Part 5 (2/2)

Without an instant's hesitation she knocked upon the first door she came to. A voice within gave her permission to enter, and she did so.

The Reverend Stephen Lorimer turned from his writing-table with a face of dignified severity to receive her, but at sight of her his expression changed somewhat.

”Ah, Mrs. Denys! You, is it? Pray come in!” he said urbanely. ”Is there any way in which I can be of service to you?”

His eyes were dark and very small, so small that they nearly disappeared when he smiled. But for this slight defect, Mr. Lorimer would have been a handsome man. He rose as Avery approached and placed a chair for her with elaborate courtesy.

”Thank you,” she said. ”I only ran in for a moment--just to tell you that little Jeanie is so tired to-night. She has had no time for her lessons all the afternoon because she has been helping with the little ones in the nursery. She insists upon doing her French exercise, but I am sure you would not wish her to do it if you knew how worn out the child is. May I tell her to leave it for to-night?”

She spoke quickly and very earnestly, with clear eyes raised to Mr.

Lorimer's face. She watched his smile fade and his eyes reappear as she made her appeal.

He did not reply to it for some seconds, and a sharp doubt went through her. She raised her brows in mute interrogation.

”Yes, my dear Mrs. Denys,” he said, in response to her unspoken query, ”I see that you appreciate the fact that there are at least two points of view to every proposition. You tell me that Jeanie was occupied in the nursery during that period of the day which should legitimately have been set aside for the a.s.similation of learning. I presume her presence there was voluntary?”

”Oh, quite.” There was a hint of sharpness in Avery's rejoinder. ”She went out of the goodness of her heart because Nurse had been up practically all night with Baby and needed a rest and I was obliged to go into Wardenhurst for Mrs. Lorimer. So Jeanie took charge of Bertie and David, and Gracie and Pat went with me.”

Mr. Lorimer waved a protesting hand. ”Pray spare yourself and me all these details, Mrs. Denys! I am glad to know that Jeanne has been useful to you, but at the same time she has no right to offer duty upon the altar of kindness. You will acknowledge that to obey is better than sacrifice. As a matter of principle, I fear I cannot remit any of her task, and I trust that on the next occasion she will remember to set duty first.”

A hot flush had risen in Avery's face and her eyes sparkled, but she restrained herself. There was no indignation in her voice as she said: ”Mr. Lorimer, believe me, that child will never s.h.i.+rk her duty. She is far too conscientious. It is really for the sake of her health that I came to beg you to let her off that French exercise. I am sure she is not strong. Perhaps I did wrong to let her be in the nursery this afternoon, though I scarcely know how else we could have managed. But that is my fault, not hers. I take full responsibility for that.”

Mr. Lorimer began to smile again. ”That is very generous of you,” he said. ”But, as a matter of justice, I doubt if the whole burden of it should fall to your share. You presumably were unaware that Jeanne's afternoon should have been devoted to her studies. She cannot plead a like ignorance. Therefore, while dismissing the pet.i.tion, I hold you absolved from any blame in the matter. Pray do not distress yourself any further!”

”I certainly thought it was a half-holiday,” Avery admitted. ”But I am distressed--very greatly distressed--on the child's account. She is not fit for work to-night.”

Mr. Lorimer made an airy gesture expressive of semi-humorous regret.

”Discipline, my dear Mrs. Denys, must be maintained at all costs--even among the members of your charming s.e.x. As a matter of fact, I am waiting to administer punishment to one of my sons at the present moment for an act of disobedience.”

He glanced towards the writing-table on which lay a cane, and again the quick blood mounted in Avery's face.

”Oh, don't you think you are a little hard on your children?” she said; and then impulsively, ”No; forgive me! I ought not to put it like that.

But do you find it answers to be so strict? Does it make them any more obedient?”

He raised his shoulders slightly; his eyes gleamed momentarily ere they vanished into his smile. He shook his head at her with tolerant irony. ”I fear your heart runs away with you, Mrs. Denys, and I must not suffer myself to listen to you. I have my duty--my very distinct duty--to perform, and I must not s.h.i.+rk it. As to the results, they are in other Hands than mine.”

There came a low knock at the door as he finished speaking, and he turned at once to answer it.

”Come in!”

The door opened, and a very small, very nervous boy crept round it. A quick exclamation rose to Avery's lips before she could suppress it. Mr.

Lorimer looked at her interrogatively.

”I was only surprised to see Pat,” she explained. ”He has been with me all the afternoon. I hardly thought he could have had time to get into trouble.”

”Come here, Patrick!” said Mr. Lorimer.

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