Part 81 (1/2)
”You are too good, Miss Bradley,” returned Katherine, touched by her kind tone. ”If Mrs. Needham can spare me, I shall of course be delighted to come;” and she resolved mentally that she should _not_ be spared.
”Major Urquhart,” continued Miss Bradley, turning to a very tall, thin, soldierly-looking man, who might once have been fair, but was now burnt to brickdust hue, with long tawny moustache and thick overhanging eyebrows of the same color, ”pray take Miss Liddell round the grounds, and show her my favorite fernery.”
Major Urquhart bowed low and presented his arm.
”I see,” continued Angela, ”that Mrs. Needham is already absorbed by a dozen dear friends.”
”You have not been here before,” said Major Urquhart, in a deep hollow voice.
”Never.”
”Charming place! immensely improved since I went to India five years ago.”
”Miss Bradley has great taste,” remarked Katherine.
”Wonderful--astonis.h.i.+ng; she has made all this fernery since I was here last.”
Then there was a long pause, and a few more sentences expressive of admiration were exchanged, and somehow Katherine began to feel that her companion was rather bored and preoccupied, so she turned her steps towards the house, intending to release him.
At the further side of the fernery, in a pretty path between green banks, they suddenly met Errington face to face.
”Miss Bradley wants you, Urquhart,” he said, as soon as they had exchanged salutations. ”You may leave Miss Liddell in my charge, if she will permit.” Major Urquhart bowed himself off, and Errington continued, ”You would not suspect that was a very distinguished officer.”
”I don't know; he seems very silent and inanimate.”
”Well, I a.s.sure you he is a very fine fellow, and did great deeds in the Mutiny. But come, the lawn is looking quite picturesque in the suns.h.i.+ne, with the groups of people scattered about. It would be perfect were it sleeping in the tranquil silence of a restful Sabbath day.”
”Are you not something of a hermit in your tastes?” asked Katherine, looking up at him with one of her sunny smiles.
”By no means. I like the society of my fellow-men, but I like a spell of solitude every now and then, as a rest and refreshment on the dusty road of life.”
”I begin to think peace the greatest boon heaven can bestow.”
”Yes, after the late vicissitudes, it must seem to you the greatest good. Let us sit down under this cedar; there is a pretty peep across the common to the blue distance. We might be a hundred miles from London, everything is so calm.”
They sat silent for a few moments, a sense of peace and safety stealing over Katherine's heart.
Suddenly Errington turned to her, and said,
”Our friend De Burgh can scarcely know himself in his new condition.”
”He seems remarkably at home, however. I hope he will distinguish himself as an enlightened and benevolent legislator.”
”He must be a good deal changed if he does. You have seen a great deal of him, I believe, since he returned to London?”
”I have seen him several times. He seems to get on with Mrs. Needham.”
”With Mrs. Needham?” repeated Errington, in a slightly mocking tone, and elevating his eyebrows in a way that made Katherine blush for her uncandid remark.
”Well, Mrs. Needham seems to have taken immensely to him.”