The event that they had been expecting, took place. During one of the afternoon practices, when, for a few minutes, Mrs. Fullerton had left the room, Temperley startled Hadria by an extremely elegant proposal of marriage. He did not seem surprised at her refusal, though he pleaded his cause with no little eloquence. Hadria found it a painful ordeal. She shrank from the ungracious necessity to disappoint what appeared to be a very ardent hope. Happily, the interview was cut short by the entrance of Mr. Fullerton. The old man was not remarkable for finesse. He gave a dismayed “Oh!” He coughed, suppressed a smile, and murmuring some lame enquiry as to the progress of the music, turned and marched out of the room. The sound of laughter was presently heard from the dining-room below.
“Father is really too absurd!” cried Hadria, “there is no tragedy that he is incapable of roaring at!”
“I fear his daughter takes after him,” said Temperley with a tragi-comic smile.
When Hadria next met her father, he asked, with perfect but suspicious gravity, about the music that they had been practising that afternoon. He could not speak too highly of music as a pastime. He regretted having rushed in as he did—it must have been so disturbing to the music. Why not have a notice put up outside the door on these occasions: “Engaged”? Then the meanest intelligence would understand, and the meanest intelligence was really a thing one had to count with, in this blundering world!
CHAPTER X.
HUBERT TEMPERLEY left Drumgarren suddenly. He said that he had business to attend to in town.
“That foolish girl has refused him!” exclaimed Valeria, when she heard of it.
“Thank heaven!” ejaculated Professor Fortescue.
Valeria’s brow clouded. “Why are you so anxious about the matter?”