Part 12 (1/2)

As Aunt Nellie was really a consideration in regard to noise, the young people had taken over the harness room as a temporary boudoir during the holidays. They carried down some basket chairs, tacked a few coloured pictures from annuals on its bare walls, and made it look quite pretty.

Tom lighted them a blazing fire every day, and tended it during their absence with the care of a vestal virgin, so they were extremely cosy and jolly there. The joiner's bench and the glue-pot gave facilities for any hobbies they wished to carry on; they could make as much noise as they liked, and walk in and out with dirty boots, unreproved.

To Bevis this visit was elysium. All his experiences of young people had been confined to school, and he had never before spent such a holiday.

”It's grand to be in a home like this!” he said, once, to Mavis. ”I can't help thinking, sometimes, how different life would have been to me if my mother had lived. It's hard not to have even the slightest remembrance of her. Suppose she had been here now and living at 'The Warren'!”

”You'll go there yourself some day.”

”Perhaps. It'll be rather a forlorn business though, being in that big house with only a pack of servants. I believe I'll take a voyage round the world in a yacht. The fact is I can't quite see my future. I'm going to Cambridge, but after that things are vague. I always had dreams of a profession, but the lawyers say I ought to settle down on the estate.

What's a fellow to do?”

”I wouldn't worry your head about it yet. There'll be plenty of time to think things over while you're at College,” counselled Mavis. ”Enjoy your holidays at any rate.”

”No mistake about that. I'm having the luck of my life!”

It was only to Mavis's sympathetic ear that Bevis poured out these confidences. With Merle he was on different terms. He called her 'Soeurette' (little sister) and was always ready for some joke with her.

She and Clive together led him a lively time, as well as keeping him busy helping them to make boxes, build a boat, and several other joinering enterprises.

”It does Bevis all the good in the world to be teased!” declared Merle.

”He certainly gets it, then!” laughed Mavis.

One special grievance had Merle. Bevis had devoted some of his spare time at Shelton College to taking motoring lessons, for he hoped to buy a car some day, and he could now drive so well that Dr. Ramsay trusted him at the steering-wheel.

”It's too bad!” declared that indignant damsel. ”Just because Mother's nervous and thinks I'm going to run her into the ditch! Wait till I've had _my_ course of motoring lessons! I'll take the s.h.i.+ne out of Bevis! See if I don't!”

”You shall try my motor bike, if you like, Soeurette!” consoled Bevis.

”That's to say, if they'll allow you.”

”Don't, for goodness' sake, ask anybody, but just take it out on the quiet and I'll guarantee to ride it. Let's do it this very afternoon!”

returned Merle, somewhat pacified.

On the whole the weather had proved exceedingly wet, so with the exceptions of a few runs in the car with the hood up, they had not ventured very far away, and had mostly taken walks in the neighbourhood.

Bevis naturally wished to explore the Durracombe district, and they had not been to Chagmouth since his arrival, and knew nothing of what was going on there. One drizzling morning, however, when they were all sitting in the harness room, they heard a clatter of hoofs and then a shout in the stable yard, and looking out of the window saw Tudor Williams on his little horse, Armorelle. The girls ran out at once.

”I say! How d'you do?” said Tudor. ”Isn't your man about anywhere to take this horse?”

”Tom's in the greenhouse, I'll fetch him!” and Merle darted across the dripping yard.

”Have you come to see Uncle?” asked Mavis, stroking Armorelle's satin nose.

”No, I've a message from the Mater for you and Merle. Oh, here's your groom! Yes, just give her a wipe down, please” (as Tom led Armorelle away to the stable), ”she's too fat and gets easily hot! Ugh! It's rather a horrid day. The Mater wanted to send me in the car, but I said I'd rather ride.”

”Won't you come into the house?” asked Mavis.

”Or into our den?” invited Merle. ”We've made the harness room into a snuggery.”