Then aloud—
“Good-bye, Mr Beck;” and she held out her hand, which was taken for a moment and then dropped, as she turned and left the room.
The vicar’s son had hardly left the house an hour when Sir Cheltnam rode over to make inquiries, and was leaving his card, when Alison came into the hall and went out on the steps to speak to him.
“Can’t ask you in,” said Alison. “The governor’s very bad.”
“Got a doctor down from London, haven’t you?”
“We’ve had one in consultation, but he has gone back.”
“But our doctor here is not attending him, for I met him, and he was asking about it, and thought it rather strange that he had not been sent for.”
“Humph! You see, my brother is attending him.”
“Oh!” ejaculated Sir Cheltnam. “Well, it’s no business of mine, but if anything happened to the old man it wouldn’t look well, and people would talk about it a good deal. I say, isn’t your brother rather disposed to ride the high horse?”
Alison winced.