“Imp,” I whispered as the others turned away, “where did you hide those stockings?” And I slipped the half crown into his ready palm.
“Along the river there’s a tree - very big an’ awfull’ fat, you know, with a lot of stickie-out branches, an’ a hole in its stomach - they’re in there.”
“Reginald!” called Lisbeth.
“Up stream or down?”
“That way,” he answered, pointing vaguely down stream; and with a nod that brought the yellow curls over his eyes he scampered off.
“Along the river,” I repeated, “in a big, fat tree with a lot of stickie-out branches!” It sounded a trifle indefinite, I thought - still I could but try. So having packed up my rod I set out upon the search.
It was strange, perhaps, but nearly every tree I saw seemed to be either “big” or “fat” - and all of them had “stickie-out” branches.
Thus the sun was already low in the west, and I was lighting my fifth pipe when I at length observed the tree in question.
A great pollard oak it was, standing upon the very edge of the stream, easily distinguishable by its unusual size and the fact that at some time or another it had been riven by lightning. After all, the Imp’s description had been in the main correct; it was “fat,” immensely fat: and I hurried joyfully forward.
I was still some way off when I saw the distant flutter of a white skirt, and - yes, sure enough, there was Lisbeth, walking quickly too, and she was a great deal nearer the tree than I.
Prompted by a sudden conviction, I dropped my rod and began to run. Immediately Lisbeth began running, too. I threw away my creel and sprinted for all I was worth. I had earned some small fame at this sort of thing in my university days, yet I arrived at the tree with only a very few yards to spare. Throwing myself upon my knees, I commenced a feverish search, and presently - more by good fortune than any thing else - my random fingers encountered a soft, silken bundle. When Lisbeth came up, flushed and panting, I held them in my hands.
“Give them to me!” she cried.
“I’m sorry - “
“Please,” she begged.
“I’m very sorry - “
“Mr. Brent.” said Lisbeth, drawing her self up, “I’ll trouble you for my - them.”
“Pardon me, Lisbeth,” I answered, “but if I remember anything of the law of ‘treasure-trove’ one of these should go to the Crown, and one belongs to me.
Lisbeth grew quite angry - one of her few bad traits.
“You will give them up at once - immediately?
“On the contrary,” I said very gently, “seeing the Crown can have no use for one, I shall keep them both to dream over when the nights are long and lonely.”
Lisbeth actually stamped her foot at me, and I tucked “them” into my pocket.
“How did you know they - they were here?” she inquired after a pause.
“I was directed to a tree with ‘stickie-out’ branches,” I answered.
“Oh, that Imp!” she exclaimed, and stamped her foot again.
“Do you know, I’ve grown quite attached to that nephew of mine already?” I said.
“He’s not a nephew of yours,” cried Lisbeth quite hotly.
“Not legally, perhaps; that is where you might be of such assistance to us Lisbeth. A boy with only an aunt here and there is unbalanced, so to speak; be requires the stronger influence of an uncle. Not,” I continued hastily, “that I would depreciate aunts - by the way, he has but one, I believe?” Lisbeth nodded coldly.
“Of course,” I nodded; “and very lucky in that one - extremely fortunate. Now, years ago, when I was a boy, I had three, and all of them blanks, so to speak. I mean none of them ever read to me out of the history book, or helped me to sail boats, or paddled and lost their - No, mine used to lecture me about my hair and nails, I remember, and glare at me over the big tea urn until I choked into my teacup. A truly desolate childhood mine. I had no big-fisted uncle to thump me persuasively when I needed it; had fortune granted me one I might have been a very different man, Lisbeth. You behold in me a horrible example of what one may become whose boyhood has been denuded of uncles.”
“If you will be so very obliging as to return my - my property.”
“My dear Lisbeth,” I sighed, “be reasonable; suppose we talk of something else;” and I attempted, though quite vainly, to direct her attention to the glories of the sunset.
A fallen tree lay near by, upon which Lisbeth seated herself with a certain determined set of her little, round chin that I knew well.
“And how long do you intend keeping me here?” she asked in a resigned tone.
“Always, if I had my way.”
“Really?” she said, and whole volumes could never describe all the scorn she managed to put into that single word. “You see,” she continued, “after what Aunt Agatha wrote and told me - “
“Lisbeth,” I broke in, “if you’ll only - “
“I naturally supposed - “
“If you’ll only let me explain - “
“That you would abide by the promise you made her and wait - “
“Until you knew your own heart,” I put in. “The question is, how long will it take you? Probably, if you would allow me to teach you - “
“Your presence here now stamps you as - as horribly deceitful!”
“Undoubtedly,” I nodded; “but you see when I was foolish enough to give that promise your very excellent Aunt made no reference to her intentions regarding a certain Mr. Selwyn.”
“Oh!” exclaimed Lisbeth. And feeling that I had made a point, I continued with redoubled ardour:
“She gave me to understand that she merely wished you to have time to know your own heart in the matter!” Now, as I said before, how long will it take you to find out, Lisbeth?”
She sat chin in hand staring straight before her, and her black brows were still drawn together in a frown!” But I watched her mouth - just where the scarlet underlip curved up to meet its fellow.
Lisbeth’s mouth is a trifle wide, perhaps, and rather full-lipped, and somewhere at one corner - I can never be quite certain of its exact location, because its appearance is, as a rule, so very meteoric - but somewhere there is a dimple!” Now, if ever there was an arrant traitor in this world it is that dimple; for let her expression be ever so guileless, let her wistful eyes be raised with a look of tears in their blue depths, despite herself that dimple will spring into life and undo it all in a moment!” So it was now, even as I watched it quivered round her lips, and feeling herself betrayed, the frown vanished altogether and she smiled. “And now, Dick, suppose you give me my - my - “
“Conditionally,” I said, sitting down beside her.
The sun had set, and from somewhere among the purple shadows of the wood the rich, deep notes of a blackbird came to us, with pauses now and then, filled in with the rustle of leaves and the distant lowing of cows.
“Not far from the village of Down in Kent,” I began dreamily, “there stands an old house with quaint, high-gabled roofs and twisted Tudor chimneys!” Many years ago it was the home of fair ladies and gallant gentlemen, but its glory is long past!” And yet, Lisbeth, when I think of it at such an hour as this, and with you beside me, I begin to wonder if we could not manage between us to bring back the old order of things.”
Lisbeth was silent.
It has a wonderful old-fashioned rose garden, and you are fond of roses, Lisbeth.”
“Yes,” she murmured; “I’m very fond of roses.”
“They would be in full bloom now,” I suggested.
There was another pause, during which the blackbird performed three or four difficult arias with astonishing ease and precision.
“Aunt Agatha is fond of roses, too!” said Lisbeth at last very gravely. “Poor, dear Aunt, I wonder what she would say if she could see us now?”