The bullock carro with its four bullocks, and Mr. and Mrs. Cossart as passengers, was the vanguard of the main party. Lady Dumaresq and her little boy were immediately behind, and the hammock bearers came up very shortly with Effie, Miss Adene, and Sir Guy. He, however, had left his hammock and was on foot by this time.
“I begin to feel it ignominious to be carried in that fashion, but the fellows are quite hurt in their minds if you ask to be let out! I couldn’t induce them to put me down till we had got to the more level stretches, and then they made quite a favour of it!”
“We’ve had a jolly ride!” cried Ronald, whose face was full of brightness, and whose spirits were so high that his brother glanced at him more than once with a look of quiet scrutiny, and said in an undertone to his wife as they stood apart—
“Do you think?”—and then he gave an expressive glance that travelled from Ronald to Sheila.
Sheila was engrossed by little Guy who had claimed her instantly. Ronald by this time was beside Effie, whom he had helped from her hammock, and who was a little stiff from the long journey in one posture, and was glad to take a turn up and down leaning on his arm.
“I think not,” answered Lady Dumaresq. “I think he understands not to be too precipitate—not to frighten the child. But that it is coming I do not doubt. I am so pleased about it both for his sake and hers. They are rather a pair of babies still. But they will grow out of that, and they seem just made for each other.”
The luncheon was spread in a sheltered spot, where a bank gave fairly comfortable sitting accommodation to the elders of the party. Miss Adene seemed to see the cloud resting upon Mrs. Cossart’s face, and set herself to dissipate it. Her pleasant talk had a somewhat softening effect; but had anybody chanced to note it, they might have observed how very little that lady spoke, and that the glances she threw from time to time towards the place where Sheila sat between Ronald and little Guy, were of a very hostile description.
She never addressed the girl once the whole day, but Sheila did not notice it. She had given herself over to the enjoyment of the little festivity, and she was too happy to be very observant.
Little Guy wanted to play hide-and-seek amongst the bushes. Of course Ronald was pressed into the service. Effie offered herself, but for some reason or other Guy had taken rather a dislike to her. It might have been her eye-glasses or the occasional sharpness of her voice, but it was noticeable that he only accepted her overtures with great reservation, and to-day he replied firmly though politely—
“No, sank you, you might get tired. Mozzer will come, and Uncle Ronald and Sheila. Sat will be quite enough. You had better rest yourself.”