Ruddock's in again with "A what?"
I can't help turning upon him, and saying, rather angrily, "A cart!" I feel inclined to add, "You old idiot." Then I say to Tregony, encouragingly, "Yes."
"'Only' (continues Tregony), says the Landlord, joking them, 'mind yew du bring the wheels back safe and sound.' So they promised, and then they went about the town till it was rather late and getting dark——"
"Getting what?" asks Old Ruddock. Everybody annoyed, and two persons besides myself repeat the word "dark" to him.
With these interruptions, and the consequent necessity of making it all quite clear, specially when it comes to Tregony imitating the conversation between Uncle and Nephew, in two voices, when Old Ruddock perpetually wants to know "Who said that," and so puzzles Tregony that sometimes he makes the Uncle take the Nephew's voice, and vice versâ, and the story is getting into difficulties, when the servant enters with a message to our Host from Mrs. Pendell, which brings us to our feet, and into the drawing-room, Tregony promising me the story quietly in a corner.
The other ladies have come. We all try to enter the drawing-room carelessly, as if the ladies weren't there, or as if we'd been engaged in some fearful conspiracy in the next room, and were hiding our consciousness of guilt under a mask of frivolity. Miss Bodd, of Popthlanack, is alone at a table, turning over the pages of a photographic album. I join her.
Careful Flash.—Take care never to offer an opinion on photographic or any other sort of portraits, unless you're quite sure of your ground.
I remark generally that I don't care about photographic portraits. Before Miss Bodd can answer, I hear a rustle behind me, and a voice asks simply, "Why?"
Good gracious! It is—Miss Straithmere! She is staying with the Clethers ["Mr. Clether is here," Pendell tells me. "He's written a work on the Moon. Quite a character——">[, and as the Rev. Mr. Clether is the Rector of Penwiffle, she is not a mile from the house, and will be here every day.
Singing and playing. Miss Straithmere asks me, "Why I'm so serious? Will I tell her? Do. Why?"