Part 36 (2/2)
”How dared he!” Mr Chase thundered ”I arandson of ht, he had no right to say such a thing”
”He--he was most fearfully unhappy,” said Eustace nervously
”That is no excuse for his o and tell Herbert to coreeable errand, and the boy whitened as he turned to obey Mr Chase's pro new to hi at home had always been reserved for quiet talks alone with father orpublic affairs like this
Eustace found Herbert in his own roo up and down the floor with his hands in his pockets He had got control of himself by then, and he turned on his visitor with a look of impatient surprise
”What do you want?” he said
”I'ot to co about what you said, and he ca Heto lecture you”
”You--you told tales?” said Herbert scathingly Without waiting for a reply he marched past his cousin to the schoolroom Eustace could not bear to follow and see him humiliated It would be just a little better for hiht
”Grandfather was fearfully severe,” said Nesta later, when she had found Eustace prowling about like a bear with a sore head alone in the grounds ”So you see it was a beastly thing to say He said Herbert was no gentleize”
”And did he?” asked Eustace shortly
”He said he was sorry if he hadn't behaved like a gentleain Most awfully stiffly he spoke, just like a grown-up, and then grandfather said he o”
”And that before you and Peter!” exclailad I wasn't there; it would have ized to me I don't think Peter behaved like a white et him to myself”
”Grandfather seems to have taken a fancy to Peter,” said Nesta ”He had come up to fetch him when he overheard , and he had better have the rest of it and take hi before; he is not generally supposed to be fond of children, and that is e have no meals downstairs”
Every one was surprised at Mr Chase's sudden partiality for Peter, but the reason was a very simple one From Peter he could hear more about Miss Chase than from any one else No tears choked little Peter's voice when he described Aunt Dorothy's first day, or told the story of her quaint ot the sad part of her visit, and lost himself in his stories The old man led him on from point to point, and learned all that he could of his beloved daughter's stay in Queensland without Peter's guessing what he was really doing
The little felloas radiantly happy They walked about the grounds together, and presently Mr Chase said Peter ly, out went Peter on a little pony with Mr Chase at its head, and the riding lessons began
”It doesn't look as if grandfather thought it was Peter's fault,”
said Nesta to Eustace; ”he seems fonder of him than any one”
If Peter was content, not so the twins The scene with Herbert had produced a very uncoer played the part of host, but kept out of his cousins' way asexpeditions by hi the schoolrooht hi that Herbert had been very hardly treated in his own ho fellow's unhappiness over the awful loss of his beloved aunt, and Eustace could have forgiven ainst Peter in the face of such real distress But he had no chance of showing his sympathy; Herbert would have resented any exhibition of sentily ahenever he ith him, and wished with all his heart he could awake to find all these unfortunate English experiences nothing but a bad dream
Between her loyalty to her brother and the sense of courtesy that bade her look after her cousins, Brenda had a very difficult course to steer; being proud and reserved by nature, she only succeeded in being exceedingly stiff in her atteets horrider and horrider,” Nesta said after two or three days of it
But the secret treaty not to trouble their
”It will come to an end in a year,” Eustace said bravely; ”and we couldn't bear it after we got back if we had to re for it such a long time”
Because they saw so comparatively little of their rievances fro the pleasures with herself, it never occurred to her to suspect that anything rong