"Sing ho!"
Then the two, sweetly blended together, repeated the refrain, "Oh,
Tiny!" cried the voice, "here's one pretty enough to make even Aunt
Matty look pleasant. Oh, my gracious!" she exclaimed, dropping her
little trowel, for Trevor had come into sight.
"Don't be alarmed, pray!" he said, laughing. "But really I did not know
we had such sweet song-birds in the woods."
"It was very rude to listen, Mr Trevor; and it isn't nice to pay
compliments to strangers," said Fin, nodding her saucy head.
"Then," said Trevor, taking the hand slightly withheld, "I shall be rude
again only in one thing--listening; for we must be strangers no more,
seeing that we are such near neighbours. Miss Rea," he said, taking
Tiny's hand in turn, and looking earnestly in her timid eyes, "you were
not hurt yesterday?"
"Oh no, not in the least," was the reply.
"We are indebted to your friends, too, for taking compassion upon us in
our misfortune."
"Don't name that," he said, hastily. "I am glad the carriage came up in
time. By the way, Miss Rea, I am glad we have met, I want to clear up a
little unpleasantly that occurred yesterday."
"Oh, of course," said Fin. "Why, we ought to have cut you this
morning."
"No, no," said Trevor, laughing, "that would be too cruel I am really
very, very sorry about it all; and I have sent a letter over to Sir
Hampton this morning, apologising for my hasty words."
"Oh, have you?" said Fin, clapping her hands, and making a bound off the
moss; "how nice! I mean," she added, demurely, "how correct."
Fin whispered her sister, who was growing flushed and troubled by the
eager and impressive way in which Trevor spoke to her.
"It would be such a pity," he said, walking on by her side, "if any
little trifle like that in dispute should be allowed to disturb the
peace, and break what would, I am sure, be a charming intimacy!"
"Why, the great, handsome wretch is making love to her," said Fin to
herself. "Oh, what a shame! I hate him already."
"I know--I feel sure papa will only be too glad--too ready to make
amends," said Tiny, who was growing more confused; for every time she
spoke and ventured to glance at her companion, it was to meet his eyes
gazing into hers with a depth of tenderness that pleased while it
troubled her, and made her little heart behave in the most absurdly
fluttering fashion. He looked so frank and handsome--so different in
his brown tweeds and carelessly put-on hat to the carefully dressed
dandies, their companions of the day before.
"I have told Sir Hampton that I mean to call this afternoon to ask him
to shake hands with me. Do you think I may?" he said, with another
look.
"I don't know--I think so--oh yes! pray call," said Tiny, confused, and
blushing more than ever.
"Thank you, I will," he said, earnestly, "and you will be at home?"
"I forbid thee--no, thou must not come," said Fin, in a mock-serious
tone, "And why not?" said Trevor, turning upon her.
"Because Aunt Matty hates the sight of young men, and papa will be ready
to eat you."
"Why, bless your bright, merry little face," cried Trevor,
enthusiastically, and catching Fin's hands in his. "Do you know what I
feel as if I could do?"
"No, of course not," cried Fin, trying to frown, and looking bewitching.
"Why, catch you up and kiss you a dozen times for a merry little
woodland fay," cried Trevor.
"Oh, gracious!" cried Fin, snatching away her hands, and retreating
behind her sister.
"Don't be alarmed, little maiden," said Trevor, laughing; "I won't do
so."
"I should think not," cried Fin.
"Sailors' manners," said Trevor, laughing, as he walked on by their
side.
"Do you know how old I am, sir?" said Fin, austerely.
"I should say nearly sixteen," said Trevor, glancing at her sister.
"Seventeen and a half, sir," said Fin, with dignity on her forehead, and
a laugh at each corner of her little mouth.
"Then it will be a sin if Nature ever lets you get a day older," said
Trevor, laughing.
"Thank you, sir," said Fin, with a mock curtsey.
"Is she always as merry as this?" said Trevor to Tiny, who glanced at
him again, to once more lower her eyes in confusion, he looked at her so
earnestly.
"Yes; but you must not heed what she says," was the reply.
"I'm very wicked in my remarks, Mr Trevor," said Fin; "and now, sir, if
you please, we are going this way to dig up ferns--so good morning."
"That is my direction," said Trevor, quietly; "and as I am only your
neighbour, surely you need not treat me as a stranger."
"Tiny, it's all your fault," said Fin, maliciously; "so if Aunt Matty
scolds, you may take the blame. I would make him carry the basket,
though."
"Yes, pray let me," said Trevor, holding out his hand.
"Thank you, no," said Tiny, recovering herself, and speaking with a very
sweet assumption of maidenly dignity. "If Mr Trevor will excuse us, I
think we will return now to breakfast. I feel sure that papa will
gladly receive you this afternoon."
"And you will be at home?" said Trevor, earnestly.
"I cannot say," said Tiny, quietly; "but I hope the little unpleasantly
will be removed."
"You do hope that?" said downright Trevor.
"Yes--of course," said Tiny, ingenuously opening her soft eyes, and
meeting his this time without a blush. "It would be so unpleasant--so
unneighbourly for there to be dissension between us," and she held out
her hand. "Good morning, Mr Trevor."
If he might only have kissed it! But it would have been enough to stamp
him as a boor, and he contented himself with pressing it tenderly as he
bent over it.
"Good morning, Mr Trevor," said Fin, holding out her hand in turn, and
she gazed at him out of her laughing, mischievous eyes, till a dull red
glow spread over his bronzed cheeks, and he squeezed her fingers so that
she winced with pain.
"Good morning," he said. "Eh--what is it?"
"Oh, dear!" cried Fin, shutting her eyes, "here's that horrid,
solemn-looking little man coming, just in the way we want to go."
"Then, let me introduce you," said Trevor, laughing, as Pratt came
sauntering along, whistling and cutting off fern leaves with his stick,
till he saw the group in front, when he became preternaturally solemn.
"Pratt, let me introduce you to my neighbours. Miss Rea--Miss Finetta
Rea--my old friend, Frank Pratt."
"Pratt! What a disgusting name!" said Fin to herself, as, with a tender
display of respect that his friend did not fail to notice, Trevor
performed the little ceremony out there amid the gleaming sunbeams; and
then they parted.
"Oh, Tiny, isn't he delicious?" cried Fin, as soon as they were out of
hearing. "Isn't he grand?"
"Hush, Fin! How can you?" said her sister.
"How can I? So," said Fin, throwing her arms round her sister, and
kissing her. "He's head over heels in love with you. What fun! And I
hate him for it like poison, because I want him myself."
"Fin, dear, don't, pray. Suppose any one heard you."
"Don't care if they did. Ugh! I'm as jealous as an Eastern sultana I
shall stab you some night with a bodkin. But, I say, isn't the solemn
man fun?"
"I don't see it," said Tiny, glad of a diversion.
"I think he's a regular little cad."
"Slang again, Fin!"
"Yes, it's because I'm cross and want my breakfast," and she hurried her
sister along.
"Ahem!" said Pratt, as soon as they were alone in the lane.
"Franky," cried Trevor, clutching his friend by the arm, "did you ever
see a sweeter girl in your life?"
"What, than that little Miss who laughed at me?" said Frank.
"No, no; the other. I declare she's a perfect angel. I never saw so
much sweetness in my life before. I--"
"Phew--phew--phew--phew--phew--phew--phew--phew!" whistled Pratt.
"Don't be a fool, Franky."
"But 'tis my nature to," said Pratt.
"Listen, man; I really do believe that there is something true about
fellows falling in love at first sight, and that sort of thing; I do
indeed."
"So do I," said Pratt.
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, come now, that's rich. To go and get hooked like that, before
you've been at home a month! Well, that comes of going to sea, and
being out of the way of civilised beings from year's end to year's end.
I say, there's a romance beginning here--tyrannical heavy father, and
the rest of it."
"Nonsense!" cried Trevor. "Come along, old boy; I'm as hungry as a
hunter. By Jove, though, I came out on purpose to find Humphrey."
"And only met a goddess in the dell," said Pratt.
And the two young men returned to breakfast.
Volume 2, Chapter V.