“Do you know,” observed Erle, carelessly, as he sauntered back to the fire-place, “that I have been here ten days, and must begin to think of my return? If there be one thing I hate, it is to outstay my welcome. I should be afraid of boring you both if I stayed much longer. Well, what now?” breaking off in some surprise.
“Ah, Erle!” exclaimed Fay, sorrowfully, the smiles and the dimples disappearing in a moment, “you are surely not going away yet. What shall I do without you?” continued the poor child. “Who will ride and drive and skate with me when you are gone?”
“Why, your husband, to be sure,” returned Erle, lightly; but he was watching her as he spoke. “You have not forgotten your husband, you naughty woman.”
Fay never knew why a sudden sharp pang shot through her at Erle’s careless remark.
It had never occurred to her simple mind to question her husband’s right to keep so entirely aloof from her, and to give her such fragments of his time. But now, as Erle spoke, a dim unconscious feeling came over her that another was usurping his rightful place; that it was her husband who ought to be riding and driving with her, and not his young cousin, but in her wifely loyalty she stifled the feeling, and spoke firmly, though with crimsoned cheeks, like the brave little woman she really was.
“Why, you extremely foolish boy,” she said, “don’t you know that Hugh has something better to do with his time than to waste it on me? You see,” she continued, with much dignity, “he has my estate to look after as well as his own, and it is a large one, and he has no reliable bailiff.”
“Dear, dear,” replied Erle, with much solemnity.
“And he has to ride over to Pierrepoint on magisterial business ever so often,” and here Fay stammered slightly over the long word, but recovered herself in an instant; “and he visits the infirmary, and looks after any of his people who are ill there.”
Here Erle again said, “Dear, dear;” but his provoking smile died away after a glance at her face.
“And,” continued Fay, her mouth quivering a little, “you must see how proud I am of being his wife, and must not think that I am sorry that he is able to spend so little of his time with me, for I would not have him neglect his duty for the world; no, no, he is far too good and noble and useful to waste his time on me;” and Fay’s face wore such a sweet tremulous smile as she spoke, that Erle whispered under his breath, “You are a darling,” and went out silently, and perhaps for the first time in his life forgot to hum as he put on his fur-lined coat.