Part 122 (2/2)

Geoffrey looked, in stolid submission, from one to the other.

”I am not much versed in these things,” he repeated. ”I have said already, I leave it to you.”

They were by this time close under Anne's window. She showed herself.

Sir Patrick took off his hat. Blanche kissed her hand with a cry of joy, and attempted to enter the cottage. Geoffrey stopped her--and called to his wife to come down.

”No! no!” said Blanche. ”Let me go up to her in her room.”

She attempted for the second time to gain the stairs. For the second time Geoffrey stopped her. ”Don't trouble yourself,” he said; ”she is coming down.”

Anne joined them in the front garden. Blanche flew into her arms and devoured her with kisses. Sir Patrick took her hand in silence. For the first time in Anne's experience of him, the bright, resolute, self-reliant old man was, for the moment, at a loss what to say, at a loss what to do. His eyes, resting on her in mute sympathy and interest, said plainly, ”In your husband's presence I must not trust myself to speak.”

Geoffrey broke the silence.

”Will you go into the drawing-room?” he asked, looking with steady attention at his wife and Blanche.

Geoffrey's voice appeared to rouse Sir Patrick. He raised his head--he looked like himself again.

”Why go indoors this lovely weather?” he said. ”Suppose we take a turn in the garden?”

Blanche pressed Anne's hand significantly. The proposal was evidently made for a purpose. They turned the corner of the cottage and gained the large garden at the back--the two ladies walking together, arm in arm; Sir Patrick and Geoffrey following them. Little by little, Blanche quickened her pace. ”I have got my instructions,” she whispered to Anne.

”Let's get out of his hearing.”

It was more easily said than done. Geoffrey kept close behind them.

”Consider my lameness, Mr. Delamayn,” said Sir Patrick. ”Not quite so fast.”

It was well intended. But Geoffrey's cunning had taken the alarm.

Instead of dropping behind with Sir Patrick, he called to his wife.

”Consider Sir Patrick's lameness,” he repeated. ”Not quite so fast.”

Sir Patrick met that check with characteristic readiness. When Anne slackened her pace, he addressed himself to Geoffrey, stopping deliberately in the middle of the path. ”Let me give you my message from Holchester House,” he said. The two ladies were still slowly walking on.

Geoffrey was placed between the alternatives of staying with Sir Patrick and leaving them by themselves--or of following them and leaving Sir Patrick. Deliberately, on his side, he followed the ladies.

Sir Patrick called him back. ”I told you I wished to speak to you,” he said, sharply.

Driven to bay, Geoffrey openly revealed his resolution to give Blanche no opportunity of speaking in private to Anne. He called to Anne to stop.

”I have no secrets from my wife,” he said. ”And I expect my wife to have no secrets from me. Give me the message in her hearing.”

Sir Patrick's eyes brightened with indignation. He controlled himself, and looked for an instant significantly at his niece before he spoke to Geoffrey.

”As you please,” he said. ”Your brother requests me to tell you that the duties of the new position in which he is placed occupy the whole of his time, and will prevent him from returning to Fulham, as he had proposed, for some days to come. Lady Holchester, hearing that I was likely to see you, has charged me with another message, from herself.

She is not well enough to leave home; and she wishes to see you at Holchester House to-morrow--accompanied (as she specially desires) by Mrs. Delamayn.”

In giving the two messages, he gradually raised his voice to a louder tone than usual. While he was speaking, Blanche (warned to follow her instructions by the glance her uncle had cast at her) lowered her voice, and said to Anne:

<script>