Part 7 (2/2)

”It depends on how much he is tried,” said Humphrey. ”I say you never know.”

CHAPTER VI

THE YOUNG BIRDS

”It's a horrid thing for a young girl to have to go through.”

John Spence fitted two walnuts together in the palms of his big hands and cracked them with a sudden tightening of the muscles. His good-humoured ruddy face was solicitous. ”I think they ought to have kept her out of it,” he said.

The dark-panelled dining-room of the Dower House framed a warm picture of two men and two women sitting at the round table, bright with lights and flowers, old silver and sparkling gla.s.s. A fire of applewood twinkled on the hearth; for September had come round, and one section at least of the young birds, now adolescent, were about to discover for themselves what their elders had possibly warned them of: that those great brown creatures, whom they had hitherto known only as protective census-takers, became as dangerous as stoats and weasels when the dew began to lie thick on the gra.s.s.

John Spence had come down for the first day among the Kencote partridges, leaving his own stubbles, which were more copiously populated, until later. d.i.c.k Clinton had generally started the season with him. The Kencote partridges ranked second to the Kencote pheasants, and could very well bide the convenience of those who were to kill them. But they had done very well this year, and it was becoming less easy to draw d.i.c.k away from his home.

”It's good of old John to put off his own shoot and come down here,” he had said to his wife, when he had received the somewhat unexpected acceptance of his invitation.

Virginia had looked at him out of her great dark eyes, and there had been amus.e.m.e.nt in them, as well as the half-protective affection which they always showed towards her handsome husband; but she had said nothing to explain the amus.e.m.e.nt, and he had not noticed it.

The party at the dinner-table was discussing Mrs. Amberley's trial, which was to come on in the following month.

”Joan has got her wits about her,” said d.i.c.k. ”She answered up very well in the police court, and I don't suppose it will be any more terrible next month.”

”Still, I think it's beastly for her,” persisted his friend. ”That woman--putting it to her publicly about Trench! I read it in the evidence.”

”It was a piece of bluff,” said d.i.c.k. ”Still, she ought to have her neck wrung for it.”

”A cat!” said Miss Dexter, Virginia's friend, square-faced and square-figured. ”A spiteful, pilfering cat!”

”Poor darling little Joan!” said Virginia. ”She hates the very name of Bobby Trench now, and she used to make all sorts of fun of him and his love-making before.”

”Oh, he made love to her, did he?” asked Spence.

”Don't talk such nonsense, Virginia,” said d.i.c.k maritally. ”He knew the twins when they were children; looks on them as children now. So they are. He's years older than Joan.”

”Still, she's a very pretty girl,” said John Spence. ”And so is Nancy.”

Virginia laughed. ”It's the same thing,” she said.

”Well, I don't know,” said John Spence judicially. ”In appearance, yes--perhaps so. But there is a difference. You see it more now they are grown up. I think Nancy is cleverer. Of course, they're both clever, but I should say Nancy read more books and things. And what I like about Nancy is that with all her brains she's a real good country girl. I must say I don't care about these knowing young women you meet about London, and in other people's houses.”

Virginia laughed again. ”Tell Mr. Clinton that,” she said. ”He will think you one of the most sensible of men.”

”Well, I don't profess to be a clever fellow myself,” said John Spence modestly; ”but I like a girl to have brains and know how to use 'em, and I like her to like the country. It's what I like myself; and if Mr. Clinton thinks the same I'm with him all the time.”

”Mr. Clinton might not insist upon the brains,” said Miss Dexter.

Virginia held up her finger. ”Toby!” she said warningly, ”we don't criticise our relations-in-law.”

d.i.c.k grinned indulgently at his neighbour. ”How you'll let us have it when you go away from here!” he said.

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