Love Me Little, Love Me Long Part 25

Lucy turned her crest round a little haughtily, and shot such a glance on Eve. Eve read in it a compound of triumph and pique.

David came to Eve one morning with parchments in his hand and a merry smile. "Eureka!"

"You're another," said Eve, as quick as lightning, and upon speculation.

"I have made Mr. Fountain's pedigree out," explained David.

"You don't say so! won't he be pleased?"

"Yes. Do you think _she_ will be pleased?"

"Why not? She will look pleased, anyway. I say, don't you go and tell them the whole county was owned by the Dodds before Fountain, or Funteyn, or Font, was ever heard of."

"Hardly. I have my own weaknesses, my la.s.s; I've no need to adopt another man's."

"Bless my soul, how wise you are got! So sudden, too! You shouldn't surprise a body like that. Lucky I'm not hysterical. Now let me think, David--Solomon, I mean--no, you shall keep this discovery back awhile; it may be wanted." She then reminded him that the Fountains were capricious; that they had dropped him for a week, and eight again; if so, this might be useful to unlock their street door to him at need.

"Good heavens, Eve, what cunning!"

"David, when I have a bad cause in hand, I do one of two things: I drop it, or I go into it heart and soul. If my zeal offends you, I can retire from the contest with great pleasure."

"No! no! no! no! no! If you leave the helm I shall go ash.o.r.e directly"--dismay of David; grim satisfaction of his imp.

This matter settled, David asked Eve if she did not think Master Nelson (Mr. Fountain's new ward) was a very nice boy.

"Yes; and I see he has taken a wonderful fancy to you."

"And so have I to him; we have had one or two walks together. He is to come here at twelve o'clock to-day."

"Now why couldn't you have asked me first, David? The painters are coming into the house to-day; and the paperers, and all, and we can't be bothered with mathematics. You must do them at Font Abbey." Eve was a little cross. David only laughed at her; but he hesitated about making a school-house of Font Abbey--it would look like intruding.

"Pooh! nonsense," said Eve; "they will only be too glad to take advantage of your good-nature."

"He is an orphan," said David, doggedly.

However, the lesson was given at Font Abbey, and after it Master Nelson came bounding into the drawing-room to the ladies.

"Oh, Lucy, Mr. Dodd is such a beautiful geometrician! He has been giving me a lesson; he is going to give me one every day. He knows a great deal more than my last tutor." On this Master Nelson was questioned, and revealed that a friendship existed between him and Mr.

Dodd such as girls are incapable of (this was leveled at Lucy); being cross-examined as to the date of this friendship, he was obliged to confess that it had only existed four days, but was to last to death.

"But, Arthur," said Lucy, "will not this take up too much of Mr.

Dodd's time? I think you had better consult Uncle Fountain before you make a positive arrangement of the kind."

"Oh, I have spoken to my guardian about it, and he was _so_ pleased. He said that would save him a mathematical tutor."

"Oh, then," said Mrs. Bazalgette, "Mr. Dodd is to teach mathematics gratis."

"My friend is a gentleman," was the timid reply. (Juveniles have a pomposity all their own, and exquisitely delicious.*) "We read together because we like one another, and that is why we walk together and play together; if we were to offer him money he would throw it at our heads." Mr. Arthur then relaxed his severity, and, condescending once more to the familiar, added: "And he has made me a kite on mathematical principles--such a whacker--those in the shops are no use; and he has sent his mother's Bath chair on to the downs, and he is going to show me the kite draw him ten knots an hour in it--a knot means a mile, Lucy--so I can't stay wasting my time here; only, if you want to see some fun for once in your lives, come on the downs in about an hour--will you? Oh yes! do come!"

* Read the Oxford Essays.

"Certainly not," said Mrs. Bazalgette, sharply.

"Excuse us, dear," said Lucy in the same breath.

"Well, Lucy," said Mrs. Bazalgette, "am I wrong about your uncle's selfishness! I have tried in vain ever since I came here to make you see it where _you_ were the only sufferer."

"Not quite in vain, aunt," said Lucy sadly; "you have shown me defects in my poor uncle that I should never have discovered."

Mrs. Bazalgette smiled grimly.

"Only, as you hate him, and I love him, and always mean to love him, permit me to call his defects 'thought-lessness.' _You_ can apply the harsh term 'selfish-ness' to the most good-natured, kind, indulgent--oh!"

"Ha! ha! Don't cry, you silly girl. Thoughtless? a calculating old goose, who is eternally aiming to be a fox--never says or does anything without meaning something a mile off. Luckily, his veil is so thin that everybody sees through it but you. What do you think of his _thought-less-ness_ in getting a tutor gratis? Poor Mr. Dodd!"

"I will answer for it, it is a pleasure to Mr. Dodd to be of service to his little friend," said Lucy, warmly.

"How do you know a bore is a pleasure to Mr. Dodd?"

"Mr. Dodd is a new acquaintance of yours, aunt, but I have had opportunities of observing his character, and I a.s.sure you all this pity is wasted."

"Why, Lucy, what did you say to Arthur just now. You are contradicting _yourself."_

"What a love of opposition I must have. Are you not tired of in-doors?

Shall we go into the village?"

"No; I exhausted the village yesterday."

"The garden?"

"No."

"Well, then, suppose we sketch the church together. There is a good light."

"No. Let us go on the downs, Lucy."

"Why, aunt, it--it is a long walk."

"All the better."

"But we said 'No.'"

"What has that to do with it?"

Arthur was right; the kites that are sold by shops of prey are not proportioned nor balanced; this is probably in some way connected with the circ.u.mstance that they are made to sell, not fly. The monster kite, constructed by the light of Euclid, rose steadily into the air like a balloon, and eventually, being attached to the chair, drew Mr.

Arthur at a reasonable pace about half a mile over a narrow but level piece of turf that was on the top of the downs. Q.E.D. This done, these two patient creatures had to wind the struggling monster in, and go back again to the starting point. Before they had quite achieved this, two petticoats mounted the hill and moved toward them across the plateau. At sight of them David thrilled from head to foot, and Arthur cried, "Oh, bother!" an unjust e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n, since it was by his invitation they came. His alarms were verified. The ladies made themselves No. 1 directly, and the poor kite became a shield for flirtation. Arthur was so cross.