He left young Christie with as little ceremony as he had rejoined him,
and walked home to Brook, entering the garden from the wood. The first
sight that met him was Bessie Fairfax standing alone under the beeches.
At the moment he thought it was an illusion, for she was all in
bluish-gray amongst the shadows; but at the sound of the gate she turned
quickly and came forward to meet him.
"I was just beginning to feel disappointed," said she impulsively. "Lady
Latimer brought me over to say good-bye, and we were told you had gone
to Littlemire. She is in the sitting-room with your mother. I came out
here."
Harry's face flushed so warmly that he had no need to express his joy in
words. What a lucky event it was that he had met Mr. Wiley, and had been
turned back from his visit to his old tutor! He was fatigued with
excitement and his hurried walk, and he invited Bessie to sit with him
under the beeches where they used to sit watching the little stream as
it ran by at their feet. Bessie was nothing loath--she was thinking that
this was the last time they should meet for who could tell how long--and
she complied with all her old child-like submission to him, and a
certain sweet appealing womanly dignity, which, without daunting Harry
at all, compelled him to remember that she was not any longer a child.
The young people were not visible from the sitting-room. Lady Latimer's
head was turned another way when Harry and Bessie met, but the instant
she missed her young charge she got up and looked out of the lattice.
Pages:
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492