Esmond arrayed herself in a much more magnificent dress than she was accustomed to wear, while the boys were dressed alike in gold-corded frocks, braided waistcoats, silver-hilted sword, and wore each a solitaire.
The General’s new aide-de-camp was the first guest to arrive, and he and his hostess paced the gallery for some time. She had much to say to him, and also to hear from him a confirmation of his appointment as aide-de-camp to General Braddock, and to speak of her son’s approaching departure. At length they descended the steps down to the rough lawn in front of the house, and presently the little lady re-entered her mansion, leaning upon Mr. Washington’s arm. Here they were joined by George, who came to them accurately powdered and richly attired, saluting his parent and his friend alike with respectful bows, according to the fashion of that time.
But George, though he made the lowest possible bow to Mr. Washington and his mother, was by no means in good humour with either of them, and in all his further conversation that day with Colonel Washington showed a bitter sarcasm and a depth of innuendo which the Colonel was at a loss to understand. A short time after George’s entrance into the Colonel’s presence Harry answered back a remark of George’s to the effect that he hated sporting by saying, “I say one thing, George.”
“Say twenty things, Don Enrico,” cries the other.
“If you are not fond of sporting and that, being cleverer than me, why shouldst thou not stop at home and be quiet, and let me go out with Colonel George and Mr. Braddock? That’s what I say,” says Harry, flushing with excitement.
“One of our family must go because honour obliges it, and my name being number one, number one must go first,” says George, adding, “One must stay, or who is to look after mother at home? We cannot afford to be both scalped by Indians or fricasseed by French.”
“Fricasseed by French,” cries Harry; “the best troops of the world are Englishmen. I should like to see them fricasseed by the French! what a mortal thrashing you will give them!” and the brave lad sighed to think he should not be present at the combat.
George sat down to the harpsichord and was playing when the Colonel re-entered, saying that his Excellency’s coach would be here almost immediately, and asking leave to retire to his apartment, to put himself in a fit condition to appear before her ladyship’s company. As the widow was conducting Mr. Washington to his chamber, George gave way to a fit of wrath, ending in an explanation to his astonished brother of the reason of it, and telling him of Mrs. Mountain’s suspicions concerning the Colonel’s attitude towards their mother, which he confirmed by showing Harry the letter of Colonel Washington’s which Mrs. Mountain had found and preserved.
But to go back to Madame Esmond’s feast for his Excellency; all the birds of the Virginia air, and all the fish of the sea in season, and all the most famous dishes for which Madame Esmond was famous, and the best wine which her cellar boasted, were laid on the little widow’s board to feed her distinguished guest and the other gentlemen who accompanied him. The kind mistress of Castlewood looked so gay and handsome and spoke with such cheerfulness and courage to all her company that the few ladies who were present could not but congratulate Madame Esmond upon the elegance of the feast and upon her manner of presiding at it. But they were scarcely in the drawing-room, when her artificial courage failed her, and she burst into tears, exclaiming, “Ah, it may be an honour to have Mr. Braddock in my house, but he comes to take one of my sons away from me. Who knows whether my boy will return, or how? I dreamed of him last night as wounded, with blood streaming from his side.”