“Oh, no, mother, thank you; I’m well enough. I’ll go now and dress for dinner.” The changes in the drawing-room had caused Hugh to look out for old associations; but his mother followed him upstairs.
“You see, Hugh,” she said, “for all the young ones’ sakes it was necessary to get over old impressions. You know this old door was shut up”—suddenly opening it—“and, by closing the other, and changing the furniture, there is nothing to recall our darling’s room.”
Hugh shrank back. He saw vaguely that it all looked very different; but he could not cross the threshold.
“Yes, mother, I daresay you’re right,” he said, hurriedly; “it may make a difference.”
“And, Hugh, we must not let the house be mournful. When Arthur comes back it will be much better for him to find us cheerful.”
Hugh made no reply. He could not contemplate the thought of Arthur’s return. How had any of them come back, he thought, as he dressed hastily and went downstairs. At dinner his mother asked him if he had seen anything of the new comers to Ashenfold.
“Yes, I have seen Colonel Dysart. He is a gentleman. There are a great many of them.”
“I must go and call. Didn’t you tell me, Freddie, that some of them were going to Miss Venning’s?”
“So Flossy said in her letter,” returned Freddie.
“They have been kind and helpful, I hear. It is a great thing to have that house occupied.”