England -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction; Household employees -- Fiction; Young men -- Fiction
For some time she did not discover him, standing, a good way off,
bareheaded, and in well-fitting flannels. He looked every inch a
gentleman! What a contrast to poor Bertie, who seemed, in comparison, a
great slouching yokel.
“He’s a good-looking chap, isn’t he?” said the Rector, with the
complacency of a man who is alluding to one of his own parishioners.
“Yes,” admitted young Woolcock in a grudging tone, “I suppose he is--a
ladies’ beauty! One hears such a lot of sultry stories, in these days,
about women being mashed on their chauffeurs, and runaway matches. For
my part, I call a chauffeur a rank idler--a chap who sits all day,
looks as solemn as an undertaker, and gets spoiled by the ladies.” Then
to Aurea, “Now, come over to the tent, Miss Morven, my mother has kept
a place for you.”
The match proved close and exciting. Westmere had a strong team, and
Aurea looked on with intense interest; the Park was in, and out in the
field were Dr. Boas, Hogben, Jones, Owen, and others. Time went on, the
last man was in, and making runs--the fate of the match hung in the
balance, when it was brought to an end by a capital catch; Owen had not
merely to run at top speed, but to stoop suddenly to catch the ball--a
fine effort--which was loudly and deservedly applauded.
“_He_ knows all about it,” remarked a man who was standing beside
Aurea. “He is a public school boy, I’ll bet my hat. What is he doing in
Ottinge? A chauffeur! Good Lord! Some young swell in disgrace with his
family.”
Miss Morven mentally endorsed this speech; but actually she shrugged
her shoulders.
Miss Susan beamed at the victory--Owen’s triumphs were hers. She felt
as proud of his cricket and his songs at the Parish Hall Concerts as if
he had been her own flesh and blood--other elderly spinsters have been
known to take young men into the recesses of their empty and innocent
hearts.
When the match was over, she kept her eye on the hero of the occasion,
and, seeing him getting into his coat and preparing to depart, she
beckoned eagerly, and then hurried towards him with outstretched hands.
“Congratulate you, Owen! I do feel so proud of you!”
“Thank you, miss. I’m going to fetch the car--it’s getting late.”
“Can you tell me the time?”
He pulled out his watch from his breast-pocket, and hastily touched--as
luck would have it--the wrong spring; the back flew open, and a small
photograph, no bigger than a finger-nail, fell upon the grass. In a
second Owen had put his foot upon it, swooped, and snatched it up.
Whether from stooping or otherwise, his colour was higher than usual,
as he boldly confronted Miss Susan, whose face had become unusually
grave--for, unless her eyes deceived her (and she had capital sight)
the treasure was a photograph of her niece Aurea, cut out of a group of
“First Aid” recently taken at the Rectory! She had recognised it in one
lightning glance!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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