Cursed by a Fortune Part 14

"Do you hear this, Kate, my dear?" said Garstang, with a meaning smile.

"It is quite proverbial how the British farmer complains."

"You try farming then, and you'll see."

"Why not?" said Garstang, laughingly, while his host writhed in his seat. "It always seems to me to be a delightful life in the country, with horses to ride, and hunting, shooting and fishing."

"Oh, yes," growled Wilton, "and crops failing, and markets falling, and swine fever, and flukes in your sheep, and rinderpest in your cattle, and the bank refusing your checks."

"Oh, come, come, not so bad as that! You have fine weather as well as foul," said Garstang, merrily. "Then Harry has not been down again, Claud?"

"No, I haven't seen him since he went back the other day," said Claud, and added to himself, "and don't want to."

"That's strange," said Garstang, thoughtfully. "I wonder where he has gone. I daresay he will be back at the office, though, by now. I don't like for both of us to be away together. When the cat's away the mice will play, Kate, as the old proverb says."

"Then why don't you stop at the office, you jolly old sleek black tom, and not come purring down here?" said Claud to himself. "Bound to say you can spit and swear and scratch if you like."

There was a dead silence just then, which affected Mrs Wilton so that she felt bound to say something, and she turned to the visitor.

"Of course, John Garstang, we don't want to encourage Harry Dasent here, but if--"

"Ah, here's lunch ready at last," cried Wilton, so sharply that his wife jumped and shrank from his angry glare, while the bell in the little wooden turret went on clanging away.

"Oh, yes, lunch," she said hastily. "Claud, my dear, will you take your cousin in?"

But Garstang had already arisen, with bland, pleasant smile, and advanced to Kate.

"May I?" he said, as if unconscious of his sister-in-law's words; and at that moment a servant opened the library door as if to announce the lunch, but said instead:

"Mr Harry Dasent, sir!"

That gentleman entered the room.

CHAPTER NINE.

"h.e.l.lo, Harry!" said Claud, breaking up what is generally known as an awkward pause, for the fresh arrival had been received in frigid silence.

"Ah, Harry, my boy," said Garstang, with a pleasant smile, "I half expected to find you here."

"Did you?" said the young man, making an effort to be at his ease.

"Rather a rough morning for a walk--roads so bad. I've run down for a few hours to see how Kate Wilton was. Thought you'd give me a bit of lunch."

"Of course, my dear," said Mrs Wilton, stiffly, and glancing at her husband afterwards as if to say, "Wasn't that right?"

"One knife and fork more or less doesn't make much difference at my table," said Wilton, sourly.

"And he does look pretty hungry," said Claud with a grin.

"Glad to see you looking better, Kate," continued the young man, holding out his hand to take that which was released from his step-father's for the moment.

"Thank you, yes," said Kate, quietly; "I am better."

"Well, we must not keep the lunch waiting," said Garstang. "Won't you take in your aunt, Harry? And, by the way, I must ask you to get back to-night so as to be at the office in good time in the morning, for I'm afraid my business will keep me here for some days."

"Oh, yes, I'll be there," replied the young man, with a meaning look at Garstang; and then offering his arm to Mrs Wilton, they filed off into the dining-room, to partake of a luncheon which would have been eaten almost in silence but for Garstang. He cleverly kept the ball rolling with his easy, fluent conversation, seeming as he did to be a master of the art of drawing everyone out in turn on his or her particular subject, and as if entirely for the benefit of the convalescent, to whom he made constant appeals for her judgment.

The result was that to her own surprise the girl grew more animated, and more than once found herself looking gratefully in the eyes of the courtly man of the world, who spoke as if quite at home on every topic he started, whether it was in a discussion with the hostess on cookery and preserves, with Wilton on farming and the treatment of cattle, or with the young men on hunting, shooting, fishing and the drama.

And it was all so pleasantly done that a load seemed to be lifted from the sufferer's breast, and she found herself contrasting what her life was with what it might have been had Garstang been left her guardian, and half wondered why her father, who had been one of the most refined and scrupulous of men, should have chosen her Uncle James instead of the polished courtly relative who set her so completely at her ease and listened with such paternal deference to her words.

"Wish I could draw her out like he does," thought Claud.--"These old fogies! they always seem to know what to say to make a wench grin."

"He'll watch me like a cat does a mouse," said Harry to himself, "but I'll have a turn at her somehow."

James Wilton said little, and looked glum, princ.i.p.ally from the pressure of money on the brain; but Mrs Wilton said a great deal, much more than she should have said, some of her speeches being particularly unfortunate, and those which followed only making matters worse. But Garstang always came to her help when Wilton's brow was clouding over; and the lady sighed to herself when the meal was at an end.

"If Harry don't come with us I shall stop in," said Claud to himself; and then aloud, "Close upon two. You'd like a turn with us, Harry, fishing or shooting?"

"I? No. I'm tired with my walk, and I've got to do it again this evening."

"No, you haven't," said Claud, sulkily; "you know you'll be driven back."

"Oh, yes," said Garstang; "your uncle will not let you walk. Better come, Harry."

"Thanks, no, sir; I'll stop and talk to Aunt and Kate, here."

"No, my dear; we must not tire Kate out, she'll have to go and lie down this afternoon."

"Oh, very well then, Aunt; I'll stop and talk to you and Uncle."

"Then you'll have to come round the farms with me if you do," growled Wilton.

"Thanks, no; I've walked enough through the mud for one day."

"Let him have his own way, Claud, my lad," cried Garstang. "We must be off. See you down to dinner, I hope, Kate, my child?"

She smiled at him.

"Yes, I hope to be well enough to come down," she replied.

"That's right; and we'll see what we can get to boast about when we come back. Come along, boy."

Claud was ready to hesitate, but he could not back out, and he followed Garstang, the young men's eyes meeting in a defiant gaze.

But he turned as he reached the door.

"Didn't say good-bye to you, Mamma. All right," he cried, kissing her boisterously. "I won't let them shoot me, and I'll mind and not tumble out of the boat. I say," he whispered, "don't let him get Kate alone."