England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Families -- Fiction
'Finished! I could multiply that number threefold! Why, there was the
hay-stack, with the young heifers round it; and that red-tiled cottage,
with the pigeons tumbling and wheeling round the roof, and the
flower-girl asleep on my own doorstep, with the laburnum shedding its
yellow petals on her lap, to the great delight of the poor sickly baby.
Come, Polly; who made the most of their eyes this evening? Only clouds,
dust, and wheel-ruts, eh?'
'You are too wise for me, Aunt Milly. Who would have thought you could
have seen all that? Dad Fabian ought to have heard you talk! We must go
out to-morrow evening, and you shall show me some more pictures. But
doesn't it strike you, Aunt Milly'--leaning her dimpled chin on her
hand--'that you have made the most of very poor material? After
all'--triumphantly--'there is not much in your pictures!'
CHAPTER III
VIÂ TEBAY
'All the land in flowing squares.
Beneath a broad and equal blowing wind,
Smelt of the coming summer, as one large cloud
Drew downward; but all else of heaven was pure
Up to the sun, and May from verge to verge,
And May with me from head to heel.
* * * * *
To left and right
The cuckoo told his name to all the hills,
The mellow ouzel fluted in the elm,
The redcap whistled, and the nightingale
Sung loud, as though he were the bird of day.'--Tennyson.
'Aunt Milly, I can breathe now. Oh, how beautiful!' and Polly clapped
her hands with girlish glee, as the train slowly steamed into Tebay
Junction, the gray old station lying snugly among the green Westmorland
hills.
'Oh, my dear, hush! who is that tall youth taking off his hat to us? not
Roy, surely, it must be Richard. Think of not knowing my own nephews!'
and Mildred looked distressed and puzzled.
'Now, Aunt Milly, don't put yourself out; if this stupid door would only
open, I would get out and ask him myself. Oh, thank you,' as the youth
in question hurried forward to perform that necessary service, looking
at her, at the same time, rather curiously. 'If you please, Aunt Milly
wants to know if you are Roy or Richard.'
'Roy,' was the prompt answer. 'What, are you Polly, and is that Aunt
Milly behind you? For shame, Aunt Milly, not to know me when I took my
hat off to you at least three minutes ago;' but Roy had the grace to
blush a little over this audacious statement as he helped Mildred out,
and returned her warm grasp of the hand.
'My dear boy, how could you have known us, and Polly, a perfect
stranger, too?'
Roy burst into a ringing laugh.
'Why you see, Aunt Milly, one never loses by a little extra attention;
it always pays in the long run. I just took off my hat at random as the
train came in sight, and there, as it happened, was Polly's face glued
against the window. So I was right, and you were gratified!'
'Now I am sure it is Roy.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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