At Whitsea the Hall was the most prominent residence, even as Captain Marven was the most distinguished inhabitant. It was just a simple, kindly English house, at one with its simple, kindly English inhabitants. The life there was a revelation to Guy. Never before had he known what it was to be an inmate of a pure unpretentious English country home.
"You will find us dull, I am afraid," had been Mrs. Marven's warning when she had invited him, "for excepting some sailing and later in the year a little rough shooting Whitsea has no attractions."
Dull! Guy had never found a life so full. Every moment of the day provided a new item of interest.
The house itself was a haven of peace. The long, low white stone structure stood on a little knoll looking with all its many eyes in the face of the southing sun. It was girt about with an old garden where the scent of roses disputed with the perfume of carnations for supremacy, a garden where tall white lilies stood sentinel over serried ranks of sweet peas, and gazed down unmoved upon the riot of colours that filled the borders. Beyond the garden a meadow dropped down into the saltings, and beyond the saltings the sea wall kept the tides at bay, and ever the sweet fresh breezes dinted the surface of the water and lifted the petals of the roses and whispered stories of the ocean in the ears of those who walked in the garden, tempting them to venture forth in search of the places where they were born.
Daily two of the inmates of the Hall responded to the temptation. Meriel loved the sea. Guy was equally fervent in his adoration, and there, ever before them, was the means of gratifying their desires in the shape of the graceful ten-ton cutter Witch lying at her moorings opposite the house, or the rightly christened little eighteen-footer Dainty, which ever seemed to chafe at the chain which saved her from going adrift. Oftentimes Captain Marven made one of the party, more occasionally Mrs. Marven accompanied them, but there were occasions when Meriel and Guy found themselves alone. Then when the breeze sang in Guy's ears, and the spray tasted salt on his lips, he felt a mad impulse to sail on and on with his precious cargo right away out of the old life into a totally new one.
The two young people were drawn very close together in those days. Meriel took no pains to conceal the pleasure she found in Guy's companionship. Guy made no effort to disguise the fact that life held only one hope for him. If there was a doubt at the back of his mind that the hope was foredoomed to be disappointed, he put it away. He would be happy while he might. Sorrow was for the sad days of autumn. There was only one jarring note in the symphony. It was a trifling one and did not affect Meriel. On the first day they went for a sail they passed an excellently appointed steam yacht lying at anchor in the fairway of the river. A figure immaculately clad in blue jacket and white flannels raised a bridge-cap as they passed.
"Hildebrand Flurscheim, by all that's holy," remarked Guy.
"Still searching for his missing pictures," said Meriel laughing.
The thought was an unpleasant one. But Guy was not allowed to forget it. Flurscheim found out that the Marvens were at their house and he called, and, undeterred by a cool reception, called again. Guy could not help but realise that if his host and hostess had been aware that he was the burglar who had raided the connoisseur's treasure-house, the coolness accorded Flurscheim would be nothing to the reception he might expect.
But Captain and Mrs. Marven would have both been horrified at the mere suggestion that Guy could be guilty of such a deed. They were fully cognisant of the love-story developing under their eyes, acquiescing smilingly. They anticipated an idyll. They had watched Guy carefully, and they had seen no fault in him. He had an unblemished university career and was apparently sufficiently endowed with this world's goods. He seemed chivalrous, honourable, and, above all, deeply in love. Thinking of the days of their own wooing, they anticipated a happy union.