the way with Mr. Dunster, and then cut across
by the short path through the fields, as far as I could understand him
through the door. He seemed very much annoyed to hear that Mr. Dunster
had not been at home all night; but he said I was to tell Mrs. Jackson
that he would go to the office as soon as he had had his breakfast, which
he ordered to be sent up directly into his own room, and he had no doubt
it would all turn out right, but that she had better go home at once.
And, as I told her, she might find Mr. Dunster there by the time she got
there. There, there is your I papa going out! He has not lost any time
over his breakfast!"
Ellinor had taken up the
Hamley Examiner
, a daily paper, which lay on
the table, to hide her face in the first instance; but it served a second
purpose, as she glanced languidly over the columns of the advertisements.
"Oh! here are Colonel Macdonald's orchideous plants to be sold. All the
stock of hothouse and stove plants at Hartwell Priory. I must send James
over to Hartwell to attend the sale. It is to last for three days."
"But can he be spared for so long?"
"Oh, yes; he had better stay at the little inn there, to be on the spot.
Three days," and as she spoke, she ran out to the gardener, who was
sweeping up the newly-mown grass in the front of the house. She gave him
hasty and unlimited directions, only seeming intent—if any one had been
suspiciously watching her words and actions—to hurry him off to the
distant village, where the auction was to take place.
When he was once gone she breathed more freely. Now, no one but the
three cognisant of the terrible reason of the disturbance of the turf
under the trees in a certain spot in the belt round the flower-garden,
would be likely to go into the place. Miss Monro might wander round with
a book in her hand; but she never noticed anything, and was short-sighted
into the bargain. Three days of this moist, warm, growing weather, and
the green grass would spring, just as if life—was what it had been
twenty-four hours before.
When all this was done and said, it seemed as if Ellinor's strength and
spirit sank down at once. Her voice became feeble, her aspect wan; and
although she told Miss Monro that nothing was the matter, yet it was
impossible for any one who loved her not to perceive that she was far
from well. The kind governess placed her pupil on the sofa, covered her
feet up warmly, darkened the room, and then stole out on tiptoe, fancying
that Ellinor would sleep. Her eyes were, indeed, shut; but try as much
as she would to be quiet, she was up in less than five minutes after Miss
Monro had left the room, and walking up and down in all the restless
agony of body that arises from an overstrained mind. But soon Miss Monro
reappeared, bringing with her a dose of soothing medicine of her own
concocting, for she was great in domestic quackery. What the medicine
was Ellinor did not care to know; she drank it without any sign of her
usual merry resistance to physic of Miss Monro's ordering; and as the
latter took up a book, and showed a set purpose of remaining with her
patient, Ellinor was compelled to lie still, and presently fell asleep.
She awakened late in the afternoon with a start. Her father was standing
over her, listening to Miss Monro's account of her indisposition. She
only caught one glimpse of his strangely altered countenance, and hid her
head in the cushions—hid it from memory, not from him. For in an
instant she must have conjectured the interpretation he was likely to put
upon her shrinking action, and she had turned towards him, and had thrown
her arms round his neck, and was kissing his cold, passive face. Then
she fell back. But all this time their sad eyes never met—they dreaded
the look of recollection that must be in each other's gaze.
"There, my dear!" said Miss Monro. "Now you must lie still till I fetch
you a little broth. You are better now, are not you?"
"You need not go for the broth, Miss Monro," said
by the short path through the fields, as far as I could understand him
through the door. He seemed very much annoyed to hear that Mr. Dunster
had not been at home all night; but he said I was to tell Mrs. Jackson
that he would go to the office as soon as he had had his breakfast, which
he ordered to be sent up directly into his own room, and he had no doubt
it would all turn out right, but that she had better go home at once.
And, as I told her, she might find Mr. Dunster there by the time she got
there. There, there is your I papa going out! He has not lost any time
over his breakfast!"
Ellinor had taken up the
Hamley Examiner
, a daily paper, which lay on
the table, to hide her face in the first instance; but it served a second
purpose, as she glanced languidly over the columns of the advertisements.
"Oh! here are Colonel Macdonald's orchideous plants to be sold. All the
stock of hothouse and stove plants at Hartwell Priory. I must send James
over to Hartwell to attend the sale. It is to last for three days."
"But can he be spared for so long?"
"Oh, yes; he had better stay at the little inn there, to be on the spot.
Three days," and as she spoke, she ran out to the gardener, who was
sweeping up the newly-mown grass in the front of the house. She gave him
hasty and unlimited directions, only seeming intent—if any one had been
suspiciously watching her words and actions—to hurry him off to the
distant village, where the auction was to take place.
When he was once gone she breathed more freely. Now, no one but the
three cognisant of the terrible reason of the disturbance of the turf
under the trees in a certain spot in the belt round the flower-garden,
would be likely to go into the place. Miss Monro might wander round with
a book in her hand; but she never noticed anything, and was short-sighted
into the bargain. Three days of this moist, warm, growing weather, and
the green grass would spring, just as if life—was what it had been
twenty-four hours before.
When all this was done and said, it seemed as if Ellinor's strength and
spirit sank down at once. Her voice became feeble, her aspect wan; and
although she told Miss Monro that nothing was the matter, yet it was
impossible for any one who loved her not to perceive that she was far
from well. The kind governess placed her pupil on the sofa, covered her
feet up warmly, darkened the room, and then stole out on tiptoe, fancying
that Ellinor would sleep. Her eyes were, indeed, shut; but try as much
as she would to be quiet, she was up in less than five minutes after Miss
Monro had left the room, and walking up and down in all the restless
agony of body that arises from an overstrained mind. But soon Miss Monro
reappeared, bringing with her a dose of soothing medicine of her own
concocting, for she was great in domestic quackery. What the medicine
was Ellinor did not care to know; she drank it without any sign of her
usual merry resistance to physic of Miss Monro's ordering; and as the
latter took up a book, and showed a set purpose of remaining with her
patient, Ellinor was compelled to lie still, and presently fell asleep.
She awakened late in the afternoon with a start. Her father was standing
over her, listening to Miss Monro's account of her indisposition. She
only caught one glimpse of his strangely altered countenance, and hid her
head in the cushions—hid it from memory, not from him. For in an
instant she must have conjectured the interpretation he was likely to put
upon her shrinking action, and she had turned towards him, and had thrown
her arms round his neck, and was kissing his cold, passive face. Then
she fell back. But all this time their sad eyes never met—they dreaded
the look of recollection that must be in each other's gaze.
"There, my dear!" said Miss Monro. "Now you must lie still till I fetch
you a little broth. You are better now, are not you?"
"You need not go for the broth, Miss Monro," said
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