"Now, Vanleigh, I'll play a--Hallo! where the deuce are they?"
He walked hastily into the billiard-room, expecting to find a game
begun; but, of course, they were not there.
"Gone to write letters," he muttered; and he went into the library.
Then he entered the drawing-room, the dining-room, the conservatory.
Ran up and knocked at their bedroom doors, and then ran down again.
"Having a weed in the garden," said Pratt, "of course. How provoking!"
He took a hat and ran out to the summer-house, garden chairs being set
out beneath the various favourite trees, and at last caught sight of a
couple of figures in the distance, evidently making for the sea.
"That must be them," he said; and he started off in full chase.
Meanwhile Trevor had hurried off; and as he left the house, Mrs Lloyd
came into the hall, and then watched him from a side window.
"Yes!" she said; "he's gone that way again--I thought he would. He's
sure to meet her."
Mrs Lloyd was quite right; for a quarter of a mile out of the grounds,
and down the principal lane, he saw a white dress, and his heart gave a
bound, but only to calm down in its throbbing as he saw that it was
little Polly, who advanced to meet him with a very warm blush on her
face.
"Hallo! little maid," he said, heartily--"out for a walk?"
"Yes, sir," said Polly, all in a flutter. "I've been--"
"I see, picking wild flowers," said Trevor. "Well, come, give me one
for my coat."
The girl hesitated, and then took a cornflower from her little bouquet.
"Thanks," he said, smiling. "But I shan't pay you for it with a kiss.
I ought to, though, oughtn't I?"
"Oh, no--please no!" said the girl, with a frightened look, and she
glanced round.
"What?" said Trevor, "is there some one coming? There, run away; and
tell your aunt to take care of you."
The girl hurried away, and Trevor walked on, to come suddenly upon
Humphrey, leaning upon his thistle staff, at a turn of the road.
"Ah, Humphrey," he said, "going your rounds? I want to have a talk to
you to-morrow."
There was a hard, stern look on the young man's face as he involuntarily
saluted his master; but Trevor did not notice it, and turning down the
lane which led to Tolcarne, he began to tap his teeth with the stick he
carried, and run over in his own mind what he should say, till he
reached the new gates, walked up to the house, and was shown into the
presence of the knight's sister.
Miss Matilda Rea did not like Cornwall, principally for theological
reasons. She preferred her brother's town-house in Russell Square,
because she was within reach of the minister she "sat under"--a
gentleman who, she said, "was the only one in London to awaken her
stagnant belief."
The fact was that Aunt Matty was a lady who required a zest with her
worship--she liked pickles with her prayers, and her friend the minister
furnished them--verbal pickles, of course, and very hot.
But there were other reasons why she did not like Cornwall; there were
no flagstones; the people did not take to her visitations; her prospects
of getting a suitable companion grew less; and lastly, Cornwall did not
agree with her dog.
Aunt Matty was dividing her time between nursing Pepine, who was very
shivery about the hind legs, and reading small pieces out of a "serious"
book--tiny bits which she took like lozenges, and then closed her eyes,
and mentally sucked them, so as to get the goodness by degrees. In
fact, she was so economical with her "goody" books, that one would last
her for years.
"Mr Trevor!" said the servant, loudly, and then--"I'll tell Sir
Hampton, sir, that you are here."
Aunt Matty raised her eyes, and Pepine barked virulently at the
stranger, as her mistress half rose and then pointed rather severely to
a chair.
"He can't be nice," said Aunt Matty to herself, "or Pepine would not
bark." Then aloud--"Sir Hampton will, I have no doubt, soon be here."
"Have I the pleasure of addressing Lady Rea?" said Trevor, with a smile.
Pepine barked again.
"What an insult!" thought Aunt Matty. "Did she look like the mother of
two great girls?"
In truth, she really did not.
"I am Sir Hampton's sister," she said, stiffly--"Miss Matilda Rea."
Volume 2, Chapter VI.