"Celia is not fond of reading, I am sorry to say," Mrs. Wallis remarked, "so time hangs heavily on her hands."
At that moment a servant knocked at the door, and requested to speak to Mrs. Wallis, who, accordingly, left the room for a few minutes, and thus lost the conversation which followed.
"Better not be fond of reading than have such an insatiable appetite for light literature as some people possess!" Sir Jasper exclaimed.
"Ah, yes!" Mr. Tillotson agreed. "My little girl, now, used to borrow novels from one of my servants, and I had to interfere, and put a stop to her doing so. Incalculable harm, in my opinion, is being done to the rising generation by the trash in the shape of light literature that is being circulated broadcast everywhere."
"I believe that is so," Sir Jasper responded.
"I found Lulu with a novel called—let me see, what was it?" Mr. Tillotson reflected a moment ere he proceeded: "I remember! 'Lady Isabella's Treachery.' That was it. A novel of the most sensational character! And my little girl was thoroughly enjoying the reading of it. I don't know that I was ever so angry with her before. She had waded half through it, too, and begged me to let her finish it, but I would not. I made her return it at once."
Celia's cheeks were perfectly white, and her heart palpitated with alarm, for she fully expected Sir Jasper would remember the title of the book which Wag had torn to pieces; but if he did so, he did not choose to remark upon it, and when Mrs. Wallis re-entered the room, he changed the conversation into another channel.
Celia breathed freely again, and the colour returned to her cheeks. How thankful she was that her mother had not been present to hear all Mr. Tillotson had said! Lulu attached herself to Joy for the remainder of the evening, and as there had been a feeling of constraint between the sisters since the night of the elder's accident, Joy preferred to keep her distance from the sofa where Celia lay. It was the same the next day. After the way of spoilt children, Lulu considered her own pleasure, and never thought of studying the wishes of her friend, or even troubled herself to inquire what those wishes might be, so she walked to Crumleigh Church with Mrs. Wallis and Joy in the morning and evening, whilst Celia remained at home disconsolately, and Mr. Tillotson kept Sir Jasper company in the library.
In the afternoon Celia spent half an hour with Lulu, and limped as far as a garden seat on the terrace, but Lulu was of far too restless a temperament to be satisfied to remain quiet long, and she soon wandered off, presumably to ascertain what had become of Joy, who was somewhere in the rock garden. Tears of mortification and disappointment filled Celia's blue eyes as she watched Lulu's fashionably attired figure disappear from sight; and great was her astonishment when not more than a quarter of an hour later Lulu reappeared, and hurried back to her side.
"Celia," she cried, her cheeks aflame with excitement, "I've seen Sir Jasper, and what do you think he has discovered? That it was I who lent you that wretched book there's been so much fuss about! I came upon him in the rock garden. He was quite alone. 'Well, young lady,' he said, frowning at me, and looking—oh, you know how sharp his eyes do look!—'so, not content with poisoning your own mind with reading trash, you must recommend it to that silly little niece of mine!' I didn't know what to say, so I held my tongue. I longed to run away, but that would never have done, so I stood staring at him. 'You are a foolish, forward chit,' he said.—Yes, Celia, that was what he called me!—'But understand, I will have none of your mawkish novels brought into my house. Was "Lady Isabella's Treachery" your book?' I didn't answer for a moment, but he asked me again, and then,—what could I say?—I told him the truth. I said it was mine, or rather I had borrowed it from one of the servants at home. He nodded at that, and said he was glad I spoke the truth, that he did not wish to get me into trouble, so he should never mention the subject to me, or to anyone again. I was so relieved to hear that, that I thanked him most gratefully, and left him, as soon as I could, you may depend."