CHAPTER XXIII.
"Labour is light, where love (quoth I) doth pay;
(Saith he) light burthens heavy, if far borne."
DRAYTON.
Fleda pushed open the parlour door, and preceded her convoy, in a kind of tip-toe state of spirits. The first thing that met her eyes was her aunt, in one of the few handsome silks which were almost her sole relic of past wardrobe prosperity, and with a face uncommonly happy and pretty; and the next instant she saw the explanation of this appearance in her cousin Charlton, a little palish, but looking better than she had ever seen him, and another gentleman, of whom her eye took in only the general outlines of fashion and comfortable circumstances, now too strange to it to go unnoted. In Fleda's usual mood her next movement would have been made with a demureness that would have looked like bashfulness. But the amusement and pleasure of the day just passed had for the moment set her spirits free from the burden that generally bound them down; and they were as elastic as her step, as she came forward and presented to her aunt "Dr. Quackenboss," and then turned to shake her cousin's hand.
"Charlton! Where did you come from? We didn't expect you so soon."
"You are not sorry to see me, I hope?"
"Not at all very glad;" and then as her eye glanced towards the other new-comer, Charlton presented to her "Mr. Thorn," and Fleda's fancy made a sudden quick leap on the instant to the old hall at Montepoole, and the shot dog. And then Dr. Quackenboss was presented, an introduction which Captain Rossitur received coldly, and Mr. Thorn with something more than frigidity.
The doctor's elasticity, however, defied depression, especially in the presence of a silk dress and a military coat. Fleda presently saw that he was agonizing her uncle. Mrs. Rossitur had drawn close to her son. Fleda was left to take care of the other visitor. The young men had both seemed more struck at the vision presented to them than she had been on her part. She thought neither of them was very ready to speak to her.
"I did not know," said Mr. Thorn, softly, "what reason I had to thank Rossitur for bringing me home with him to-night he promised me a supper and a welcome but I find he did not tell me the half of my entertainment."
"That was wise in him," said Fleda; "the half that is not expected is always worth a great deal more than the other."
"In this case, most assuredly," said Thorn, bowing, and, Fleda was sure, not knowing what to make of her.