“He used to come a great deal,” said May, coldly, and then she left the room, but Mrs. Churchill did not forget the subject.
“William,” she said, the same night to her husband, “do you know I believe that young Henderson admires May extremely?”
“I used to think so too,” answered Mr. Churchill, who was smoking his pipe complacently, and thinking of the good bargain he had made in the morning; “but it’s rather an awkward business, about that girl.”
“Oh, that will soon be forgotten, and I think it would be a remarkably good match for May, don’t you?”
Mr. Churchill gave one or two more puffs at his pipe before he answered.
“Stourton is nice property,” he said, at length.
“Yes, and he’s a nice-looking young man, suitable in age and everything, and girls are far better married young. I would encourage him to come here if I were you.”
But Henderson needed very little encouragement to go to Woodside. He began to do so from the day he had bought the horse, and he made very little secret of what was his attraction, and after awhile Mrs. Churchill made up her mind to bring the affair to a conclusion.
“May,” she said, quietly, after one of Henderson’s visits, “I think there is no doubt what that young man comes here for.”
May did not reply. She had always been very cold and distant to Henderson since Elsie Wray’s death, but she also knew very well the reason why he came to Woodside.