is my house-fly, even when she isn't a butterfly,' received a letter-weight of brass, fashioned like an enormous fly, which Lady Merrifield had snatched up from the table for the purpose. The maids giggled at the well-known conundrums proposed to them, and Dolores had a very easy question -' What was the weather this day week?'
'A horrid wet day,' she promptly answered, and found herself endowed with a parcel containing some of the best presents of all, bangles from the Indian box, a beautiful pair of stork-like scissors, a writing-case, etc.
'The Sphynx's invention is running low,' observed Jasper to Gillian, when the creature put the same question about last week's weather to Herbert, the page-boy, as a prelude to his discovering the treasures of the mummy, as a knife and an umbrella. His view of the weather was that it was 'A fine day ma'am! yes, a fine day.'
Macrae came last, and the Sphynx asked him which of the two contrary views was right.
'It was fine, ma'am, that I know. For I walked down with nurse, and little Miss Primrose into Silverton, to help to carry her in case she was tired, and we never had occasion to put up an umbrella.'
Wherewith Macrae received his combination of gifts and retired; the mummy being completely rifled, and the construction of the body, a frame of light, open wicker-work, revealed. Aunt Jane had had it made at the basketmaker's, while as to the head and covering, her own ingenious fingers had painted and fashioned them. Everybody had to look at everybody's presents, a lengthened operation, and then there was a splendid game at blindman's-buff in the hall, in which all the elders joined, except mamma, who had to go and sit in the nursery with the restless and excited Primrose while Mrs. Halfpenny and Lots went down to the servants' festivity.
When she came down again, it was to quiet the tempest of merriment, and send off the younger folks in succession to bed, till only the four elders and Hal remained on the scene, waiting till there was reason to think the household would be ready for prayers.
'It was Dolores that you saw at Darminster, Reginald,' said Miss Mohun, quietly.
'You Sphynx woman, how do you know?'
'You said it was raining at Darminster.'
'Yes, that it was, everywhere beyond the tunnel through the Darfield hills.'
'Exactly, I know they make a line in the rainfall. Well, here it was dry, but Dolores called it a wet day.'
'Now I call that too bad, Jane, to lay a trap for the poor child in the game,' cried Colonel Mohun, just as if they had still been boy and girl together.
'It was to satisfy my own mind,' she said, colouring a little. 'I didn't want any one to act on it. Indeed, I think there will be no occasion.'
'Besides,' he added, 'it is nothing to go upon! No doubt, if it wasn't raining, it was the next thing to it here, and bow was she to recollect at this distance of time? I won't have her caught out in that way!'
'I am glad she has a champion, Regie,' said Lady Merrifield. 'Here come the servants.'
CHAPTER XIV. A CYPHER AND A TY.
Dolores was coming down to breakfast the next morning when Colonel Mohun's door opened. He exclaimed, 'My little Dolly, good morning!' stooped down and kissed her.
Then, standing still a moment, and holding her hand, he said-
'Dolly, it was not you I saw at Darminster station?'
It was a terrible shock. Some one, no doubt, was trying to set him against her. And should she betray Constance and her uncle? At any rate, almost before she knew what she was saying, 'No, Uncle Regie,' was out of her mouth, and her conscience was being answered with 'How do I know it was me that he saw? these fur capes are very common.'
'I thought not,' he answered, kindly. 'Look here, Dolly, I want one word with you. Did your father ever leave anything in charge with you for Mr. Flinders? Did he ever speak to you about him?'
'Never,' Dolores truly answered.
'Because, my dear, though it's a hard thing to say, and your poor mother felt bound to him, he is a slippery fellow-a scamp, in fact, and if ever he writes to you here, you had better send the letter straight off to me, and I'll see what's to be done. He never has, I suppose?'
'No,' said Dolores, answering the word here, and foolishly feeling the involvement too great, and Constance too much concerned in it for her to confess to her uncle what had really happened. Indeed, the first falsehood held her to the second; and there was no more time, for Lord Rotherwood was coming out of his room further down the passage. And after the greetings, as she went downstairs before the two gentlemen, she was sure she heard Uncle Regie say, 'She's all right.' What could it mean? Was a storm averted? or was it brewing? Could that spiteful Aunt Jane and her questions about the weather be at the bottom of it?
The fun that was going on at breakfast seemed a mere roar of folly to her, and she had an instinct of nothing but getting away to Constance. She soon found that there would be opportunity enough, for the tree was to be taken down in a barrow, and all the youthful world was to carry down the decorations in baskets, and help to put them on. She dashed off among the first to put on her things, and then was disappointed to find that first all the pets were to be fed and shown off to Fly, who appreciated them far more than she had done-knew how to lay hold of a rabbit, nursed the guinea-pigs and puppies in turn, and was rapturous in her acceptance of two young guinea- pigs and one puppy.
'I can keep them up in daddy's dressing-room while we are at High Court, and it will be such fun,' she said.
'Will he let you?' asked Gillian, in some doubt.
'Oh! daddy will always let me, and so will Griffin-his man, you know, only we left him in London because daddy said he would be in your butler's way, but I can't think why. Griffin would have helped about the tree and learnt to make a mummy when we have our party. Louise would not let me have them in the nursery, I know, but daddy and Griffin would, and I could go and feed them in the morning before breakfast. Griffin would get me bran! That is, if we do go to High Court; I wish we were to stay on here. There's nobody to play with at High Court, and grandpapa always keeps daddy talking politics, so that I can hardly ever get him! Mysie, whatever do you do with your father away in India?'
'Yes, it is horrid. But then, there's mamma,' said Mysie, whispering, however, as she saw Dolores near, and feared to hurt her feelings.
'Ah!' said Fly, with a tender little shake of her head; ''tis worse for her to have no mother at all! Is that why she looks so sad?'
'Cross' is the word,' said Wilfred. 'I can't think what she is come bothering down here for!'
'Oh! for shame, Wilfred!' said Fly. 'You should be sorry for her.' And she went up to Dolores, and by way of doing the kindest thing in the world, said-
'Here's my new puppy. Is not he a dear? I'll let you hold him,' and she attempted to deposit the fat, curly, satiny creature in Dolores's arms, which instantly hung down stiff, as she answered, half in fright, 'I hate dogs!' The puppy fell down with a flop, and began to squeak, while the girls, crying, 'Oh! Dolly, how could you!' and 'Poor little pup!' all crowded round in pity and indignation, and Wilfred observed, 'I told you so!'
'You'll get no change but that out of the Lady of the Rueful Countenance,' said Jasper.
Mysie had for once nothing to say in Dolores's defence, being equally hurt for Fly's sake and the puppy's. Dolores found herself virtually sent to Coventry, as she accompanied the party across the paddock, only just near enough to benefit by their protection from the herd of half-grown calves which were there disporting themselves; and, as if to make the contrast still more provoking, Fly, who had a natural affinity for all animals, insisted on trying to attract them, calling, 'Sukkey! sukkey!' and hold out bunches of grass, in vain, for they only galloped away, and she could only explain how tame those at home were, and how she went out farming with daddy whenever he had time, and mother and Fraulein would let her out.
The tree meantime came trundling down, a wonderful spectacle, with all its gilt balls and fir-cones nodding and dangling wildly, and its other embellishments turning upside down. There were greetings of delight at Casement Cottage, and Miss Hacket had kissed everybody all round before Gillian had time to present the new-comer, and then the good lady was shocked at her own presumption, and exclaimed-
'I beg your ladyship's pardon! Dear me! I had no notion who it was!'
'Then please kiss me again now you do know!' said Fly, holding up her funny little face to that very lovable kind one, and they were all soon absorbed in the difficulty of getting the tree in at the front door, and setting it up in the room that had been prepared for it.
