"I am only sorry it has been so unsuccessful," replied he, with a quickglance towards Mr. Bell, as if reconnoitring how much he might saybefore him. Margaret, as if she read his thought, addressed herself toMr. Bell, both including him in the conversation, and implying that hewas perfectly aware of the endeavours that had been made to clearFrederick.
"That Horrocks--that very last witness of all, has proved as unavailing asall the others. Mr. Lennox has discovered that he sailed for Australiaonly last August; only two months before Frederick was in England,and gave us the names of----"
"Frederick in England! you never told me that!" exclaimed Mr. Bell insurprise.
"I thought you knew. I never doubted you had been told. Of course, itwas a great secret, and perhaps I should not have named it now," saidMargaret, a little dismayed.
"I have never named it to either my brother or your cousin," said Mr.
Lennox, with a little professional dryness of implied reproach.
"Never mind, Margaret. I am not living in a talking, babbling world, noryet among people who are trying to worm facts out of me; you needn"tlook so frightened because you have let the cat out of the bag to afaithful old hermit like me. I shall never name his having been inEngland; I shall be out of temptation, for no one will ask me. Stay!"
(interrupting himself rather abruptly) "was it at your mother"s funeral?"
"He was with mamma when she died," said Margaret, softly.
"To be sure! To be sure! Why, some one asked me if he had not beenover then, and I denied it stoutly--not many weeks ago--who could ithave been? Oh! I recollect!"
But he did not say the name; and although Margaret would have givenmuch to know if her suspicions were right, and it had been Mr.
Thornton who had made the enquiry, she could not ask the question ofMr. Bell, much as she longed to do so.
There was a pause for a moment or two. Then Mr. Lennox said,addressing himself to Margaret, "I suppose as Mr. Bell is nowacquainted with all the circumstances attending your brother"sunfortunate dilemma, I cannot do better than inform him exactly howthe research into the evidence we once hoped to produce in his favourstands at present. So, if he will do me the honour to breakfast with meto-morrow, we will go over the names of these missing gentry."
"I should like to hear all the particulars, if I may. Cannot you comehere? I dare not ask you both to breakfast, though I am sure you wouldbe welcome. But let me know all I can about Frederick, even thoughthere may be no hope at present."
"I have an engagement at half-past eleven. But I will certainly come ifyou wish it," replied Mr. Lennox, with a little afterthought of extremewillingness, which made Margaret shrink into herself, and almost wishthat she had not proposed her natural request. Mr. Bell got up andlooked around him for his hat, which had been removed to make roomfor tea.
"Well!" said he, "I don"t know what Mr. Lennox is inclined to do, but I"mdisposed to be moving off homewards. I"ve been a journey to-day, andjourneys begin to tell upon my sixty and odd years."
"I believe I shall stay and see my brother and sister," said Mr. Lennox,making no movement of departure. Margaret was seized with a shyawkward dread of being left alone with him. The scene on the littleterrace in the Helstone garden was so present to her, that she couldhardly help believing it was so with him.
"Don"t go yet, please, Mr. Bell," said she, hastily. "I want you to seeEdith; and I want Edith to know you. Please!" said she, laying a light butdetermined hand on his arm. He looked at her, and saw the confusionstirring in her countenance; he sate down again, as if her little touch hadbeen possessed of resistless strength.
"You see how she overpowers me, Mr. Lennox," said he. "And I hopeyou noticed the happy choice of her expressions; she wants me to "see"this cousin Edith, who, I am told, is a great beauty; but she has thehonesty to change her word when she comes to me--Mrs. Lennox is to"know" me. I suppose I am not much to "see," eh, Margaret?"
He joked, to give her time to recover from the slight flutter which hehad detected in her manner on his proposal to leave; and she caught thetone, and threw the ball back. Mr. Lennox wondered how his brother,the Captain, could have reported her as having lost all her good looks.
To be sure, in her quiet black dress, she was a contrast to Edith, dancingin her white crape mourning, and long floating golden hair, all softnessand glitter. She dimpled and blushed most becomingly when introducedto Mr. Bell, conscious that she had her reputation as a beauty to keepup, and that it would not do to have a Mordecai refusing to worship andadmire, even in the shape of an old Fellow of a College, which nobodyhad ever heard of. Mrs. Shaw and Captain Lennox, each in theirseparate way, gave Mr. Bell a kind and sincere welcome, winning himover to like them almost in spite of himself, especially when he sawhow naturally Margaret took her place as sister and daughter of thehouse.
"What a shame that we were not at home to receive you," said Edith.
"You, too, Henry! though I don"t know that we should have stayed athome for you. And for Mr. Bell! for Margaret"s Mr. Bell----"
