"So there are," said June promptly. Her queer eyes twinkled as she
looked at him. "Micky, would you like to be a perfect dear and come
down in yours, and take us out? You can stay at the local inn and play
the heavy swell----"
Micky flushed eagerly.
"That's a ripping idea," he said. He turned to Esther: "I'll come like
a shot if I shan't be in the way," he added.
Esther smiled; she was surprised to find that the idea was not at all
distasteful to her.
"Oh yes; do come!" she said.
June had got into the carriage, and was busy arranging her various
possessions.
"You'll be left behind, Esther," she said warningly.
Esther turned at once.
"Good-bye, Mr. Mellowes."
Micky took her hand in a hard grip.
"Good-bye--but only till to-morrow...."
He stood back as the train started; the last glimpse the two girls had
of him was his radiantly smiling face.
"Do you know," said June, settling herself in a corner, "I believe I'm
half in love with that man, after all. Isn't he just a dear?"
"He's awfully kind," Esther agreed.
* * * * *
When the train drew into the little station at Enmore June looked at
Esther with a sort of apprehension.
"It's a most awful one-eyed hole, you know," she said. "I do hope you
won't be bored to death. It won't be so bad if Micky keeps his promise
and comes down, but if he doesn't...."
"Don't you think he will?" Esther asked quickly.
"Oh, I dare say he will. I hope he will, I'm sure; somebody has got to
amuse you while I go and see to my business."
"I can amuse myself."
June sniffed.
"Can you? Well, it's more than I could when I used to stay down here.
There's only a church and a village inn and a handful of cottages. My
aunt has by far the most distinguished-looking house in the village,
and I dare say you won't think much of that."
They were on the platform now, and June eyed their two suit-cases
ruefully.
"We shall have to carry them," she said. "No porters or taxicabs here,
my dear. Come along."
She grabbed her own, and Esther followed her out into the road.
It was cold but sunny, and the fresh air of the country was something
quite different from the chilly, damp atmosphere they had left behind
in London.
Esther drew a deep breath.
"It's lovely," she said. "Do you know"--she looked ahead of her down
the winding road with a little frown--"I've got the sort of feeling
that something is going to happen to me here."
"Goodness!" said June. "Don't you start having instincts too! It's bad
enough for me to have them. What can happen to you, pray, unless you
get melancholia or something?"
Esther laughed.
It was only a little way into the village; as soon as they came in
sight of it June pointed excitedly to a red gabled house just visible
through the trees.
"That's where my aunt lives. She's an old maid, you know, and
incidentally she thinks I'm a most heaven-born genius. She's nearly
sixty, but I'll bet anything you like she uses June Mason's Skin
Beautifier."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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