“It is an abominable business,” Val had said, hotly; and the matter had dropped, to be revived only when the brother and sister met at the railway station to start on their return journey to Dynechester.
Grace could see then that her brother was greatly upset by his interview with Miss Pennington, and her homecoming was a little spoiled by the fear of what would happen when Val and Sir Mark should meet.
It was with relief, therefore, that she learned from her servants that Sir Mark was absent from Sunstead, and she gave herself up to the pleasure of the moment, hoping a little against hope that things might shape themselves better, and that the worst might be averted.
CHAPTER IV.
A BITTER EXPERIENCE.
There followed some dull and sorrowful days for little Polly after Valentine Ambleton had made his unexpected visit.
It might truly be said to have been Polly’s first experience of sadness, for hitherto life had run along smoothly and merrily enough. But with that curious, painful scene in which Christina had played such a strange part, the whole mental atmosphere of their home life had been charged with new elements, and Polly came upon the fact that it was an easy step from careless, youthful happiness to deep thought and unhappiness.
Neither she nor Winifred knew what had happened to make Christina go deliberately out of her home, but they, in common with the rest of the household, were enlightened as to her intentions when, later in the day, a message was brought from old Mrs. Pennington’s house, situated a little way out of London, asking that Miss Christina’s things might be packed at once and sent to her at her grandmother’s residence.
Mrs. Pennington was downstairs in her accustomed place when this note was brought by a neat maid, and Polly saw that the pallor and the strained look on her mother’s face deepened as she read the few curtly written words.
It was just the hour before dinner, and Polly could see that her mother had struggled against her attack of illness, and had come down simply so that her husband should not be alarmed when he came home.
“Father has so much on his mind just now,” she had said, when Polly had ventured on a protest; “we must all do what we can to make things bright and cheerful. Has—has Chrissie come in yet, Polly dear? I fancy I heard her steps.”