Magnus shook hands with the old man, then turning to his mother, gave her a bear-like hug and hearty kiss, making her face flush with pleasure and her sweet eyes shine brighter than ever as she surveyed the tall, handsome figure of her son. Clean-shaven, with crisp, curly, dark hair, cut very short, and with steady deep blue eyes, Magnus Duncan, though not exactly good-looking, had a face that inspired confidence at once. He was more like his father than his mother, yet he had the latter’s sweet expression and smile, which lit up his otherwise rather sombre features, giving a rare charm to his clever face.
“Now for some tea, little mother, please, and then tell me what all the talk was about when I came in and interrupted you.”
Just then entered Dr. Duncan, senior, and it was some few minutes before Magnus gained the desired information.
“Oh! I see. How nice of her! And what is she going to sing?” asked Magnus, who was passionately fond of music.
“I really did not ask her. She said she would sing some solo in place of the anthem, and I left it to her to choose what, and to arrange for a rehearsal with the organist,” replied Mr. Mellis.
“Oh! well, we’ll go, won’t we, dad?” said Magnus, turning to his father.
“Yes, my boy, if only we are not called off to see a patient, which is our usual luck if ever we specially want to go anywhere,” laughed Dr. Duncan.
“Before I take my leave,” said Mr. Mellis, rising and addressing his hostess, “I want to say that it would be a kindness if you would call upon the Heritages. They have not been long in this neighbourhood, and are rather lonely. Their old friends live a good way off, and they themselves used to have a big place out near Huntsford; but six months ago Mr. Heritage died suddenly, a great deal poorer than was anticipated; in fact, it became evident that he had been living beyond his income for some years past, so that instead of being well off, his widow and daughter have only a tiny income on which to subsist. So Miss Marielle Heritage decided to make a practical use of the fine vocal training she had received. She has already appeared at the ‘Thursday Classical Concerts,’ and her appearance was followed, fortunately, by a fair number of pupils. She meets them at Forman’s, she tells me” (naming a large music-shop in the city), “and it is in order to be handy for the trams to town that they have taken up their abode in York Road. Number twenty-seven is the house. There now, I really must go!” wound up the Rector, and a few minutes later the hall door closed behind his retreating footsteps.
When all the paraphernalia of afternoon tea had been removed, Magnus recounted to his mother any little incidents in the day’s work which he thought would interest her. Dr. Duncan, senior, had been called away into the surgery to see an old friend and patient, so mother and son were alone.
Time passed quickly away, and it was a surprise to both when the clock chimed the half-hour after six. Mrs. Duncan bustled away to change her toilet, leaving Magnus still lying back in his easy-chair, gazing into the fire with his hands clasped behind his head.