The beautiful view of the Somersetshire hills and of the grey city in the valley below, which she gained from her window, the cheerful sense of family life going on all about her, the companionship of Bride O’Ryan, and the comfort of having Mrs. Hereford always at hand to advise her about Dick and to share all her anxieties, seemed exactly what she needed.
Her voice recovered its tone, her cheeks regained their fresh bright colour, and she became once more just a girl again, ready to enjoy life in her own quiet fashion.
“I could almost fancy we were back at school,” said Bride cheerfully.
“When, as at present I’m in the shade with the light behind me,” quoted Evereld merrily. “My hands are about the worst part of me now, they are so horribly white, otherwise you must own that I am quite presentable. How strange it seems though to think of the life at Southbourne. It was so happy while it lasted, but the thought of going back to it is dreadful.”
“Instead you spend half the day in playing with Dick,” said Bride teasingly. “The amount of time you waste on that child is appalling.”
“I’m not going to be one of those horrid modern mothers who never have time to see their own babies,” said Evereld. “It would have been wrong to have had him at all if I didn’t mean to be his best friend from the very beginning right through his life.”
“Do you mean him to be an actor?” asked Bride, looking at the funny little face nestled close to Evereld and wondering what it would develop into.
“I should like it if he has all that is needed to make one,” said Evereld, “but who can prophesy whether he has any special gift, or whether he has patience for all the drudgery it involves?”
“Tell me what you really think of the life, now that you have had some experience of it,” said Bride. “Quite candidly, don’t you find it very monotonous?”
“No, I have found it very interesting,” said Evereld. “I can fancy though that it must be trying to do nothing but one play for many hundreds of nights. In a company like ours you see we get plenty of variety.”