The encounter completely spoiled the doctor's walk, and he turned back
sooner than he had intended, meeting Aunt Sophia and Naomi Raleigh in
the garden, and accompanying them in to the breakfast-table, where the
incident was forgotten in the discussion that ensued respecting returns
to town. Of these, Scarlett would hear nothing, for he had made his
plans. He said they were to dine at five; and directly after, the boat
would be ready, and they would pull up to the lock, and then float down
home again by moonlight.
"Well," said Scales, with a shrug of the shoulders, "you are master
here."
"No, no," replied his host; "yonder sits the master;" and he pointed to
his wife.
"How many will the boat hold safely, dear?" said Lady Scarlett.
"Oh, a dozen, easily. Eighteen, if they would all sit still and not
wink their eyes. We shan't be above seven, so that's all right."
"You need not expect me to go," said Aunt Sophia sharply. "I'm not
going to risk my life in a boat."
"Pooh! auntie; there's no risk," cried Scarlett. "You'd better come."
"No; I shall not!" said the lady very decisively.
"Why, auntie, how absurd!" said Scarlett, passing his arm round her
waist. "Now, what is the very worst that could happen?"
"Why, that boat would be sure to upset, James, and then we should all be
drowned."
"Now, my dear old auntie," cried Scarlett, "the boat is not at all
likely to upset; in fact I don't think we could upset her; and if she
were, it does not follow that we should be drowned."
"Why, we should certainly be, boy," cried Aunt Sophia.--"Naomi, my dear,
of course you have not thought of going?"
"Yes, aunt, dear; I should like to go very much," said Naomi.
"Bless the child! Why?"
"The river is lovely, aunt, with the shadows of the trees falling upon
it, and their branches reflected on its surface."
"O yes; very poetical and pretty at your age, child," cried Aunt Sophia.
"You never see the mud at the bottom, or think that it is wet and
covered with misty fog in winter. Well, I suppose you must go."
"Really, Miss Raleigh, we will take the greatest care of her," said
Prayle.
"I really should like to take the greatest care of you," muttered the
doctor.
"Well, I suppose you must go, my dear," said Aunt Sophia.
"Oh, thank you, aunt!" cried the girl gleefully.
"Now, look here, James," said Aunt Sophia; "you will be very, very
careful?"
"Of course, auntie."
"And you won't be dancing about in the boat or playing any tricks?"
"No--no--no," said Scarlett, at intervals. "I faithfully promise,
though I do not know why."
"You don't know why, James?"
"No, auntie. I never do play tricks in a boat. No one does but a
madman, or a fool. Besides, I don't want to drown my little wifie."
"Now, James, don't be absurd. Who ever thought you did?"
"No one, aunt," said Lady Scarlett. "But you will go with us, will you
not?"
"No, my dear; you know how I hate the water. It is not safe."
"But James is so careful, aunt. I'd go anywhere with him."
"Of course you would, my child," said Aunt, Sophia shortly. "A wife
should trust in her husband thoroughly and well."
"So should a maiden aunt in her nephew," said Scarlett, laughing.
"Come, auntie, you shan't be drowned."
"Now, James, my dear, don't try to persuade me," said the lady, pulling
up her black lace mittens in a peculiar, nervous, twitchy way.
"I'll undertake to do the best for you, if you are drowned, Miss
Raleigh," said the doctor drily. "I'm pretty successful with such
cases."
"Doctor Scales!" cried Aunt Sophia.
"Fact, my dear madam. An old friend of mine did the Royal Humane
Society's business for them at the building in Hyde Park; and one very
severe winter when I helped him, we really brought back to life a good
many whom you might have quite given up."
"Doctor, you horrify me," cried Aunt Sophia.--"Naomi, my child, come
away."
"No, no: nonsense!" cried Scarlett. "It's only Jack's joking way,
auntie."
"Joke!" cried the doctor; "nonsense. The ice was unsafe; so of course
the idiots insisted upon setting the police at defiance, and went on, to
drown themselves as fast as they could."
"How dreadful!" said Prayle.
"Very, for the poor doctors," said Scales grimly. "I nearly rubbed my
arms out of the sockets."
"Kitty, dear, you stay with Aunt Sophia, then," said Scarlett. "We
won't be very long away."
"Stop!" cried Aunt Sophia sternly. "Where is it you are going?"
"Up to the lock and weir," said Scarlett. "You and Kitty can sit under
the big medlar in the shade till we come back."
"The lock and weir?" cried Aunt Sophia sharply. "That's where the water
comes running over through a lot of sticks, isn't it?"
"Yes, aunt, that's the place."
"And you've seen it before?"
"Scores of times, dear."
"Then why do you want to go now?"
"Because it will be a pleasant row."
"Nonsense!" said Aunt Sophia shortly, "pulling those oars and making
blisters on your hands. Well, you must have your own way, I suppose."
"All right, aunt. You won't think it queer of us to desert you?"
"Oh, you're not going to desert me, James."
"Kitty will stay with you."
"No; she will not," said the old lady, "I'm not going to deprive her of
her treat."
"I shan't mind, indeed, aunt," cried Lady Scarlett.
"Yes you would; and you shall not be disappointed, for I shall go too."
"You will, aunt?" cried Scarlett.
"Yes; if you promise to be very careful. And you are sure the boat is
safe?"
"As safe as being on this lawn, my dear aunt. You trust to me. I am
glad you are going."
Aunt Sophia looked at the frank manly face before her, saw the truth in
the eager eyes, and her thin, yellow, careworn countenance relaxed into
a smile.
"Well, I'm going, James, because I don't want to disappoint your little
wife," she said to him in a low tone; "but I don't see what pleasure it
can give you to have a disagreeable old woman with you in the boat."
They had moved off a little way from the others now, Scarlett having
kept his arm round the old lady's waist, evidently greatly to her
gratification, though if it had been hinted at, she would have
repudiated the fact with scorn.
"Don't you, auntie?" he said seriously. "Well, I'll tell you." He
paused, then, and seemed to be thinking.
"Well?" she said sharply; "why is it? Now you are making up a flowery
speech."
"No," he said softly. "I was thinking of how precious little a young
fellow thinks of his mother till she has gone. Auntie, every now and
then, when I look at you, there is a something that brings her back so
much. That's why I like to have you with me in this trip."
Aunt Sophia did not speak; but her hard sharp face softened more and
more as she went into the house, to come out, ten minutes later, in one
of the most far-spreading Tuscan straw-hats that ever covered the head
of a maiden lady; and the marvel to her friends was that she should have
been able to obtain so old-fashioned a production in these modern times.
Volume 1, Chapter X.