"I will go, of course," said Annie, jumping up; "what is the hour, Mrs
Shelf?"
"It is a quarter to twelve. You had best go at once; if you don't delay
you will catch Dr Brett when he returns home for lunch. Billy can put
the saddle on Dobbin for you, and there's the old habit hanging on the
peg in your bedroom."
"Detestable old habit," thought Annie, "and horrid Dobbin, and shocking
side-saddle! Oh dear! oh dear! But whatever happens, I must get that
letter off immediately."
"Why are you so slow?" said Mrs Shelf, looking at the girl with great
annoyance. "Your uncle wants medical aid, and he ought to have it."
"I will go, of course," said Annie, "but not for a few minutes. Don't
fidget, please; I don't believe there is anything serious the matter
with Uncle Maurice. He often has these headaches."
She went slowly towards the house. Mrs Shelf stood and watched her.
"Well, if there is a heartless piece in the whole of England, it is that
girl," thought the good woman. "What my dear master finds to like in
her beats me. If she doesn't go off immediately for Dr Brett, I'll put
Dobbin to the gig and drive to Rashleigh myself."
Meanwhile Annie entered the house. Mr Brooke was lying back in his
chair, his face flushed, his hands tremulous.
"I am very sorry, my darling," he said when he saw Annie, "but I have
been a little bit faint. It will pass, of course; but poor Mrs Shelf is
nervous about me, and wants Brett to be called in. I don't suppose it
is really necessary."
"Of course it isn't a bit necessary, uncle," said Annie. "You are just
excited because I have come back. Now do listen to me, darling. Your
Annie has such a big favour to ask of you. You must not think it unkind
of me to speak of it now, but it is so tremendously important. I will
go and fetch the doctor immediately afterwards--I will indeed--if you
really want him; but don't you think you are just a wee bit nervous?"
"No, dear, not nervous," said the old man. "I am really ill. This
attack is sudden, but doubtless it will pass, and I must not be
selfish."
"It is horrid to disturb you when your head aches," said Annie, "I wish
now I had spoken to you this morning. I did not like to when you seemed
not quite the thing. I am naturally thoughtful, you know."
"Yes, yes, my little girl," he answered, patting her hand. "I shall be
well very, quickly now you are back."
"But, Uncle Maurice, dear--oh, Uncle Maurice! you won't say no? I have
an invitation. I--I--_want_ to accept it. It is from a very great
lady. Here it is; can you read it?"
She put Lady Lushington's letter into the old rector's hand. He read
the words slowly and with apparent calm. Then he laid it on his knee.
For a minute there was silence between the two. Annie's heart was
beating hard. At last Mr Brooke said:
"You want to go?"
"I want to go," said Annie with emphasis, "more than I want anything
else in all the wide world."
"You understand," said the rector very slowly, "that I am old and not
well. This will be a keen disappointment to me."
"I know, I know, darling Uncle Maurice; but you are _so_ unselfish. You
would not deprive your own Annie of her pleasure."
"No, Annie," said Mr Brooke, rousing himself, no longer lying back in
his chair, but sitting upright; "God knows that I should be the last to
do that. You are young, and want your pleasure."
"Oh, so much! Think what it means."
"But what sort of woman is Lady Lushington?"
"Uncle Maurice, she is delightful; she is the aunt of my greatest
friend, Mabel Lushington, one of my schoolfellows."
"And yet," said the rector, "the aunt of one of your schoolfellows may
be the last person I should think it desirable to send you to. I pray
God to keep me from the great sin of selfishness, but I would not have
you spend your holidays with a woman, whom I know nothing about. Before
I allow you to accept this invitation, Annie, I must inquire of Mrs
Lyttelton something with regard to the character of Lady Lushington."
"Oh uncle! uncle!"
"My mind is firmly made up, child. I will write to Mrs Lyttelton by
this post. If her report is favourable I will give you money to go to
Paris--not a great deal, for I am poor, but sufficient. This is all
that I can say."
"But listen, darling uncle. Lady Lushington wants me to meet her at the
Grand Hotel in Paris on Tuesday night. You cannot hear in time from Mrs
Lyttelton. I shall lose my chance of joining Lady Lushington and Mabel.
Oh, do--do be reasonable!"
"Annie, I have made up my mind. I will not give you one farthing to
join this woman until I know something about her from one who is at
least acquainted with her. My child, don't be angry; I am absolutely
determined."
"Then you are unkind. It is dreadful of you," said Annie.
She burst into petulant tears and ran out of the room. Here was a
checkmate. What was to be done? She was trembling from head to foot.
Her heart was full of anger--such anger as she had not known for years.
Mrs Shelf was hovering about outside.
"Oh, what is it?" said Annie. "Why do you follow me?"
"I want you to go at once to fetch the doctor. I have ordered Dobbin to
be saddled, and Billy will bring him round to the front door for you.
Do rush upstairs and put on your riding-habit. Be quick, child; be
quick."
Annie flew upstairs. The village of Rashleigh was between three and
four miles away, for the old parish was a very extensive one, and the
Rectory happened to be situated a long way from the village.
Annie had just sprung into the saddle, and was arranging her habit
preparatory to riding to Rashleigh, when Mrs Shelf came out.
"Take this to the butcher's, Annie," she said, handing the girl a
letter, "and be sure you get a receipt from him. Ask him to give you
what I have ordered on this piece of paper, and bring it back with you."
"All right," said Annie carelessly. She started on her ride. When she
had gone a very short way she dropped the reins on the old pony's neck
and began to think. She had never for a single moment expected the
obstacle which now stood between her and her desires. She had thought
that she could easily get round Uncle Maurice, but she had not really
analysed his character. He was unselfish of the unselfish--that she
knew; but she had failed to remember that he was a man who was always
actuated by the very highest religious principles. He was, in short,
unworldly. To do right meant far more with him than to be great and
grand and rich and powerful. All those things which to Annie meant life
and happiness were less than nothing to Uncle Maurice. Lady Lushington
might be the richest and the grandest woman on earth, but if she was not
also a good woman nothing would induce him to entrust one so precious as
Annie to her care. The rector would make his inquiries; nothing that
Annie could do would stop him. Even supposing the result were
favourable--which Annie rather doubted, for she knew quite well that
Lady Lushington was a most worldly woman--the plans made for her by the
great lady in Paris could not be carried out. It was already too late
to post a letter to Mrs Lyttelton that day; even if she were still at
Lyttelton School, she could not get it before Sunday morning, and her
reply, under the most favourable circumstances, could not reach the
little old Welsh Rectory until Tuesday morning. But in all probability
Mr Brooke's letter would have to follow Mrs Lyttelton, who had doubtless
long before now left Hendon. Mrs Lyttelton's answer would, therefore,
be late, and when it came it would most likely not be what Annie
desired. Whatever happened, Mrs Lyttelton would tell the truth; she was
the sort of woman who never shirked her duties.
At the best, therefore, Annie could not reach the Grand Hotel in Paris
by Tuesday night, and at the worst she could not go at all. Was she,
who had sinned so deeply in order to obtain her heart's desire, to be
balked of everything at the eleventh hour? Was Priscilla to have things
to her liking? Was Mabel to have a great and royal time? And was Annie
to be left alone--all alone--in the hideous Rectory, with one stupid
woman to talk to her about preserves and pickles, and one stupid old
man? Oh, well, he was not quite that; he was a dear old uncle, but
nevertheless he _was_ rather prosy, and she was young; she could not
endure her life at the Rectory. Something must be done.
She was thinking these thoughts when she suddenly saw advancing to meet
her a gig which contained no less a person than Dr Brett.
"Oh doctor!" cried the girl, riding up to him, "will you please call at
the Rectory? How lucky it is that I should have met you! I was going
to Rashleigh to leave you a message."
"Welcome back from school, Miss Annie," said Dr Brett, a stout, elderly
man with a florid face. "Is anything wrong, my dear?" he added.
"I don't think that there is; but Uncle Maurice is fanciful, and Mrs
Shelf more so. Will you just look in and give uncle something to put
him right?"
"Of course I will go at once. But, my dear Miss Annie, you are mistaken
when you call the rector fanciful; I never knew any one less so. I have
often told him that he overworks, and that he ought to be careful. It
is in the head that the mischief lies; and he is an old man, my dear
Miss Annie, and has led a strenuous life. I am glad that you met me; it
will save time."
The doctor drove away, and Annie's first intention was to turn her
pony's steps back again in the direction of Rashleigh Rectory, but as
she was about to do so her hand came in contact with the letter
addressed to Dawson the butcher. She might as well take it on; anything
was better than dawdling away her time at the dull Rectory. Then, too,
she could post her letter herself to Mabel, adding something to it so as
to assure her friend that the question of joining her was only
postponed. Besides--but this was an afterthought--there were some
things wanted at Dawson's. Annie again touched the letter, and as she
did so her eyes rested on the signature. It was in her uncle's
well-known hand. She was to give this letter to Dawson, and he was to
give her a receipt. A receipt meant that he was to acknowledge some
money.
Annie's heart gave a sudden leap. Was it possible that there was money
in the letter? She felt the crimson colour rushing to her cheeks; a
suffocating feeling just for a minute visited her heart. Then, urging
the pony forward, she rode as fast as she could in the direction of
Rashleigh.