Part 28 (2/2)
Bowing courteously, the minister moved away, followed perforce by Miss Coombe. (An invitation to lunch at the manse is an honour not to be trifled with.) Perforce also the doctor stood aside and Willits caught the look, half shy, half merry, which the girl threw him from the depths of her remarkable eyes. It was really quite interesting, and rather funny. Not often had he seen fair ladies carried off from under the nose of Henry Callandar. Transferring his glance quickly to the face of his friend, he hoped to surprise a look of chagrin upon his abashed countenance, but the countenance was not abashed, and the look which he did surprise there startled him considerably. Henry Callandar, of all men, to be looking after any girl with a look like that!
Well, he had been invited to come and see. And he had seen.
CHAPTER XVI
As Esther walked away, demurely acquiescent, by the side of the Rev. Mr.
Macnair she was conscious of a conflict of emotions. The sight of the doctor's disappointed face as he stood hat in hand, awoke regret and perhaps a trifle of girlish gratification. She had been sorry herself to miss that half hour among the roses but she was still too young and too happy to know how few are such hours, how irrevocable such losses. Also, it had seemed good to her maidenly pride that Dr. Callandar should know--well, that he should see--just exactly what he should know and see she did not formulate. But underneath her temporary disappointment she felt as light and glad as a bird in springtime.
The minister was speaking, but he had been speaking for several moments before Esther's delighted flutter would permit of her listening to him.
When at last her thoughts came back she noticed, with a happy-guilty start, that his tone was one of dignified reproof.
”Naturally we all understand,” he was saying, ”at least I hope we all understand, that you are not primarily to blame. At the worst one can only impute carelessness--”
”Oh, but it wasn't carelessness! You don't know Buster. He's the _cleverest_ dog! He hid. I had no idea that he was with me until he bounded past me at the church door. And though I whistled and tried to grab him he was in before I knew it. I'll make him sit up meekly and beg your pardon.”
A flush of what in a layman might have been anger crimsoned the minister's cheek.
”You are well aware,” stiffly, ”that I am not referring to the incident of the dog.”
”To what then? I am sorry I wasn't listening but you seemed to be scolding and I couldn't think of anything else.” Even the abstruse Mr.
Macnair saw that her surprise was genuine. His tone grew gentler.
”You are very young, Miss Esther. But since I must speak more plainly, I was referring to that mad escapade of a week ago. Don't misunderstand me, the blame undoubtedly rests upon the man who was thoughtless enough, selfish enough, to put you in such a position.”
”Whatever do you mean?” Esther was torn between anger and a desire to laugh. But seeing the earnestness in his face, anger predominated. ”Can you possibly be referring to the breakdown of Dr. Callandar's motor?”
she asked coldly.
”I refer to the whole unfortunate adventure. If your step-mother had been at home I feel sure it would not have happened. She would never have permitted the excursion to take place.”
The girl's dark brows drew together in their own peculiar manner.
”Let us be honest,” she suggested. ”You know quite well that my step-mother would not have bothered about it in the least.”
”I feel it my duty,” went on the minister, ”to tell you that there were some peculiar features in connection with the disablement of the motor.
I understand from the mechanician who accompanied Dr. Callandar to the spot for the recovery of the machine that there was really very little the matter. A short ten minutes completed the necessary repairs.”
”Ten minutes? Oh, how silly he must have felt--the doctor I mean. After all the hours he spent and the things he said.” She laughed with reminiscent amus.e.m.e.nt. ”He threw the monkey wrench at it, too. And he thought he knew so much about motors!”
Her companion observed her with sombre eyes. Was it possible that she had actually missed the point of his remark?
”Can you understand,” he said slowly, ”how a man used to driving a motor car can have been entirely baffled by so slight an accident? To me it seems--odd!”
”So Dr. Callandar thought, only he expressed it more forcibly.”
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