Volume Ii Part 19 (1/2)

”Very wily,--very subtle all this, doctor. Do you know, I 'm half frightened at the thought of trusting myself to such a master of intrigue and mystification.”

”Have no fears; I reserve all my craft for my clients.” And with this he left the room, but only for a few minutes; for he met Barrington on the stairs, and speedily obtained permission to take his boat to Inistioge, having first pledged himself to come back with Stapylton to dinner.

”We shall see, we shall see,” muttered Stapylton to himself. ”Your daughter must decide where I am to dine today.”

By the way--that is, as they glided along the bright river--Dill tried to prepare Stapylton for the task before him, by sundry hints as to Polly's temper and disposition, with warnings against this, and cautions about that. ”Above all,” said he, ”don't try to overreach her.”

”Perfect frankness--candor itself--is my device. Won't that do?”

”You must first see will she believe it,” said the doctor, slyly; and for the remainder of the way there was a silence between them.

CHAPTER XIII. CROSS-PURPOSES

”Where 's Miss Polly?” said Dill, hastily, as he pa.s.sed his threshold.

”She's making the confusion of roses in the kitchen, sir,” said the maid, whose chemistry had been a neglected study.

”Tell her that I have come back, and that there is a gentleman along with me,” said he, imperiously, as he led the way into his study. ”I have brought you into this den of mine, Major, because I would just say one word more by way of caution before you see Polly. You may imagine, from the small range of her intercourse with the world, and her village life, that her acuteness will not go very far; don't be too sure of that,--don't reckon too much on her want of experience.”

”I suppose I have encountered as sharp wits as hers before this time o' day,” replied he, half peevishly; and then, with an air of better temper, added, ”I have no secrets to hide, no mystery to cloak. If I want her alliance, she shall herself dictate the terms that shall requite it.”

The doctor shook his head dubiously, but was silent.

”I half suspect, my good doctor,” said Stapylton, laughing, ”that your charming daughter is a little, a very little, of a domestic despot; you are all afraid of her; never very sure of what she will say or do or think on any given circ.u.mstances, and nervously alive to the risk of her displeasure.”

”There is something in what you say,” remarked Dill, with a sigh; ”but it was always my mistake to bring up my children with too much liberty of action. From the time they were so high”--and he held his hand out about a yard above the floor--”they were their own masters.”

Just as the words had fallen from him, a little chubby, shock-headed fellow, about five years old, burst into the room, which he believed unoccupied, and then, suddenly seeing his papa, set up a howl of terror that made the house ring.

”What is it, Jimmy,--what is it, my poor man?” said Polly, rus.h.i.+ng with tucked-up sleeves to the spot; and, catching him up in her arms, she kissed him affectionately.

”Will you take him away?--will you take him out of that?” hissed out Dill between his teeth. ”Don't you see Major Stapylton here?”

”Oh, Major Stapylton will excuse a toilette that was never intended for his presence.”

”I will certainly say there could not be a more becoming one, nor a more charming tableau to display it in!”

”There, Jimmy,” said she, laughing; ”you must have some bread and jam for getting me such a nice compliment.”

And she bore away the still sobbing urchin, who, burying his head in her bosom, could never summon courage to meet his father's eye.

”What a s.p.a.cious garden you appear to have here!” said Stapylton, who saw all the importance of a diversion to the conversation.

”It is a very much neglected one,” said Dill, pathetically. ”My poor dear boy Tom used to take care of it when he was here; he had a perfect pa.s.sion for flowers.”

Whether that Tom was a.s.sociated in the Major's mind with some other very different tastes or not, Stapylton smiled slightly, and after a moment said, ”If you permit me, I 'll take a stroll through your garden, and think over what we have been talking of.”

”Make yourself at home in every respect,” said Dill. ”I have a few professional calls to make in the village, but we 'll meet at luncheon.”