Instantly there was a flutter of skirts, and the two little ladies were collecting breakables, while Miss Jane gasped to Eileen in a horror-struck voice:
“The fans, my dear! The fans!”
Eileen rescued the two heaps of tissue paper with their precious contents, and then held the door open for Paddy to fly out. The next moment they saw her scrambling over the wall between the two gardens, with Jack at her heels.
Eileen remained with the two little ladies, and presently they all went down to the beach together. Here they sat and worked, while Eileen read aloud to them, until they were disturbed by a footstep on the shingle and looked up to see Lawrence Blake approaching.
Instantly, in spite of herself, a crimson flush dyed Eileen’s cheeks, and an anxious look passed between the two little ladies.
Lawrence came up with his pleasantest smile, and greeted all alike with his polished charm, and though the two little ladies had long felt an instinctive mistrust of him, they could not but be impressed, and received him graciously. A boat was pulled up on the beach, beside where they were sitting, and with the same perfect ease, he seated himself upon it, and drew them into conversation. For one moment they made an effort to maintain a formal atmosphere; but since it pleased Lawrence to be gracious, they could no more resist him than anyone else, and almost before they knew it, they were deep in an eager discussion on the picture galleries of Europe.
At the most interesting part a maid from the Parsonage came to say they were wanted, and with real reluctance they rose to go.
Nevertheless, as they walked across the garden their faces grew serious.
“He talks wonderfully well,” said Miss Mary at last, anxious to know what was in her sister’s mind.
“Yes; wonderfully. He is no doubt an extremely cultured young man. And yet—” she paused.