AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Indeed, madam, we, too, have heard much of you from Sir Miles. _We_have wanted to meet _you_!"
Lady O'Hara seated herself and nodded briskly.
"I expect he told you some dreadful tales of me," she said happily. "Imust ask your pardon for not having visited you before, but, as Idaresay you know, I have been away, and, gracious me, when I returnedeverything seemed topsy-turvy!" She laughed across at Miss Betty. "Ipromise you I have had my hands full putting things to rights, MissBeauleigh!"
Miss Betty drew her chair closer, and in a minute they were deep intruly feminine conversation: the prodigious extravagance of theservants; the helplessness of men-folk when left to themselves, and thenLondon, its shops, its parks, the newest play.
Lady O'Hara was begged to take a dish of Miss Betty's precious Bohea--avery high honour indeed--and when Mr. Beauleigh came into the room hefound his sister and daughter seated on either side of a pretty,animated little lady whom he had never before seen, talking hard, andpartaking of tay and angel cakes. Whereupon he retired hastily and shuthimself up in his library.
CHAPTER XVII
LADY O'HARA WINS HER POINT
Lady O'Hara looked across at her sleeping husband with no littleseverity in her glance. He was stretched in a chair beneath a giant oak,and she was busied with some needlework a few paces from him. O'Hara'seyes were shut and his mouth open. My lady frowned and coughed. Sherasped her throat quite considerably, but it was not without effect; herspouse shut his mouth and opened one lazy eyelid. Immediately my ladyassumed an air of gentle mournfulness, and the eye regarding hertwinkled a little, threatening to close. Molly looked reproachful, andbegan to speak in an aggrieved tone:
"Indeed, and I do not think it at all kind in you to go to sleep when Iwant to talk, sir."
O'Hara hastily opened the other eye.
"Why, my love, I was not asleep! I was--er--thinking!"
"Do you say so, sir? And do you usually think with your mouthopen--_snoring_?"
O'Hara started up.
"I'll swear I did not snore!" he cried. "Molly, 'tis a wicked tease yeare!"
"Miles, 'tis a big baby you are!" she mimicked. "There is a caterpillaron your wig, and 'tis on crooked."
"The caterpillar?" asked O'Hara, bewildered.
"No, stupid, the wig. I had best straighten it for you, I suppose." Sherose and stooped over him, settling the wig and removing the caterpillarby means of two leaves, judiciously wielded. Then she dropped a kiss onher husband's brow and sat down at his feet.
"First, you have never asked me where I was gone to all yesterdayafternoon."
O'Hara had been carefully broken in, and he now knew what was expectedof him, and put on an expression of great interest.
"Where _did_ ye go, my lady?"
"I went to call on Miss Beauleigh and her niece, sir!"
She looked up at him triumphantly and a little challengingly.
"The devil ye did!"
"Certainly, sir. I knew that there was something in the air, and Iremembered your letter to me saying that Jack was in love with Diana. SoI thought I would go and see her for myself."
Miles looked down at her half indulgently, half vexedly.
"Did you, puss?"
"I did. And I found that she was in love with him as well as he withher--of course."
"Of course?"
"Who could help falling in love with him? He's so monstrous captivating,I would like to marry him myself."
She bent her head to hide the roguish smile that had sprung to her lips.
