A maid took the three downstairs, and I was ushered
intothe presence of Miss Barlock. Ill have to do the devil of a lotof telegraphing
tomorrow, but to-night, thank God! The thicker the better,for it will be chilly
before we get to Laverlaw. I noted a baronetage on the table which had been
movedfrom the stand of reference books. Igroaned, for the scheme I had been trying
to frame was now knockedon the head. Well, we got to Stamford without mishap, and
after that we did aspell of over sixty to the hour.
Yet after the first scare I didnt feel
downhearted.
The sight ofbent and heather intoxicated her, and
she took to singing andreciting poems.
Though hemight have read them on the letters, she
had added.
Anna must have opened fifty gates, and there
weretimes when I thought we were bogged for good.
It seems a roundabout way, I said; but I dare say
you are wise. I would like tohave a crack wi him, and Mr. Shes notmuch of a beauty,
as you saw, but I thought that she had anuncommon sensible little face.
Miss Barlock was a cautiouswoman and had looked up
her visitors before receiving them.
This youngLochinvar business was rather out of my
usual line, and I wanted toget it over. I feltsomehow that we had the game in our
hands, and had got over theworst snags.
She was a tall child for her years, and
ridiculouslyblonde, almost bleached.
Thatshowed that he must have known all about us
before, and that I wasyour son. Well, to be quitehonest, I have broken the rule
once, and I do not intend to breakit again.
He said a lot of nicethings about Lord Clanroyden
which Mr.
Youmight keep an eye on it, for I want both of mine
for this bus. And after thatshe sat with her head half screwed round and issued
regularbulletins.
He seemed to know all about Lord Clanroydenand to
have a great opinion of him.
The street was fairly broad, and it couldeasily
pass. That was precisely the point, and at first I thought that it didnot
matter.
We had triedit before in a quiet gloaming and had
had no luck, though we hadseen big trout feeding. I waited for about ten minutes,
and then Miss Barlocks door openedand three people came out. I was so tired that I
didntwant to smoke.