It was, then, on the day which followed a night of intense anguish to all—that on which no longer any opposition had been made to Herbert’s departure, and they were beginning to bear to talk of it with some calmness, that Mr. Compton said to his lady, as they sat after breakfast, ‘You had better write this sad news to the Haywards, my love; they have always felt such an interest in Herbert’s welfare, that they ought to hear this from ourselves, before it is carried there by the servants, and perhaps broken abruptly to them.’
‘I will be the bearer of the news myself,’ said Herbert, starting up; ‘no one ought to tell it but me; and it would distress you, dear mother, to write it; besides, I promised to go over to Amy, either yesterday or to-day, to sketch with her, as she wants to see the new style I have learned.’
‘Thank you, my kind darling,’ she replied; ‘you have indeed saved me the necessity of inflicting a pang on them, and one on myself too. And you must screw up your courage to the sticking-place when you mention it to Amy,’ she added almost gaily, with some emphasis on the name; ‘poor child, she will grieve to hear it indeed!’
‘Yes, she will be sorry, very sorry, I know,’ said Herbert; ‘but it can’t be helped now, and I must put as good a face as I can upon the matter to them all. I will be as gay as I can,’ he said, taking up his hat and opening the door, ‘and will not be long away.’
Poor fellow! the last words were tremulous enough for a gay captain to utter, and his mother and father thought so too.
‘It will be unexpected to them,’ he said after a painful pause.
‘Very indeed, dearest,’ was the only reply she could make, for her tears were flowing silently and fast.
CHAPTER IX.
For the convenience of the families, a gravel walk had been made through the rectory fields to the little river which divided them from the park. Across this Mr. Hayward had thrown a very elegant rustic bridge, the joint design of Amy and Herbert, to replace a rude yet picturesque one formed of planks with siderails, which had existed previously.