“You know,” and she turned to Stelfox, “that my mother and I heard you struggling with him, and when you came out we heard you say he was quiet now, as if you had had some trouble with him. How was that if he was so harmless?”
Again Stelfox glanced at his master, and Chris, following his look, noticed that Mr. Bradfield had become deadly white. He stamped impatiently on the floor as he caught his servant’s eye.
“Oh,” said Stelfox, after a few seconds’ pause, “that was only his rough play.”
“Then I don’t wonder you keep him shut up,” said Chris, drily.
Mr. Bradfield stared at her with a frown on his face. But Chris did not care. They were going away, so she could speak out her mind. There was a pause for some moments, and then Mrs. Abercarne began to fidget a little, being anxious to get away. Mr. Bradfield’s frown cleared away as he watched Chris, and at last he said, quite good-humouredly:
“You’re an impudent little piece of goods. And so you are going to let my madman frighten you away?”
Chris glanced at her mother. Then she turned boldly, with her hands behind her, and faced him.
“Not if it rested with me, Mr. Bradfield.”
He was evidently delighted by her answer, and began to chuckle good-humouredly as he signed to Stelfox to leave the room.
“So you would brave the bogies, would you? And it is only this haughty mother of yours who stands in the way of our all being happy together. Now, come, Mrs. Abercarne, can you resist the appeal of youth and beauty? I couldn’t.”