"She has tried to do so," said my aunt dryly.
"I am afraid she is sorely mortified to think that you have revealed so much to us," I said.
"We will not talk of it," said my aunt quickly. "Her vanity is foolish and paltry, but we will spare her feelings. I must ask Agneta not to mention it. Oh, dear, how white that girl looks!"
So my cousin became the topic of conversation, and father told Aunt Patty that Mrs. Redmayne begged that she would not allow Agneta to go up to London, on any pretext whatever, unless she or I could accompany her. I could see that aunt did not like the injunction.
"My guests are free to do as they like," she said. "This is not a boarding school."
[CHAPTER X]
COUSIN AGNETA'S LOVE STORY
WE sat down to dinner rather earlier than usual that evening because father had to catch a train which left Chelmsford a little before nine. Mr. Faulkner's place at the table was vacant. I kept expecting that he would drop in, but he did not appear. It vexed me that father should go away without having another word with him, for although we were comparatively near London, I knew it might be a very long time ere father came again. He was a busy man and rarely gave himself a holiday.
I got ready to drive with father to the station, and no one offered to accompany us. Miss Cottrell was not visible when he took his departure. It struck me that she must have slipped away to avoid saying good-bye to him, fearing that he might address her as Miss Smith in the hearing of the others.
"It's a pretty place," said father, looking back at "Gay Bowers," as we drove away in the fair, sweet dusk of the evening, "and I am glad that your aunt can stay there, if she is happy at least. How does it answer, Nan? Do the 'paying guests' bother her much?"