The gentleman had been overtaken by his sisters. He was walking his bicycle up the hill rather breathlessly and slowly. Mysie indignantly began, "Of all the stupid things to do, to give goodies to that girl, like a baby!"
"I have been wishing to speak to you," said Gillian. "You are going the way to get that foolish girl into a scrape."
"Oh, yes, of course. Sisters uniformly object to a little civility to a pretty girl," carelessly answered Wilfred.
"Nonsense!" returned Mysie, hotly. "We don't care! only it is not fair on Mr. Delrio."
"The painter cad! A very good thing too! The sacrifice ought to be prevented. Is not that the general sentiment?"
"Wilfred!" cried the scandalised Mysie, "when it is all the other way, and he is ever so much too good for her."
"Consummate prig! The cheek of him pretending to a lady!"
"But, Wilfred," went on downright Mysie, "is it only mischief, or do you want to marry her yourself?"
"Draw your own conclusions," responded Wilfred, mounting his machine, and spinning down the hill faster than they could follow on foot.
"What is to be done, Gill?" sighed Mysie. "Ought we to get mamma to speak to him?"
"Better not," said Gillian, with more experience. "It would only make it worse to take it seriously. Half of it is play-and half to tease you."
"And," said Mysie, with due deference to the engaged sister, "how about Mr. Delrio? Will it make him unhappy?"
"If he finds out in time what a horrid little thing it is, I should say it would be very well for him; but I don't want Will to be the means."
"Oh! when his examination is over, and he gets an appointment, he will go away, and it will be safe."
"I have not much hopes of his getting in!"
"Oh, Gill, none of us ever failed before."
On the side of the Goyle not much was known or cared about Wilfred's little attentions, which were generally out of sight of Magdalen, and did not amount to much; but Paula saw enough of them to consult Agatha on, and to observe that Flapsy was going on just as she used to at Filsted, and she thought Hubert would not like it.
"I believe Flapsy can't live without it," sighed Agatha.
"But would you speak to her? I don't think she ought to let him give her boxes of bonbons-to keep up in her room, and never give a hint to Maidie."
Agatha did speak but the effect was to set Vera into crying out at every one being so intolerably cross about such a trifle, Gillian Merrifield and all!
"Did Gillian speak to you?"
"Yes, as if she had any business to do so!"
"I am sure it is not the way she would treat Captain Armitage."
"I don't believe she cares for Captain Armitage one bit! You said yourself that all the girls at Oxford thought she cared much more for her horrid examination! I wouldn't be a dry, cold-hearted, insensible stick like her for the world."
"Perhaps she is the more quietly in earnest," said Agatha, repenting a little that she had told before Vera the college jokes over what had leaked out of Gillian's reception of Ernley Armitage when he had hastened up to Oxford as soon as his ship was paid off, and she had been called down to him in the Lady Principal's room. Report said that she had only prayed him to keep out of the way, and not to upset her brain, and that he had meekly obeyed-as one who knew what it was to have promotion depending on it.
It was a half truth, exaggerated, but it had not a happy effect on Vera. Nevertheless, the finishing push of preparation brought on such a succession of violent headaches as quite to disable the really delicate boy. Moreover, the tutor declared that there had been little chance of his success, and Dr. Dagger said that he had much better not try again. The best hope for his health, and even for his life, was to keep him at home for a few years, and give him light work.
He had never been the pleasantest element in the household; and if his parents were glad of the avoidance of the risk of a launch into the world, and his mother's love rejoiced in the power of watching over him, there were others who felt his temper a continual trial, while his career was a perplexity.
However, Captain Henderson offered a clerkship at the Marble Works, subject to Mr. White's approval; and this was gratefully accepted. Nor did Agatha come home again at the Long Vacation for more than two days, in which there was no time for consultation with her sisters on matters of uncertain import.
Miss Arthuret and Elizabeth Merrifield had arranged together to take the old roomy farmhouse on Penbeacon for three or four months, and there receive parties of young women in need of rest, fresh air, and, in some cases, of classes, or time for study. It was to be a sort of Holiday House, though not altogether of idleness; and Dolores undertook to be a kind of vice-president, with Agatha to pursue her reading under her superintendence, and to assist in helping others, governesses, students, schoolmistresses from Coalham, in whose behalf indeed the scheme had been first started, and it was extremely delightful to Agatha, among many others.
CHAPTER XIX-TWO WEDDINGS
"How happy by my mother's side
When some dear friend became a bride!
To shine beyond the rest I was
In gay embroidery drest.
Vain of my drapery's rich brocade,
I held my flowing locks to braid."
ANSTICE (from the Greek).
"Epidemics of marriage set in from time to time," said Jane Mohun. "Gillian has set the fashion."
For the Rock Quay neighbourhood was in a state of excitement over a letter from Mrs. White, of Rocca Marina, announcing the approaching marriage of Mr. White's niece, Maura, with Lord Roger Grey, a nephew of dear Emily's husband, and heir to the Dukedom. The White family were coming home for the wedding, and the interest entirely eclipsed that of Gillian Merrifield's. In fact, though that young lady somewhat justified the Oxford stories, she was in a state of much inward agitation between real love for Ernley, and pain in leaving home, so she put on an absolutely imperturbable demeanour. Her reserve and dread of comments made her so undemonstrative and repressive to her Captain that there were those who doubted whether she cared for him at all, or only looked on her wedding as a mediæval maiden might have done, as coming naturally a few years after she had grown up. Ernley Armytage knew better, and so did her parents. The wedding was hurried on by Captain Armytage's appointment to a frigate on the coast of Southern America, where he had to join at once, in lieu of a captain invalided home; and Gillian accepted the arrangements, which would take her to Rio, "as much a matter of course," said her aunt, "as if she had been a wife for ten years." Her uncle, Mr. Mohun, was anxious that the marriage of his sister Lily's daughter should take place at the family home, Beechcroft. If there had been scruples, chiefly founded on the largeness of the party, and the trouble to Mrs. Mohun, these were forgotten in the convenience of being out of the way of Rockstone gossip, as well as for other reasons.
"I should certainly have escaped," said General Mohun. "I have no notion of meeting that unmitigated scamp."
"Mr. White ought to be warned," said Jane.
"You'll do so, I suppose; and much good it will be."
"I do not imagine that it will. It will be too charming to surpass Franciska and Ivinghoe; but if neither you nor Jasper will speak to old Tom, I shall deliver my conscience to Ada."
"And be advised to mind your own business."
Nevertheless, Jane Mohun did deliver her conscience, when, on the day after the arrival, there had been loud lamentations over the intended absence of the Merrifield family. "It would have looked well to make it a double wedding, all in the family," said Mr. White.
To which Miss Mohun only answered by a silence which Mrs. White was unwilling to break, but Maura exclaimed-