The Three Brides | Page 6

and looked aghast; and Raymond said, "The opportunity
was not to be wasted, and Cecil enjoyed everything with unwearied
vigour."
"Why, what else should we have done? It would have been very dull
and stupid to have stayed in together," said Cecil, with a world of
innocent wonder in her eyes. Then turning to her neighbour, "Surely,
Julius, you went about and saw things!"
"The sea at Filey Bridge, and the Church Congress at Leeds," he
answered, smiling.
"Very shocking, is it not, Cecil?" said Rosamond, with mock gravity;
"but he must be forgiven, for he was tired to death! I used to think, for
my part, that lovers were a sort of mild lunatics, never to be troubled or
trusted with any earthly thing; but that's one of the things modern times

have changed! As he was to be going, all the clerical staff of St.
Awdry's must needs have their holiday and leave him to do their work;
indeed, one was sent off here. For six weeks I never saw him, except
when he used to rush in to say he couldn't stay; and when at last we
were safe in the coupe, he fairly went to sleep before we got to the first
station.--Hush! you know you did! And no wonder, for he had been up
two nights with some sort of infidel who was supposed to be dying.
Then that first week at Filey, he used to bring out his poetry books as
the proper sort of thing, and try to read them to me on the sands: but by
the time he had got to the bottom of a page, I used to hear the words
dragging out slower and slower--
Whereon the--lily--maid--of--Astolat
Lay--smiling--like--a--star-fish--fast--asleep."
Wherewith Rosamond dropped her head and closed her eyes; while the
brothers shouted with mirth, except Frank, whose countenance was 'of
one hurt on a vulnerable side.'
"Disrespect to Elaine? Eh, Frank?" said Charlie; "how many pegs has
Julius gone down in your estimation?"
Frank would not commit himself, but he was evidently at the era of
sensitiveness on the poetical side. Cecil spoke for him. "How very
provoking! What did you do to him, Rosamond?"
"I kept off the sand-flies! I can't say but I was glad of a little rest, for I
had been packing up for the whole family for ten days past, with
interludes of rushing out into the town; for whatever we had not
forgotten, the shops had not sent home! Oh! what a paradise of quiet it
was under the rocks at Filey--wasn't it, Julius?"
"We will go there again next time we have a chance," said Julius,
looking blissful.
"I would never go again to the same place," cried Cecil. "That's not the
way to acquire new ideas."

"We are too old to acquire new ideas, my dear," drawled Rosamond,
sleepily.
"What did you go to the Church Congress for!" asked Charlie.
"I hope Julius was awake by that time," said Frank.
"Not if we are to have all the new ideas tried on us," said Raymond,
dryly.
"I went to a Congress once!" exclaimed Cecil.
"Indeed!" said her husband, surprised.
"Yes. We thought we ought to encourage them. It was the Congress of
Sunday-school managers for our archdeaconry."
"Did you acquire any new ideas?" asked Frank; while Rosamond's very
eyelashes seemed to curl with suppressed diversion.
"Oh yes. We explained our system of tickets, and the Arch-deacon said
it was a very good one, and ought to be adopted everywhere."
This mode of acquisition of new ideas was quite too much for Julius
and Charlie, who both exploded; but Frank retained composure enough
to ask, "Did you explain it in person?"
"No. We made Mr. Venn."
"The schoolmaster?" said Julius.
"No. He is our clergyman, and he always does as we tell him; and so
Dunstone is quite the model parish of the archdeaconry."
Julius could not help making an odd little bend of the head, half
deferential, half satirical; and Raymond said, "Cecil, I believe it rests
with you to make the move." An ingenuous girlish blush mantled on
her cheek as she looked towards Rosamond and moved.

The drawing-room adjoined the dining-room, and likewise had a glass
door leading into the conservatory; but this, like the other windows,
was concealed by the pale-blue damask curtains that descended from
cornices gilded like the legs of the substantial chairs and sofas. There
was, however, no lack of modern light cane and basket seats round the
fire, and it looked cheery and comfortable. Rosamond put an arm round
Anne's waist--"Poor tired dear, come and lie on the sofa."
"Oh no, I couldn't. The gentlemen will come in."
"All brothers! What, will you only be satisfied with an easy-chair! A
charming room, and a charming fire!"
"Not so