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The regiment was an expensive one; not too expensive for Sir Peter Langrishe's heir, but much too expensive for a poor man. However, it was no business of the General's not just yet. "You have met my daughter, I think?" he said. They were at the cheese by this time, and the General was apparently divided between the merits of Gruyère and Stilton.
Nor did Cyprian think them propitious when taken into counsel. When she went downstairs, she found that her brother had come in. He was to spend the last evening at his sister's house. Captain Langrishe's face, however, did not invite questions. He made no allusion at all to the happenings of the afternoon, and his sister felt that she could not ask him.
Even yet on the sheltered side there was a monthly rose or two on the leafless bushes. The house basked in the sun; and Mrs. Langrishe's red-and-white collie came to meet the General, wagging his tail with a friendly greeting. The maid who opened the door smiled on him.
He dreaded, for one thing, going back to London where Nelly might hear news of Godfrey Langrishe. To be sure, he had acted entirely for her happiness, yet he had an idea that Nell might be angry with him for keeping things from her if she found out that Langrishe's regiment was engaged in the deadly frontier war.
"But the thought of gettin' kilt before ever I'd made you Mrs. Murphy was too much for me." There was considerable excitement in the servants' hall over Captain Langrishe's presence.
He had been so used to being perfectly frank with her that his reservation galled him. He had studied with attentiveness the columns of such papers as had come his way, dreading to find Langrishe's name among the casualties. Hitherto it had not occurred, and for that he was deeply grateful. If there had been news he must have betrayed it to Nelly by his eyes and his voice.
Nelly was drawing on her gloves, standing by the window which over-looked the narrow slip of square, invisible now for the flowers on the balcony. The fateful visit was nearly at an end and Godfrey Langrishe's name had been mentioned only once. She had a wild thought that her one opportunity was slipping out of her grasp. She had come here to have news of him. She must not come again.
Bunny filled the lunch-hour, Bunny's sayings and doings there were not many of the former, but his mother managed to extract gems of wit and wisdom from his taciturnity Bunny's likes and dislikes, Bunny's amazing development. Only once was Langrishe's name mentioned. He had sent home a beautiful mug of beaten silver for Bunny.
As time passed he became more impatient as it was borne in on him that he might possibly be too late for the Sutlej. He might lose the chance of looking in Langrishe's eyes and getting the lead he desired so that he might say the words which would bring happiness to his Nelly. Still the time went on. His moustache became little icicles.
Then suddenly another aspect of the matter flashed upon him, so suddenly that he almost leaped in his seat. Why, the th Madras Light Infantry he remembered now it was Langrishe's regiment. How extraordinary that he should not have remembered before! It was the regiment sent in pursuit. Langrishe would fall in for some fighting he would find it ready-made to his hand.
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