“Glass? What glass?” queried Mrs Rendell quickly; and Nan smiled back at her with infantile candour.
“Better tell her the first evening, when she can’t find it in her heart to be cross,” she had decided diplomatically; and there was certainly no nervousness apparent in the manner in which she made her confession.
“Oh, only some tumblers. Not so many. Seven or eight, perhaps. They were not the best ones; none of the best set were broken except two little water-bottles. Such a mercy, wasn’t it?” She affected not to hear Mrs Rendell’s groan of dismay, and spread out her scarred hands with an air of thanksgiving. “As for me, I can’t imagine how I escaped. There were knives on the tray, and they fell in showers round me—literal showers—and dug into my hands! The blood—oh-oh!” Nan rolled her eyes to the ceiling, and shuddered dramatically. “Ask Maud! She wanted me to go to bed, but I struggled on. We were particularly busy that night, and wanted to help the servants.”
“Ned Talbot was here. He appeared suddenly, when we were laying carpets, and went down on his knees to help us. He seemed to expect to stay to dinner, so we gave him a scramble meal, and he left by the 8:30 train,” explained Maud hurriedly. She, like Nan, had decided to give her own special piece of news on the evening of her parents’ return; but though she appeared to be looking in an opposite direction, she was acutely conscious of her mother’s searching glances.
“In-deed!” Mrs Rendell said slowly. “He is staying in town, then, I suppose? Is he to make a long visit? Shall we see him again this time?”
“He said of his own accord, mother, that he would like to come from Saturday until Monday if it would not inconvenience you so soon after your return. I promised to give you the message, and said you would probably write yourself.”
“He said he wanted particularly to speak to you and father. I wonder what about! He doesn’t generally care to be with you as much as with us; but he said it as if he meant it—he really did. I can’t imagine what he wants!” said Agatha the tactless, blurting out her thoughts as usual, and beaming round the company, unconscious of the consternation which her words had caused.
Maud flushed crimson. Elsie and Nan blushed in sympathy for her confusion, and Chrissie from sheer rage and irritation, and longing to take the big, blind blunderer by the shoulder and administer a good shaking. Only Lilias remained cool and self-possessed, and came to the rescue with a change of subject, for which her sisters blessed her in their hearts.
No further reference was made to Ned Talbot that evening, nor was any letter forwarded to his London address; but next day, as Maud passed the morning-room on some domestic errand, a voice called her by name, and she entered, to find her mother seated before an open desk.
“I am writing to Ned Talbot,” she said, “and I wanted to consult you before finishing. I think the time has come for plain speaking, Maud. Am I to tell this young fellow that we shall be pleased to see him or no? It has been easy to see that he has had a special attraction in this house for some years past; and now that his position is established, he may have made up his mind to state his wishes. I have little doubt what they will be, nor, I think, have you, so it lies with you to decide the question.”