The Star-Gazers Part 43

"Haw, haw, haw! Haw, haw, haw!" laughed the captain. "I beg pardon, but, really, you are such a daisy. So innocent, you know. That was done last night out in the woods. Bit of a row with some poacher chaps.

One of them hit me with a stick on the head. That's from the b.u.t.t of a gun."

He gave the bruise on his bare arm a slap, and laughed, while Lucy coloured with shame and annoyance, but resolved to ignore the captain's rather peculiar appearance, and escape as soon as she could.

"I ought not to mind," she said to herself. "It's only rather French.

Like the pictures one sees in the ill.u.s.trated papers about Trouville."

"Were you fighting?"

"Well, yes," he said indifferently, "bit of a scrimmage. Nothing to mind. People who preserve often meet with that sort of a thing. I did run against a fellow, though," he continued, laughing. "But that's not the sort of running against I meant. I'm going to do a foot-race.

Matched against a low sort of fellow."

"Oh!" said Lucy, looking straight before her.

"Professional, you know; but I'm going to run him--take the conceit out of the cad. Bad thing conceit."

"Extremely," said Lucy tightening her lips.

"Horrid. I'm going to give him fifty yards."

"Oh!" said Lucy, gravely, as she took a step forward without looking at the captain. "But don't let me hinder you. I was only taking my morning walk."

"Don't hinder me a bit," said the captain. "I was just going to put on the finishing spurt, and end at that cross path. I've as good as done it, and I'm in prime condition."

"Bad thing conceit," said Lucy to herself.

"Fresh as a daisy."

"Horrid," said Lucy again to herself.

"I feel as if I could regularly run away from him. My legs are as hard as nails."

"Indeed!"

"Oh, yes. I haven't trained like this for nothing. Don't you think you've hindered me. I sha'n't trouble about it any more."

All this while Lucy was trying to escape from her companion, but it was rather a wild idea to trudge away from a man whose legs were as hard as nails. As she walked on, though, she found herself wondering whether the finishing spurt that the captain talked of putting on was some kind of garment, as she kept steadily along, with, to her great disgust, the captain keeping coolly enough by her side, and evidently feeling quite at home, beginning to chat about the weather, the advantages of early rising, and the like.

"I declare," thought Lucy, "if I met anyone, I should be ready to sink through the ground for shame. I wish he'd go."

"Some people waste half their days in bed, Miss Alleyne. Glad to see you don't. I've been up these two hours, and feel, as they say, as fit as a fiddle, and, if you'll forgive me for saying so, you look just the same you do really, you know."

He cast an admiring glance at her, which she noted, and for the moment it frightened her, then it fired a train, and a mischievous flash darted from her eyes.

This was delicious, and though her cheeks glowed a little, perhaps from the exercise, her heart gave a great leap, and began to rejoice.

"I knew he was not worthy of her," she thought. "The wretch! I won't run away, though I want to very badly." And she walked calmly on by his side.

"Don't you find this place dull?" said Rolph.

"Dull? oh dear no," cried Lucy, looking brightly up in his face, and recalling at the same time that this must be at least the tenth time she had answered this question.

"I wish you'd let my mother call upon you, and you'd come up to the Hall a little oftener, Miss Alleyne, 'pon my honour I do."

"Why, I do come as often as I am asked, Captain Rolph," said Lucy with a mischievous look in her eyes.

"Do you, though? Well, never mind, come oftener."

"Why?" said Lucy, with an innocent look of wonder in her round eyes.

"Why? because I want to see you, you know. It's precious dull there sometimes."

"What, with Glynne there?" cried Lucy.

"Oh yes, sometimes. She reads so much."

"Fie, Captain Rolph!"

"No, no; nonsense. Oh, I say, though, I wish you would."

"Really, Captain Rolph, I don't understand you," said Lucy, who was in a flutter of fright, mischief and triumph combined.

"Oh yes, you do," he said, "but hold hard a minute. Back directly."

He ran from her out to where something was hanging on a broken branch of a pine, and returned directly, putting on a flannel cricketing cap, and a long, hooded ulster, which, when b.u.t.toned up, gave him somewhat the aspect of a friar of orders grey, who had left his beads at home.

"You do understand me," he said, not noticing the mirthful twinkle in Lucy's eye at his absurd appearance. "Oh yes, you do. It's all right.

I say, Lucy Alleyne, what a one you are."

Lucy's eyebrows went up a little at this remark, but she did not a.s.sume displeasure, she only looked at him inquiringly.

"Oh, it's all right," he said again. "I am glad I met you, it's so precious dull down here."

"What, when you have all your training to see to, Captain Rolph."

"Oh, yes; awfully dull. You see Glynne doesn't take any interest in a fellow's pursuits. She used to at first, but now it's always books."

"But you should teach her to be interested, Captain Rolph."

"Oh, I say, hang it all, Lucy Alleyne, can't you drop that captaining of a fellow when we're out here _tete-a-tete_. It's all very well up at the Hall but not here, and so early in the morning, we needn't be quite so formal, eh?"

"Just as you like," said Lucy, with the malicious twinkle in her eyes on the increase.

"That's right," cried Rolph; "and, I say, you know, come, own up--you did, didn't you?"

"Did what?" cried Lucy.

"Know I was training this morning."