"You have a truant look about you, Sir Tilton," laughed Vaura; "do you foresee a fair woman's frown for your absence?"

"Don't chaff me, dear Miss Vernon; I can't stand it just now."

"Fact is," said Blanche, with cunning effrontery, "I wanted some gay fixings for the ball, so I took the rail to London, got 'em, stayed all night with the Claytons, and am bringing back to Mrs. Haughton her dear little Sir Tilton."

"Why, we met Mr. Clayton, and he says they are staying at Oak Hall at the Lord Eltons," exclaimed Vaura amusedly, and to see how Blanche would extricate herself.

"See you know too much; but don't say anything, for here is the trap, with the Colonel inside, I suppose, and he's too awfully too, I'll tell you later on; Mrs. Haughton don't do all the tricks."

"But should you have been missed, what then?"

"Oh, that's too easy, Miss Vernon; I've been too awfully busy with my maid; headache, anything that comes first."

"A pupil of Madame would naturally learn how to shuffle the cards,"

said Lady Esmondet, a trifle cynically, and, _sotto voce_, "I am too awfully sleepy to take you in, Lady Esmondet," said Blanche, yawning.

A covered carriage with two servants, drives to the steps; the Colonel is not inside; leaving one man to look after their maids and belongings, they enter, and are soon on the well known road.

"I wonder my uncle did not meet us; especially as he must have received our telegram."

"Surely he is not ill! How was he when you left the Hall, Miss Tompkins?" inquired Lady Esmondet.

"A one, and it's too awfully funny he wasn't down. But I remember, whenever he and Mrs. Haughton have a spat, and they had one (this time hare and hounds), he clears out and takes to the lodge, so perhaps he never spotted your telegram."

Lady Esmondet and Vaura, exchanging glances, fell into deep thought, while Blanche and the small Baronet carried on a half-whispered conversation, with a yawning accompaniment from the young woman.

CHAPTER x.x.xVII.

WEE WHITE MOUSE WINS A POINT.

But the reverie and wagging of tongue is over and ceases, to give place to society's mask, for the picturesque lodge with its gabled roof and climbing vines is in sight, and in the twinkling of an eye the great gates are reached, which are wide open, for 'tis the entrance to Liberty Hall under the present _regime_. Leaning against the door post is a tall military looking figure, smoking vigorously, as men will, if life's springs want oiling. Both ladies see him, and Vaura's face is at the window.

"Halt, John," shouts his master, for the man is a new servant, and driving full speed for the Hall. "My two darlings, how glad I am to see you both," and kisses with long hand-clasps are exchanged.

"And we are more than glad to see you again, dearest uncle."

"Blanche, you here! and Sir Tilton; it was kind of you to meet them."

"Yes, we tripped down, as you had cut and run," t.i.ttered Blanche.

Here the Colonel took Sir Tilton's offered seat, who, getting out, said he would prefer to walk up the long avenue.

"You must both make your home with me, dears, else it will not be home," said the Colonel feverishly, as he leaned forward, taking a hand of each, and gazing eagerly first into one face, and then into the other.

"We shall, for a while at least, Eric," said Lady Esmondet tenderly.

"And what do you say, Vaura dear; you will not leave me and Haughton Hall again?"

This he said with nervous haste, as though even in the rest her return gave him, he must have a surety of it's continuing.

"I shall not even think of leave-taking, dear uncle, but if I should, I shall pack you up and take you with me," she said pityingly, noticing how he leaned on her, and also the reckless tone in which he spoke before Blanche; turning to Miss Tompkins, he continued in same tone:

"Who ran down the hare last night?"

Here was a puzzler for _la pet.i.te_, but she was equal to the occasion, even though she was at London.

"No conundrum, Colonel, with the Major as hare."

"Gad, I must get rid of him; they all see it."

"And they all do it, Colonel," t.i.ttered Blanche; "keep cool; the Major keeps cool--to you;" this she said, liking the Colonel, but thinking him, to use her own expression, "soft."

"You see, Alice," he said, turning to his old friend with a half-smile, "the only rose in my path has a D before it."

"A rose without beauty or fragrance, Eric, which will cease to bloom by to-morrow; waste not a thought upon it."

"You give me strength, Alice."

"I should, else friendship's cords would be weak indeed."

"It is very strange that Mrs. Haughton should keep the man about her, if she is aware it is an annoyance to you," said Vaura indignantly.

"Ah! but they were too sweet for anything, even in poppa's life time,"

said Blanche with her innocent air. Mrs. Haughton would think it too awfully cruel (just to please the Colonel) to tell him good-bye."

"Heartless in me to suppose for one moment, one's husband's feelings to be of more consideration than those of one's male-friend," said Vaura cynically.

"See, Vaura, the changes," said her G.o.d-mother, as the end of the avenue reached the Hall, renovated and partly modernised, burst upon their view.

"Verily, old things have pa.s.sed away, and all become new," said Vaura.

"Excepting the south wing, dear, which is of sufficiently modern date to have contented Mrs. Haughton; also the north tower which I begged off, only allowing it to be strengthened below."

"Dear old tower; yes, 'tis old, and in its clinging dress of ivy; I am glad; but in the language of Sir Tilton, 'here we are again.'"

As the carriage rolled up to the steps of the grand entrance a few ladies and gentlemen, equipped for riding, were on the steps or already mounted. Mrs. Forester, a gay London huntress, Mrs. Cecil Layton, of the same feather, two De Lancy girls, who wished they were the other two, a couple of army men, with one of the matches of the county, whom both sisters were willing to worship, but were too shy to adore, with eyes too prudish to bend the knee.

"The beautiful Miss Vernon! by Wolsley," exclaimed Chancer of the Guards in an undertone to Everett of the Lancers. "Wish I wasn't promised to the huntress for the afternoon."

"Wish she heard you," laughed Everett.

"Which one?" said his friend gaily, as with one bound he is at Vaura's side, not missing his opportunity which he had sworn to take, should it offer, of an introduction; he now stood bareheaded as he tendered the m.u.f.f she had dropped; his handsome face aglow with satisfaction, as he took Vaura's offered hand as she thanked him, on her uncle presenting him. There was rather more loitering by Vaura's side than the Forester liked, so she, by a sly manoeuvre, caused her horse to rear violently; it had the desired effect, and in a few moments they were careering across the park in the wake of the rest of the party.

"The dear old place! though it is changed I love it, and am glad to be here once more," said Vaura, feelingly, inwardly telling herself, "my love will be here to-night."