Red Rose and Tiger Lily | Page 4

Hester and Nan, his only children,
were his opposites in every respect. It is true that Hester inherited some
of his pride, and a good deal of his reserve, but the fire underneath her
calm, the passionate love which she could give so warmly to her
chosen friends, she inherited from her mother, not from her father. Nan
had never yet shown reserve to anyone. As far as any creature could be
said to be without false pride, Nan was that individual--she was also
absolutely devoid of fear. She believed that all the world loved her.
Why not? She was perfectly willing to love all the world back again. If
it chose to hate her, she could and would hate it in return with interest;
but, then, why should it? The world was a good place to Nan Thornton
up to the present.
Now, Sir John dreaded his impulsive younger daughter more than
words can say. Perhaps somewhere in his heart he had a certain fatherly
admiration for her, but if so it did not show itself in the usual fatherly
way. Annie Forest was at the present moment absorbing his attention.
Annie was between sixteen and seventeen years of age; she was still, of
course, quite a child in Sir John's eyes, but she was undoubtedly very
pretty--she had winning ways and bright glances. Her little speeches
were full of wit and repartee, and she was naturally so full of tact that
she knew when a word would hurt, and therefore seldom said it.
When Nan entered the room in which a hasty supper had been prepared
for the hungry travellers, she found her father and Annie talking

pleasantly to one another at one end of the table, while Hester presided
over the tea equipage at the other.
"Here you are, little whirlwind," said Sir John, slipping his arm round
his younger daughter's waist and drawing her for a moment to his side.
Nan looked at him soberly. She gazed into his eyes and examined the
curves of his lips, and noted with satisfaction the wrinkles on his brow,
the crows' feet at the corner of each eye, and some strong lines which
betokened the advance of years in the lower part of his face.
"You're too old," she said, in a contemplative voice. "I'm so
glad--you're much too old."
She stroked his deepest wrinkle affectionately as she spoke.
Now Sir John hated being considered old, and an angry wave of colour
mounted to his forehead.
"As usual, you are a most impolite little girl," he said. "I do not trouble
myself to inquire what your sage remark means, nor why you rejoice in
the fact of my possessing the infirmities of years; but I wish to repeat to
you a proverb which I hope you will bear in mind, at least, when in my
presence during the holidays, 'Little girls should be seen and not heard.'
Now go to your seat."
Sir John released his hold of Nan's broad waist and turned to Annie.
"Yes, a good deal of the country is flat," he said, "but we have some
pretty drives. Are you fond of riding?"
"I should be if I had a chance," replied Annie; "but the fact is, I never
was on horseback since I was five years old, so I cannot be said to
know much about it."
"I am sure you could quickly learn," said Sir John. "Hester has a very
quiet pony which she can lend you while you are here. By the way,
Hester, Squire Lorrimer called to-day. I said you would go to the

Towers to-morrow morning--you can take Miss Forest with you. The
Lorrimers are a very lively household, and it will amuse her to know
them."
"I should think they are lively," burst from Nan at the far end of the
table. "How is Kitty Lorrimer, and how is Boris? And have they got as
many pets as ever? Oh, can you tell me, please, father, if the dormouse
has awakened yet? It was fast asleep when I was home at Christmas,
and Boris said it mightn't wake again until May. Boris was so sorry it
wasn't quite dead, because he wanted to stuff it; but he couldn't if it was
alive, could he? That would be cruel, wouldn't it? Father, can you tell
me if the dormouse is awake?"
Sir John fixed a cold eye upon Nan.
"I am unacquainted with the state of the dormouse's health," he
said--"disgusting little beasts," he added, turning for sympathy to Annie,
whose bright dark eyes danced with fun as she watched him.
"They're not disgusting; they're perfectly heavenly little darlings," came
from Nan in an indignant voice. "Oh, and what about the white rats?
Boris had four in a box when I went