CHAPTER TWENTY.
RECEIVING AND PAYING CALLS.
Two days later Mr Farrell returned Trix's letters with a brief "Thankyou!" which Mollie had enough tact to receive without remark. She wasnot conscious of having gained in the old man's graces, though Ruth wassadly conscious of having fallen from favour. Victor was evidently forthe time being the _persona grata_, his remarks being received withattention, and his wishes carefully carried out.
Mollie confessed to herself that Victor's manners were perfect where hishost was concerned, and wondered why it was that she found herselfconstantly suspecting his motives. What if he were playing a part towin the old man's favour? Was it not the unhappy feature of thesituation that they were all, more or less, doing the same thing?
Meantime, callers arrived daily. Stout, middle-aged matrons, withpompous manners; thin matrons, precise and formal of speech; tallelegants, with flowing robes and Parisian millinery; sporting-lookingwomen, with short skirts and motor-caps. One after another they droveup to the door and sat for a few moments in the drawing-room, goingthrough the same stereotyped conversation: "How pleasant to have theCourt opened once more! How do you like Raby? How delightful to havesuch delightful summer-like weather!" Then they drank a cup of tea,nibbled a piece of cake, and said: "_Good_-afternoon! _So_ pleased tohave met you! We shall hope to see you again _very_ soon!"
Occasionally the matron brought a daughter in her train, and still moreoccasionally a shy, depressed-looking husband; but at the best of timesthe calls were not cheerful occasions, and Ruth and Mollie lookedforward with little pleasure to paying their return visits.
"Though it must at least be more interesting than receiving at home, forwe shall see other people's houses, and the way they arrange theirdrawing-rooms. I do love studying strange drawing-rooms!" said Ruthmeditatively. "In country houses they ought to be charming--all chintzyand smelling of pot-pourri! All the same, Mollie, I'm disappointed inthe neighbours. They aren't a bit thrilling, as we expected."
"People generally seem uninteresting at first. They may turn out to beperfect darlings, when we know them better. I dare say they drove awaysaying the same thing of us, for we behaved like a couple ofmarionettes, sitting dressed up in our best, saying, `Yes, indeed!'`No, indeed!' `Very much, indeed!' `Thank you so much!' as if we werewound up by machinery. We must really launch out, and say something atrifle more original!"
It was quite an exciting occasion when the girls set out on their firstcalling expedition. It was an ideal May afternoon, and the prospect ofdriving over the countryside in an open carriage, behind two prancinghorses, was in itself a delight.
Victor was to make one of the party, but Jack refused contemptuously toaccompany them if only for the drive, declaring that even a sprainedankle had its silver lining if it let him off so boring a function. Hewas sitting in the hall, waiting to cheer--or more strictly speaking, tojeer--the departure, when Ruth came downstairs buttoning her gloves,and, to her surprise, Mr Farrell was also present.
Both men looked up critically as she appeared, but neither glance wasaltogether approving. Her new dress looked too old and staid for soyoung a girl; moreover, her expression was fretful and worried. As shereached the spot where the two men were seated, Victor came into thehall from the doorway and looked round impatiently.
"Are you ready, Miss Ruth? The carriage has been waiting for some timenow."
"Oh, I have been ready for ages! It's Mollie who is the laggard. Shehas been dressing ever since lunch, and is dressing still. I don't knowwhen she will be finished."
Mr Farrell turned imperiously to the butler.
"Be kind enough to send a message to Miss Mary that I object to havingthe horses kept waiting. Three o'clock was the hour arranged, and it isalready a quarter past. Ask how soon she will be ready!"
The man departed, and there was an uncomfortable silence for severalminutes, broken at last by the banging of a door and the sound of racingfootsteps. A white-and-blue vision came flying down the staircase, withfilmy skirts floating behind, white feathers drooping over the goldenhair, a cobweb parasol unfurled, and held triumphantly aloft.
"I'm sorry! It took such ages to fasten, and I had to take my hair downand do it up again to get the hat at the right angle. I wanted tofasten my gloves, to give you the whole effect, parasol and all.There!" Mollie strutted to and fro, turning her head from side to sidelike a sleek, self-satisfied pigeon. "How do you like it? Don't youthink I look rather--nice?"
The two young men laughed aloud, and Mr Farrell said drily--
"Fine feathers make fine birds! I am glad to see that you have honouredmy friends by wearing your fineries for their benefit. Ruth, I presume,prefers to keep hers for another occasion?"
Ruth dropped her eyelids and vouchsafed no reply. There was a littlelump in her throat at that moment which would have made it difficult tospeak in her usual voice. It was hard to have denied herself fornaught, and less than naught, for Mollie's extravagance seemed more tothe old man's taste than her own prudence. It was not the first timethat the difference in their attire had been the subject of little edgedremarks, which had made her bitterly regret the lost opportunity.
Seated in the carriage opposite Victor, she was still further depressedby the fear that he was also comparing her with Mollie, to her owndisadvantage; but there was no hint of such a thought in his look ormanner. The dark eyes met hers with sympathetic understanding. Atevery point he deferred to her opinion with a subtle flattery which wasinexpressibly soothing to her wounded feelings.
The occupants of the first house on the list were not at home, so asheaf of cards were left, and the carriage sped on another mile toNumber 2, where the family were discovered superintending thearrangements of bedding-out plants round the front lawn. They greetedthe visitors with easy cordiality, consulted them on the knotty questionof geraniums _versus_ begonias, escorted them round the gardens, andwere vociferously reproachful when they refused to stay another half-hour to partake of tea.
As the carriage drove up the drive leading to the third house, amasculine figure was seen rushing to conceal itself behind the bushes,and the visitors had hard work to conceal their smiles when theirhostess sent an urgent message to summon her husband from the grounds,and, on hearing that he could not be found, expressed her convictionthat he would be woefully disappointed to have missed the pleasure ofmaking their acquaintance.
"A fellow-feeling makes us wondrous kind! I don't feel a bit of agrudge against that fellow," Victor said laughingly, as they drove offonce more. "With your permission, I am going to follow his example andmake a bolt of it when we get back to the high-road. I shall enjoy thewalk home, after being cramped up all afternoon. You will excuse me,won't you?"
"But we are going to the Moat. That's the next house on the list.Don't you want to see Lady Margot?" cried Mollie, outspoken as usual.
Both girls stared at him in amazement, but there was no sign ofembarrassment on the handsome, smiling face.
"Very much, of course, but not enough to face another drawing-roomcatechism, accompanied by draughts of strong tea. There will be noescape this time, so you must be generous, and let me run for it, likepoor Mr Granger! I have been very good and docile, but if you onlyknew how I am longing for freedom!"
There was no gainsaying such a request, nor, indeed, did either of thegirls particularly wish to do so.
They made no objections, therefore, but, putting Victor down at thecross-roads, drove on their way in great good-humour.
The Moat was a picturesque old house, though by no means so imposing asthe Court. The man-servant reported that Mrs Blount was not wellenough to receive visitors, but that Lady Margot was at home anddisengaged; and the visitors were shown into a pleasant, sunnyapartment, where Margot herself was seated reading. She looked upapprehensively at the sound of the opening door; but at the sight of thetwo girls her expression changed, and she came forward to greet themwith an eagerness which could not b
e mistaken.
"This is good of you to come so soon! And I am alone, so we can have adelightful chat all to ourselves. Bring tea, Wilson, please. Do comeand sit down, and let me make you comfortable! My aunt is notdownstairs to-day, and I was getting so bored with my own society that Iam doubly pleased to see you! There are so few girls of my own age inthis neighbourhood that I find it rather dull after the rush and bustleof town. It is so good of you to be here at the same time as me!"
"It is very nice for us," responded Mollie brightly; while truthful Ruthhesitated to find some reply which would be at once polite and non-committal. "But isn't it a strange time for you to come to this quietplace, when London is at its brightest and gayest?"
"Ah, thereby hang many tales!" cried Lady Margot, laughing. "The mostimportant is, perhaps, that I am not strong enough to go through aseason just now; but I have no intention of being dull even in Raby. Wemust amuse each other and do all kinds of nice things together. Thegreat lack on my visits, so far, has been to find any other girls withwhom I could be intimate; but now that you are here it will be quitedifferent."
"But we are only country-cousins, Lady Margot. You will find that weare very ignorant of the things that have made up your life. We arevery poor at home, and have had to do most of our gaieties inimagination," said Ruth; while Mollie gave a little gurgle of laughter,and cried--
"Let's tell her about Berengaria and Lucille!"
Lady Margot looked her curiosity, and, when the nature of the game wasexplained in detail in Mollie's breezy language, went into peals ofdelighted laughter, and rocked to and fro in her chair.
"How lovely--oh, how lovely! I do think it is too funny! I must callyou Berengaria and Lucille. Do you mind? Such wonderful names! Howdid you manage to hit on them? I used to imagine, too; and what do youthink was my dream? Instead of being a lonely only girl, I was a largefamily of grown-up sisters, and schoolboys coming home for the holidays,and little dots in the nursery--all in my own little self. You can'timagine how dull it is to be an only girl!"
"No," asserted Ruth doubtfully. "But rather nice to get all the pettingand consideration! When you are the eldest of seven children, you arealways expected to set an example, and it is very wearing at times. Howdelightful that you amused yourself `pretending,' just as we did! Thatmakes quite a bond of union between us!"
"Yes, indeed! But lucky creatures, your dream seems about to come true,while I am as lonely as ever. Your position at the Court is soromantic! You don't mind my speaking about it, do you, because everyoneknows, and is so interested in the result? Of course, one of you mustbe the lucky heir; and then we shall be neighbours, and see each otherconstantly. Which is it to be--Berengaria, or Lucille?"
"Mollie!" said Ruth.
"Ruth!" said Mollie. "Don't believe her, Lady Margot. She is a wee bitout of favour the last few days, but I haven't a chance beside her. Shehas the Farrell eyebrows, you see, and the Farrell frown, and poise ofthe head. When she is sitting in the dining-room, you could tell atonce that she was a descendant of the oil-paintings. I often see UncleBernard looking from her to them, and he is far more amiable to her thanto any of us, as a rule. We all agree that she is far and away thechief favourite."
"Really! You discuss it among yourselves, and come to the sameconclusions. How interesting!" said Lady Margot. "And the two men--your cousins--do they have no chance at all, poor things?" she askedlightly.
"They are not our cousins. They belong to different sides of the house,and we had never met till we came down here. Mr Melland refuses to beconsidered as a `candidate,' and is staying only till his ankle isbetter. Mr Druce,"--Ruth hesitated uncertainly--"he is very nice toUncle Bernard. They talk together a good deal. Sometimes I think hischance is very good."
"He is certainly second favourite, so far; but we have more than twomonths still before us. I intend to cut them both out long before then.May I have one of those dear little scones? I am quite hungry after mydrive!" Mollie said, as she in turn was presented with a daintyWorcester cup.
She watched Lady Margot with intent eyes, as she flitted about the room,placing little tables beside her guests for their greater convenience.
"Such a plain dress, and almost no jewellery, and her hair so simplydone; but she looks a Lucille through and through, as I should never do,however fine I might be!" she said admiringly to herself.
"We must think what we shall do to amuse ourselves, mustn't we? Youhave begun your round of dinners already, I hear; but in Raby they areapt to be a trifle too agricultural. All the men talk about their cropsat this time of the year, and, as the prospects are generally bad, theyget gloomier and gloomier as each course comes on. Mr Druce told methat Mr Early has paid you a visitation, so, if you take hisconversation as a sample, you can judge of the combined effect. I don'task what he talked about, because I know!"
"Yes," murmured Ruth vaguely, while her eye met Mollie's in aninvoluntary appeal. "Mr Druce told me!"--But Mr Early's call hadtaken place only three days before, nearly a week after Lady Margot'svisit to the Court. "Mr Druce told me!" That meant that Margot hadmet Victor yesterday or the day before, and had talked with him sometime, for the prosy Mr Early would not be an early subject ofconversation. Victor often went out riding alone, and there was noreason in the world why he should not call on an old acquaintance. Butwhy make a mystery of it, and avoid the call to-day by an obvioussubterfuge? Ruth was very quiet for the rest of the visit, and LadyMargot glanced at her more than once as she chatted with Mollie. Whentea was over she came out to the porch to watch their departure.
"_Au revoir_, Berengaria--_au revoir_, Lucille!" she cried gaily, as thecarriage drove away; but as she turned from the door, the smile fadedfrom her face, and was replaced by a very thoughtful expression.
"I see--I see it all! Poor pretty thing!" she said tenderly to herself."I am sorry for her and for poor Margot, too! Which of us, I wonder,is the more to be pitied?"