"Oh, no, Aunt," contradicted Diana sweetly. "Why, it was only a veryshort while ago that Mr. Bettison was here, _surely_!" She withdrew thehand that the young man seemed inclined to hold fast to, and turned toJohn.
"I think you do not know Mr. Bettison, Mr. Carr?" she said. "Mr.Bettison, allow me to present you to Mr. Carr. Sir Miles I think youknow?"
The squire bowed with a great deal of stiff hostility. Carstaresreturned the bow.
"You will excuse my not rising, I beg," he smiled. "As you perceive--Ihave had an accident."
Light dawned on Bettison. This was the man who had rescued Diana,confound his impudence!
"Ah, yes, sir! Your arm, was it not? My faith, I should be proud of sucha wound!"
It seemed to Carstares that he smiled at Diana in a damned familiarfashion, devil take his impudence!
"It was indeed a great honour, sir. Mistress Di, I have finished sortingyour green silks."
Diana sank down on the cushion again, and shook some more strands out onto his knee.
"How quick you have been! Now we will do the blue ones." Bettisonglared. This fellow seemed prodigious intimate with Diana, devil takehim! He sat down beside Miss Betty, and addressed my lord patronisingly.
"Let me see--er--Mr. Carr. Have I met you in town, I wonder? At Tom's,perhaps?"
This country bumpkin _would_ belong to Tom's, reflected John savagely,for no reason at all. Aloud he said:
"I think it extremely unlikely, sir. I have been abroad some years."
"Oh, indeed, sir? The 'grand tour,' I suppose?"
Mr. Bettison's tone was not the tone of one who supposes any such thing.
John smiled.
"Not this time," he said, "that was seven years ago."
Mr. Bettison had heard rumours of this fellow who, it was murmured, wasnought but a common highwayman.
"Really? After Cambridge, perhaps?"
"Oxford," corrected Carstares gently.
Curse his audacity! thought Mr. Bettison.
"Seven years ago--let me think. George must have been on the tourthen--Selwyn, I mean, Miss Beauleigh."
Jack, who had made the tour with several other young bucks fresh downfrom college, accompanied as far as Paris by the famous wit himself,held his peace.
Mr. Bettison then launched forth into anecdotes of his own tour, andseeing that his friend was entirely engrossed with Miss Diana and hersilks, O'Hara felt it incumbent on him to draw the enemy's fire, and,taking his own departure, to bear the squire off with him. For which hereceived a grateful smile from my lord, and a kiss blown from the tipsof her fingers from Mistress Di, with whom he was on the best of terms.
CHAPTER XIV
MISTRESS DIANA IS UNMAIDENLY
The idyllic summer days passed quickly by, and every time that my lordspoke of leaving, the outcry was so indignant and so firm that hehastily subsided and told himself he would stay just another few days.His shoulder, having mended up to a certain point, refused quite toheal, and exertion brought the pain back very swiftly. So his time wasfor the most part spent with Mistress Di out of doors, helping her withher gardening and her chickens--for Diana was an enthusiastic poultryfarmer on a small scale--and ministering to her various pets. If Fidohad a splinter in his paw, it was to Mr. Carr that he was taken; ifNellie, the spaniel, caught a live rabbit, Mr. Carr would assuredly knowwhat to do for it, and the same with all the other animals. The youngpair grew closer and closer together, while Miss Betty and O'Harawatched from afar, the former filled with pride of her darling, andsatisfaction, and the latter with apprehension. O'Hara knew that hisfriend was falling unconsciously in love, and he feared the time whenJohn should realise it. He confided these fears to his wife, who, withyoung David, was staying at her mother's house in Kensington, in a longand very Irish letter. She replied that he must try and coax my lordinto coming to stay with them, when her charms would at once eclipseMistress Diana's, though to be sure, she could not understand why Milesshould not wish him to fall in love, for as he well knew, 'twas aprodigious pleasant sensation. If he did not know it, then he was indeedmost disagreeable. And had he ever heard of anything sowonderful?--David had drawn a picture of a horse! Yes, really, it was ahorse! Was he not a clever child? Further, would her dearest Milesplease come and fetch her home, for although Mamma was prodigiousamiable, and wanted her to stay several weeks, she positively could notlive without her husband an instant longer than was necessary!
As soon as O'Hara read the last part of the letter he brushed Carstaresand his love affairs to one side, and posted straight to London to obeythe welcome summons.
Bit by bit my lord discovered that he was very much in love with Diana.At first his heart gave a great bound, and then seemed to stop with asickening thud. He remembered that he could not ask her to marry him,disgraced as he was, and he immediately faced the situation, realisingthat he must go away at once. His first move was to Mr. Beauleigh, totell him of his decision. On being asked why he must so suddenly leaveHorton House, he explained that he loved Diana and could not in honourspeak of love to her. At which Mr. Beauleigh gasped and demanded to knowthe reason. Carstares told him that he was by profession a highwayman,and watched him bridle angrily. Before so agreeable and so smiling, Mr.Beauleigh now became frigidly polite. He quite understood Mr. Carr'sposition, and--er--yes, he honoured him for the course on which he haddecided. But Mr. Beauleigh was very, very cold. Carstares gave Jimorders to pack immediately, that he might depart next day, andreluctantly informed Miss Betty of his going. She was startled andbewildered. She had imagined that he would spend all June with them.Circumstances, he regretted, willed otherwise. He should always rememberher great kindness to him, and hoped that she would forgive the brusquenature of his departure.
When he told Diana her eyes opened very wide and she laughed, pointingan accusing finger at him.