The next departure was that of Mrs. Carlyon. But not before a chaperon had been fixed upon for the young mistress of Heron Dyke.
Their choice fell upon a Mrs. Toynbee; who was engaged, and arrived at the Hall. She was a slender, sedate-looking lady of fifty, the widow of a certain Major Toynbee. Her credentials were unexceptionable, and her terms high. Ella did not much like her; but, as she said to herself, we can't have everything just as we like it in this life. She was kind and gracious to Mrs. Toynbee, as she was to everyone, and that lady soon made herself at home.
Meanwhile Mr. Hubert Stone was having, as the schoolboys say, rather a bad time of it. That Conroy was in love with Miss Winter and she with him, seemed to him clear as the light of day. Could he frustrate this love? he would ask himself as he paced restlessly the solitary glades of the park. He knew something which was unknown to them: a great secret, which neither of them so much as dreamt of. Could he make use of this knowledge, dangerous though it might be, to part them? He believed he might. Anyway, it was a thing to be thought of.
[CHAPTER VIII.]
WHAT DOROTHY SAW IN THE SHRUBBERY
Ella Winter felt dull after her aunt's departure; the Hall seemed more lonely than ever. Although that estimable lady, Mrs. Toynbee, might do very well to fill the position of chaperon and housekeeper-in-chief, she could never be anything more to Miss Winter. Now it was that she missed the presence of Maria Kettle: who was still at Leamington with Mrs. Page. She heard from Maria often, but that was not like seeing her. One thing Ella could do, and did; she took an active interest in the welfare of Maria's school, and of the poor old people at whose cottages Maria was so frequent a visitor when at home. Ella did more than that, she instructed Philip Cleeve to draw up plans of a new wing for the school which she determined to build at her own expense, and as a welcome surprise for Maria when she should return.
Ella's thoughts often dwelt upon that promised visit to London which she was to pay Mrs. Carlyon. Previously to Conroy's visit to the Hall she had not looked forward to the visit with any particular pleasure. _Now_ she counted the number of days that intervened before she should start, and so see Conroy again. Though the time was not quite fixed, each morning when she awoke she said to herself, with a little shiver of happiness, "Another day nearer." Conroy had never spoken one word of love to her, yet in her heart lay a dim, blissful consciousness that she was dearer to him than all the world beside.
One day there came an invitation for herself and Mrs. Toynbee to dine at Homedale. Lady Cleeve did not choose that Philip should be dining here, there, and everywhere, and make no return for it. So she invited a few friends, taking the opportunity of Freddy Bootle's being at Nullington, that he might make one. Captain Lennox and his sister were included. Lady Cleeve knew little or nothing of them, but she knew how hospitable they were to Philip: and the Vicar of course was one of the party. Old Dr. Downes was laid up with the gout, and Mr. Tiplady was away: but Dr. Spreckley was there. It was a pleasant, informal gathering, and all felt at ease.
It was only necessary to bring Freddy Bootle into the presence of Ella for his old flame of love to leap suddenly into life again. This evening he could do little beyond sigh and look miserable, and polish his eyeglass perpetually. His usual flow of harmless small talk was as dried up as a mountain stream at midsummer.
"She's too completely lovely," he whispered to Philip more than once; while to Lennox he turned and said, "I've such a longing to-night to be able to write verses. Never had the feeling before. Only they would be awful rubbish, you know"--which very probably they would have been.