"We have been flirting," said Mr. Stanford, with the most perfect composure. "You don"t mind, do you? M. La Touche, I resign in your favour. Come, Kate."
Rose and Reginald did not exchange another word all day. Rose was very subdued, very still. She hardly opened her lips all the afternoon to the unlucky Jules. She hardly opened them at dinner, except to admit the edibles, and she was unnaturally quiet all the evening. She retired into a corner with some crochet-work, and declined conversation and coffee alike, until bedtime. She went slowly and decorously upstairs, with that indescribable subdued face, and bade everybody good-night without looking at them.
Eeny, who shared Grace"s room, sat on a stool before the bedroom fire a long time that night, looking dreamily into the glowing coals.
Grace, sitting beside her, combing out her own long hair, watched her in silence.
Presently Eeny looked up.
"How odd it seems to think of her being married."
"Who?"
"Rose. It seems queer, somehow. I don"t mind Kate. I heard before ever she came here that she was going to be married; but Rose--I can"t realize it."
"I have known it this long time," said Grace. "She told me the day she returned from Ottawa. I am glad she is going to do so well."
"I like him very much," said Eeny; "but he seems too quiet for Rose.
Don"t he?"
"People like to marry their own opposite," answered Grace. "Not that but Rose is getting remarkably quiet herself. She hadn"t a word to say all the evening."
"It will be very lonely when June comes, won"t it, Grace?" said Eeny, with a little sigh. "Kate will go to England, Rose to Ottawa, your brother is going to Montreal, and perhaps papa will take his ship again, and there will be no one but you and I, Grace."
Grace stooped down and kissed the delicate, thoughtful young face.
"My dear little Eeny, papa is not going away."
"Isn"t he? How do you know?"
"That is a secret," laughing and colouring. "If you won"t mention it, I will tell you."
"I won"t. What is it?"
Grace stooped and whispered, her falling hair hiding her face.
Eeny sprang up and clasped her hands.
"Oh, Grace!"
"Are you sorry, Eeny?"
Eeny"s arms were around her neck. Eeny"s lips were kissing her delightedly.
"I am so glad! Oh, Grace, you will never go away any more!"
"Never, my pet. And now, don"t let us talk any longer; it is time to go to bed."
Rather to Eeny"s surprise, there was no revelation made next morning of the new state of affairs. When she gave her father his good-morning kiss, she only whispered in his ear:
"I am so glad, papa."
And the Captain had smiled, and patted her pale cheek, and sat down to breakfast, talking genially right and left.
After breakfast, Doctor Frank, Mr. Stanford, and M. La Touche, with the big dog Tiger at their heels, and guns over their shoulders, departed for a morning"s shooting. Captain Danton went to spend an hour with Mr.
Richards. Rose secluded herself with a book in her room, and Kate was left alone. She tried to play, but she was restless that morning, and gave it up. She tried to read. The book failed to interest her. She walked to the window, and looked out at the sunshine glittering on the melting snow.
"I will go for a walk," she thought, "and visit some of my poor people in the village."
She ran up stairs for her hat and shawl, and sallied forth. Her poor people in the village were always glad to see the beautiful girl who emptied her purse so bountifully for them, and spoke to them so sweetly.
She visited half-a-dozen of her pensioners, leaving pleasant words and silver shillings behind her, and then walked on to the Church of St.
Croix. The presbytery stood beside it, surrounded by a trim garden with gravelled paths. Kate opened the garden gate, and walked up to where Father Francis stood in the open doorway.
"I have come to see you," she said, "since you won"t come to see us.
Have you forgotten your friends at Danton Hall? You have not been up for a week."
"Too busy," said Father Francis; "the Cure is in Montreal, and all devolves upon me. Come in."
She followed him into the little parlour, and sat down by the open window.
"And what"s the news from Danton Hall?"
"Nothing! Oh!" said Kate, blushing and smiling, "except another wedding!"
"Another! Two more weddings, you mean?"
"No!" said Kate, surprised: "only one. Rose, you know, father, to M. La.
Touche!"
Father Francis looked at her a moment smilingly. "They haven"t told you, then?"
"What?"
"That your father is going to be married!"
Her heart stood still; the room seemed to swim around in the suddenness of the shock.
"Father Francis!"
"You have not been told? Are you surprised? I have been expecting as much as this for some time."
"You are jesting, Father Francis," she said, finding voice, which for a moment had failed her; "it cannot be true!"
"It is quite true. I saw your father yesterday, and he told me himself."
"And to whom--?"
She tried to finish the sentence, but her rebellious tongue would not.