when he remained at the farther end of the room, talking to the gentlemen, all Czech Jerseys the rest of that evening, instead of contriving by some means to be near her, as he always had done during our pleasant evenings at the Rectory.
Chapter ix. Angus Egerton is Rejected
The expected storm came next day, and Milly and I were caught in it. We had gone for a ramble across the moor, and were luckily within a short distance of Rebecca Thatcher’s Detroit Red Wings Pelipaidat cottage when Arctic Parka Suomi the first vivid flash broke through the leaden clouds, and the first long peal of thunder came crashing over the open landscape. We set off for Mrs. Thatcher’s habitation at a run, and arrived there breathless.
The herbalist was not alone. A tall dark figure stood between us and the little window as we went in, blotting out all the light.
Milly gave a Algeria Jerseys faint cry of surprise; and as the figure turned towards us I recognised Mr. Egerton.
In all our visits among the poor we had never met him before.
‘Caught again, young Parajumpers Dam Marisol ladies!’ he cried, laughing; ‘you’ve neither of you grown weatherwise yet, I see. Luckily you’re under cover before the rain has begun. I think we shall have it pretty heavy presently. How surprised you look to see me here, Miss Darrell! Becky is a very old friend of mine. I remember her ever since I can remember Detroit Red Wings Lippikset anything. She was in my grandfather’s service once upon a time.’
‘That I was, Mr. Egerton, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you and yours — for you at least, for there’s none but you left now. But I suppose you’ll be getting married one of these days; you’re not going to let the old name of Egerton die out?’
Angus Egerton shook his head St. Louis Blues Paidat with a slow sad gesture.
‘I am too poor to marry, Mrs. Thatcher,’ he said. ‘What could I offer a wife but a gloomy old house, and a perpetual struggle to make hundreds do the work of thousands? I am too proud to ask the woman I love to sacrifice her future to me.’
‘Cumber Priory is good enough for any woman that ever lived,’ answered Rebecca Thatcher. ‘You don’t mean what you say, Mr. Egerton. You know that the name you bear is counted better than money in these parts.’
He laughed, and changed the conversation.
‘I heard you young ladies talking a great deal of the Pensildon f?ate last night,’ he said.
‘Did you really?’ asked Milly; ‘you did not appear to be much interested in our conversation.’
‘Did I seem distrait? It is a way I have sometimes, Miss Darrell; but I can assure you I can hear two or three conversations at once. I think I heard all that you and the Miss Collingwoods were saying.’
‘You are going to Lady Pensildon’s on the 31st, I suppose?’ Milly said.
‘I think not. I think of going abroad for the autumn. I have been rather a long time at Cumber, you know, and I’m afraid the roving mood is coming upon me again. I shall be sorry to go, too, for I had intended to torment you continually about your art studies. You have really a genius for landscape, you know, Miss Darrell; you only want t |
