“They are quite inseparable,” she added. “Last year at Wyverston you never saw one without the other. We used to meet them coming home from long rambles over the moors, the dog generally a few paces in front of the man, both looking so solemn and—so ugly.”
“Mrs Worthing,” said Mr Gresham, drily, “you must pardon my reminding you that the animal’s master is my cousin.”
No one was quite sure if he was annoyed or not, but Mrs Worthing laughed. She was not without some gift of repartee.
“Then,” she said, “you must allow me to remark that the family likeness is not striking.”
And Philippa fancied that the implied compliment was not altogether distasteful to her host.
Aline Worthing was sitting hear her. From time to time she had made feeble efforts to catch Miss Raynsworth’s attention—there was something about Philippa which attracted the weaker girl—but hitherto without success. She now tried again.
“Do you think Mr Michael Gresham so very ugly?” she said, in a low voice. “Mamma is always saying so. I don’t think I do—there is something rather nice about his face. But, oh,”—as she caught sight of the astonishment, which an acuter observer might have described as not unmingled with alarm on her hearer’s face—“I forgot, you were not at Wyverston. I suppose you don’t know the other Mr Gresham?”
“It was my sister who was staying there last year,” said Philippa, evasively.
“Yes, I know. Mrs Marmaduke Headfort. She is very pretty, though not the least like you,” said the girl, simply, her thoughts already diverted from the consideration of Michael’s personal appearance; “But it is so odd,” she continued, “I have such a feeling that I have seen you before. And to-day, as soon as that visit to Wyverston was spoken of, I seemed to have seen you there. I suppose it is through knowing that Evelyn Headfort—she let me call her Evelyn—is your sister.”
“Perhaps so,” said Philippa. Then anxious at all costs to set this troublesome little person’s little mind at rest, she went on. “Perhaps Evelyn spoke about me to you. She is rather fond of doing so.”