He pointed to a well-trimmed privet hedge in a front garden opposite.
"Behind the hedge?" repeated the other, sharply. "What were you there for?"
"Watching a snail, sir," replied Ba.s.sett.
"A what?" inquired Mr. Vyner, raising his voice.
"A snail, sir," repeated the youth. "I"ve got a book on natural history, and I"ve just been reading about them. I saw this one as I was pa.s.sing, and I went inside to study its habits. They are very interesting little things to watch-very."
Fortified by the approval of a conscience that never found fault, he met the searchlight gaze that the junior partner turned upon him without flinching. Quite calm, although somewhat puzzled by the other"s manner, he stood awaiting his pleasure.
"Yes," said Robert Vyner, at last; "very interesting indeed, I should think; but you have forgotten one thing, Ba.s.sett. When secreted behind a hedge watching one of these diverting little-er--"
"Gasteropodous molluscs, sir," interjected Ba.s.sett, respectfully.
"Exactly," said the other. "Just the word I was trying to think of. When behind a hedge watching them it is always advisable to whistle as loudly and as clearly as you can."
"I never heard that, sir," said Ba.s.sett, more and more perplexed. "It"s not in my book, but I remember once reading, when I was at school, that spiders are sometimes attracted by the sound of a flute."
"A flute would do," said Mr. Vyner, still watching him closely; "but a cornet would be better still. Good-morning."
He left Ba.s.sett gazing after him round-eyed, and, carefully refraining from looking at Hartley"s windows, walked on at a smart pace. As he walked he began to wish that he had not talked so much; a vision of Ba.s.sett retailing the conversation of the morning to longer heads than his own in the office recurring to him with tiresome persistency. And, on the other hand, he regretted that he had not crossed the road and made sure that there was a snail.
Busy with his thoughts he tramped on mechanically, until, pausing on a piece of high ground to admire the view, he was surprised to see that the town lay so far behind. At the same time sudden urgent promptings from within bore eloquent testimony to the virtues of early rising and exercise as aids to appet.i.te. With ready obedience he began to retrace his steps.
The business of the day was just beginning as he entered the outskirts of the town again. Blinds were drawn aside and maid-servants busy at front doors. By the time he drew near Laurel Lodge-the name was the choice of a former tenant-the work of the day had begun in real earnest.
Instinctively slackening his pace, he went by the house with his eyes fastened on the hedge opposite, being so intent on what might, perhaps, be described as a visual alibi for Ba.s.sett"s benefit, in case the lad still happened to be there, that he almost failed to notice that Hartley was busy in his front garden and that Joan was standing by him. He stopped short and bade them "Good-morning."
Mr. Hartley dropped his tools and hastened to the gate. "Good-morning,"
he said, nervously; "I hope that there is nothing wrong. I went a little way to try and find you."
"Find me?" echoed Mr. Vyner, reddening, as a suspicion of the truth occurred to him.
"Ba.s.sett told me that you had been walking up and down waiting to see me," continued Hartley.
"I dressed as fast as I could, but by that time you were out of sight."
Facial contortions, in sympathy with the epithets he was mentally heaping upon the head of Ba.s.sett, disturbed for a moment the serenity of Mr. Vyner"s countenance. A rapid glance at Miss Hartley helped him to regain his composure.
"I don"t know why the boy should have been so officious," he said, slowly; "I didn"t want to see you. I certainly pa.s.sed the house on my way. Oh, yes, and then I thought of going back-I did go a little way back-then I altered my mind again. I suppose I must have pa.s.sed three times."
"I was afraid there was something wrong," said Hartley. "I am very glad it is all right. I"ll give that lad a talking to. He knocked us all up and said that you had been walking up and down for twenty-three minutes."
The generous colour in Mr. Vyner"s cheeks was suddenly reflected in Miss Hartley"s. Their eyes met, and, feeling exceedingly foolish, he resolved to put a bold face on the matter.
"Ba.s.sett is unendurable," he said, with a faint laugh, "and I suspect his watch. Still, I must admit that I did look out for you, because I thought if you were stirring I should like to come in and see what sort of a mess I made last night. Was it very bad?"
"N-no," said Hartley; "no; it perhaps requires a little attention. Half an hour or so will put it right."
"I should like to see my handiwork by daylight," said Robert.
Hartley opened the garden-gate and admitted him, and all three, pa.s.sing down the garden, stood gravely inspecting the previous night"s performance. It is to be recorded to Mr. Vyner"s credit that he coughed disparagingly as he eyed it.
"Father says that they only want taking up and replanting," said Joan, softly, "and the footmarks caked over, and the mould cleared away from the path. Except for that your a.s.sistance was invaluable."
"I-I didn"t quite say that," said Hartley, mildly.
"You ought to have, then," said Robert, severely. "I had no idea it was so bad. You"ll have to give me some lessons and see whether I do better next time. Or perhaps Miss Hartley will; she seems to be all right, so far as the theory of the thing goes."
Hartley smiled uneasily, and to avoid replying, moved off a little way and became busy over a rosebush.
"Will you?" inquired Mr. Vyner, very softly. "I believe that I could learn better from you than from anybody; I should take more interest in the work. One wants sympathy from a teacher."
Miss Hartley shook her head. "You had better try a three months" course at Dale"s Nurseries," she said, with a smile. "You would get more sympathy from them than from me."
"I would sooner learn from you," persisted Robert.
"I could teach you all I know in half an hour," said the girl.
Mr. Vyner drew a little nearer to her. "You overestimate my powers," he said, in a low voice. "You have no idea how dull I can be; I am sure it would take at least six months."
"That settles it, then," said Joan. "I shouldn"t like a dull pupil."
Mr. Vyner drew a little nearer still. "Perhaps-perhaps "dull" isn"t quite the word," he said, musingly.
"It"s not the word I should-" began Joan, and stopped suddenly.
"Thank you," murmured Mr. Vyner. "It"s nice to be understood. What word would you use?"
Miss Hartley, apparently interested in her father"s movements, made no reply.
"Painstaking?" suggested Mr. Vyner; "a.s.siduous? attentive? devoted?"
Miss Hartley, walking toward the house, affected not to hear. "A fragrant smell of coffee, delicately blended with odour of grilled bacon, came from the open door and turned his thoughts to more mundane things. Mr. Hartley joined them just as the figure of Rosa appeared at the door. "Breakfast is quite ready, miss," she announced.
She stood looking at them, and Mr. Vyner noticed an odd, strained appearance about her left eye which he attributed to a cast. A closer inspection made him almost certain that she was doing her best to wink.
"I laid for three, miss," she said, with great simplicity. "You didn"t say whether the gentleman was going to stop or not; and there"s no harm done if he don"t."
Mr. Hartley started, and in a confused fashion murmured something that sounded like an invitation; Mr. Vyner, in return murmuring something about "goodness" and "not troubling them," promptly followed Joan through the French windows of the small dining-room.
"It"s awfully kind of you," he said, heartily, as he seated himself opposite his host; "as a matter of fact I"m half famished."
He made a breakfast which bore ample witness to the truth of his statement; a meal with long intervals of conversation. To Hartley, who usually breakfasted in a quarter of an hour, and was anxious to start for the office, it became tedious in the extreme, and his eyes repeatedly sought the clock. He almost sighed with relief as the visitor took the last piece of toast in the rack, only to be plunged again into depression as his daughter rang the bell for more. Unable to endure it any longer he rose and, murmuring something about getting ready, quitted the room.
"I"m afraid I"m delaying things," remarked Mr. Vyner, looking after him apologetically.
Miss Hartley said, "Not at all," and, as a mere piece of convention, considering that he had already had four cups, offered him some more coffee. To her surprise he at once pa.s.sed his cup up. She looked at the coffee-pot and for a moment thought enviously of the widow"s cruse.