Lionel, who, if guided by his own natural judgment, would have conceived
this to be the height of ill-breeding or of ignorance, no sooner saw
Colonel Andover bow in smiling submission to her orders, than he
concluded himself all in the dark with respect to the last licences of
fashion: and, while contentedly he waited her leisure for his reception,
he ran over in his own mind the triumph with which he should carry to
Oxford the newest flourish of the _bon ton_.
In a few minutes, after gaily laughing with the General, she turned
suddenly to Colonel Andover, and, striking him on the arm with her fan,
exclaimed: 'Well, now, Colonel, what is it you would say?'
'Mr. Tyrold,' he answered, 'is very ambitious of the honour of being
introduced to you.'
'With all my heart. Which is he?' And then, nodding to Lionel's bow,
'You live, I think,' she added, 'in this neighbourhood? By the way,
Colonel, how came you never to bring Mr. Tyrold to me before? Mr.
Tyrold, I flatter myself you intend to take this very ill.'
Lionel was beginning to express his sense of the loss he had suffered by
the delay, when, again, patting the Colonel, 'Only look, I beg you,' she
cried, 'at that insupportable Sir Sedley Clarendel! how he sits at his
ease there! amusing his ridiculous fancy with every creature he sees.
Yet what an elegant posture the animal has found out! I make no doubt he
would as soon forfeit his estate as give up that attitude. I must make
him come to me immediately for that very reason;--do go to him, good
Andover, and say I want him directly.'
The Colonel obeyed; but not so the gentleman he addressed, who was the
new acquaintance of Camilla. He only bowed to the message, and, kissing
his hand across the room to the lady, desired the Colonel to tell her he
was ineffably tired; but would incontestably have the honour to throw
himself at her feet the next morning.
'O, intolerable!' cried she, 'he grows more conceited every hour. Yet
what an agreeable wretch it is! There's nothing like him. I cannot
possibly do without him. Andover, tell him if he does not come this
moment he kills me.'
'And is that a message,' said General Kinsale, 'to cure him of being
conceited?'
'O, Heaven forbid, my good General, I should cure him! That would
utterly spoil him. His conceit is precisely what enchants me. Rob him of
that, and you lose all hold of him.'
'Is it then necessary to keep him a fop, in order to retain him in your
chains?'
'O, he is not in my chains, I promise you. A fop, my dear General, wears
no chains but his own. However, I like to have him, because he is so
hard to be got; and I am fond of conversing with him, because he is so
ridiculous. Fetch him, therefore, Colonel, without delay.'
This second embassy prevailed; he shrugged his shoulders, but arose to
follow the Colonel.
'See, madam, your victory!' said the General. 'What would not a military
man give for such talents of command?'