"So
that is the depth of his philosophy! My Arthur will be mightily amused."
"What a darling little naughty boy that was!" whispered Bessie, also
laughing. "How I should like to have him at Abbotsmead! What fun it
would be!"
"Mind, you don't mention him at Abbotsmead. Mr. Fairfax will be the last
to hear of him; the mother must be some unpresentable person. If Mr.
Laurence Fairfax is married, it will be so much the worse for you."
"Nothing in the way of little Fairfax boys can be the worse for me," was
Bessie's airy, pleasant rejoinder. And she felt exhilarated as by a
sudden, sunshiny break in the cloudy monotony of her horizon.
Mr. Laurence Fairfax returned to his study when he had parted with his
visitors, and there he found Burrage awaiting him. "Sir," she said with
a gravity befitting the occasion, "I must tell you that Master Justus
has been seen by those two ladies."
"And Master Justus's pet lamb and cart and horses," quoth her master as
seriously. "You had thrown the toys into the cupboard too hastily, or
you had not fastened the door, and the lamb's legs stuck out. Miss
Fairfax made a note of them."
"Ah, sir, if you would but let Mr. John Short speak before the story
gets round to your respected father the wrong way!" pleaded Burrage. Mr.
Laurence Fairfax did not answer her. She said no more, but shook her
head and went away, leaving him to his reflections, which were more
mischievous than the reflections of philosophers are commonly supposed
to be.
Pages:
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263