Aylmer’s Court was in the full
perfection of its autumn beauty when Sir John Wallis,
accompanied by Kitty Sharston and her father, drove
up the winding avenue as Mrs. Aylmer’s guests.
A private omnibus from Aylmer’s Court was sent
to the railway station to meet them, and their luggage
was now piled up high on the roof.
Sir John Wallis did not look a day
older than when we last saw him in all the glories
of his own house, surrounded by the girls whom he had
made happy.
Kitty was seated beside her father
and opposite to her old friend. She looked sweet
and bright, with that gentle, high-bred, intelligent
expression which she always wore. Kitty’s
heart was no longer empty or sad. Her beloved
father had come back to live with her, she hoped, as
long as life lasted. Her old friend, Sir John
Wallis, had only recently declared her his heiress;
and, although Kitty would never leave her father for
anything that mere money could offer, she was glad
to feel that he was no longer anxious about her future.
As to Kitty, herself, however rich
she might be, she would always be simple-hearted and
think of wealth in the right spirit; for what it could
do to promote the happiness of others, and not merely
as a means of increasing her own splendour or silly
pleasures.
“You have two fathers, you know,
Kitty,” said Sir John, as they drove up the
avenue. “You are bound to be a very circumspect
young lady, as you are under such strict surveillance.”
“You need not suppose for a
single moment that I am the least afraid of either
of you,” was her answer, and she gave her head
a little toss which was not in the least saucy, but
was very pretty to see.
Colonel Sharston smiled and turned to his friend.
“How is it that we have accepted
this invitation?” he said. “I do not
know Mrs. Aylmer. What sort of woman is she?”
“Oh, a very estimable person.
I have known her for many years. I felt that
we could not do less than give her a few days of our
company, and Aylmer’s Court is a beautiful place.”
So it truly was the park
undulating away to the edge of the landscape, and
acres and acres of forest-land being visible in every
direction. There was a lake a little way to the
left of the house, on which a small pleasure-boat
was now being rowed. In that boat sat a girl dressed
in dark blue, with a sailor hat on her head.
Kitty bent forward; then she glanced at Sir John Wallis
and suddenly squeezed his hand.
“Do you know who is rowing on the lake?”
she said.
“Who, my dear? Why, Kitty, you have turned
quite white.”
“I met her before, but, do you
know, I had absolutely forgotten it. She is Mrs.
Aylmer’s companion, and I believe her right hand.”
“But who is she, dear? What is the matter?
You look quite ill.”
“Don’t you remember Bertha Keys?”
“Miss Keys; why, that was the
girl who behaved so badly at the time when I offered
my scholarship, was it not?”
“The very same girl,” said Kitty.
“And what do you want me to do regarding her,
Kitty?”
“I do not know. I don’t
want to do her any injury. Don’t be surprised
when you meet her, that is all, and ”
“Kitty, your heart is a great
deal too tender. You ought not to belong to this
evil world at all,” said Sir John, while her
father looked at Kitty and asked for an explanation.
“Another time, father.
All Sir John has to do is to treat Miss Keys as if
he had never met her before.”
“Well, I daresay I can manage
more than that for your sake, Kitty; and now, here
we are at the house.”
Mrs. Aylmer and her adopted son, Maurice
Trevor, were standing on the steps to meet their guests.
The moment she saw Trevor, Kitty smiled and took an
eager step forward to meet him. He held out his
hand.
“This is a real pleasure,”
she said. “I had forgotten all about your
being here. Do you remember Dawlish?”
“Of course I do,” he answered.
“I do not easily forget pleasant occasions.”
Mrs. Aylmer now turned to Kitty, took
her hand in hers, and, turning her gently round, looked
into her face. It was a good face, eyes of the
sweetest grey, delicate colouring, an intelligent forehead,
lips true and pure and honest. Mrs. Aylmer scarcely
knew why she sighed, and why a wish rose up in her
heart that she had never felt before: that Maurice,
the boy she truly loved, should really like and marry
this girl. Just for the moment she forgot all
about Kitty’s future circumstances; she welcomed
her for herself.
“Would you like to go for a
walk before dinner?” said Trevor. “Miss
Keys is rowing on the lake; we will go to meet her.”
“I should be delighted. May I go, father?”
said Kitty.
“Certainly, my love.”
“Then will you two gentlemen
come into the house?” said Mrs. Aylmer.
She nodded to Trevor, who walked off immediately with
Kitty. As soon as they got out of ear-shot, Kitty
faced her companion.
“I never knew that I should
meet you here. I am so glad. I heard from
Florence a few days ago; she said you were so good
and kind to her when you were in London. I must
thank you now in her name.”
“I should like to be kind to
her, but in reality I was able to do only very little
for her,” said Trevor. “Does she write
often to you? How is she getting on?”
“She seems to me to be getting
on in the most wonderful way. She has quite a
considerable amount of literary work to do. Two
of her stories have already been accepted, and she
is asked to do a third, and I have no doubt that other
work also will fall in her way. She will now be
able to support herself comfortably. I cannot
tell you what a relief it is to me.”
Trevor smiled.
“She is wonderfully clever and
interesting,” he said. “I am glad
she is your friend. She has talked to me about
you and ”
Just at that moment Bertha Keys, having
moored her little boat came to meet them.
She came straight up to Kitty and
spoke in a defiant voice, and as if she were talking
to a perfect stranger.
“How do you do?” she said.
“I suppose I must introduce myself. My name
is Miss Keys. I am Mrs. Aylmer’s companion.
I shall be pleased to do everything I can to promote
your comfort while at Aylmer’s Court. Have
you been here long?”
“Only a few moments,”
answered Kitty, taking her cue, “and Mr. Trevor
has most kindly offered to show me round the place.
I am so tired of sitting still that it is delightful
to move about again.”
“Then I won’t keep you.
Dinner is at half-past seven, and the dressing-gong
sounds at seven. Mrs. Aylmer’s maid will
help you to dress, Miss Sharston that is,
unless you have brought your own.”
“Oh, I don’t keep a maid,”
said Kitty merrily; “I hate maids, and in any
case I am not rich enough to afford one.”
Miss Keys raised her brows in a somewhat
supercilious way.