It reminds me of what Beechcroft used to be to me when I was a stray fish, though not quite so lonely as you are. Make the most of it, for there aren't many in these days like Aunt Lily there!'
'He little knows,' thought Dolores, as a waltz began to be played.
'They want an example,' he said. 'Come along. You know how, I'm sure-a Londoner like you!'
Pairs were whirling about the floor in full career in a short time, to the astonishment of other maidens who had never seen dancing in their lives. Dolores, afraid to refuse, and certainly flattered, really was wonderfully exhilarated and brightened by her career wither good-natured cousin.
'I do believe Cousin Rotherwood has shaken her out of the dumps,' observed Gillian to Aunt Jane, who returned-
'He can do it if any one can.'
The funny thing was the effect upon Constance, who, in the next pause, shook off her curates, advanced to Dolores, who was recovering her breath under the window, called her a dear thing whom she had not been able to get to all this time, sat rather forward with an arm round her waist for the next half-hour, and, when Sir Roger de Coverley was getting up, proposed that they should be partners, but not till she had seen Lord Rotherwood pair himself off with Mysie.
'I must,' said he to Lady Merrifield, 'it's so like dancing with honest Phyl.'
'The greatest compliment you could have, Mysie,' said her mother, looking very much pleased.
The last yellow patches of evening sunshine on the sloping roof faded; watches were looked at, the music turned to the National Anthem, everybody stood up, or stood still, and sung it. Then at the close, Mr. Leadbitter stood by the piano and said-
'One word more, my young friends. Some of you may have been surprised at this evening's amusement, but we want you to understand that there is no harm in dancing itself, provided that the place, the manner, and the companions are fit. I hope that you will all prove the truth of my words, by not taking this pleasant evening as an excuse for running into places of temptation. Now, good night, with many thanks to Lady Merrifield for the happy day she has given us.'
A voice added, 'Three cheers for Lady Merrifield!' and the G.F.S. showed itself by no means backward in the matter of cheering. There was a hunting up of ulsters and umbrellas; one associate after another got her flock together, and clattered downstairs, either to get into vans, to walk to the station, or to disperse to their homes in the town.
Meantime Lord Rotherwood had time to explain that he was on his way to fetch his wife home from some German baths, where she had gone to recruit after the season; and, as he meant to cross at night, had come to spend a few hours with his cousin. There was still an hour to spare, during which Lady Merrifield insisted that he must have more solid food than G.F.S. provided.
'Lily,' said Miss Mohun, as the elders walked to the house together, 'it strikes me that Rotherwood could satisfy your mind about that letter. He would know the handwriting. You remember a certain brother-very much in law-of Maurice's?'
'I have reason to do so,' said Lord Rotherwood. 'You don't mean that he has been troubling Lily?'
'No; but from the nature of the animal it is much to be apprehended that he will,' said Miss Mohun, 'if he knows that the child is here.'
'In fact,' said Lady Merrifield, 'Jane has made me suppress, till examination, a letter to her, in case it should be from him. It is a horrid thing to do. What do you think, Rotherwood?'
'There should be no correspondence. Did not Maurice warn you? Then he ought. Look here, Lily. His wife-under strong compulsion from the fellow, I should think-begged me to find some employment for him. I got him a secretaryship to our Board of-what d'ye call it? I'll do Maurice the justice to say that he was considerably cool about it; but the end of it was that there was an unaccountable deficit, and my lady said it served me right. I was a fool, as I always am, and gave way to the poor woman about not bringing it home to him. And she insisted on making it up to me by degrees-out of her literary work, I fancy-for I don't think Maurice knew the extent of the peculation. Ever since I've been getting begging letters from the fellow at intervals. If he had the impertinence to molest you, Lily, simply refer him to me.'
'And if he writes to the child?'
'Return him the letter. Say she can have no such thing without her father's consent.'
'Is this a case in point?' said Lady Merrifield, producing the letter.
'No,' said he, holding it up in the waning light. 'I know the fellow's fist too well! This is a gentleman's hand.'
'What a relief!' said Lady Merrifield.
'Nay, don't be in a hurry,' said Miss Mohun. 'Don't give it to her unopened. Your only safety is in maintaining your right to see all the child's letters, except what her father specified.'
'Don't you wish it was you, Brownie?' asked her cousin.
'I hate it!' said Lady Merrifield; 'but I suppose I ought! However, there's no harm in this, that's a comfort; it is simply that the gentleman that the house is let to has found this note to her somewhere about, and thinks she would wish to have it. I think it is her mother's hand. How nice of him!'
'Now, Lily, don't go and be too apologetic,' said Jane. 'Assert your right, or you'll have it all over again.'
'Without Jenny to do prudence,' said Lord Rotherwood, while Lady Merrifield, hardly hearing either of them, hurried on in search of her niece, but they would have been satisfied if they could have heard her.
'My dear, here's your letter. I am so sorry to have been too much hindered to look at it before. You must not mind, Dolly. I know it is very disagreeable; but every one who has the care of precious articles like young ladies is bound to look after them.'
Dolores took the letter with a kind of acknowledgement, but no more, for its detention offended her, and she was aggrieved at the prospect of future inspection, as another cruel stroke inflicted upon her.
Aunt Adeline was found in the drawing-room, where she had entertained such ladies as were afraid of the damp, or who did not approve of the dancing, and would not look on at it. Thence all went off to a merry meal, where the elders plunged into old stories, and went on capping each others' recollections and making fun, to the extreme delight of the young folk, who had often been entertained with tales of Beechcroft. Aunt Ada declared that she had not laughed so much for ten years, and Aunt Jane declared that it was too bad to lower their dignity and be so absurd before all these young things.
'It's having four of the old set together!' said Lord Rotherwood; 'a chance one doesn't get every day. I wonder how soon Maurice and Phyllis will meet.'
'It depends on whether the Zenobia touches at Auckland before going to the Fijis,' said Lady Merrifield.
'There is at least a sort of neighbourhood between them,' said Miss Mohun, 'though it may be about as close as between us and Sicily.'
'She is looking out for Maurice,' said Aunt Ada. 'She wrote, only it was too late, to propose his bringing Dolores to be at least nearer to him.'
'Just like Phyllis!' ejaculated the marquess. 'You have one of your flock with something of her countenance, Lily.'
'I am so glad you see it, Rotherwood. It is what I am always trying to believe in, and I hope the likeness is a little within as well as without-but we poor creatures who have been tumbled about the world get sophisticated, and can't attain to the sweet, blundering freshness of 'Honest Simplicity.''
'It is a plant that must be spontaneous-can't be grown to order.'
'His lordship's carriage at the door,' announced Macrae.
'Ah, well! Trains must be caught, I suppose. I'm glad you're settled here, Lilias. I feel as if a sort of reflex of old Beechcroft were attainable now.'
'I hope it won't be a G.F.S. day next time you come!'
'Oh, it was very jolly. I shall bring my child next time, if I can get her out of the clutches of the governesses for a day, but it is a hard matter. They look daggers at me if I put my head into the schoolroom.'
'You always were a dangerous element there, you know.'
'Poor dear Eleanor! What did I not make her go through! But she never went the length of one of my lady's governesses, who declared that she had as much call to interfere in my stable, as I had with her schoolroom.'
'What mischief were you doing there?'
'Well, if you must know, I was enlivening a very dry and Cromwellian abridgement with some of Lily's old
