“And uncle and Dick are sleeping off their last night’s fatigue, I suppose.”
“No, poor souls! they are incurring more fatigue,” said Anna, smiling, and trying to give a light and playful turn to the conversation.
“Why, where are they gone?” exclaimed Drusilla, raising her brows in surprise.
“On a nice little jaunt to Southampton.”
“To Southampton? What is the occasion?”
“Well, you see, one of Dick’s good-for-nothing ‘friends,’ or rather, to speak the exact truth, one of his former good-for-nothing ‘friends’ has been getting himself into trouble. Of course poor Dick must needs take pity on him, and so my poor fellow and my grandfather have both gone down to Southampton to get him—Dick’s old friend—out of it.”
“Ah! and that was the matter with Dick and uncle this morning at breakfast?”
“Yes. Dick had the subject on his mind, and wished to break it to grandpa, and grandpa saw that he had something to say to him, and was both longing and dreading to hear it; for, to tell the truth, I suppose he was fearing that Dick himself had got into a mess of some sort, and I dare say you were thinking the same thing, Drusilla.”
“Well, perhaps I was; for our affections make us fearful for those we love, Anna; and you and Dick are just as dear to me as the dearest brother and sister could possibly be.”
“Well, darling, I know that, and your love is not lost on us, you may be sure. Be at ease on our behalf, as it was not Dick but one of his old friends that got into a scrape.”