Part 38 (1/2)
They began to talk about the advisability ofquiet, studied the others She saw Mrs Halliday was pleased and thought she understood this Mordaunt puzzled her His rather dark face was hard to read, but she had got a hint of disappoint and Dryholm and Bernard declared he was too old Then she suspected a touch of bitterness in his next re, except perhaps Bernard, who had looked at Mordaunt hard Carrie did not like Mordaunt; he so to know Jiift,”
Bernard resuh the matter and if Jiot up and shi+vered as the creeping shadow touched the bench he occupied So the terrace and Ji anih cahed at her jokes Noas always kind but he forgot her when Evelyn was about She turned rather looures on the lawn and Carrie thought he looked annoyed, but he smiled when he heard her step
”They have left you alone?” he said ”Well, we must amuse each other, and there are some flowers in the hot-house that I don't think you have seen”
Carrie ith hihtfully Bernard's reuess what he h this was to soan to talk; and when they reached the hot-house he answered her questions about the floith old-fashi+oned politeness By and by he glanced at a therht turned to Carrie, as looking at the patches of glowing color that broke the long banks of green
”Beautiful things but fragile, and they have no srow them because they cost us much The flowers of the bleak North are sweet”
By and by Jilance about exclaimed: ”These are very fine!”
”You have an eye for color,” Bernard remarked ”Their beauty's ale that they are foul-feeders and thrive on rottenness Soive them all for the cloudberry bloo It feeds on thesnow and opens its chaste white cup nearest the sky”
”You declared you were not a sentimentalist,” said Jim
”Oh, well,” said Bernard, ”you must make allowances for an old an to throb, and s and I expect the others are waiting Come back soon and cheer me up”
He ith thehtful for a few lad Bernard liked Carrie, but perhaps it was strange he had not urged Evelyn to co; one could not understand his an to talk
A week later, four gentle-rooround where the hills dip to the seaboard plain
Three were rather fat, gray-haired, and sole The latter indicated a siphon and decanter on the table when Mordaunt came in
”Help yourself,” he said ”Where's dick?”
”I arranged to pick him up at the cross-roads, but he wasn't there,”
Mordaunt replied ”dick's a careless fellow and I didn't want to be late”
He filled a glass and when he sat down one of the others reone and it is our melancholy duty to fill his post
This will not be easy; Alan was a keen sportsman and a man of tact He commanded the farmers' respect and had the interest of the hunt at heart For all that, the hunt is a useful institution and e sends down the water in sudden floods and when, between times, the rivers run low the trout and salmon are the otter's easy prey It is our duty to preserve the fisheries, and help, as far as we are able, a bracing English sport”
He drained his glass while the others signed approval Hodson had cleared the ground neatly and the business could begin
”Our choice is somewhat limited,” said another ”I think we have all found it a drawback to keep the hounds near the hills, since the enerally held by the deep water in the flat holo to Dryholarette and then replied: ”I'm afraid you must rule out Dryholm Bernard declares he is too old to take the hounds”
”But what about yourself?”
”I a
The others hesitated They were cautious and did not want to venture on dangerous ground, but there was soest man, remarked: ”After all, an offer of the hounds is a compliment and its acceptance, to some extent, a public duty If this vieere put before Bernard Dearhaeht fill the post and Bernard provide the ested ”Bernard, however, does not seeave hiined he had felt so The nener is your relation