At length it opened, and Lady Castleton and Julia turned their heads as May glided into the room. Both instinctively rose from their seats as Miss Jane introduced her as "a friend who is living with us."
They bowed, and, taking their seats, continued their conversation, while May took a chair a little on one side between where Harry was standing and his mother and sister.
They both looked at her several times, and Harry observed that their countenances exhibited surprise, and he believed at the same time no small amount of admiration.
At last Julia, drawing her chair a little back, addressed May, and asked if she had been long at Hurlston.
"Yes, ever since I was a child," was the answer.
"May has resided with us several years, and a great blessing and comfort she has proved to me especially," observed Miss Mary.
Julia looked more puzzled than ever. More than once she glanced up at Harry, who now came forward and took a seat near May.
"I was not aware that you had any guest in your house," said Julia; "but I hope we shall now have the pleasure of frequently meeting each other,"
and she looked towards May with a slight bow.
"It will give me very great pleasure to see you, Miss Castleton," said May, who, in spite of her efforts, found herself blushing whenever she spoke, conscious as she was, too, that Lady Castleton was watching her from the other side of the room.
Though she would have liked to talk to Julia, she wished that Miss Mary would again engage her in conversation. Julia, on her part, was somewhat puzzled what to say without appearing rudely inquisitive, and yet she was eager to know who the beautiful young creature could be who had been so long living with her cousins; possibly she was some orphan whom they had protected.
At this juncture luncheon was announced. Miss Jane conducted Lady Castleton into the dining-room, telling Harry to take care of his sister, while May, as usual led Miss Mary.
"What a beautiful creature; who is she?" whispered Julia, looking up in her brother"s face.
"I knew you would admire her," he answered, evasively, meeting her glance, without as he hoped betraying himself. "Our cousins consider her as excellent in every way as she is lovely."
"But what do you think of her?" asked his sister.
"My eyes are not more penetrating than yours: you shall form your own opinion before I reply."
They entered the dining-room before Julia could make any further remark.
May attended to Miss Mary with all the calmness she could command, though she felt that Julia"s and Lady Castleton"s eyes were fixed on her all the time.
Harry exerted himself with considerable success to entertain his cousins and their guests. He could not help wishing, however, that his mother and sister would take their departure as soon as they had seen the garden, for he longed to be again alone with May, and he dreaded lest they might ask their cousins who the beautiful young stranger was. He wished them to admire her first, and he was sure she could not fail to win their admiration, and that they would then be less unwilling than might otherwise be the case to receive her as his promised wife. He would not, indeed, allow himself to see the difficulties which would certainly arise directly they learned who she was; nor could he bring himself to believe that, however great might be their admiration, it would vanish immediately the truth was known. Though May spoke but little, her voice was sweet and musical, and what she said showed her sense and judgment.
After luncheon, Miss Jane invited Lady Castleton and Julia to walk through the grounds, and to see their grotto.
"And is this all your doing, Harry?" asked his mother, after they had admired the grotto and its surrounding rock-work, with the clear pool of water shaded by lofty wide-spreading trees.
"Only partly; I did not originate the designs, to that young lady is due all the credit which they deserve," he answered, looking at May. "I had merely acted as a workman under her superintendence."
"I must not allow the merit they possess to be given to me; Mr Castleton suggested and executed many of the designs," said May, heartily wishing that the ladies had not brought their guests to see the grotto at all.
Lady Castleton was evidently more than ever puzzled. Knowing the world she was now very certain that this fair stranger was her son"s chief attraction to Downside, and determined to cross-question him on the first opportunity.
They returned to the house where, after sitting a few minutes, Lady Castleton begged that her carriage might be ordered. As Harry handed his mother into it, she said quietly--"I am not surprised that you take so much interest in grotto building. You will follow us soon, I hope."
"Oh yes," answered Harry, telling the coachman to drive on. "We shall have time for a little more work," he said, entering the hall where Miss Jane stood watching her departing guests. May resumed her hat and accompanied him to the grotto.
"I feel as if I was acting the hypocrite to my kind friends. I ought to tell them, Harry, and not allow you to come here under false pretences."
"They cannot object to my coming even though you are the attraction. We will tell them at once."
May and Harry, as may be supposed, did very little work; they would probably have been less successful than usual had they attempted it.
At length his watch told him that it was nearly time to return to Texford. They went into the house and found the ladies in the drawing-room. May sat down next to Miss Mary and took her hand.
"I ought to lose no time in telling you what has occurred," she said, trying to maintain her calmness. "Mr Castleton has asked me to marry him."
"My dear!" exclaimed the two Miss Pembertons, in different keys, Miss Jane fixing her eyes on Harry.
"What have you said in reply?" asked Miss Mary.
"Do you suppose that I could refuse him."
"I see, my dear, that you have not," observed Miss Jane, "judging from his countenance. We love you both, and I am sure no two young people could be better suited to each other. But when we invited Harry here we did not dream of such a result. Have you both considered well the consequences."
Yes, Harry declared that he had thought them over seriously.
"At all events, cousin Jane," he exclaimed, jumping up and taking her hand, "you and cousin Mary will not object to my continuing to come here."
"You know we ought to do so should your father and mother not approve of your intentions."
Harry replied that now his mother and sister had seen May, they could not fail to love her.
"Of that I have no doubt," whispered Miss Mary, pressing May"s hand.
Miss Jane was less sanguine. Still they would be happy to see Harry until Sir Ralph prohibited his coming.
Harry continuing to refuse to see any clouds in the horizon, rode home rejoicing that he had won Maiden May.
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.
YOUNG MILES GAFFIN AGAIN.
May had been anxiously looking forward to another visit from Harry on the morning after he had openly declared his love, and she had more than once gone to the front door to watch for his coming. She endeavoured, however, to fix her thoughts as she read, as usual, to Miss Mary from the book of books, and to listen to Miss Jane"s comments, though she might have been puzzled to give any very clear account of the remarks she heard.
"Our May does not seem quite herself," observed Miss Mary, when the two sisters sat together the next morning. "Poor girl, it must have been very trying when she felt that Lady Castleton"s and Julia"s eyes were fixed on her during their visit, especially if they suspected that Harry admires her."
"We ought to have foreseen the consequences of encouraging him to come here," said Miss Jane, "though my conscience acquits me of having designedly thrown the young people together."
"I love May for her gentleness and sweet manner, and her kindness to me," observed Miss Mary. "It never occurred to me that she possessed the beauty which would attract a young and gallant officer like our cousin."
"I shall blame myself if the peaceful happiness May has. .h.i.therto enjoyed is interrupted from our want of discretion, dear girl," said Miss Jane.
"Though nothing we can do can effectually restore it, we can make her all the amends in our power; and I have long been thinking of placing her in as independent a position as is possible should we be removed from the world. I have determined to make my will and to leave her all my property."