At breakfast, Sophy’s looks betrayed nothing to the uninitiated, though Albinia detected a feverish restlessness and covert impatience, and judged that her sleep had been little. Genevieve’s had perhaps been less, for she was very sallow, with sunken eyes, and her face looked half its usual size; but Albinia could not easily have compassion on the poor little unwitting traitress, even when she began, ‘Dear Mrs. Kendal, will you excuse me if I take a sudden leave? I find it will answer best for me to accept Mrs. Elwood’s invitation; I can then present myself to any lady who may wish to see me, and, as I promised my aunt another visit, I had better go to Hadminster by the three o’clock omnibus.’
Albinia was thankful for the loud opposition which drowned the faint reluctance of her own; Mr. Kendal insisting that she should not leave them; little Awk coaxing her; and Maurice exclaiming, ‘If the ladies want her, let them come after her! One always goes to see a horse.’
‘I’m not so well worth the trouble, Maurice.’
‘I know Ulick O’More would come in to see you when all the piebalds for the show were going by!’
‘Some day you will come to the same good taste,’ said his father, to lessen the general confusion.
‘See a lady instead of a piebald? Never!’ cried Maurice with indignation, that made the most preoccupied laugh; under cover of which Genevieve effected a retreat. Sophy looked imploringly at Albinia—Albinia was moving, but not with alacrity, and Mr. Kendal was saying, ‘I do not understand all this,’ when, scarcely pausing to knock, Ulick opened the door, cheeks and eyes betraying scarcely repressed eagerness.
‘What—where,’ he stammered, as if even his words were startled away; ‘is not Miss Durant well?’
‘She was here just this moment,’ said Mr. Kendal.
‘I will go and see for her,’ said Sophy. ‘Come, children.’
Whether Sophy’s powers over herself or over Genevieve would avail, was an anxious marvel, but it did not last a moment, for Maurice came clattering down to say that Genevieve was gone out into the town. In such a moment! She must have snatched up her bonnet, and fled one way while Ulick entered by the other. He made one step forward, exclaiming, ‘Where is she gone?’ then pausing, broke out, ‘Mrs. Kendal, you must make her give me a hearing, or I shall go mad!’