CHAPTER XLIII
LE GOES TO JOIN HIS SHIP
The next morning Dr. Ingle called to keep an appointment with Miss Meeke. He came in his gig to take her to the village to inspect a certain house that he thought of leasing. But she ordered him to send his gig to the stable, and let his horse rest, while he availed himself of the family carriage in which to take her and her invited company, her little pupils, to see the house on trial.
And these being the days of her power and his slavery, he obeyed without a murmur, and gave up his anticipated tête-à-tête drive with his betrothed, with as good a grace as he could assume.
Miss Meeke then gave her impromptu invitation to her little friends to accompany her in a drive; and, as they eagerly accepted the invitation, she sent Wynnette to order the carriage; all this was done according to a prearrangement with Mrs. Force.
“And we will not interrupt you and Leonidas all day long, for we are going to take lunch with us in the carriage, and we won’t be home till night—maybe not till morning!
| “‘Till daylight doth appear,’” |
sang Wynnette, as she kissed her elder sister good-by, before running out to jump into the carriage.
Odalite and Leonidas, standing at the front window of the drawing room, watched their departure until the carriage passed through the west gate and rolled out of sight into the woods beyond.
Then they turned toward the fireplace, around, or near, which their father, mother and guest were seated.