"No, I shouldn't—or on a wet one either. It would be so lonely," said Peggy calmly. "No; I am a reformed character about matches. I support home industries, and go in for safeties, which 'strike only on the box.' But the boys would rescue me." She turned with a smile, and beamed upon the three tall lads. "Wouldn't you, boys? If you hear me squealing any night, don't stop to think. Just catch up your ewers of water, and rush to my bedroom. We might get up an amateur fire-brigade to be in readiness. You three would be the brigade, and I would be the captain and train you. It would be capital fun. At any moment I could give the signal, and then, whatever you were doing—playing, working, eating, on cold, frosty nights, just when you were going to bed, off you would have to rush, and get out your fire-buckets. Sometimes you might have to break the ice, but there's nothing like being prepared. We might have the first rehearsal to-night——"
"It's rather funny to hear your talking of being captain over the boys, because the day we heard that you were coming, they all said that if they were to be bothered with a third girl in the house, you would have to make yourself useful, and that you should be their fag. Max said so, and so did Oswald, and then Robert said they shouldn't have you. He had lots of little odd things he wanted done for him, and that he could make you very useful. He said the other boys shouldn't have you; you were his property."
"Tut, tut," said Peggy pleasantly. She looked at the three scowling, embarrassed faces, and the bright, mocking light danced back into her eyes. "So they were all anxious to have me, were they? How nice! I'm very pleased to hear it. Is there any little thing I can do for your honourable self now, Mr. Darcy, before I dress for dinner?"
Robert looked across the room at Mellicent with an expression which made that young person tremble in her shoes.
"All right, young lady, I'll remember you," he said quietly. "I've warned you before about repeating conversations. Now you'll see what happens. I'll cure you of that little habit, my dear, as sure as my name is Robert Darcy——"
"The Honourable Robert Darcy," murmured a soft and silvery voice from the other side of the fireplace. Robert turned his head sharply, but Peggy was gazing into the coals with an air of lamb-like innocence, and he subsided into himself with a grunt of displeasure.
The next day Mrs. Saville came to lunch, and spent the afternoon at the vicarage. As Maxwell had said, she was a beautiful woman, tall, fair, and elegant, and looking a very fashionable lady when contrasted with Mrs. Asplin in her plain, well-worn serge, but her face was sad and anxious in expression. Esther noticed that her eyes filled with tears more than once as she looked round the table at the husband and wife and the three tall, well-grown children, and when the two ladies were alone in the drawing-room she broke into helpless sobbings.
"Oh, how happy you are! How I envy you! Husband, children, all beside you. Oh, never, never let one of your girls marry a man who lives abroad. My heart is torn in two; I have no rest. I am always longing for the one who is not there. I must go back—the Major needs me; but my Peggy, my own little girl! It is like death to leave her behind."
Mrs. Asplin put her arms round the tall figure, and rocked her gently to and fro.
"I know! I know!" she said brokenly. "I ache for you, dear; but I understand! I have parted with a child of my own—not for a few years, but for ever, till we meet again in God's heaven. I'll help you every way I can. I'll watch her night and day; I'll coddle her when she's ill; I'll try to make her a good woman. I'll love her, dear, and she shall be my own special charge. I'll be a second mother to her."