Major Buller came across the room, and sat down by her.
“You are fond of drawing?” he said.
“Very,” said Eleanor, and she threw a good deal of eloquence into the one word.
The Major and she forthwith plunged into a discussion of drawing, etching, line-engraving, &c., &c. It appeared that Mrs. Arkwright etched on copper, and had a good collection of old etchings, with which Eleanor was familiar. It also transpired that she was a naturalist, which led by easy stages to a promise from the Major to show Eleanor his insects.
They talked till bedtime, and when Aunt Theresa bade us good-night, she said:
“I’m glad you’ve found your voice, my dear;” and she added, laughing, “But whenever Papa talks to anybody, it always ends in the collection.”
CHAPTER XII.
POOR MATILDA—THE AWKWARD AGE—MRS. BULLER TAKES COUNSEL WITH HER FRIENDS—THE “MILLINER AND MANTUAMAKER”—MEDICAL ADVICE—THE MAJOR DECIDES.
It was not because Major Buller’s high opinion of Miss Airlie was in any way lowered that he decided to send us to school. In fact it was only under long and heavy pressure, from circumstances as well as from Aunt Theresa, that he gave his consent to a plan which never quite met with his approval.