“You are as bad as ever, I see,” he said, and then glanced at the driver, who had averted his head as much as possible.
“George,” said Fenella, putting a coaxing little face round his shoulder, “could you—would you mind putting a bit of cotton wool in your ear on this side, because I want to talk to—to Lord Francis? I’ve got a bit in my pocket somewhere, I know.”
George’s face flickered, as he expressed himself quite agreeable, but was rather surprised, as blue-blooded people usually talk before their inferiors as if they had no more hearing and understanding faculties than tables or chairs. When the wool was produced out of a smart little pocket, he proceeded to plug his ear gravely, and even rammed it down hard to show that his intentions were strictly honorable. This business over, Fenella turned round and showed a little laughing face that seemed to have caught all the sunshine of the day, aye, and held it fast.
“I always carry a bit in my pocket for Ronny,” she said, “as he gets a touch of earache sometimes. What’s that? They can hear us behind? Oh? no, the trot of the horses’ feet swallows up our voices. Let them talk. They will say I picked you up!”
“So you did. Do you know any of them?”
“Heaven forbid! A woman, my dear, who never sits in the drawing room with the other ladies,” said Fenella, adroitly mimicking a sour female voice, “there must be something wrong about her. And so there is,” she added, below her breath, and for a moment the little face grew hard.
“How is Ronny?” said Frank.
“He is very well,” she said nonchalantly. “Poor wee man, isn’t it a good job he isn’t a girl? And he hasn’t begun to grow ugly and horrid and masculine yet—he is all mine, mine!”
The mother’s love in her rang out triumphantly, and her face grew very tender.
“We have such good times together, he and I,” she went on happily; “he is not with me to-day, because he is playing cricket at the present moment. We go down to the Stray with the bat and stumps, and forage round for a scratch team. I took a hand myself the other day, and actually bowled out a butcher’s boy!”