"I have something to say," replied Boris. "Something most "portant, I can tell you." His face flushed with anger; he dragged Molly into the ante-room.
"There she is, Nell," he exclaimed; "now you can tell her."
"What is the matter, Nell, darling?" exclaimed Molly, struck by the expression on her little sisters face.
"Molly, Molly," exclaimed Nell, with a sort of gasp in her voice.
"What is it, Nell, dear? Do speak; they"re all waiting for me and I must go."
"Oh, must you go? Do stay, do stay; I have something very important to say; its a message."
"A message!" exclaimed Molly; anxiety stealing quickly into her voice; "is it anything about--about father and mother?"
"Yes, yes; and n.o.body else is to know; you will stay?"
"Yes, I"ll stay. Wait there a minute, and I"ll be back with you."
Molly ran up to Hester, who was waiting for her in the entrance hall.
"Good-bye, Hetty," she said, kissing her; "I"m not going back with you."
"What in the world do you mean, Molly?" exclaimed Hester. "You know you have promised to stay with us for another day or two, and I want you to know more of Mrs. Willis, and--why, what"s the matter, dear?"
"Nell is not quite well, I think," replied Molly; "anyhow, I must stay here to-night; don"t say anything to make Nora anxious; good-night."
"I am afraid, Hester, that we must not keep the horses waiting any longer," said Sir John in his most measured tones. "Good-night, Molly, we shall be pleased to see you at the Grange to-morrow if you can tear yourself away from domestic cares."
Hester went away, the carriage door was shut, and a moment later the last of the visitors had departed.
Molly rushed back for one moment to Nell.
"I am here," she said, "but if you have a secret to tell me, I can"t talk to you for the present without exciting the curiosity of the whole house. Go upstairs and get into bed, and I"ll be with you as soon as I can. I daresay my bed is not ready for me, so I"ll sleep with you to-night."
A ghost of a smile of pleasure flitted across Nell"s face as she glided away.
Molly went back to the rest of her brothers and sisters. Jane Macalister, still true to her Minerva costume, was seated at the supper table, eating a large slice of cold game pie.
"I am famished," she said; "it was the most fatiguing thing I ever did, and the dressmaker has made the sleeves of this horrid dress a great deal too tight, and the neck chokes me. Now, I hope this is the last folly of the kind that we shall have here for many a long day. I, for one, refuse to be laced up in this heathen mythology style again. Now then, my dears, all of you to bed. Molly, what in the world are you staying here for? We didn"t expect you, and your room isn"t ready."
"Oh, I"ll sleep with Nell," replied Molly.
"Very inconsiderate indeed," replied poor Minerva. "Nell"s bed is only large enough for herself, and she"s like a feathers weight--with those dark circles under her eyes too. I saw her flying about and absolutely going out on to the lawn this evening. Nell is a great deal too excitable, and certainly her sleep ought not to be disturbed."
"I promise not to disturb it," replied Molly; "you know, Jane, I"m not an exciting sort of person."
"No more you are, my dear; but it frets me to have my arrangements put out by fads. However, off with you to bed now. Dear me, I am famished.
If Minerva felt as I do, I pity her, poor soul. I"ll have a gla.s.s of stout; there"s nothing like it when you"re worn out. Good night, Molly."
Molly ran eagerly away. She was waylaid by more than one brother and sister on her way upstairs, but at last she found herself in Nell"s room.
Nell was sitting on the side of the bed; she had not attempted to undress.
"Oh, come, this will never do," said the practical Molly; "why, you"re ready to drop with fatigue, you poor mite. Here, let me undress you, and you can talk while I"m doing it. Now, what"s the trouble?"
"It"s about father."
"What about him?"
"He came back to-night; he stood under the oak tree at the end of the lawn. I saw him first, because he pressed his face up against one of the windows and looked in, and afterwards he stood under the oak tree; Boris and I ran out to him."
"Yes, yes; go on, Nell."
Molly"s fingers were trembling now, but they did not cease their busy task of unfastening Nell"s clothes.
"Go on," she said; "what did he say, and why, _why_ didn"t you call me?"
"Boris tried to catch you up, but you would dance with Hugh Pierson. We ran out to father and he talked to us. The "perhaps" has come true, Molly; oh, Molly, the "perhaps" has come quite true."
"How do you know, Nell? Don"t tremble so, Nell, dear."
"Father wouldn"t come in," continued Nell, making a brave effort to recover herself. "He told us about our great-great-grandmother and her apple-green dress, and he said that he had come back to fetch something, and that he must return to London to-night; and then he said,"G.o.d--G.o.d bless you," and his voice shook just a tiny bit, and he said that mother would be home to-morrow, and----"
"Yes, Nell, and----"
"Boris said "Will you come home?" and--but----"
"What did he say to that?"
"He said nothing to that; he walked away very soft and quick. Molly, what does it mean?"
"I don"t know," said Molly. "Now, Nell, you must get into bed. You are quite cold and shivery. I am going downstairs to fetch you a little hot wine and water, and then I"ll put my arms round you until you sleep."
Nell was glad to submit to Molly"s most comforting ministrations.
"But I think I do know what it means," murmured the elder girl as she listened to the gentle breathing of her little sister by-and-by.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE LORRIMERS OF THE TOWERS.
The morning post brought a letter from Mrs. Lorrimer, which set all curiosity at rest. This letter was addressed to Jane Macalister, who read it through first, with feverish haste and brows drawn darkly together, then again straight from the beginning more slowly, and then a third time, during which she surrept.i.tiously wiped her eyes, and hoped the children had not seen her do so.
Jane was seated before the tea equipage at the head of the long breakfast table. Molly was helping her brothers and sisters to porridge, cups of milk, and bread and jam, in her usual deft fashion. Jane raised her eyes and encountered the brown ones of Molly.