Volume I Part 68 (1/2)
and dear little creature, as I am sure you have been ever since! And how is your dear aunt Lucy?”
Fleda answered that she was well.
”I used to love her very much ? that was before I knew you ?
before she went abroad. We have just got home ? this spring; and now we are staying at Montepoole for a few days. I shall come and see her to-morrow ? I knew you were somewhere in this region, but I did not know exactly where to find you; that was one reason why I came here to-day, I thought I might hear something of you. And where are your aunt Lucy's children? and how are they?”
”Hugh is at home,” said Fleda, ”and rather delicate ? Charlton is in the army.”
”In the army! In Mexico! ?”
”In Mexico he has been ?”
”Your poor aunt Lucy!”
”? In Mexico he has been, but he is just coming home now ? he has been wounded, and he is coming home to spend a long furlough.”
”Coming home. That will make you all very happy. And Hugh is delicate; and how are you, love? you hardly look like a country-girl. Mr. Olmney!” said Mrs. Evelyn, looking round for her companion, who was standing quietly a few steps off, surveying the scene. ”Mr. Olmney! I am going to do you a favour, Sir, in introducing you to Miss Ringgan, a very old friend of mine. Mr. Olmney, these are not exactly the apple- cheeks and _robustious_ demonstrations we are taught to look for in country-land.”
This was said with a kind of sly funny enjoyment, which took away everything disagreeable from the appeal; but Fleda conceived a favourable opinion of the person to whom it was made from the fact that he paid her no compliment, and made no answer beyond a very pleasant smile.
”What is Mrs. Evelyn's definition of a _very old_ friend?” said he, with another smile, as that lady moved off to take a more particular view of what she had come to see. ”To judge by the specimen before me, I should consider it very equivocal.”
”Perhaps Mrs. Evelyn counts friends.h.i.+ps by inheritance,” said Fleda. ”I think they ought to be counted so.”
” 'Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not,' ”
said the young man.
Fleda looked up and smiled a pleased answer.
”There is something very lovely in the faithfulness of tried friends.h.i.+p, and very uncommon.”
”I know that it is uncommon only by hearsay,” said Fleda. ”I have so many good friends.”
He was silent for an instant, possibly thinking there might be a reason for that, unknown only to Fleda herself.
”Perhaps one must be in peculiar circ.u.mstances to realize it,”
he said, sighing; ? ”circ.u.mstances that leave one of no importance to any one in the world. But it is a kind lesson, ?
one learns to depend more on the one friends.h.i.+p that can never disappoint.”
Fleda's eyes again gave an answer of sympathy; for she thought from the shade that had come upon his face, that these circ.u.mstances had probably been known to himself.
”This is rather an amusing scene,” he remarked presently, in a low tone.
”Very,” said Fleda. ”I have never seen such a one before.”
”Nor I,” said he. ”It is a pleasant scene, too; it is pleasant to see so many evidences of kindness and good feeling on the part of all these people.”
”There is all the more show of it, I suppose, to-day,” said Fleda, ”because we have a new minister coming; they want to make a favourable impression.”
”Does the old proverb of the 'new broom' hold good here too?”
said he, smiling. ”What's the name of your new minister?”