"Oh, I shall be only too glad. I will be sure to come. Good-bye, Sir Robert: and thank you very, very much."
She went home with a light heart: she had not felt so happy since her father died.
"How good he is! how kind! a true gentleman," she thought. "And what a good thing he fixed Friday instead of Sat.u.r.day, for on Sat.u.r.day they will be at home. But it is hardly possible that he will have heard of any place by that time, unless he has one in his eye."
It was Friday afternoon before Anne could get to Bellwood, and rather late, also. She asked, as before, for Mrs. Macbean, not liking to ask direct for Sir Robert Tenby. Sir Robert was out, but was expected in every minute, and Anne waited in Mrs. Macbean"s parlour.
"Do you think he has heard of anything for me?" was one of the first questions she put.
"Eh, my dear, and how should I know?" was the old lady"s reply. "He does not tell me of his affairs. Not but what he talks to me a good deal, and always like a friend: he does not forget that my late leddy, his mother, made more of a friend of me than a servant. Many"s the half-hour he keeps me talking in his parlour; and always bids me take the easiest seat there. I wish he would marry!"
"Do you?" replied Anne, mechanically: for she was thinking more of her own concerns than Sir Robert"s.
"Why, yes, that I do. It"s a lonely life for him at best, the one he leads. I"ve not scrupled to tell him, times and oft, that he ought to bring a mistress home---- Eh, but there he is! That"s his step."
As before, Anne went into the pretty room that Sir Robert, when alone, mostly sat in. Three or four opened letters lay upon the table, and she wondered whether they related to her.
"No, I have as yet no news for you," he said, smiling at her eager face, and keeping her hand in his while he spoke. "You will have to come again for it. Sit down."
"But if--if you have nothing to tell me to-day, I had better not take up your time," said Anne, not liking to appear intrusive.
"My time! If you knew how slowly time some days seems to pa.s.s for me, you would have no scruple about "taking it up." Sit here. This is a pleasant seat."
With her eyes fixed on the outer landscape, Anne sat on and listened to him. He talked of various things, and she felt as much at her ease (as she told me that same evening) as though she had been talking with me.
Afterwards she felt half afraid she had been too open, for she told him all about her childhood"s home in France and her dear mother. It was growing dusk when she got up to go.
"Will you come again on Monday afternoon?" he asked. "I shall be out in the morning."
"If I can, sir. Oh yes, if I can. But Mrs. Lewis, who will be at home then, does not want me to take a situation at all, and she may not let me come out."
"I should come without telling her," smiled Sir Robert. "Not want you to leave home, eh? Would you like to stay there to make the puddings? Ay, I understand. Well, I shall expect you on Monday. There may be some news, you know."
And, somehow, Anne took up the notion that there would be news, his tone sounded so hopeful. All the way home her feet seemed to tread on air.
On the Sunday evening, when they were all sitting together at Maythorn Bank, and Anne had no particular duty on hand, she took courage to tell of what she had done, and that Sir Robert Tenby was so good as to interest himself for her. Mrs. Lewis was indignant; the young ladies were pleasantly satirical.
"As nursery governess: you!" mocked Miss Julia. "What shall you teach your pupils? To play at cats" cradle?"
"Why, you know, Anne, you are not _fit_ for a governess," said f.a.n.n.y.
"It would be quite--quite _wicked_ of you to make believe to be one. You never learnt a note of music. You can"t draw. You can"t paint."
"You had better go to school yourself, first," snapped Mrs. Lewis. "I will not allow you to take such a step: so put all thought of it out of your head."
Anne leaned her aching brow upon her hand in perplexity. Was she so unfit? Would it be wicked? She determined to put the case fully before her kind friend, Sir Robert Tenby, and ask his opinion.
Providing that she could get to Sir Robert"s. Ask leave to go, she dare not; for she knew the answer would be a point-blank refusal.
But fortune favoured her. Between three and four o"clock on Monday afternoon, Mrs. Lewis and her daughters dressed themselves and sailed away to call on some people at South Crabb; which lay in just the contrary direction to Bellwood. They left Anne a heap of sewing to do: but she left the sewing and went out on her own score. I met her near the Ravine. She told me what she had done, and looked bright and flushed over it.
"Mrs. Lewis is one cat, and they are two other cats, Anne. Tod says so.
Good-bye. Good luck to you!"
"Eh, my dear, and I was beginning to think you didna mean to come," was Mrs. Macbean"s salutation. "But Sir Robert is nae back yet, he has been out on horseback since the morning; and he said you were to wait for him. So just take your bonnet off, and you shall have a cup of tea with me!"
Nothing loth, Anne took off her outdoor things. "They will be home before I am, and find me gone out," she reflected; "but they can"t quite kill me for it." The old lady rang her bell for tea, and thought what a nice and pretty young gentlewoman Anne looked in her plain black dress with its white frilling, and the handsome jet necklace that had been her mother"s.
But before the tea could be made, Sir Robert Tenby"s horse trotted up, and they heard him go to his sitting-room. Mrs. Macbean took Anne into his presence, saying at the same time that she had been about to give the young lady a cup of tea.
"I should like some tea, too," said Sir Robert; "Miss Lewis can take it with me. Send it in."
It came in upon a waiter, and was placed upon the table. Anne, at his request, put sugar and cream into his cup, handed it to him, and then took her own. He was looking very thoughtful; she seemed to fancy he had no good news for her, as he did not speak of it; and her heart went down, down. In a very timid tone, she told him of the depreciating opinion held of her talents at home, and begged him to say what _he_ thought, for she should not like to be guilty of undertaking any duty she was not fully competent to fulfil.
"Will you take some more tea?" was all Sir Robert said in answer.
"No, thank you, sir."
"Another biscuit? No? We will send the tray away then."
Ringing the bell, a servant came in and removed the things. Sir Robert, standing at the window, and looking down at Anne as she sat, began to speak.
"I think there might be more difficulty in getting you a situation as governess than we thought for; one that would be quite suited to you, at least. Perhaps another kind of situation would do better for you."
Her whole face, turned up to him with its gaze of expectancy, changed to sadness; the light in her eyes died away. It seemed so like the knell of all her hopes. Sir Robert only smiled.
"If you could bring yourself to take it--and to like it," he continued.
"But what situation is it, sir?"
"That of my wife. That of Lady of Bellwood."
Just for a moment or two she simply stared at him. When his meaning reached her comprehension, her face turned red and white with emotion.
Sir Robert took her hand and spoke more fully. He had learnt to like her very very much, to esteem her, and wished her to be his wife.
"I am aware that there is a good deal of difference in our ages, my dear; more than twenty years," he went on, while she sat in silence.
"But I think you might find happiness with me; I will do my very best to insure it. Better be my wife than a nursery governess. What do you say?"
"Oh, sir, I do not know what to say," she answered, trembling a little.
"It is so unexpected--and a great honour--and--and I am overwhelmed."
"Could you like me?" he gently asked.
"I do like you, sir; very much. But this--this would be different.
Perhaps you would let me take until to-morrow to think about it?"
"Of course I will. Bring me your answer then. Bring it yourself, whatever it may be."
"I will, sir. And I thank you very greatly."
All night long Anne Lewis lay awake. Should she take this good man for her husband, or should she not? She did like him very much: and what a position it would be for her; and how sheltered she would be henceforth from the frowns of the world! Anne might never have hesitated, but for the remains of her love for Mr. Angerstyne. That was pa.s.sing away from her heart day by day, as she knew; it would soon have pa.s.sed entirely.