Part 22 (1/2)

There was nothing to be seen from Miss Jean's usual seat, but the sea and one rocky cape in the northern distance. ”It is company to me,”

said she. ”It is ay changing.”

”But it is dreary whiles, aunt, very dreary, when the wind blows loud, and the winter is here.” Miss Jean smiled.

”I think winter makes less difference to my outlook than it does to yours, Jean, my dear. It's ay the sea, and ay the same, yet ay changing ilka day o' the year, be it summer or winter. It is like a friend's face to me now after all that's come and gone.”

It was not easy getting below the surface of things, because their thoughts were of the kind not easily spoken. Miss Jean said least, but she looked and listened and was moved by the soft flowing English speech of their new friend, in a way that filled her with amazement, ”after all these years,” she said to herself.

By and by May came in, leaving Hugh Corbett in the pony carriage at the door. She hesitated a moment, shy, but smiling, on the threshold, and then Mr Manners led her forward to be kissed and congratulated and made much of by her aunt.

”Ye'll try and be a good wife--as your mother was,” said Miss Jean softly, and she gave a tearful, appealing glance toward him who had won the child's heart.

”I love her dearly,” said he gently. ”And I will care for her first always.”

”I believe ye,” said Miss Jean.

What with his good, true face, his kindly ways and winning-speech, he had won her good word, as easily as he had won Jean's ”who liked him at the first glance,” as she had told her father.

Mr Manners' visit was necessarily brief, but when he went away, he carried with him the good-will, and more than the good-will, of them all. Even young Corbett, who had at first resented the break made in the pleasant life they had been living of late by his monopolising Miss May's time and attention, agreed with the rest at last. They became mutually interested over sh.e.l.ls and seaweeds, beetles and birds' nests, and they were very friendly before Mr Manners went away.

Before his departure Mr Manners put Jean's friends.h.i.+p to the test.

”If you are on my side, I shall be able to bring about that on which I have set my heart, and I must remind you of your promise.”

Jean laughed.

”It seems that you are like to get that on which you have set your heart without the help of any one.”

”Ah! but how would it have been if you had set yourself against me? Or if you were to do so even now?”

”It is too late for that now, and I don't think you are much afraid.”

”Jean,” said he gravely, ”I want my May for my very own on the first day of August.” Jean was not so startled as she might have been. ”I did not think you would be willing to wait very long. But the first of August! That is not much more than three months. It will look like haste.”

There were, it seemed, many good reasons for that which looked like haste. The chief one was this: Mr Manners looked forward to two full months of leisure after that time, which could not happen again for another year. He had set his heart on carrying his bonny May to Switzerland for the whole two months.

”Think what that would be in comparison to a winter marriage, and then straight to a dull house in a London street!”

”Will she find it dull, do you think?” asked Jean smiling. ”Ah! that may be very possible, even though I know she will go willingly. Miss Dawson, I feel as if I were guilty of wrong-doing in thinking to take my darling from a home like this, to such a one as I can give her, even though I believe she loves me.”

But Jean smiled still. ”You need not fear.”

”Thanks. I will not. But in those two months, think how we should learn to know each other, as we could not in my busy days in London!

And she would learn to trust me. And it might be if you were to be on my side. As to preparations--dresses and things--”

”It is not that. All that is quite secondary. I mean I could see to all that after,” said Jean to his surprise. ”It is something quite different that I was thinking about.”

It was the return of the ”John Seaton” with her brother George on board of which she was thinking, and she was wondering whether it would be right to let her sister go, if he should not be home before that time.

But she could not speak to Mr Manners of this. Indeed she could speak of nothing for the moment. For May came into the room, and her lover intimated triumphantly that her sister agreed with him as to the important matter of the time.