"I wonder why on earth it is some people cannot choose proper hours in which to travel," says Cyril, testily. "The idea of electing--(not any more, thank you)--to arrive at ten o"clock at night at any respectable house is barely decent."
"Yes, I wish she had named any other hour," says Lady Chetwoode. "It is rather a nuisance Guy having to go to the station so late."
"Dear Florence is so romantic," remarks Cyril: "let us hope for her sake there will be a moon."
It is half-past eight o"clock, and dinner is nearly over. There has been some haste this evening on account of Miss Beauchamp"s expected arrival; the very men who are handing round the jellies and sweetmeats seem as inclined to hurry as their pomposity will allow: hence Cyril"s mild ill-humor. No man but feels aggrieved when compelled to hasten at his meals.
Miss Chesney has arrayed herself with great care for the new-comer"s delectation, and has been preparing herself all day to dislike her cordially. Sir Guy is rather silent; Cyril is not; Lady Chetwoode"s usual good spirits seem to have forsaken her.
"Are you really going to Truston after dinner?" asks Lilian, in a tone of surprise, addressing Sir Guy.
"Yes, really; I do not mind it in the least," answering his mother"s remark even more than hers. "It can scarcely be called a hardship, taking a short drive on such a lovely night."
"Of course not, with the prospect before him of so soon meeting this delightful cousin," thinks Lilian. "How glad he seems to welcome her home! No fear he would let Cyril meet _her_ at the station!"
"Yes, it certainly is a lovely evening," she says, aloud. Then, "Was there no other train for her to come by?"
"Plenty," answers Cyril; "any number of them. But she thought she would like Guy to "meet her by moonlight alone.""
It is an old and favorite joke of Cyril"s, Miss Beauchamp"s admiration for Guy. He has no idea he is encouraging in any one"s mind the impression that Guy has an admiration for Miss Beauchamp.
"I wonder you never tire of that subject," Guy says, turning upon his brother with sudden and most unusual temper. "I don"t fancy Florence would care to hear you forever making free with her name as you do."
"I beg your pardon a thousand times. I had no idea it was a touchy subject with you."
"Nor is it," shortly.
"She will have her wish," says Lilian, alluding to Cyril"s unfortunate quotation, and ignoring the remark that followed. "I am sure it will be moonlight by ten,"--making a critical examination of the sky through the window, near which she is sitting. "How charming moonlight is! If I had a lover,"--laughing,--"I should never go for a drive or walk with him except beneath its cool white rays. I think Miss Beauchamp very wise in choosing the hour she has chosen for her return home."
This is intolerable. The inference is quite distinct. Guy flushes crimson and opens his mouth to give way to some of the thoughts that are oppressing him, but his mother"s voice breaking in checks him.
"Don"t have any lovers for a long time, child," she says: "you are too young for such unsatisfactory toys. The longer you are without them, the happier you will be. They are more trouble than gratification."
"I don"t mean to have one," says Lilian, with a wise shake of her blonde head, "for years and years. I was merely admiring Miss Beauchamp"s taste."
"Wise child!" says Cyril, admiringly. "Why didn"t you arrive by moonlight, Lilian? I"m never in luck."
"It didn"t occur to me: in future I shall be more considerate. Are you fretting because you can"t go to-night to meet your cousin? You see how insignificant you are: you would not be trusted on so important a mission. It is only bad little wards you are sent to welcome."
She laughs gayly as she says this; but Guy, who is listening, feels it is meant as a reproach to him.
"There are worse things than bad little wards," says Cyril, "if you are a specimen."
"Do you think so? It"s a pity every one doesn"t agree with you. No, Martin," to the elderly servitor behind her chair, who she knows has a decided weakness for her: "don"t take away the ice pudding yet: I am very fond of it."
"So is Florence. You and she, I foresee, will have a stand-up fight for it at least once a week. Poor cook! I suppose she will have to make two ice puddings instead of one for the future."
"If there is anything on earth I love, it is an ice pudding."
"Not better than me, I trust."
"Far, far better."
"Take it away instantly, Martin; Miss Chesney mustn"t have any more: it don"t agree with her."
At this Martin smiles demurely and deferentially, and presents the coveted pudding to Miss Chesney; whereat Miss Chesney makes a little triumphant grimace at Cyril and helps herself as she loves herself.
Dinner is over. The servants,--oh, joy!--have withdrawn: everybody has eaten as much fruit as they feel is good for them. Lady Chetwoode looks at Lilian and half rises from her seat.
"It is hardly worth while your leaving us this evening, mother," Guy says, hastily: "I must so soon be running away if I wish to catch the train coming in."
"Very well,"--re-seating herself: "we shall break through rules, and stay with you for this one night. You won"t have your coffee until your return?"
"No, thank you." He is a little _distrait_, and is following Lilian"s movements with his eyes, who has risen, thrown up the window, and is now standing upon the balcony outside, gazing upon the slumbering flowers, and upon the rippling, singing brooks in the distance, the only things in all creation that never seem to sleep.
After a while, tiring of inanimate nature, she turns her face inward and leans against the window-frame, and being in an idle mood, begins to pluck to pieces the flower that has rested during dinner upon her bosom.
Standing thus in the half light, she looks particularly fair, and slight, and childish,--
"A lovely being, scarcely formed or moulded, A rose with all its sweetest leaves yet folded."
Some thought crossing Lady Chetwoode"s mind, born of the long and loving glance she has been bestowing upon Lilian, she says:
"How I detest fat people. They make me feel positively ill. Mrs.
Boileau, when she called to-day, raised within me the keenest pity."
"She is a very distressing woman," says Guy, absently. "One feels thankful she has no daughter."
"Yes, indeed; the same thought occurred to me. Though perhaps not fat now, she would undoubtedly show fatal symptoms of a tendency toward it later on. Now you, my dear Lilian, have happily escaped such a fate: you will never be fat."
"I"m sure I hope not, if you dislike the idea so much," says Lilian, amused, letting the ghastly remains of her ill-treated flower fall to the ground.
"If you only knew the misery I felt on hearing you were coming to us,"
goes on Lady Chetwoode, "dreading lest you might be inclined that way; not of course but that I was very pleased to have you, my dear child, but I fancied you large and healthy-looking, with a country air, red cheeks, black hair, and unbounded _gaucherie_. Imagine my delight, therefore, when I beheld you slim and self-possessed, and with your pretty yellow hair!"
"You make me blush, you cover me with confusion," says Miss Chesney, hiding her face in her hands.
"Yes, yellow hair is my admiration," goes on Lady Chetwoode, modestly: "I had golden hair myself in my youth."
"My dearest mother, we all know you were, and are, the loveliest lady in creation," says Guy, whose tenderness toward his mother is at times a thing to be admired.
"My dear Guy, how you flatter!" says she, blushing a faint, sweet old blush that shows how mightily pleased she is.
"Do you know," says Lilian, "in spite of being thought horrid, I like comfortable-looking people? I wish I had more flesh upon my poor bones.
I think," going deliberately up to a gla.s.s and surveying herself with a distasteful shrug,--"I think thin people have a meagre, gawky, hard look about them, eminently unbecoming. I rather admire Mrs. Mount-George, for instance."
"Hateful woman!" says Lady Chetwoode, who cherishes for her an old spite.