Wilmet was near enough to hear, and colour. She had imagined the last night"s conversation unknown to all; but Underwood reticence was so incapable of guessing at Harewood communicativeness, that it never entered her brain to suspect the topic of conversation between the three juniors as they walked up the drowsy street.
Thanks to the difficulties of getting under weigh from the Harewood house, there was barely time for John and Lance to take their places, while Mr. Harewood got their tickets, and they were whirled off, leaving the others to promenade the platform, just then a complete solitude.
Mr. Harewood, with the attention of the old school, backed by something warmer, gave Wilmet his arm. He and his son John never seemed to belong to so ramshackle a household as the rest, and he was so gentle and fatherly, that when Wilmet found him aware of all, it was a relief to tell her objections without being answered by a lover. After all, she could only repeat that leaving home was so impossible for her, that, as she murmured, "He had better not get to like me any more, it would be such a pity for him."
"That," said Mr. Harewood, with his air of old-fashioned gallantry, "depends on the esteem in which wealth or merit is held."
"And station," said Wilmet, in an undertone.
"For that, my dear, one would be a fool not to honour you and your brother; besides, it may make you more at ease to hear that my father was an apparitor, and I went to Oxford as a servitor, so that in birth you have the advantage of us. Of course, I do not mean that every one does not in the abstract prefer prosperous matches, but John has a fair independent competence, and can afford to do as he pleases; and, for my part, I should be very sorry if this were not what he pleased."
"You are so very kind, but surely if--even if--it must be such long waiting, and you would not like that for him."
"Let us arrive at the _if_ before we settle about the waiting," said Mr. Harewood. "In truth, I have long looked on John as so much the most sensible person in my house, that all I feel called on to do is to hope for his success. I know both you and he will be wise enough not to be either selfish or unselfish in the wrong place."
Wilmet did not quite understand, but she carried away the conviction that she need have no scruple as to the parents" cordial approbation; and she had had her cure from yesterday"s sense of want of individual affection. As to the future? Of course it swelled her heart to think of such love and generous kindness, but she tried to believe that she was as much touched by the goodness of the father as by that of the son, and she would be on her guard against herself unless she saw some reasonable hope that home would ever dispense with her. Dear Wilmet; would she not at any other time have thought it an outrage to think of such a possibility? At any rate, she thought, n.o.body but Felix need ever know.
Little guessed she, as Robina sat opposite, kept silent by the presence of two stout old females, that the child was revolving the question whether she might tell Cherry. She knew that Wilmet would not like her affairs to be discussed without her own permission; but it seemed unfair that when all the Harewoods were open-mouthed, her own sister should know nothing. After all, much would depend on the chances of a tete-a-tete.
At the station stood Clement: "That"s right! I thought you would come by this train. What a comfort! How is Lance?"
"Almost well. How are you getting on?"
"You will soon see for yourself," in an ominous tone.
Just then she was accosted by Mr. Ryder, who was waiting for his own train; and after courteous and anxious inquiries, said, "I was thinking of writing to your eldest brother, but perhaps a word from you would do as well."
"About Bernard?"
"Why, yes, I don"t quite see my way about him. He is a sharp little fellow, and very well taught; in fact, he can afford to do nothing but waste time. Somehow, a boy will now and then seem to come into school with the wrong foot foremost."
"Has he fallen in with idle boys?"
"So I fear. I placed him in a form high for his age, but where the lags have got hold of him, and make him think idleness the thing. So I gather. I conclude he is not to remain here?"
"Do you mean that you wish him to be taken away?" asked Wilmet, in consternation.
"No, no; don"t understand it in that sense," said Mr. Ryder, anxiously. "I only meant that he is doing no good here, and that possibly a change, or the stimulus of preparing for an examination, might rouse him. Good-bye."
And there Mr. Ryder had to rush off to secure his seat.
"Oh! good morning, Miss Underwood!" This was from Mr. Mowbray Smith, a few steps beyond the station. "I am glad to see you back. So your patient is gone to join your eldest brother? But we shall have you here on Sunday? Then there"s the less occasion to name it; but some notice should be taken of the behaviour yesterday evening."
"It was very sad," interposed Clement, "but when once set off by the christening, they could not stop themselves."
"Scarcely a valid excuse," said Mr. Smith, severely, as he made his parting bow. "You know this was not all."
Clement shrugged his shoulders, exclaiming, "So he made that into a personality! You must know there was an unusually squalling baby, whose G.o.dmother went on giving its name as Huggeny; and there was a five minutes" exchange of "What?" on Mr. Smith"s side, and Huggeny on hers, till a whisper came all along--forwarded from the mother, I suppose--"Same as they does their "air"; and then Mr. Smith looked more mystified than ever; some one suggested, "Same as the Empress of the French.""
"Something might be excused on such provocation," owned Wilmet, laughing.
"If that had been all," said Clement; "but Angel and Bernard choose to go and sit by themselves, and I could see, from Felix"s place in the choir, that they were t.i.ttering long after. I shook my head, but Nares must needs make up an odious imitation; and Bernard not only touches Angel to make her look, but grins impudently at me. I found myself growing burning hot with shame, and whenever they looked at me their heads went down and their shoulders worked."
"Naughty children," said Wilmet, but with more than usual lenience to the combined effects of Huggeny and of Clement"s severe countenance in producing one of those paroxysms of giggle that seem invincible in proportion to their unbecomingness. The door was reached and instantly opened, Stella springing into her arms in ecstasy.
"Sister"s come!--O Sister, Sister, Sister, don"t ever go away any more."
There was a great deal of confused kissing and embracing as she made her way upstairs. "But oh, my Tedo, what has happened?" for she beheld a fine sample of Bill Harewood"s violet eye.
"It was Bernard"s stick went into his eye when we were playing at hockey," said Stella. "He did cry terribly, but Sister Constance put such nice stuff--"
"Sister Constance! oh, thank you! but hockey in the garden?"
"I thought it rather a remarkable proceeding," quietly observed the Sister.
"I must hear more about it," said Wilmet. "My poor dear little man, can"t he let Sister go for one instant?--Cherry dear, how are you?"
"All right now you are come. But dear little Lance, how is he looking?"
"Not much worse than you do, my Cherry," said Wilmet, as she saw that the wizened old fairy look was come back. "You have been worse than I knew."
"Oh, I am all right now; and I have had such a treat of Sister Constance."
"I want to take her back with me," said the Sister. "Dr. Lee would like to have her under his eye; and if you can spare her, I would write to-day, and she could go with me to-morrow."
"It is very kind; it might be better for her."
"Of course," interrupted Alda, "it is good for any one to be away from this horrid smell of baked earth, and all these riotous children."
"Ah!" said Wilmet; "didn"t I see the shade of the lamp in the landing-place broken? How was that!"
"Oh! the children, of course," said Alda.
But neither child spoke; and Wilmet perceived that only the twins were in the room, both hanging upon her, while she swallowed her hurried second breakfast.
"No one will tell," said Clement. "It was done the day I went over to Minsterham. I did all I could to find out."
"Yes; and made them more obstinate than before," said Alda.
Another catastrophe here suddenly struck Wilmet, namely, a long and very badly-mended rent in Stella"s spotted pink frock, which, to say the truth, did not look as if it were Monday morning.
"Yes," said Stella, "I did try to mend it as well as I could, Sister, but there wasn"t another work-a-day frock clean."
"Your mending!" exclaimed Wilmet; "but how did you tear it?"
"When I tumbled into the brambles, and was lost."
"Lost, my dear? What does she mean?"
"It is quite true," said Cherry. "Angela and Bernard took her out fishing to Ball"s hatch on Sat.u.r.day, and lost her, only luckily we did not know anything about it till she was safe at home again, dear little darling!"