CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR.
Lady Darcy left the young people by themselves after luncheon, and, aswas only natural, conversation at once turned on the proposed visit toLondon. Peggy was too much perturbed to speak, but Mellicent put thevery inquiry which she most wished answered, being never troubled withbashfulness in asking questions.
"Has your mother's tooth been hurting her very much, Rosalind?"
"Tooth! what tooth? Oh, I think she did have a little twinge one night;but it's not the dentist whom she is really going to see. That's onlyan excuse. She really wants to go to some parties," said Rosalindlightly; whereat her brother scowled at her under heavy brows.
"What business have you to say that? What can you know about it, pray?If mother says she is in pain, it is not for you to contradict, and makeup your own explanations. Leave her to manage her own affairs--"
He spoke rapidly, but Rosalind only shrugged her shoulders, andwhispered something in Max's ear, at which he smiled and nodded hishead, evidently taking her part against her brother, to Peggy's intenseindignation.
No words were exchanged between the partners on the subject of thecalendar until they were once more at home; when Robert took advantageof the first quiet opportunity, and came up to Peggy with a face of setdetermination.
"Mariquita!" he said, "_I_--_am_--_not_--_going_--_to give in_! If youstick to me, we can still manage to get the calendar off in time. Thereare twenty more quotations to be found. I'll sit up to-night and fixthem off, and go on writing as long as I can keep awake, but I can'ttake a dozen books up to town with me, so I must leave it to you tofinish up. I'll mark the passages I choose, write the full address on apiece of paper, and leave everything ready for you to make up theparcel. All you will have to do will be to write the remaining cards,and to see that it is sent off on Friday. Five o'clock will be timeenough, but if you can get it off in the morning, so much the better.You think you can manage as much as that?"
"Oh yes! I'd do anything rather than give up now. It would be toogrudging. I am not afraid of a little more work."
"You have done more than your share already. I am mad about it, but itcan't be helped. I couldn't refuse to go with the mater, and I wouldn'tif I could. She is really not at all strong, and does not like the lifedown here. It will do her good to have a few days' change."
Peggy looked at him steadily. She did not speak, but her eyes grew softand shining, and there was something at once so sweet, so kindly, and sogentle in her expression that Rob exclaimed in surprise--
"I say, Peggy, you--you do look pretty! I never saw you look like thatbefore--what have you been doing to yourself?"
"Doing!" Peggy straightened herself at that, in offended dignity."Doing, indeed! What do you mean? Don't you think I am pretty as arule?"
"Never thought about it," returned Robert carelessly. "You are Peggy--that's enough for me. A nice state I should be in to-day if it were notfor you! You are the jolliest little brick I ever met, and if I getthis prize it will be far more your doing than my own."
Well, that was good hearing! Peggy held her head high for the rest ofthat evening, and felt as if nothing would have power to depress her forthe future. But, alas, when the pendulum is at its highest it begins toswing downwards. Peggy's heart sank as she watched Robert drive awayfrom the door the next morning, and it went on sinking more and moreduring the next twenty-four hours, as she realised the responsibilitywhich weighed upon her shoulders. When she came down to breakfast onFriday morning the calendar was finished and ready to be made up for thepost, but her head was splitting with pain as the result of the longhours' work stolen from sleep, and a dead weight of depression hadsettled on her spirits. It seemed of a sudden that all this work andeffort was waste of time; that the chances of being successful wereinfinitesimally small; that even if it were gained, the prize was oflittle value; that if Robert's absence for four days made such adifference in the life at the vicarage, it would become altogetherunbearable when he said good-bye at the beginning of the year and wentup to Oxford; that she was a desperately unfortunate little unit, thrustinto the midst of a family which was complete in itself, and had only akindly toleration to offer to a stranger; that, in all probability,there would shortly be a war in India, when her father would be killed,her mother die of a broken heart, and Arthur be called out to join theranks of the recruits. She conjured up a touching picture of herself,swathed in crape, bidding good-bye to her brother at the railwaystation, and watching the scarlet coat disappear in the distance, as thetrain steamed away. It was all most miserable and picturesque, andoutside the fog gathered, and the rain poured down in a fine, persistentdrizzle. It was one of those typical November days when it seems as ifthe earth itself is in the blues, and that it becomes everyone living onits surface to follow its example.
When afternoon came Peggy curled herself in an arm-chair in the cornerof the study, and stared gloomily at the fire. It was four o'clock. Inanother hour the postman would call for the letters, and she woulddeliver the precious packet into his hands. She had made it up in thedinner-hour, with some faint idea of carrying it to the village; but shewas tired, the rain poured, and Rob had said that the afternoon postwould do. She had given up the idea of going out, and taken a napinstead on the top of her bed. And now it was four o'clock. Mellicentcalled out that she was dying for tea-time to come; it had seemed such along, long day; they really ought to have tea earlier on these dreary,murky afternoons. "_I want my tea_!" she chanted, in shrill,penetrating tones, and instantly the refrain was taken up by the othervoices, and repeated over and over again with ever-increasing volume,until the mistress of the house rushed in to discover the reason of theclamour.
"Bless your hearts, you shall have it at once!" she cried. "I'll ringand have it brought in, and ransack my cupboards to see what treats Ican give you. Poor dears, it _is_ dull for you sitting indoors all daylong. We must think of some bright, exciting games for this evening."No sooner said than done; she did not wait until Mary appeared, butbustled off to meet her, to enlist the cook's sympathy, and put out thepromised delicacies, and when the table was set she returned to the roomand seated herself, smilingly, in Esther's place.
"I am going to stay with you this afternoon," she said brightly. "Drawup your chairs, dears, and let us be jovial. There is no credit inbeing happy when the sun is shining, as dear old Mark Tapley would havesaid; but it will really be praiseworthy if we succeed in being festivethis afternoon. Come, Peggy, dearie!"
Peggy turned her dreary little face and stared at the table. Fromoutside came the sound of the opening and shutting of the door, offootsteps in the hall. She glanced at the clock, wondering if it couldpossibly be the postman already, found it was only ten minutes pastfour, and dismissed the supposition with a sigh. "I don't--think--Iwant--" she was beginning slowly, when, of a sudden, there came atremendous rat-tat-tat on the schoolroom door; the handle was notturned, but burst open; a blast of chilly air blew into the room, and inthe doorway stood a tall, handsome youth, with square shoulders, agracefully poised head, and Peggy Saville's eave-like brows above hisdancing eyes.
"Oh, what a surprise!" came the cry in loud laughing tones. "How do youdo, everybody? Just thought I would step in as I was passing, and havea cup of tea, don't you know."
"My boy! My boy! Oh, how good to see you!" cried Mrs Asplinrapturously. Mellicent gurgled with surprise, and Peggy stood up by herchair and stretched out both arms like a child to its mother.
"Arthur!--oh--Arthur!" she gasped, and there was a pathos, a longing, analmost incredulous rapture in her voice which made the tears start inMrs Asplin's eyes, and brought a cloud of anxiety over the new-comer'sface.
"Why, Peg!" he cried. "My little Peg! Is something wrong, dear? Youlook as melancholy as--"
"Peggy has not been like herself for the last few weeks. I think shehas had an attack of homesickness and longing for her own people. I'mso glad you've com
e. You will do her more good than a dozen tonics.Bless the boy; how big he is! And how did you manage to get away, dear,and how long can you stay? Tell me all about it. I am consumed withcuriosity--"
"I can stay till Monday or Tuesday, if you can put me up; and I cameaway because I--I suppose I am not quite up to the mark. My headbothers me. It aches, and I see black specks floating before my eyes.The doctor advised me to knock off for a few days, and I thought I wouldrather come here than anywhere."
"I should think so, indeed. Of course we can put you up--proud andpleased to do so. Well, this is a pleasant surprise for a dull Novemberday! You couldn't have had a better one if you had had a hundredwishes, could you, Peggy? You won't feel melancholy any longer?"
"I'm just enraptured! Saturday, Sunday, Monday--three whole days andtwo halves, as good as four days--almost a week! It's too delicious--too utterly delicious to realise!"
Peggy drew deep sighs of happiness, and hung on to Arthur's arm in anabandonment of tenderness which showed her in a new light to hercompanions. She would not loosen her grasp for a moment, and even whenseated at the table kept her fingers tightly locked round his arm, asthough afraid that he might escape.
As for Arthur himself, he was in the wildest spirits. He was ashandsome a young soldier as one could wish to see, and his likeness toPeggy seemed only to make him more attractive in the eyes of thebeholders.
"Hurrah!" he cried cheerily. "Hurrah, for a good old vicarage tea!Scones? that's the style! Mary made them, I hope, and put in lots ofcurrants. Raspberry jam! I say, mater, do you remember that solemnwaitress you had, who told you that the jam was done again, and when youexclaimed in horror, said, `Yes, 'um, it's not a bit of good buyingraspberry jam. _They like it_!' Ha, ha, ha! I've often thought ofthat! That looks uncommonly good cake you have over there. Thank you,I think I will! Begin with cake, and work steadily back to bread andbutter--that's the style, isn't it, Peggums? Esther, I looks towardsyou! Mellicent, you are as thin as ever, I see. You should really dosomething for it. There are regular hollows in your cheeks."
"Nasty, horrid thing! You are always teasing! How would you like it ifyou were struck fat yourself?" cried Mellicent, aggrieved. But, inspite of herself, her chubby cheeks dimpled with smiles as Arthur rolledhis eyes at her across the table, for there was something irresistiblyfascinating about this young fellow, and it was like old times to seehim seated at the tea-table and to listen to his merry rattling voice.
"The dominie must grant a general holiday to-morrow," he declared, "andwe will do something fine to celebrate the occasion. We'll have outthis wonderful camera in the morning and take some groups. You and Imust be taken together, Peggy, to send out to the parents. You promisedto send me copies of all the things you took, but you are as false inthat respect as the whole race of amateur photographers. They are grandhands at promising, but they never, by any chance--Hallo! What's that?My cup over? Awfully sorry, mater, really! I'll put a penny in themissionary-box. Was it a clean cloth?"
"Oh, my dear boy, don't apologise! I should not have felt that it wasreally you if you had not knocked your cup over! To see the table-clothswimming with tea all round convinces me that it is Arthur himself, andnobody else! Tut, tut! What does a table-cloth matter?" And MrsAsplin beamed upon her favourite as if she were really rather delightedthan otherwise at his exploit.
It was a merry, not to say noisy, meal which followed. Peggy's lostspirits had come back with the first glimpse of Arthur's face; and herquips and cranks were so irresistibly droll that three separate timesover Mellicent choked over her tea, and had to be relieved with vigorouspounding on the back, while even Esther shook with laughter, and theboys became positively uproarious.
Then Mr Asplin came in, and Arthur was carefully concealed behind thewindow-curtains, while he was asked whom he would most like to see ifthe choice were given him. In provoking manner he mentioned at once abrother in Australia, and, when informed that relatives were not on thelist, recollected an old college chum who was out in the Mauritius.
"Oh dear, what a stupid man!" cried his wife in despair. "We don't meanthe friends of your youth, dear! Think of the last few years and ofyour young friends! Now, if you could choose, whom would you--"
"Arthur Saville!" said the vicar promptly, upon which Arthur made aloophole between the curtains and thrust his mischievous face throughthe gap, to the vicar's amazement and the uproarious delight of theonlookers. A dozen questions had to be asked and answered aboutstudies, examinations, and health, while Peggy sat listening, beamingwith happiness and pride.
It came as quite a shock to all when the vicar announced that it wastime to dress for dinner, and Mrs Asplin looked at Peggy with anapologetic smile.
"We were all so charmed to see Arthur that I'm afraid we have beenselfish and engrossed too much of his attention. You two will belonging for a cosy little chat to yourselves. If you run upstairs now,Peggy, and hurry through your dressing, there will be a little timebefore dinner, and you could have this room to yourselves."
"Yes, run along, Peg! It won't take me ten minutes to get into myclothes, and I'll be here waiting for you!" cried Arthur eagerly. AndPeggy went flying two steps at a time upstairs to her own room.
The gas was lit; the can of hot water stood in the basin, the towelneatly folded over the top; the hands of the little red clock pointed tosix o'clock, and the faint chime met her ear as she entered.
Peggy stood still in the doorway, an icy chill crept through her veins,her hands grasped the lintel, and her eyes grew wide and blank withhorror. There, on the writing-table lay a brown paper parcel--theprecious parcel which contained the calendar which had been the objectof such painful work and anxiety!