The Major [97]
early. My bed was not so terribly attractive."
"Oh," exclaimed Nora in a disappointed tone, as she shook hands with him, "we thought you were anxious to see us."
"Quite right," said the young man, holding her hand and looking boldly into her eyes. "I have come to see you."
Before his look Nora's saucy eyes fell and for some unaccountable reason her usually ready speech forsook her. Mr. Wakeham fell into easy conversation with Mr. Gwynne and Dr. Brown concerning mining matters, in which he was especially interested. He had spent an hour about the Manor Mine and there he had heard a good deal about Mr. Gwynne's mine and was anxious to see that if there were no objections. He wondered if he might drive Mr. Gwynne--and indeed, he had a large car and would be glad to fill it up with a party if any one cared to come. He looked at Mrs. Gwynne as he spoke.
"Yes, Mother, you go. It is such a lovely day," said Nora enthusiastically, "and Jane can go with you."
"Jane is going riding," said Larry firmly.
"I am going to Mrs. Waring-Gaunt's," said Jane. "I arranged with her last night."
While they were settling Mrs. Gwynne's protests, and covered by the noise of conversation, Mr. Wakeham managed to get close to Nora. "I want you to come," he said in a low voice. "That's what I came for."
Startled and confused by this extraordinary announcement, Nora could think of no answer.
"I think you were to show me the mine," he added. Then while Nora gasped at him, he said aloud, "My car is a seven passenger, so we can take quite a party."
"Why not Kathleen?" suggested Jane.
"Yes, indeed, Kathleen might like to go," said Mrs. Gwynne.
"Then let's all go," cried Nora.
"Thank you awfully," murmured Mr. Wakeham. "We shall only be two or three hours at most," continued Nora. "We shall be back in time for lunch."
"For that matter," said Mr. Gwynne, "we can lunch at the mine."
"Splendid," cried Nora. "Come along. We'll run up with you to the Waring-Gaunts' for Kathleen," she added to Mr. Wakeham.
At the Waring-Gaunts' they had some difficulty persuading Kathleen to join the party, but under the united influence of Jack and his sister, she agreed to go.
"Now then," said Mrs. Waring-Gaunt, "you have your full party, Mr. Wakeham--Mr. and Mrs. Gwynne, Dr. Brown, and the three girls."
"What about me?" said Larry dolefully.
"I shall stay with you," cried Nora, evading Mr. Wakeham's eyes.
"No, Nora," said Jane in a voice of quiet decision. "Last night Mrs. Waring-Gaunt and I arranged that I should visit her to-day."
There was a loud chorus of protests, each one making an alternative suggestion during which Jane went to Mrs. Waring-Gaunt's side and said quietly, "I want to stay with you to-day."
"All right, dear," said Mrs. Waring-Gaunt. "Stay you shall." And, then to the company announced, "We have it all arranged. Jane and I are to have a visit together. The rest of you go off."
"And what about me, Jane?" again said Larry.
"You are going with the others," said Jane calmly, "and in the afternoon we are to have our ride."
"And this is Jane," said Jack Romayne as Mrs. Waring-Gaunt ushered the girl into his room. "If half of what I have heard is true then I am a lucky man to-day. Kathleen has been telling me about you."
Jane's smile expressed her delight. "I think I could say the same of you, Mr. Romayne."
"What? Has Kathleen been talking about me?"
"No, I have not seen Kathleen since I came, but there are others, you know."
"Are there?" asked Jack. "I hadn't noticed. But I know all about you."
It was a hasty introduction for Jane. Kathleen was easily a subject for a day's conversation. How long she discoursed upon Kathleen neither of them knew. But when Mrs. Waring-Gaunt had finished up her morning household duties Jane was still busy dilating upon Kathleen's charms and graces and expatiating upon her triumphs and achievements during her stay in Winnipeg the previous winter.
"Still upon Kathleen?" inquired Mrs. Waring-Gaunt.
"Oh, I am learning
"Oh," exclaimed Nora in a disappointed tone, as she shook hands with him, "we thought you were anxious to see us."
"Quite right," said the young man, holding her hand and looking boldly into her eyes. "I have come to see you."
Before his look Nora's saucy eyes fell and for some unaccountable reason her usually ready speech forsook her. Mr. Wakeham fell into easy conversation with Mr. Gwynne and Dr. Brown concerning mining matters, in which he was especially interested. He had spent an hour about the Manor Mine and there he had heard a good deal about Mr. Gwynne's mine and was anxious to see that if there were no objections. He wondered if he might drive Mr. Gwynne--and indeed, he had a large car and would be glad to fill it up with a party if any one cared to come. He looked at Mrs. Gwynne as he spoke.
"Yes, Mother, you go. It is such a lovely day," said Nora enthusiastically, "and Jane can go with you."
"Jane is going riding," said Larry firmly.
"I am going to Mrs. Waring-Gaunt's," said Jane. "I arranged with her last night."
While they were settling Mrs. Gwynne's protests, and covered by the noise of conversation, Mr. Wakeham managed to get close to Nora. "I want you to come," he said in a low voice. "That's what I came for."
Startled and confused by this extraordinary announcement, Nora could think of no answer.
"I think you were to show me the mine," he added. Then while Nora gasped at him, he said aloud, "My car is a seven passenger, so we can take quite a party."
"Why not Kathleen?" suggested Jane.
"Yes, indeed, Kathleen might like to go," said Mrs. Gwynne.
"Then let's all go," cried Nora.
"Thank you awfully," murmured Mr. Wakeham. "We shall only be two or three hours at most," continued Nora. "We shall be back in time for lunch."
"For that matter," said Mr. Gwynne, "we can lunch at the mine."
"Splendid," cried Nora. "Come along. We'll run up with you to the Waring-Gaunts' for Kathleen," she added to Mr. Wakeham.
At the Waring-Gaunts' they had some difficulty persuading Kathleen to join the party, but under the united influence of Jack and his sister, she agreed to go.
"Now then," said Mrs. Waring-Gaunt, "you have your full party, Mr. Wakeham--Mr. and Mrs. Gwynne, Dr. Brown, and the three girls."
"What about me?" said Larry dolefully.
"I shall stay with you," cried Nora, evading Mr. Wakeham's eyes.
"No, Nora," said Jane in a voice of quiet decision. "Last night Mrs. Waring-Gaunt and I arranged that I should visit her to-day."
There was a loud chorus of protests, each one making an alternative suggestion during which Jane went to Mrs. Waring-Gaunt's side and said quietly, "I want to stay with you to-day."
"All right, dear," said Mrs. Waring-Gaunt. "Stay you shall." And, then to the company announced, "We have it all arranged. Jane and I are to have a visit together. The rest of you go off."
"And what about me, Jane?" again said Larry.
"You are going with the others," said Jane calmly, "and in the afternoon we are to have our ride."
"And this is Jane," said Jack Romayne as Mrs. Waring-Gaunt ushered the girl into his room. "If half of what I have heard is true then I am a lucky man to-day. Kathleen has been telling me about you."
Jane's smile expressed her delight. "I think I could say the same of you, Mr. Romayne."
"What? Has Kathleen been talking about me?"
"No, I have not seen Kathleen since I came, but there are others, you know."
"Are there?" asked Jack. "I hadn't noticed. But I know all about you."
It was a hasty introduction for Jane. Kathleen was easily a subject for a day's conversation. How long she discoursed upon Kathleen neither of them knew. But when Mrs. Waring-Gaunt had finished up her morning household duties Jane was still busy dilating upon Kathleen's charms and graces and expatiating upon her triumphs and achievements during her stay in Winnipeg the previous winter.
"Still upon Kathleen?" inquired Mrs. Waring-Gaunt.
"Oh, I am learning