"And then?" inquired Venetia, eagerly.
"Why, then, like a fool, I went back to bed," said Plantagenet. "I thought it would seem so silly if I were caught, and I might not have had the good fortune to escape twice. I know no more."
Venetia could not reply. She heard a laugh, and then her mother"s voice. They were called with a gay summons to see a colossal snow-ball, that some of the younger servants had made and rolled to the window of the terrace-room. It was ornamented with a crown of holly and mistletoe, and the parti-coloured berries looked bright in a straggling sunbeam which had fought its way through the still-loaded sky, and fell upon the terrace.
In the evening, as they sat round the fire, Mrs. Cadurcis began telling Venetia a long rambling ghost story, which she declared was a real ghost story, and had happened in her own family. Such communications were not very pleasing to Lady Annabel, but she was too well bred to interrupt her guest. When, however, the narrative was finished, and Venetia, by her observations, evidently indicated the effect that it had produced upon her mind, her mother took the occasion of impressing upon her the little credibility which should be attached to such legends, and the rational process by which many unquestionable apparitions might be accounted for. Dr. Masham, following this train, recounted a story of a ghost which had been generally received in a neighbouring village for a considerable period, and attested by the most veracious witnesses, but which was explained afterwards by turning out to be an instance of somnambulism.
Venetia appeared to be extremely interested in the subject; she inquired much about sleep-walkers and sleepwalking; and a great many examples of the habit were cited. At length she said, "Mamma, did you ever walk in your sleep?"
"Not to my knowledge," said Lady Annabel, smiling; "I should hope not."
"Well, do you know," said Plantagenet, who had hitherto listened in silence, "it is very curious, but I once dreamt that you did, Lady Annabel."
"Indeed!" said the lady.
"Yes! and I dreamt it last night, too," continued Cadurcis. "I thought I was sleeping in the uninhabited rooms here, and the door opened, and you walked in with a light."
"No! Plantagenet," said Venetia, who was seated by him, and who spoke in a whisper, "it was not--"
"Hush!" said Cadurcis, in a low voice.
"Well, that was a strange dream," said Mrs. Cadurcis; "was it not, Doctor?"
"Now, children, I will tell you a very curious story," said the Doctor; "and it is quite a true one, for it happened to myself."
The Doctor was soon embarked in his tale, and his audience speedily became interested in the narrative; but Lady Annabel for some time maintained complete silence.
CHAPTER XI.
The spring returned; the intimate relations between the two families were each day more confirmed. Lady Annabel had presented her daughter and Plantagenet each with a beautiful pony, but their rides were at first to be confined to the park, and to be ever attended by a groom.
In time, however, duly accompanied, they were permitted to extend their progress so far as Cadurcis. Mrs. Cadurcis had consented to the wishes of her son to restore the old garden, and Venetia was his princ.i.p.al adviser and a.s.sistant in the enterprise. Plantagenet was fond of the abbey, and nothing but the agreeable society of Cherbury on the one hand, and the relief of escaping from his mother on the other, could have induced him to pa.s.s so little of his time at home; but, with Venetia for his companion, his mornings at the abbey pa.s.sed charmingly, and, as the days were now at their full length again, there was abundance of time, after their studies at Cherbury, to ride together through the woods to Cadurcis, spend several hours there, and for Venetia to return to the hall before sunset. Plantagenet always accompanied her to the limits of the Cherbury grounds, and then returned by himself, solitary and full of fancies.
Lady Annabel had promised the children that they should some day ride together to Marringhurst, the rectory of Dr. Masham, to eat strawberries and cream. This was to be a great festival, and was looked forward to with corresponding interest. Her ladyship had kindly offered to accompany Mrs. Cadurcis in the carriage, but that lady was an invalid and declined the journey; so Lady Annabel, who was herself a good horsewoman, mounted her jennet with Venetia and Plantagenet.
Marringhurst was only five miles from Cherbury by a cross-road, which was scarcely pa.s.sable for carriages. The rectory house was a substantial, square-built, red brick mansion, shaded by gigantic elms, but the southern front covered with a famous vine, trained over it with elaborate care, and of which, and his espaliers, the Doctor was very proud. The garden was thickly stocked with choice fruit-trees; there was not the slightest pretence to pleasure grounds; but there was a capital bowling-green, and, above all, a grotto, where the Doctor smoked his evening pipe, and moralised in the midst of his cuc.u.mbers and cabbages. On each side extended the meadows of his glebe, where his kine ruminated at will. It was altogether a scene as devoid of the picturesque as any that could be well imagined; flat, but not low, and rich, and green, and still.
His expected guests met as warm a reception as such a hearty friend might be expected to afford. Dr. Masham was scarcely less delighted at the excursion than the children themselves, and rejoiced in the sunny day that made everything more glad and bright. The garden, the grotto, the bowling-green, and all the novelty of the spot, greatly diverted his young companions; they visited his farmyard, were introduced to his poultry, rambled over his meadows, and admired his cows, which he had collected with equal care and knowledge. Nor was the interior of this bachelor"s residence devoid of amus.e.m.e.nt. Every nook and corner was filled with objects of interest; and everything was in admirable order. The G.o.ddess of neatness and precision reigned supreme, especially in his hall, which, though barely ten feet square, was a cabinet of rural curiosities. His guns, his fishing-tackle, a cabinet of birds stuffed by himself, a fox in a gla.s.s-case that seemed absolutely running, and an otter with a real fish in its mouth, in turn delighted them; but chiefly, perhaps, his chimney-corner of Dutch tiles, all Scriptural subjects, which Venetia and Plantagenet emulated each other in discovering.
Then his library, which was rare and splendid, for the Doctor was one of the most renowned scholars in the kingdom, and his pictures, his prints, and his gold fish, and his canary birds; it seemed they never could exhaust such sources of endless amus.e.m.e.nt; to say nothing of every other room in the house, for, from the garret to the dairy, his guests encouraged him in introducing them to every thing, every person, and every place.
"And this is the way we old bachelors contrive to pa.s.s our lives,"
said the good Doctor; "and now, my dear lady, Goody Blount will give us some dinner."
The Doctor"s repast was a substantial one; he seemed resolved, at one ample swoop, to repay Lady Annabel for all her hospitality; and he really took such delight in their partic.i.p.ation of it, that his princ.i.p.al guest was constrained to check herself in more than one warning intimation that moderation was desirable, were it only for the sake of the strawberries and cream. All this time his housekeeper, Goody Blount, as he called her, in her lace cap and ruffles, as precise and starch as an old picture, stood behind his chair with pleased solemnity, directing, with unruffled composure, the movements of the liveried b.u.mpkin who this day was promoted to the honour of "waiting at table."
"Come," said the Doctor, as the cloth was cleared, "I must bargain for one toast, Lady Annabel: "Church and State.""
"What is Church and State?" said Venetia.
"As good things. Miss Venetia, as strawberries and cream," said the Doctor, laughing; "and, like them, always best united."
After their repast, the children went into the garden to amuse themselves. They strolled about some time, until Plantagenet at length took it into his head that he should like to learn to play at bowls; and he said, if Venetia would wait in the grotto, where they then were talking, he would run back and ask the Doctor if the servant might teach him. He was not long absent; but appeared, on his return, a little agitated. Venetia inquired if he had been successful, but he shook his head, and said he had not asked.
"Why did you not?" said Venetia.
"I did not like," he replied, looking very serious; "something happened."
"What could have happened?" said Venetia.
"Something strange," was his answer.
"Oh, do tell me, Plantagenet!"
"Why," said he, in a low voice, "your mamma is crying."
"Crying!" exclaimed Venetia; "my dear mamma crying! I must go to her directly."
"Hush!" said Plantagenet, shaking his head, "you must not go."
"I must."
"No, you must not go, Venetia," was his reply; "I am sure she does not want us to know she is crying."
"What did she say to you?"
"She did not see me; the Doctor did, and he gave me a nod to go away."
"I never saw mamma cry," said Venetia.
"Don"t you say anything about it, Venetia," said Plantagenet, with a manly air; "listen to what I say."
"I do, Plantagenet, always; but still I should like to know what mamma can be crying about. Do tell me all about it."
"Why, I came to the room by the open windows, and your mamma was standing up, with her back to me, and leaning on the mantel-piece, with her face in her handkerchief; and the Doctor was standing up too, only his back was to the fireplace; and when he saw me, he made me a sign to go away, and I went directly."
"Are you sure mamma was crying?"
"I heard her sob."
"I think I shall cry," said Venetia.
"You must not; you must know nothing about it. If you let your mamma know that I saw her crying, I shall never tell you anything again."
"What do you think she was crying about, Plantagenet?"