The monstrous way in which you learned your alphabet.
I am not surprised you played at marbles in the church pew.
I wonder you did no worse.”
“I did once,” I said.
“I brought white mice in my pocket and they ran under the seat.
They scampered up the petticoat of an old lady in the pew behind.
She had the vapors, and had to be removed.”
“Didn’t Ambrose beat you for it?”
“Why, no.
It was he who set them loose upon the floor.”
My cousin Rachel pointed to Wellington’s back.
His shoulders had stiffened, and his ears were red.
“You will behave yourself today, or I shall walk out of the church,” she said to me.
“Then everyone would think you had the vapors,” I said, “and my godfather and Louise would come rushing to your assistance.
Oh, great heaven…” I broke off, and clapped my hand on my knee in consternation.
“What’s the matter?”
“I’ve only just remembered. I promised to ride over yesterday to Pelyn to see Louise, and I forgot all about it.
She may have waited for me all afternoon.”
“That,” said my cousin Rachel, “was not very gallant of you.
I hope she snubs you well.”
“I shall blame it upon you,” I said, “which will be the truth.
I shall say you demanded to be taken round the Barton.”
“I would not have asked you to do so,” she said, “had I known you were supposed to be elsewhere.
Why did you not tell me?”
“Because I had forgotten all about it.”
“If I were Louise,” she said, “I would take that in bad part.
You could not offer a woman a worse excuse.”
“Louise isn’t a woman,” I said, “she’s younger than myself, and I have known her since she ran around in petticoats.”
“That’s no answer.
She has feelings just the same.”
“Ah well, she will get over them.
She will sit next to me at dinner, and I shall tell her how well she arranged the flowers.”
“What flowers?”
“The flowers in the house.
The flowers in your boudoir, and in the bedroom.
She drove over especially to do them.”
“How very thoughtful.”
“She did not trust Seecombe to do them properly.”
“I don’t blame her for that.
She showed great delicacy and taste.
I liked best of all the bowl on the mantelpiece in the boudoir, and the autumn crocus beside the window.”
“Was there a bowl on the mantelpiece,” I said, “and another by the window?
I did not notice either.
But I will compliment her just the same, and hope she does not ask for a description.”
I looked at her, and laughed, and I saw the eyes smile back at me under the veil, but she shook her head.
We had descended the steep hill and turned along the lane, and were now come to the village and the church.
As I had thought, there was a gathering of people by the rails.
I knew most of them, but there were many besides drawn there by curiosity.
There was a sort of pressure among them as the carriage drew up before the gate and we alighted.
I took off my hat and offered my cousin Rachel my arm.