"Still," said Lydia, when they were at leisure to resume the
conversation, "I do not quite understand why you have come to me.
Personally you are quite welcome; but in what way did you expect to
relieve Mr. Byron's mind by visiting me? Did he ask you to come?"
"He'd have died first. I came down of my own accord, knowing what
was the matter with him."
"And what then?"
Mrs. Skene looked around to satisfy herself that they were alone.
Then she leaned towards Lydia, and said in an emphatic whisper, "Why won't you marry him, miss?"
"Because I don't choose, Mrs. Skene," said Lydia, with perfect
good-humor.
"But consider a little, miss. Where will you ever get such another
chance? Only think what a man he is! champion of the world and a
gentleman as well. The two things have never happened before, and
never will again. I have known lots of champions, but they were not
fit company for the like of you. Ned was champion when I married
him; and my family thought that I lowered myself in doing it,
although I was only a professional dancer on the stage. The men in
the ring are common men mostly; and so, though they are the best men
in the kingdom, ladies are cut off from their society. But it has
been your good luck to take the fancy of one that's a gentleman.
What more could a lady desire? Where will you find his equal in
health, strength, good looks, or good manners? As to his character,
I can tell you about that. In Melbourne, as you may suppose, all the
girls and women were breaking their hearts for his sake. I declare
to you that I used to have two or three of them in every evening
merely to look at him, and he, poor innocent lad, taking no more
notice of them than if they were cabbages. He used to be glad to get
away from them by going into the saloon and boxing with the
gentlemen; and then they used to peep at him through the door. They
never got a wink from him. You were the first, Miss Carew; and,
believe me, you will be the last. If there had ever been another he
couldn't have kept it from me; because his disposition is as open as
a child's. And his honesty is beyond everything you can imagine. I
have known him to be offered eight hundred pounds to lose a fight
that he could only get two hundred by winning, not to mention his
chance of getting nothing at all if he lost honestly. You know--for
I see you know the world, ma'am--how few men would be proof against
such a temptation. There are men high up in their profession--so
high that you'd as soon suspect the queen on her throne of selling
her country's battles as them--that fight cross on the sly when it's
made worth their while. My Ned is no low prize-fighter, as is well
known; but when he let himself be beat by that little Killarney
Primrose, and went out and bought a horse and trap next day, what
could I think? There, ma'am, I tell you that of my own husband; and
I tell you that Cashel never was beaten, although times out of mind
it would have paid him better to lose than to win, along of those
wicked betting men. Not an angry word have I ever had from him, nor
the sign of liquor have I ever seen on him, except once on Ned's
birthday; and then nothing but fun came out of him in his cups, when
the truth comes out of all men. Oh, do just think how happy you
ought to be, miss, if you would only bring yourself to look at it in
the proper light. A gentleman born and bred, champion of the world,
sober, honest, spotless as the unborn babe, able to take his own
part and yours in any society, and mad in love with you! He thinks
you an angel from heaven and so I am sure you are, miss, in your
heart. I do assure you that my Fan gets quite put out because she
thinks he draws comparisons to her disadvantage. I don't think you
can be so hard to please as to refuse him, miss."