"It will look so cheerful. Children always love flowers," she said.
She pulled forward a pretty little child's rocking-chair that she hadbrought down from the immense garret. She arranged a pretty littlered-and-white tidy over the back.
"In a little while they will be here, for John went to meet them withthe carriage a good while ago," she said to herself. "Dear me, hownervous I am getting over that child's coming."
And she settled her lace cap again and looked into the small mirroragainst the wall, wondering how Dick's child would like her aunt'slooks.
"Dear me, Mrs. West, I did not think you were so vain," said a laughingmasculine voice.
She turned around quickly.
"Oh, my lord, so you're come home again!" she cried; "and as full ofyour mischief as ever. Welcome, welcome!"
"Yes, I am home again, Mrs. West, and here is what I have brought you,"he said, stepping back that she might see the girl who had followed himinto the room--the graceful figure in deep black, that came up to herwith both hands outstretched, and said, demurely:
"How do you do, Aunt West?"
For a minute Mrs. West did not touch the pretty white hands held outto her, she was so amazed and surprised. She managed to stammer outfaintly:
"Are you Leonora West? I--I was expecting to see a very young child."
The bright face dimpled charmingly.
"That was a mistake," she said. "I hope you will not be vexed because Iam so large!"
CHAPTER XVII.
"But," said Mrs. West, in perplexity, "the letter said a little girl."
"Yes, I know," said Leonora. "Poor papa always called me his littlegirl, and if he had lived until I was an old woman it would have beenthe same. And he forgot that you could not possibly know how old I was.I'm sorry you are disappointed, Aunt West, but I am eighteen years old.You see, papa was married one year after he went to America--and--"
Just here Captain Lancaster interposed:
"Aren't you going to kiss your niece, Mrs. West?"
"Oh, dear me, yes; I was so surprised, I quite forgot!" cried the goodwoman. She went up to Leonora, put her arms around the graceful figure,and kissed the round cheek.
"Welcome to England, my dear child," she said. "I shall love youdearly, I am sure. Sit down, do, in this chair, while I take yourthings."
And in her flurry she pushed forward the small rocking-chair withelaborate courtesy, whereat Leonora laughed good-naturedly.
"Either the chair is too small, or I am too big," she said; "I amafraid to trust myself upon it." She went and sat down on a prettyold-fashioned sofa. Then she glanced around and saw that CaptainLancaster had gone.
"Are you disappointed because I am not a little girl, Aunt West?" sheinquired, as she removed her hat and smoothed her rough tresses withher small, white hands.
"I--I don't know--yet," said the good woman; "I am so flustered by thesurprise, and--and--I wonder what Lady Lancaster will say?"
"What has Lady Lancaster to do with me?" demanded Miss West, in herpretty, abrupt way, fixing her large eyes wonderingly on her aunt'sface.
"Oh, nothing!" answered Mrs. West, rather vaguely.
"I should think not, indeed," said Leonora, in a very decided tone.
"Are you tired, my dear? Should you like to go to your room and rest?"inquired the housekeeper, changing the subject.
"No, I am not tired, thank you, aunt; but I will go to my room if youplease," Leonora answered. There was a little disappointment in hertone. The young face looked sober.
"This way, then, my dear," said Mrs. West. She led the girl throughher own neat bedroom, into a prettier one, small, but furnished with awhite bed, a blue carpet, and some blue chairs--these latter also thespoils of the garret, but looking very well after the furbishing Mrs.West had given them.
Leonora cast a rapid, comprehensive glance around her, then went overto the ewer and bathed her face and hands.
"I hope your room suits you, Leonora," said Mrs. West, lingering, andhalf-abashed. Something about the fair, self-possessed girl seemed tovaguely suggest better things. Beside her grace and beauty the roomlooked poor and mean.
"Oh, yes, thank you, aunt," Leonora returned, quietly. She had takenher combs and brushes out of her dressing-bag now, and Mrs. West sawthat they were an expensive set, pearl and silver-backed, as elegant asLady Lancaster's own.
"My dear, could your papa afford handsome things like these?" she said.
Leonora flushed rose red.
"Not always," she said. "But he was very extravagant whenever he hadmoney. He made a great pet of me, and sometimes--when he had goodluck--he bought the loveliest things for me. Perhaps, if he had takenmore care of his money, you need not have been burdened with the careof his orphan daughter now."
There was a dejected tone in her voice that went straight to thehousekeeper's womanly heart.
"Oh, you poor fatherless child!" she cried. "Do you think I could minddividing my savings with Dick West's child? He was a bonny lad, wasDick! I always loved him, although he was no real kin to me, and onlymy husband's brother."
Leonora's eyes shone very bright now through the tears that filled them.
"Oh, Aunt West, you will love me too a little, then--for poor papa'ssake!" she cried, and Mrs. West answered, with sudden warmth andtenderness:
"Indeed I will, dear. You shall be like my own daughter to me."
A moment later she added, ruefully:
"I'm sorry I could not have a nicer room for you, Leonora. But, yousee, I thought this would do very well for a child."
"Oh, indeed, it does not matter in the least. I shall not stay in itmuch. I shall be out-of-doors nearly all the time."
CHAPTER XVIII.
Leonora spoke in such a composed, matter-of-fact tone that she wassurprised at its effect upon her aunt.
The good lady uttered an exclamation almost amounting to terror, andstood regarding her niece with such a rueful and amazed face that thegirl burst into a peal of sweet, high-pitched laughter.
"Oh, my dear aunt," she cried, as she vigorously brushed out her thickplaits of hair into loose, shining ripples over her shoulders, "whathave I said to shock you so?"
"I'm not shocked, my dear," said the good soul, recovering herself,with a gasp. "What put such an idea in your head? But what did you say,child," anxiously, "about being out all day?"
"I said it didn't matter about the room, as I didn't expect to stay init much. I love fresh air, Aunt West, and I shall be out-doors nearlyall the time."
"I'm afraid that won't do here, my love," suggested the housekeeper,timidly.
"Why not?" said Leonora, amazed; then she colored, and said, demurely:"Oh, yes, I understand now. You can not spare me. I shall have to helpwork for my living."
"No, you shall not," indignantly; "I did not mean that at all. I shouldbe mean if I thought of such a thing. But there's Lady Lancaster. Shewouldn't like it."
A pretty little frown came between Leonora's straight, dark brows.
"Wouldn't you like me to go out-doors? Is that what you mean?" sheasked, and when Mrs. West answered "Yes," she said, angrily anddecidedly:
"Lady Lancaster has nothing to do with my movements, and I don'tsuppose she will grudge me a breath of God's free air and sunshine evenif I walk in her grounds to obtain them."
"But I promised her--" said Mrs. West, then paused bashfully.
"I hope you didn't promise her to bury me alive in this musty littlechamber, at all events," said the girl, with an irreverent glancearound her.
"Yes, I did. At least I promised to keep you out of her sight. She doesnot like children."
"I'm not a child," said Leonora, looking her tallest.
"Yes. I forgot that. I will ask her if her objections extend to a younglady," Mrs. West said, with a hesitating air. She was a little afraidof a contretemps of some kind. The girl's great eyes were flashing,her pretty red lips curling disdainfully.
"Aunt West, are you going to stay on at Lancaster Park, and am
I tostay here with you?" she asked, slowly.
"That was my expectation, dear," the housekeeper answered, mildly.
"And--am I here on Lady Lancaster's sufferance? Am I--hired to her?"
"Why, no, of course not, Leonora, child. She has nothing at all to dowith you. My lady was very kind. She did not send me away because I wasabout to adopt a daughter. She permitted me to have you here, and shemade but one condition."
"And that?"
"That I was to keep you limited to my rooms--to keep you out of hersight. She did not want to be pestered by a child."
"Ah!" Leonora drew a long breath, as with her white fingers she pattedthe soft rings of hair down upon her white forehead.
"Yes, you can not blame her, surely, dear. You see, my lady is an oldwoman. She is eighty years old, and she has never had any children. Soof course she would not like to be bothered with other people's. She isvery ill-natured, and very peculiar, but perhaps when she finds out youare a young lady she will not care if you go out into the grounds some."
"And to the house, Aunt West--am not I to go over that? Papa has toldme so much about these grand old English homes. I should like to goover one so much," said the girl.
"I will take you over the house myself, some day. You shall see it,never fear, child, but not for some time yet. You see, the place isfull of grand company now."
"Lady Lancaster's company?" asked Leonora.
"Why, yes, of course," said Mrs. West. "She has twenty guests--fine,fashionable people from London, and they are all very gay indeed. Youshall see them all at dinner this evening. I will find you a peep-hole.It will be a fine sight for you."
"I dare say," said Leonora, speaking rather indistinctly, because shehad two pins in her mouth and was fastening a clean linen collar aroundher neck.
"How coolly she takes things! I suppose that is the American way,"thought Mrs. West. "But then of course she can have no idea whata brave sight it is to see the English nobility dining at a greatcountry-house. She will be quite dazzled by the black coats and shiningjewels and beautiful dresses. I don't suppose they have anything likeit in her country," mused the good woman, whose ideas of America wereso vague that she did not suppose it had advanced very far from thecondition in which Columbus discovered it.
"I should not think," said her niece, breaking in upon these silentcogitations, "that Lady Lancaster, being so old--'one foot in the graveand the other on the brink,' as they say--would care about all that gaycompany around her. Does she lead such a life always?"
"Oh, no. It is only now and then she is so dissipated. But she mustkeep up the dignity of the Hall, you know, for the sake of LordLancaster. All this present gayety is in honor of his return."
"Has Lord Lancaster been abroad, then?" Leonora asked, carelessly.
"Why, my love, what a strange question!" said her aunt, staring.
"What is there strange about it, Aunt West?" asked the girl.
"Why, that you should ask me if Lord Lancaster has been abroad--as ifany one should know better than yourself."
"I, Aunt West? Why, what should I know of Lady Lancaster's husband?"exclaimed Leonora, wondering if her aunt's brain were not just a littleturned.
"Why, my dear girl, who said anything about her husband? She's adowager. The old Lord Lancaster has been dead these two years. Ofcourse I meant the young heir."
"The old lady's son?" asked Leonora, irreverently.
"Her nephew, my dear. You know I told you just now that she never had achild."
"Oh, yes, I was very careless to forget that. I beg your pardon. Sothen it is her nephew who has been abroad?"
"Yes, or rather her husband's nephew," replied Mrs. West.
"Where has he been, aunt?" continued the girl, carelessly.
Mrs. West looked as if she thought Leonora had parted with her senses,if ever she had possessed any.
"Why, he has been to America, of course. Didn't he fetch you toEngland, Leonora? And hasn't he but just gone out of the room? Are youmaking fun of your old auntie, dear?"
Leonora stood still, looking at her relative with a pale, startled face.
"Why, that was Captain Lancaster," she said, faintly after a minute.
"Of course," answered Mrs. West. "He's an officer in the army, but heis Lord Lancaster, of Lancaster Park, too. Dear me, dear me, didn't youreally know that much, Leonora?"
"N-no; I didn't. I thought he was nothing but a soldier. He--he told methat he was as poor as--as a church-mouse!" faltered Leonora, as redas a rose, and with a lump in her throat. She was just on the point ofbreaking down and crying with vexation. How had he dared chaff her so?
"Well, so he is poor--not as poor as a church-mouse, of course, forhe has Lancaster Park and five thousand acres of woodland; but thenhe has no money--it was all squandered by the dead-and-gone lords ofLancaster. So Captain Clive Lancaster never left the army when he cameinto the title. He could not support it properly, and so my lady liveson here, and some day, if he marries to please her, she will give himall her money," said Mrs. West, volubly.
Leonora went over to the window, and stood looking out at the fair,peaceful English landscape in silence. Her readiness of speech seemedto have deserted her. The pretty face was pale with surprise.
"You must be tired, dear. Do lie down and rest yourself," said Mrs.West. "I must leave you now for a little while. Oh, I had almostforgotten--your luggage, Leonora--did you bring any?"
"Yes, there were several trunks," Leonora answered, without turning herhead.
"I will have them brought in," said Mrs. West. Then she bustled awayand left the girl alone.
She was not tired, probably, for she did not lie down. She only pulleda chair to the window and sat down. Then she clasped her small handstogether on the window-sill, rested her round, dimpled chin upon them,and gazed at the sky with a thoughtful, far-off look in her eyes.
Meanwhile Mrs. West's mind teemed with uneasy thoughts.
"She's rather strange, I'm afraid," the good woman said to herself."I think, perhaps, poor Dick has humored her some--she will not bearrestraint well--I can see that! And what will Lady Lancaster say to agrown-up girl instead of a little one, as we expected? I'm afraid I seerocks ahead. And yet how pretty and bright she is--too pretty to belongto the housekeeper's room, I'm afraid. Lady Lancaster will be vexed ather, if ever she sees her. She is too independent in her ways to suitmy lady. They must not be allowed to meet as long as I can help it,"sighing.
CHAPTER XIX.
Lady Lancaster was pleased to be very gracious indeed to her returnednephew.
"Ah, you are as big and handsome as ever, Clive!" she said, "and well,of course. I believe you never were sick in your life?"
"Hardly ever," he replied, with a laugh, adding, with veiled anxiety:"I hear that you have killed the fatted calf in my honor, Aunt Lydia.Whom have you staying with you?"
"A few nice people from London, Clive--twenty in all, I think. Thereare old Lord and Lady Brierly, and their son and daughter, Sir CharlesWinton, Colonel Livingston, Mark Dean and his pretty sister, the Earlof Eastwood and his beautiful daughter, Lady Adela, the Cliffords, andsome other people. You will meet them all at dinner. I think you knowthem all?"
"Yes, I suppose so," he answered, rather absently.
"To-night there will be a little informal dance--the young folks wereso eager for it, you know. And, Clive, that young friend of yours,Lieutenant De Vere--I hope you brought him down with you?"
"I did not," he replied.
"I am sorry; but I shall send him a note to-morrow. Did you have a fairtrip over, Clive?"
"Very fair," he replied, in a peculiar tone.
"I am glad to hear that. Oh, by the way, Clive, did you bring thatchild to the housekeeper?"
"Yes," he replied, and a slight smile twitched the corners of themustached lips.
"I hope she wasn't troublesome," said the haughty old lady, carelessly.
"She was troublesome--I suppose all of the female sex are," heanswered, lightly.
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"Well, it couldn't be helped, or I would not have bothered you. I hadto send for the young one, or West would have gone off herself tofetch her. I'm glad you brought her. The trouble is all over now, so Isuppose you don't care."
"Oh, no!" said Captain Lancaster, with rather grim pleasantry.
And then she touched him on the arm and said, significantly:
"There's some one here I want very much for you to meet, Clive."
"Ah, is there?" he said, shrinking a little from the look and the tone."I thought you wanted me to meet them all."
"I do; but there is one in particular. It is a lady, Clive," she said,giving him a significant smile that he thought hideous.
He tried gently to wrench himself away from her.
"Well, I must go and take my siesta and dress before I meet them," hesaid.
"Wait a minute, Clive. I must speak to you," she said, in a tone thatsavored of authority.
"Will not some other time do as well?" he inquired, glancing ratherungallantly at his watch.
"No time like the present," she answered, resolutely. "You are tryingto put me off again, Clive; but beware how you trifle with me, my LordLancaster, or I shall know how to punish you," she said, shaking herskinny, diamond-ringed finger at him.