CHAPTER TEN.
Four days before Peggy left town she had an amusing encounter with oneof her old friends. The little party had divided, and while MrsSaville and Mellicent shopped in the West End, the colonel and hisdaughter drove into the City to visit a collection of the pictures ofone of the old masters. They were sauntering through the second roomwhen Peggy's attention was attracted by a group standing at a few yards'distance--a lady, a gentleman, and two little boys with Eton collars andround-about jackets--a family group for a ducat, yet surely, surelythere was something familiar in the figure and bearing of the supposedmother! She was tall and dignified, her clothes were quite miraculouslytidy, and the smooth, fair hair was plaited in Puritan fashion round thehead.
"Can it--can it be?" queried Peggy to herself; then, catching sight of along grave face, "It _is_!" she cried with a flash of joy, and walkingforward, planted herself deliberately in the stranger's path. What sheanticipated came precisely to pass, for the lady stepped back from herposition, collided violently with herself, and began hurriedly toapologise.
"I beg your pardon! I did not see--I hope I have not hurt you." So farin fluent unconsciousness; then suddenly she stopped short, gasped,hesitated, stared hard at the face before her, and ejaculated abreathless, "_Peggy--Saville_!"
"Esther Asplin! I knew it was you! I knew no one else in the worldcould possess that back hair! How extraordinary to come across youhere! It's a marvel that Mellicent was not with me, but we were bothlooking forward to seeing you at the vicarage at the end of the week!"
"I am on my way home now. I go down by the six o'clock train, and tookthe opportunity of bringing the boys into town to see some of thesights. They are such dears, Peggy. The one with the red hair is agenius. You should see his Latin prose! The fat one is a lovablelittle soul, but terribly stupid and lazy; a great trial to my patience.I suppose Mellicent has told you all about my work, and how happy I am?The parents are such charming, cultivated people. The mother is asister of Professor Reid, the gentleman who is with us now." She rolledher eyes meaningly towards the cadaverous-looking man who had fled tothe end of the room at Peggy's approach. "He was one of our lecturersat Girton, and recommended me to his sister when I left. Such an honourfor me, for he is one of the finest men in the `Varsity'--So wonderfullylearned and clever!"
"He _looks_ it," remarked Miss Peggy, regarding the lanky, stoopingfigure with a crinkle of disdain in her saucy little nose. "Justexactly my idea of a learned professor. Does he ever brush his coat?"
Esther flushed, and bridled with displeasure.
"I never inquired," she returned coldly. "In conversation withProfessor Reid one has something better to do than discuss coats. Hewas kind enough to offer to meet us in town, and to take the boys homeafter I leave to-night, and it is a privilege to go about with him.I'll introduce you to him if you like, and--"
"You'd better not. I am sure he wouldn't like it. Let me introduce youto father instead. He is wondering what new friend I have discovered,and will be so much interested when he knows who it is."
Colonel Saville came forward in response to his daughter's summons, andgreeted her friend with much cordiality, while Peggy was agreeablysurprised to note the easy self-possession with which Esther sustainedher part in the conversation. Contact with the world had rubbed awaythe rusticity of manner which still characterised Mellicent, and thoughby no possibility could Esther be called pretty, there was an undeniableattractiveness about the tall, neat figure and intellectual face. Peggyknew that her father was agreeably impressed, for the colonel had atell-tale expression, and could by no possibility manage to hide hisfeelings. If he were bored, dreariness feebly described his appearance;if he were annoyed, his eyes sent out little sparks of fire, and everyhair in his moustache bristled on its own account; if he were sad, helost in five minutes the last remnant of youth, and appeared a wan oldman; while if he were pleased, he might have passed as Arthur's brother,so alert and beaming was his demeanour. On the present occasion he wasall smiles and bows, and joked elaborately with the little pupils, whowere brought up and introduced, when, to Peggy's amusement, the geniuspreserved a stolid demeanour, while the fat, little dunce displayed anagreeable animation.
"An exceedingly sensible, pleasant young woman," was the colonel'sverdict as he left the room; and Peggy peered round over her shoulder,and beheld the sensible young woman rearranging the fat boy's tie whilethe professor cautiously retraced his steps towards her.
A few days later Peggy scrambled her possessions together to prepare forher visit to the vicarage. Carter, Mrs Saville's maid, had departed topay a visit to her relatives in the country, and in her absence heryoung mistress complacently folded her dressing-gown on top of muslindresses, pressed a jewel-box over a chiffon bodice, and remarked, with asigh of satisfaction, that it was a blessing to be able to wait ononeself, and to be beholden to no outsider; after which she straight-wayleft her keys on the dressing-table, and drove off to the station inblissful unconsciousness. Mellicent was divided between grief atleaving dear, beautiful, exciting London and anticipation of thereflected glory with which she would shine at home as the restorer ofPeggy to the household; and in the vicarage itself all was excitementand expectation, the old cook concocting every dainty she could think ofin a kitchen heated up to furnace-heat; Mr Asplin mowing the lawn inhot haste, because the daisies _would_ spring up in impertinent fashionin the hot dry weather; Mrs Asplin flying from one room to another,patting cushions into shape, and artfully placing little tables overworn spots on the carpet; and Miss Esther laying out clean towels, andflicking infinitesimal grains of dust from the chairs and tables. Thesight of disorder was a positive pain to Esther's orderly eyes. It wasreported of her that in the midst of a Latin examination she had beggedto have a blind put straight, since its crooked condition distracted hermind; and therefore it may be surmised that on the present occasionRobert Darcy met with no very cordial reception, when he was discoveredstamping about the newly swept rooms in a pair of dusty shoes,scattering fragments of leaves and stubble behind him.
"Bless the child, it will seem all the more home-like to her if it's notall spick and span! Don't pick them up, Esther. I like to see them.It was good of you to come over, Rob, for I'm not myself at all withouta boy in the house, and it does me good to see your dear dirty boots,"cried Mrs Asplin, and blinked her eyes, trying hard to keep down thetears which _would_ rise at the thought of Max in his far-off home, andall the train of mischievous, happy-hearted lads who had been under hercare, and who were now fighting the world for themselves. Every morningas she woke, and felt the tired pressure at her head, she felt a pang ofrelief at the remembrance that there was no longer the old necessity tobe up and doing. Every evening as she rested on the old sofa sheremarked afresh to her husband how sweet it was to be alone, and to havethe rest and peace of a quiet house; but between the two ends of the daythere came a dozen other moments, when she longed for the cheery bustle,the clamour of youthful voices, the presence of the merry young band.Such a moment came to her now, and the tears were already glistening inthe sweet grey eyes when the sound of wheels crunched up the drive, thevicar dashed into the house to shed his alpaca coat, and his wife anddaughter flew excitedly into the garden. The carriage stopped, a blue-robed damsel leapt out of either door, and for the next two minutes fourfemale figures were so inextricably mixed together that it would havebeen difficult to an onlooker to say which was which, or to apportionthe waving arms and bobbing heads to their proper owners. The vicarstood in the background, looking on with a comical gleam of amusement onhis long face, while Rob shrugged his shoulders and looked bored andsuperior, as men are fond of doing when women enjoy themselves in a waywhich they themselves cannot understand. Presently, however, thekaleidoscope-like mass dissolved into its component parts, and a younglady advanced towards the vicar with a pretty flushed face beneath aFrench hat, and two little hands stretched out in greeting. Mr Asplinlooked at her critically. _Was_ it Pegg
y? For a moment memory wasbaffled by the sight of the elegant young lady, but a second glancerevealed the well-known features--the arched brows and kitten-like chin.For the rest, the hazel eyes were as clear and loving as ever, and theold mischievous gleam shone through the tears.
"Is it Mariquita?" he cried, and Peggy stood on tiptoe to kiss hischeek, and hung on to the lapels of his coat, saying tremulously:
"No, it's Peggy! I never was Mariquita, you know, unless I was going tobe scolded in the study; and you couldn't possibly scold me the firstday. Are you half as pleased to see me as I am to be back again?"
"God bless you, child!" he said softly, and laid a tender hand on hercheek. The bud had blossomed into a flower; the little school-girl whomhe had loved so well had grown into a woman, and her early grace andcharm were sweet in the old man's sight. He thanked God for them, as hethanked Him for all beautiful things--the sunshine which gave colour tothe flowers, the green restfulness of the land, the song of the birds inthe trees. "You are very welcome, dear. It does me good to see youamong us once again."
"And looking so well. You are quite blooming, Peggy; and so smart asshe is too! Deary, deary me, is that what they call the fashion?" criedMrs Asplin, holding the girl in outstretched arms, and turning herslowly round and round, to take in the details of her attire. "You lookso spruce, child, that I hardly knew you; but there, it won't be long, Iexpect, before the true Peggy peeps out. Come in, darling. There's anew rug in the hail; don't trip over it! We have been saying we neededit for five years back, but it was bought only last week, to smarten thehouse for your coming. Those are Esther's certificates in the corner,and you must see the new cretonne in the drawing-room. All the chairsare recovered. We finished them only last week."
"Tut, tut!" cried Peggy, and shook her head in dismay at such recklessextravagance. She had not had a chance of exchanging any furthergreeting with Rob than a smiling nod, while she and Esther cast curiousglances at one another across the room, renewing the impressions oftheir first meeting. Peggy thought it one of the prettiest sights inthe world to see Mrs Asplin hang on to the vicar's arm and drag himwith her about the house, forgetful of everything but her instinctivedesire to be near him in her rejoicing; the prettiest thing in the worldto see the tenderness in his eyes. She looked at them mischievously,and then of a sudden her own eyes began to blink, for all those fouryears of absence had left their mark on the dear faces; they had changedas well as herself; but with them it was not the blossoming of the budinto the flower, it was rather the losing of those last leaves which hadlingered from life's summer. The vicar's shoulders were more bowed; thelines on his face more deeply graven; his wife's hair had grown silveryabout the temples, and the pathetic, tired look in the grey eyes mustsurely be permanent nowadays, since not even the excitement of meetingcould chase it away. She was even sweeter-looking than of old, but hadshe always been so thin, so transparently delicate in colour? Do whatshe would, Peggy could not keep back her tears, and Mrs Asplin caughtsight of them, and produced her own handkerchief in instant response.
"Ah, Peg, I know what you are thinking. The old home is not like itselfwithout the boys. I feel it too, dear, I feel it too. Not a single boywould we have had in the place, if Rob had not taken pity on us, blesshim! It seems so strange after having had so many of them all theseyears."
"It seems very quiet and peaceful, if you ask me! and if I'm _not_ aboy, I've been away, and I do think I deserve a little attention!" criedMellicent, aggrieved. "If it had been Max who had come home, youwouldn't all be crying and moaning for the girls. You would forgetthere were such things in the world. It's not our fault that we happento be girls, and we have our feelings all the same. No one speaks tome! No one says they are pleased to see me! No one makes the slightestfuss because I am home!"
"Darling!" cried her mother, and rushed to take her in her arms. "Myprecious baby, I'm just delighted to have you back; but you know how itis--the thought of old times made me sad for the moment. We seemed sucha small party without the boys."
Mellicent grimaced and hitched her shoulders in petulant fashion. Thenshe looked at Peggy, and a flash of amusement passed from eye to eye.
"Let's have tea!" she said shortly. "It's good for the spirits, and weare both hungry. It's to be in the schoolroom, I suppose, mother, as weasked. Peggy died to have tea there again, and was so afraid that itwould be laid out in style in the drawing-room that she made me ask youto have it exactly the same as in the old times. I told her it was nouse, that you would have out all the best things, whatever we said."
"But you didn't, Mrs Asplin, did you? There are halfpenny buns, aren'tthere, and scones, and damson jam, and the old thick cups and saucers?"
"Bless me, no, child! The very best china; cakes from Buzzard's, withicing on the top, strawberries and cream, and every luxury you canimagine. The schoolroom, yes; but you don't suppose I'd feed myprodigal on halfpenny buns! Come and see all the good things that arewaiting;" and Mrs Asplin led the way towards the schoolroom, with thecomplacent air of a housekeeper who has reason to be satisfied with herpreparations, while the two girls followed with elbows in suspiciouslyclose proximity. Another moment and the door was thrown open, when MrsAsplin immediately gave a shriek of surprise, and fell prone against thewall. There stood the long table, set out with flowers and silver, and,in the centre seat, sat a handsome frock-coated figure, with every dishand plate of edibles massed around him in a solid circle of temptation.The silver cake-basket was in the centre, plates of scones, macaroons,and biscuits bordered each side; while the interstices were filled inwith bowls containing jam and fruit. On his own plate there were piledat one and the same moment, a meringue, a slice of plum cake, twobiscuits, and a jam tart, and, in default of tea, he had filled his cupfrom the cream jug, and was even at this moment wiping the tell-taledrops from his moustache.
"That blessed boy!" cried Mrs Asplin, clasping her hands in delight."There never was any one like him. He guessed how I should feel--healways _did_ guess! I might have known that he would come. But how?When? Where? He was not in the carriage with the girls."
"Got out at the gate, mater, and came in at the window. Wanted to get astart of you all at tea," said Arthur, coming forward, serviette inhand, to receive the kiss and hug of welcome which he was never too oldto enjoy. He had divined that Peggy's advent would make the gap in thehousehold even more felt than usual, and his kindly instinct had been tofill that gap as much as possible; but no other reason would heacknowledge for his presence than the necessity of escorting twofrivolous young women who could not be trusted to take a journey ontheir own account, and his hosts were too full of delight at hisappearance to dispute the point.
"Second fiddle!" sighed Peggy with a shrug. "It's meself that's secondfiddle this moment, when 'twas the whole orchestra I expected to be.Take me away, somebody, before I break down altogether, and show me someof the old haunts until tea is ready."
"Peggy, don't be absurd!" Esther said solemnly; but Peggy marcheddeterminedly out of the room, and, with the exception of Mr and MrsAsplin and Arthur, every one followed and stood looking on while shepushed open the swing door of the cloak-room, and poked her little headround the corner.
"Where's my peg?" she cried. "If I find any other wretched creature'sclothes hanging on my peg, I'll--" then she stopped suddenly, dartedforward with a squeal of delight, and closed the door behind her. Shewas not hidden more than a minute, but in effect it seemed to have beena long, long time, for when the door reopened, the French hat haddisappeared, and it was the real old Peggy-Pickle who smiled and noddedand peaked her brows beneath the scarlet cap.
"The Tam o' Shanter! Rob has brought it back after all these years. Hekept it until you could wear it again. Goodness, how touching! I neverthought _you_ would turn sentimental, Rob!" cried Mellicent thetactless, and the next moment devoutly wished she had held her peace, asRob scowled, Esther pinched her arm, and Peggy trod on her toe withautomatic promptness.
She turned on her heel and strode back to thedining-room, while Peggy flicked the cap off her head, trying hard tolook unconscious, and to continue her investigations as if nothingembarrassing had occurred.
"There's the old stain on the floor where I spilt the ink, and thelittle marks all the way upstairs where the corners of my box took offthe paint. Dear, dear, how home-like they look! I must see cook aftertea, and Diddums, my sweet little kitten. How is the darling? Aspretty and fluffy and playful as ever?"
"Peggy dear, do _not_ be silly!"
"Esther dear, I cannot help it! I'm too happy to be sensible. Let mebe silly for just one day. _What_, is that Diddums? That ugly, lanky,old cat? You've aged terribly, Diddums, since I saw you last. Ah me,ah me, the years tell on us all! Tell me, dear--be faithful!--are youas much shocked at the change in _me_?"
Peggy looked up archly, and met Rob's deep, earnest gaze. She put downthe cat, rose suddenly, and thrust her hand through Esther's arm. Hercheeks were very pink, her eyes astonishingly bright. Esther looked ather critically, and pursed up her lips in disapproving fashion.
Certainly Peggy had grown into a very pretty girl, but it was a thousandpities that she had not yet outgrown the eccentricities of her youth.