Stella kept close to Mrs Wiseman, and a great deal of unsuccessful diplomacy was exercised by Mr Bloxam with the object of obtaining a tête-à-tête with the object of his growing passion. At length a reply to Stella’s letter arrived from Mr Ramsay. It had been, as arranged, sent in a cover addressed to Mrs Wiseman. She at once took it to her husband, who was sitting, a prey to great nervousness, in his study.
“Joe,” she said in a tone that admitted of neither contradiction nor argument, “in five minutes exactly you are to send the servant with that letter to Miss Mason in the drawing-room.”
She then hurried from the room, without giving him time to reply, and went to where poor Stella was awaiting her in a fever of trembling suspense. She took the girl’s arm and hurried her to the drawing-room, where the enamoured Bloxam was sitting, apparently absorbed in the perusal of a book which he was holding upside down. When close to the door, she whispered hurriedly to the girl—
“Remember what I told you to do when the letter comes. After you have returned we will all three go to the summer-house in the garden. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” whispered Stella.
“Now, you must attend particularly to what I tell you. When we have been in the summer-house for a few minutes I will stand up and leave; just afterwards I will call to you, and you must follow me at once, without looking after you or picking up anything you may see lying about. Do you understand?”
Stella answered with a hasty nod, and the two then entered the drawing-room.
“What do you say to a walk in the garden under this young lady’s guidance?” asked Mrs Wiseman, with an arch glance at Mr Bloxam. “Certainly—I shall be delighted.”
“Very well, I shall leave you to entertain each other. I must now see about doing something for poor Mr Wardley. I feel so sorry on account of his being in trouble just now.”
At this moment a knock was heard at the door, and a servant entered with a letter for Stella. She took it with looks of extreme confusion, and, without even asking to be excused, stood up at once, and ran from the room. Mrs Wiseman looked after her with a smile, and then turned a beaming face on Mr Bloxam, who seemed puzzled and uneasy. After a couple of minutes, Stella returned, and Mrs Wiseman then stood up at once.