“My Camille!” squeaked Olivia, almost falling out of the coach into his arms.
They embraced passionately. Mr. Standen, descending more soberly from the aged vehicle, observed these transports with fastidious pain, and felt that some explanation was due to the interested coachman. “French!” he said briefly. “Don’t you drive off! I shall be needing you. Er—no wish to meddle, d’Evron, but daresay you may not have noticed: couple of waiters looking at you over the blind! That your chaise? Get into it, if I were you!”
“Ah, my friend!” said the Chevalier, turning to him. “What can I say to you? How can I repay you?”
“No need to say anything at all,” replied Freddy firmly. “Pressed for time! Easily repay me! Very much obliged to you if you won’t visit London again!”
The Chevalier burst out laughing. “Ah, have no fear! Present, if you please, my compliments to my cousin—my regretful farewells!”
“Oh, yes, Mr. Standen! Pray, will you explain to dear Miss Charing how it was, and tell her that I shall never, never forget her kindness?” said Olivia. “And, oh, Mr. Standen, I am so very grateful to you for all—”
“Yes, yes!” said Freddy, shepherding them to where a post-chaise stood waiting. “Beg you won’t give it a thought! Pleasure!”
He then handed her up into the chaise, shook hands with the Chevalier, and waved goodbye as the horses began to move forward. After that, he turned back to the hackney. “Doctors’ Commons!” he commanded. “And don’t dawdle!”
Chapter XIX
It was not a very long distance from London to the Reverend Hugh Rattray’s parish of Garsfield, but the time spent on the road was more than enough to reduce Lord Dolphinton’s nerves to ribbons, and to place a great strain upon Miss Charing’s patience. Not all her representations served to convince him that his mother was not hard on his heels; and when a broken trace necessitated a wait of several minutes it really seemed as though any further check would wholly overset his slender reason. As for pausing to partake of refreshment, when the horses were changed, he would not hear of it. Neither Finglass nor the coachman showed any surprise at his twittering impatience, so Kitty could only suppose that such moods were not uncommon in him. She herself had not been prepared to find him so much tortured by apprehension, but after travelling only five miles in his company she could readily understand why Miss Plymstock had so unhesitatingly stated that a journey all the way to Gretna Green would not have done for him.