Rollo would not have been Rollo if he had felt any repugnance to this amusement. Needless to say that in their boy and girl days there had been passages of something they were pleased to call love between the cousins; and equally needless to add that all this had long been over, both being far too sensible (though one had been led astray by Lottie, to his own consternation and confusion) to think of any serious conclusion to such a youthful folly. Rollo sat down with mingled pleasure and alarm. He liked a confidential talk with any woman; but in this case he was not without fear.
And his fears were thoroughly well founded as it turned out. After a few preliminaries about nothing at all, Augusta suddenly plunged into her subject.
“I am very glad,” she said, “to have a chance of speaking to you, by ourselves. Mamma does not pay any attention; it is quite the same as if she were not there. You know I’ve always taken a great interest in you, Rollo. We are cousins, and we are very old friends—more like brother and sister.”
“I demur to the brother and sister; but as old friends as memory can go,” said he; “and very happy to be permitted all the privileges of a cousin—with such a good fellow as Daventry added on.”
“Oh, yes. Spencer’s very nice,” said she. “He takes very kindly to my people; but it is not about Spencer I want to talk to you, Rollo, but about yourself.”
“That’s so much the better,” said Rollo; “for I might not have liked bridal raptures, not being able, you know, Augusta, quite to forget——”
“Oh, that’s all nonsense,” said Augusta, with the faintest of blushes; “bridal fiddlesticks! People in the world keep clear of all that nonsense, heaven be praised. No, Rollo, it’s about yourself. I am very anxious about you.”
“Angelic cousin!—but there is no cause for anxiety that I know of in me.”
“Oh, yes, Rollo, there is great cause of anxiety. I must speak to you quite frankly. When I was married you had never seen Lottie Despard——”
“Miss Despard!” He repeated the name in a surprised tone and with eyes full of astonishment. He was glad of the opportunity of looking to the buckles of his armour and preparing for the onset; and therefore he made the surprise of the exclamation as telling as he could. “What can she have to do with your anxiety?” he said.