Dawn | Page 8

was to be
shortly put to the question. Philip was not quite so merry; he was
oppressed both by recollections of what had happened and
apprehensions of what might happen.
"What is the matter, Philip?" she asked, when they had left the table to
sit under the trees on the lawn. "I can see that something is the matter.
Tell me all about it, Philip."
And Philip told her what had happened that morning, laying bare all his
heart-aches, and not even concealing his evil deeds. When he had done,
she pondered awhile, tapping her little foot upon the turf.
"Philip," she said at last, in quite a changed voice, "I do not think that

you are being well treated. I do not think that your cousin means kindly
by you, but--but I do not think that you have behaved rightly either. I
don't like that about the ten pounds; and I think that you should not
have touched George; he is not so strong as you. Please try to do as
your father--dear me, I am sure I don't wonder that you are afraid of
him; I am--tells you, and regain his affection, and make it up with
George; and, if you get into any more troubles, come and tell me about
them before you do anything foolish; for though, according to Grumps,
I am silly enough, two heads are better than one."
The tears stood in the lad's brown eyes as he listened to her. He gulped
them down, however, and said--
"You are awfully kind to me; you are the only friend I have. Sometimes
I think that you are an angel."
"Nonsense, Philip. If 'it' heard you talk like that, you would join
Grumps. Don't let me hear any more such stuff," but, though she spoke
sharply, somehow she did not look displeased.
"I must be off," he said at length. "I promised to go with my father to
see a new building on Reynold's farm. I have only twenty minutes to
get home;" and rising they went into the house through a French
window opening on to the lawn.
In the dining-room he turned, and, after a moment's hesitation, stuttered
out--
"Maria, don't be angry with me, but may I give you a kiss?"
She blushed vividly.
"How dare you suggest such a thing?--but--but as Grumps has gone,
and there is no new Grumps to refer to, and therefore I can only consult
my own wishes, perhaps if you really wish to, Philip, why, Philip, you
may."
And he did.

When he was gone she leant her head against the cold marble
mantelpiece.
"I do love him," she murmured, "yes, that I do."
CHAPTER III
Philip was not very fond of taking walks with his father, since he found
that in nine cases out of ten they afforded opportunities for inculcation
of facts of the driest description with reference to estate management,
or to the narration by his parent of little histories of which his conduct
upon some recent occasion would adorn the moral. On this particular
occasion the prospect was particularly unpleasant, for his father would,
he was well aware, overflow with awful politeness, indeed, after the
scene of the morning, it could not be otherwise. Oh, how much rather
would he have spent that lovely afternoon with Maria Lee! Dear Maria,
he would go and see her again the very next day.
When he arrived, some ten minutes after time in the antler-hung hall of
the Abbey House, he found his father standing, watch in hand, exactly
under the big clock, as though he was determined to make a note by
double entry of every passing second.
"When I asked you to walk with me this afternoon, Philip, I, if my
memory does not deceive me, was careful to say that I had no wish to
interfere with any prior engagement. I was aware how little interest,
compared to your cousin George, you take in the estate, and I had no
wish to impose an uncongenial task. But, as you kindly volunteered to
accompany me, I regret that you did not find it convenient to be
punctual to the time you fixed. I have now waited for you for seventeen
minutes, and let me tell you that at my time of life I cannot afford to
lose seventeen minutes. May I ask what has delayed you?"
This long speech had given Philip the opportunity of recovering the
breath that he had lost in running home. He replied promptly--
"I have been lunching with Miss Lee."

"Oh, indeed, then I no longer wonder that you kept me waiting, and I
must say that in this particular I commend your taste. Miss Lee is a
young lady of good family, good manners, and good means. If her
estate