Rachel Doorm folded her arms across her lean bosom and flung back her head.
“Ellie was afraid of me, Mr. Renshaw,” she pronounced huskily, and then, looking at him sharply: “Yes,” she said, “Mrs. Herrick and I were excellent friends, and so are Linda and I. She’s a soft, nervous, impressionable little thing—our dear Linda—and very pretty, too, in her own way—don’t you think so, Mr. Renshaw?”
It was the man’s turn now to suffer a change of countenance. “Pretty?” he laughed. “I’m sure I don’t know. I’ve never seen her!”
Rachel clasped her hands tightly on the lap of her black dress and fixed her eyes upon him. “You’d like to see her, wouldn’t you?” she murmured eagerly. He answered her look, and a long, indescribable passage of unspoken thoughts flickered, wavered and took shape between them.
“I’ve seen Nance—in the distance—with my mother,” he remarked, letting his glance wander to the opposite parapet and away beyond it where the swallows were skimming, “but I’ve never yet spoken to either of the girls. I keep to myself a good deal, as every one about here knows, Miss Rachel.”
Rachel Doorm rose abruptly to her feet with such unexpected suddenness that the man started as if from a blow.
“Your sister,” she jerked out with concentrated vehemence, “is doing my Nance a deadly injury. She’s given her heart—sweet darling—absolutely and without stint to that foreigner down there.” She waved her hand towards the village. “And if Miss Renshaw doesn’t let him go, there’ll be a tragedy.”
Brand looked at her searchingly, his lips trembling with a smile of complicated significance.
“Do make her let him go!” the woman repeated, advancing as if she were ready to clasp his hand; “you can if you like. You always could. If she takes him away, my darling’s heart will be broken. Mr. Renshaw—please—for the sake of old days, for the sake of old friends, do this for me, and make her give him up!”
He drew back a little, the same subtle and ambiguous smile on his lips. “No promises, Miss Rachel,” he said, “no promises! I never promise any one anything. But we shall see; we shall see. There’s plenty of time. I’m keeping my eye on Philippa; you may be sure of that.”