Part 20 (1/2)

Amber showed him round.”

”He is the sweetest little fellow,” Lady Burdon laughed. ”And reading to him--I was going to ask you about that--about lessons, I mean. Does he do lessons? Rollo's education has been terribly neglected, I am afraid. I thought it would be so nice if he could join his new friend in them while he is here.”

”Percival goes every morning to Miss Purdie--you would have pa.s.sed her cottage--next to the Church.”

”Capital,” Lady Burdon said. ”I will arrange for Rollo.”

”She will be delighted. Having Percival has already lost her a chance of another pupil. Mrs. Espart was going to send her little girl over daily, but didn't like the idea of the post-office little boy.”

”Ridiculous!” Lady Burdon cried. ”I will tell her so.” She turned at the sound of much scrambling and laughter in the doorway. ”Ridiculous!

Rollo, you are going to do lessons with Percival. Now won't that be jolly, darling?”

But it was Percival who was first in and came bounding to them with: ”Aunt Maggie! Aunt Maggie! Rollo has got a pony of his own in London and rides it! Well, what do you think of that?”

Aunt Maggie thought it splendid and was introduced to Rollo, and ”suddenly seemed to lose her tongue,” as Lady Burdon told Lord Burdon at lunch. ”Hugged Percival as though she hadn't seen him for a year and scarcely looked at Rollo. Jealous, I believe, at the difference between their stations. Funny, that kind of jealousy, don't you think?”

But it was not jealousy that had silenced Aunt Maggie and caused her to clutch Percival to her breast. At sight of him with Rollo, and of Lady Burdon smiling at him, that fluttering had run up in her brain, and she had clasped Percival to restrain herself while it lasted. It had gone while she held him; but she had almost cried: ”Do you dare smile at him? He is Audrey's son! Audrey's son!”

Percival wriggled from her embrace and she heard Lady Burdon say to Rollo: ”Well, why not a pony here?” and heard her laugh delightedly at the excited roar the suggestion shot out of Percival.

”I wonder if there is anywhere here we could get a pony for Rollo?” she heard Lady Burdon say, and heard the question repeated, and made a great effort to come out of the shaken state in which the fluttering had left her.

”Over at Market Roding you might get a pony,” she said dully. ”There is a Mr. Hannaford there. He has ponies. He supplies ponies to circuses, I have heard.”

Lady Burdon kissed Percival good-by at the gate. ”Lord Burdon shall take you over with Rollo to this Mr. Hannaford,” she told him. ”That Miss Purdie's cottage? We are going to look in on our way. Run back to your Aunt Maggie. She is tired, I think.”

”Well, she's thinking, you know,” said Percival.

Lady Burdon laughed. ”Thinking, is she, you funny little man? Of what?”

And Percival, in his earnest way: ”Well, I don't know. It 'plexes me, you know.”

CHAPTER IV

LITTLE 'ORSES AND LITTLE STU-PIDS

I

The pony was obtained from Mr. Hannaford and lessons were arranged with Miss Purdie.

It was the happiest party that occupied the wagonette on that drive to and from Mr. Hannaford's farm at Market Roding. Lord Burdon, Rollo, Percival--each declared it that evening to have been the very jolliest time that ever was.

”Well, we have had a jolly day, haven't we, old man?” Lord Burdon said to Rollo when he kissed him good night. Lord Burdon had worn a shabby old suit and had told the boys stories till, as he a.s.sured them, his tongue ached; and had walked with them about Mr. Hannaford's farm, with Percival prancing on one side and Rollo quietly beaming on the other.

In London, in the life that Lady Burdon directed at Mount Street, such careless, childish joys were impossible. Not since the day he had spent with Rollo at the Zoological Gardens, when Lady Burdon was at Ascot, had he so completely enjoyed himself--and not a doubt but that the bursting excitement of young Percival was responsible for the far greater joviality of this day at Mr. Hannaford's.

”Did I tell you about when they came to the ditch while we were walking over the farm?” Lord Burdon asked Lady Burdon. ”That little beggar Percival--”

Lady Burdon looked at him over the book she was reading. ”Not a sixth time, _please_, Maurice,” she said. ”I'm really rather tired of hearing it,” and Lord Burdon a.s.sumed his foolishly distressed look and for the remainder of the evening sat smiling over the jolly day in silence.

The jolliest day for Rollo! He had been the quiet one of the party because to be retiring was his nature, but when Percival shouted and when Percival jumped, Rollo's heart was in the shout and Rollo's spirit bounded with the jump. He had never believed there could be such a friend for him or so much new fun in life. Hitherto his chief companion had been his mother, his constant mood a dreamy and shrinking habit of mind. Vigorous Percival introduced him to the novelty of ”games,” showed him what mirth was, and what vigorous young limbs could do. The jolliest day! He fell asleep that night thinking of Percival; in his dreams with Percival raced and shouted; awakened in the morning with Percival for his first thought.

And of course it was the jolliest day for Percival. ”I never had such fun, you know,” Percival declared to Aunt Maggie. ”I rode the pony all alone and Mr. Hannaford said I was a Pocket Marvel; so I should like to know what you think of that?”