The twins laughed. "Isn't she pathetic and cherubic?" said Joan. "We haven't seen him yet, though we're going to to-morrow. He was only born yesterday. We'll take you over."
"Isn't everybody very pleased?" asked Miss Bird, meaning by "everybody" the Squire, but not liking to mention his name again.
"We are," replied Joan, "and so is mother. Father isn't quite certain about it, although he is glad that he was born at Mountfield—at the Lodge, you know—instead of at Melbury Park. Unless Dick or Humphrey have sons he'll succeed to the property, you see, and it is very important that he should be touched by nothing common or unclean. We've got such a lot to tell you—all about the weddings and the rows. Everything is made up now, but we had the very deuce of a time since you left."
"Now, Joan," said Miss Bird sharply, "if you talk like that I shall be sorry I came and I am sure Miss Phipp would be very angry you must act while she is away as if she were present, here we are and I declare there is dear Mrs. Clinton at the door how pleased I am to see her once more oh it is almost too much." And she began waving her hand and bobbing up and down and saying, "Oh how do you do how do you do," until the carriage drew up under the porch, when she hopped out of it and received a greeting from Mrs. Clinton which put the seal on her happiness.
The Squire came out of his room as they were going into the morning-room. "Why, Miss Bird!" he exclaimed heartily, "here's a sight for sore eyes! How de do, Miss Bird, how de do! 'Pon my word, it looks so natural to see you here that I wonder we ever allowed you to go. We've got a very learned lady in your place, and a dangerously attractive one, by George—ha, ha!—but we don't forget you, Miss Bird, and we often wish you were back again."
Now could anything have been handsomer than this! as Miss Bird asked of her sister when she went back home again. From such a man too! who had so many important things and people to think of.
"I'm sure Mr. Clinton all your kindness I never shall forget and never can forget," she began; but Joan and Nancy stopped her by pushing her into a chair, and the Squire laughed and said, "They don't play tricks like that with Miss Phipp, the young monkeys! How do you think they're looking, Miss Bird? Pretty good specimens for Kencote air, eh? Well, I suppose you've heard all our news—Dick married, and Humphrey going to be. You've never seen Mrs. Dick, I think; she was after your time."
"No but she wrote me the kindest possible letter Mr. Clinton when I sent a small gift to Dick and there was really no necessity for anybody to write but Dick wrote at once and she wrote too and said she should hope to see me soon which touched me very deeply and made me feel that I knew her though I had never seen her."
"Ah, yes," said the Squire complacently; "she thinks of everybody and identifies herself with all Dick's interests, and you're not the least of them, Miss Bird. You'll see her to-night, for they're dining here, and if you don't take to her out of hand, Miss Bird, I shall be very much surprised. We're all in love with her here—eh, children?"
"Rather!" said the twins in one breath; and Mrs. Clinton said, "They are at the dower-house for a week or two. Dick is looking after some other properties, but he has arranged it so that it does not take up all his time. They live chiefly in Yorkshire, but they will be able to live at the dower-house for a week or two every now and then, and by and by we hope that they will be able to live there altogether."