He witnessed the departure of
Harry Musgrave, and did not fail to recognize an Englishman in the best
made of English clothes. The reader will probably recognize _him_ as one
of the guests at the Fairfield wedding, who had shown some attention to
Bessie Fairfax on her grandfather's introduction of him as a neighbor of
his in Woldshire. He was now at Bayeux by leave of Mr. Fairfax, to see
the young lady and take the sense of her opinions as to whether she
would prefer to remain another year at school, or to go back to England
in ten days under his escort. The interval he was on his way to spend in
Paris--on a private errand for the government, to a highly honorable
member of which he was private secretary.
Mr. Fairfax's letter to madame announced in simple terms the object of
Mr. Cecil Burleigh's mission to Bayeux, and as the gentleman recited it
by word of mouth she grew freezingly formal. To lose Bessie would be a
loss that she had been treating as deferred. Certainly, also, the ways
of the English are odd! To send the young lady on a two days' journey
with this strange gentleman, who was no relative, was impossible. So
well brought up as Bessie had been since she came to Caen, she would
surely refuse the alternative, and decide to remain at school. Madame
replied to the announcement that Miss Fairfax would appear in a few
minutes, and would of course speak for herself. But Bessie was in no
haste to meet the envoy from Kirkham after parting with her beloved
Harry, and when a quarter of an hour had elapsed, and there was still no
sign of her coming, Babette was despatched to the top of the house to
bring her down to the interview.
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