“Offer it to him, you mean.” George Iredale smiled quietly.
“Yes, offer it to him,” the old lady corrected herself thoughtfully. “But I’m forgetting my stewing oysters, and Mistress Prudence will get going on––for she had them sent up all the way from St. John’s––if they’re burned.” She turned to one of the kettles and began stirring at once. “Hervey is coming back after he’s been to Niagara, and I’ll talk to him then. I wish you could have seen him before he went, but he’s abed.”
“Never mind, there’s time enough when he comes back. Ah, Prudence, how is the euchre ‘progressing’?” Iredale turned as the girl came hurriedly in.
“Oh, here you are. You two gossiping as usual. Mother, it’s too bad of you to rob me of my guests. But I came to ask for more lemonade.”
“Dip it out of yonder kettle, child. And you can take George off at once. It’s high time he got at the cards.”
“He’s too late, the game is nearly over. He’ll have to sit out with Leslie. He, also, was too late. Come along, Mr. Iredale,”––she had filled the lemonade pitcher,––“and, mother, when shall you be ready 90 with the supper? Remember, you’ve got to come and give out the prizes to the winners before that.”
“Also to the losers,” put in Iredale.
“Yes, they must all have prizes. What time, mother?”
“In an hour. And be off, the pair of you. Mary! Mary!” the old lady called out, moving towards the summer kitchen. “Bustle about, girl, and count down the plates from the dresser. La, look at you,” she went on, as the hired girl came running in; “where’s the cap I gave you? And for good-a-mussey’s sake go and scrub your hands. My, but girls be jades.”
Iredale and Prudence went off to the parlour. The game was nearly over, and the guests were laughing and chattering noisily. The excitement was intense. Leslie Grey sat aloof. He was engaged in a pretence at conversation with Sarah Gurridge, but, to judge by the expression of his face, his temper was still sulky or his thoughts were far away. The moment Iredale entered the room Grey’s face lit up with something like interest.