This did not suit Lucy. She plied him with airy nothings, that no man can arrest and impress on paper; but the tone and smile made them pleasing, and then she asked his opinion of the other guests in such a way as implied she took some interest in his opinion of them, but mighty little in the people themselves. In short, she chatted with him like an old friend, and nothing more; but David was not subtle enough in general, nor just now calm enough, to see on what footing all this cordiality was offered him. His color came back, his eye brightened, happiness beamed on his face, and the lady saw it from under her lashes.
"How fortunate I fell in with you here! You are yourself again--on your quarter-deck. I scarce knew you the last few days. I was afraid I had offended you. You seemed to avoid me."
"Nonsense, Mr. Dodd; what is there about you to avoid?"
"Plenty, Miss Fountain; I am so inferior to your other friends."
"I was not aware of it, Mr. Dodd."
"And I have heard your s.e.x has gusts of caprice, and I thought the cold wind was blowing upon me; and that did seem very sad, just when I am going out, and perhaps shall never see your sweet face or hear your lovely voice again."
"Don"t say that, Mr. Dodd, or you will make me sad in earnest. Your prudence and courage, and a kind Providence, will carry you safe through this voyage, as they have through so many, and on your return the acquaintance you do me the honor to value so highly will await you--if it depends on me."
All this was said kindly and beautifully, and almost tenderly, but still with a certain majesty that forbade love-making--rendered it scarce possible, except to a fool. But David was not captious. He could not, like the philosopher, sift sunshine. For some days he had been almost separated from her. Now she was by his side. He adored her so that he could no longer _realize_ sorrow or disappointment to come. They were uncertain--future. The light of her eyes, and voice, and face, and n.o.ble presence were here; he basked in them.
He told her not to mind a word he had said. "It was all nonsense. I am happier now--happier than ever."
At this Lucy looked grave and became silent.
David, to amuse her, told her there was "a singing dog aboard," and would she like to hear him?
This was a happy diversion for Lucy. She a.s.sented gayly. David ran for his fiddle, and then for Pepper. Pepper wagged his tail, but, strong as his musical taste was, would not follow the fiddle. But at this juncture Master Reginald dawned on the stable-yard with a huge slice of bread and b.u.t.ter. Pepper followed him. So the party came on the lawn and joined Lucy. Then David played on the violin, and Pepper performed exactly as hereinbefore related. Lucy laughed merrily, and Reginald shrieked with delight, for the vocal terrier was mortal droll.
"But, setting Pepper aside, that is a very sweet air you are playing now, Mr. Dodd. It is full of soul and feeling."
"Is it?" said David, looking wonderstruck; "you know best."
"Who is the composer?"
David looked confused and said, "No one of any note."
Lucy shot a glance at him, keen as lightning. What with David"s simplicity and her own remarkable talent for reading faces, his countenance was a book to her, wide open, Bible print. "The composer"s name is Mr. Dodd," said she, quietly.
"I little thought you would be satisfied with it," replied David, obliquely.
"Then you doubted my judgment as well as your own talent."
"My talent! I should never have composed an air that would bear playing but for one thing."
"And what was that?" said Lucy, affecting vast curiosity. She felt herself on safe ground now--the fine arts.
"You remember when you went away from Font Abbey, and left us all so heavy-hearted?"
"I remember leaving Font Abbey," replied Lucy, with saucy emphasis, and an air of lofty disbelief in the other incident.
"Well, I used to get my fiddle, and think of you so far away, and sweet sad airs came to my heart, and from my heart they pa.s.sed into the fiddle. Now and then one seemed more worthy of you than the rest were, and then I kept that one."
"You mean you took the notes down," said Lucy coldly.
"Oh no, there was no need; I wrote it in my head and in my heart. May I play you another of your tunes? I call them your tunes."
Lucy blushed faintly, and fixed her eyes on the ground. She gave a slight signal of a.s.sent, and David played a melody.
"It is very beautiful," said she in a low voice. "Play it again. Can you play it as we walk?"
"Oh yes." He played it again. They drew near the hall door. She looked up a moment, and then demurely down again.
"Now will you be so good as to play the first one twice?" She listened with her eyelashes drooping. "Tweedle dee! tweedle dum! tweedle dee."
"And _now_ we will go into breakfast," cried Lucy, with sudden airy cheerfulness, and, almost with the word, she darted up the steps, and entered the house without even looking to see whether David followed or what became of him.
He stood gazing through the open door at her as she glided across the hall, swift and elastic, yet serpentine, and graceful and stately as Juno at nineteen.
"Et vera iucessu patuit lady."
These Junones, severe in youthful beauty, fill us Davids with irrational awe; but, the next moment, they are treated like small children by the very first matron they meet; they resign their judgment at once to hers, and bow their wills to her lightest word with a slavish meanness.
Creation"s unmarried lords, realize your true position--girls govern you, and wives govern girls.
Mrs. Bazalgette, on Lucy"s entrance, ran a critical eye over her, and scolded her like a six-year-old for walking in thin shoes.
"Only on the gravel, aunt," said the divine slave, submissively.
"No matter; it rained last night. I heard it patter. You want to be laid up, I suppose."
"I will put on thicker ones in future, dear aunt," murmured the celestial serf.
Now Mrs. Bazalgette did not really care a b.u.t.ton whether the servile angel wore thick soles or thin. She was cross about something a mile off that. As soon as she had vented her ill humor on a sham cause, she could come to its real cause good-temperedly. "And, Lucy, love, do manage better about Mr. Dodd."
Lucy turned scarlet. Luckily, Mrs. Bazalgette was evading her niece"s eye, so did not see her telltale cheek.
"He was quite thrown out last night; and really, as he does not ride with us, it is too bad to neglect him in-doors."
"Oh, excuse me, aunt, Mr. Dodd is your protege. You did not even tell me you were going to invite him."
"I beg your pardon, that I certainly did. Poor fellow, he was out of spirits last night."
"Well, but, aunt, surely you can put an admirer in good spirits when you think proper," said Lucy slyly.
"Humph! I don"t want to attract too much attention. I see Bazalgette watching me, and I don"t wish to be misinterpreted myself, or give my husband pain."
She said this with such dignity that Lucy, who knew her regard for her husband, had much ado not to t.i.tter. But courtesy prevailed, and she said gravely: "I will do whatever you wish me, only give me a hint at the time; a look will do, you know."
The ladies separated; they met again at the breakfast-room door.
Laughter rang merrily inside, and among the gayest voices was Mr.
Dodd"s. Lucy gave Mrs. Bazalgette an arch look. "Your patient seems better;" and they entered the room, where, sure enough, they found Mr.
Dodd the life and soul of the a.s.sembled party.
"A letter from Mrs. Wilson, aunt."