at its present stage to me--he said so himself. And the time Iwould give it need be no more than I could give to him if he were here.I can quite fit it in with my own work. The only thing father must dois to defer starting on his new book for a few weeks, and all the betterif he does so. He would gather some fresh material if he was in Italy,and--"
"But--but--Charley--there is the money part of it."
Charley's fair, freckled face flushed.
"_That's_ all right," he said. "You know, mother, I wrote that I hadsaved a few pounds--saved and made, I should have said. Well, to cut along story short, the few pounds have turned out more than I expected.I have a hundred, a clear hundred, mother, ready for this scheme ofmine. And a hundred pounds will go a long way with two people like myfather and Phil; he knowing the ground so well, and she so economicaland managing as I know she is. Besides, once my father made up his mindto go, he would no doubt put something to the hundred."
Mrs Raynsworth, well as she knew her son, was greatly touched.
"My dearest boy," she said again, "I cannot tell you how good I think itof you to have planned such a thing. But I fear your father would neverconsent to take your money--your own earnings."
Charley laid his hand on his mother's arm and drew her forward again.It felt rather chilly standing still.
"My dearest mother," he said, as they resumed their stroll, "leave thatto me. How can you think such a thing, when you remember all my fatherand you have done for me? Stinting yourselves, and even, indirectly, mysisters too a little, to give me the best of educations. It is allthanks to that that I am now where I am, certain of earning my ownlivelihood at the very worst, and with every reasonable prospect ofgreater success. Leave it to me, my dear mother; only promise me toback me up when I have broached the idea with both my father and Phil."
The promise was given and acted upon. For the more Mrs Raynsworththought over her son's idea the more it commended itself to her. Andthe verdict of the doctor--an old friend who knew him well--whom MrRaynsworth appealed to with the expectation of his pronouncing theproposed holiday, however agreeable, by no means a necessity, decidedthe turning of the scale. The benefit to Philippa herself was not madeprominent, though in her heart the mother was almost as glad of theproposed scheme for her daughter's sake as for her husbands. ButCharley was not without his reward. The glow of pleasure whichoverspread the girl's face at the first mention of the plan made herbrother determine that it should be carried out, and Philippa'smisgivings that it would be "selfish" and wrong to leave home for solong, and that "mamma" should profit by Charley's generosity rather thanherself, were overruled by her father's assurance that no one except herbrother could be as useful to him as his already well-trained littlesecretary.
Circumstances in other directions too added their influence. CaptainHeadfort telegraphed his arrival by the next mail but one, and under thenew aspect of things it became much easier to arrange for his making hisheadquarters at Greenleaves--the Raynsworths' home--with his family forthe first few months of the year, during which his eventual plans wereto be decided.
"I _could_ not have gone away with any sort of comfort, Phil dear, yousee," said her mother. "And as it is, I shall really enjoy the time athome with Charley and Duke, and helping Evelyn to settle what to do, andwith _no_ anxiety about your father on my mind. I think everything hasfitted in beautifully."
And on the whole, Evelyn's sentiments agreed with her mother's, thoughshe could not help sighing in private when alone with Mrs Raynsworthover the downfall of her castle-in-the-air.
"I shall not care to go to Mr Gresham's in the least without Phil, evenif he asks us now," she said, disconsolately. "I suppose I must writeto tell him that Duke is really coming, as I promised I would. And, ofcourse, I will tell him that my sister is going abroad. But ten to onebefore the winter is over we shall hear he is going to be married; menare just like that, even when they do fall in love at first sight, as Ishall always firmly believe he did."
"Still, anything is better than for Philippa to get out of health in anyserious way, or to lose her spirits and nerve," said Mrs Raynsworth."And there is no doubt, Evey, that that wild affair has had a strangeeffect upon her; it seems to have been almost a shock to her to realise_how_ wild and rash it was, and how disastrous its consequences mighthave been. I doubt very much, Evey, if she would have agreed to go toMr Gresham's."
"It would have been very absurd of her to have been afraid of it," saidEvelyn, impatiently. "He never saw her at Wyverston, she allows thatherself. And as for the other one--Michael Gresham--I don't suppose hiscousin has him very much at Merle; they did not seem very speciallyfriendly. Besides, he only saw her in the railway, and with thosehorrid spectacles on. One does not remember every person one meets in arailway carriage. Phil will get quite morbid if she is so fanciful."
"That is why I am so glad for her to have this complete change," saidMrs Raynsworth, quietly.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
MAIDA AT FAULT.
So, after all, the hobgoblin of a visit to Merle melted into thin air,as often happens with the things we dread the most. Not that, in thiscase, there was do element of disappointment to Philippa mingled withthe very relief she was so grateful for. She had a distinct curiosityabout Evelyn's hero, and a decided wish to see him again, and when, sometwo months or so later, a letter with the date of "Merle-in-the-Wold,"reached her in her wanderings with her father, she felt it undoubtedlyregrettable that she could not, without misgiving, look forward tojoining the Headforts in their next visit there, as her sister alludedto.
"You cannot think what a _perfect_ place this is," wrote Evelyn. "Dukewas not very eager to come, so soon after arriving and before he hadsettled down at all, he said. He _is_ such an old bachelor; he hasfallen back into all his fussy methodical ways with being two years awayfrom scatter-brained me. But now he is quite as much in love with itall as I am, and is talking of looking out for a little house somewherehereabouts, if he decides on leaving his regiment. And he likes MrGresham very much; at least he says, as everybody must, what a charminghost he is, though I don't know that he appreciates him _quite_ as muchas I do. But he likes talking to him about Wyverston and the Headforts.And oh, by-the-by, the old squire has written _so_ cordially to Duke,as soon as he heard of his arrival. We are to go up there for a weekwhenever the worst of the winter is over, etc, etc."
And in a postscript she had scribbled: "Michael Gresham is not here, andhis cousin says very little about him. I always told you that I wassure they were not so very intimate. Mr Gresham has just begged me tosay that the next time we come he hopes _you_ will accompany us, thoughhe scarcely dares flatter himself that you can remember him."
Philippa smiled a little as she read the last words.
"Well, perhaps," she said to herself, "perhaps I may go there some timeor other without any misgiving. It will be curious if I never comeacross Solomon's master again. He _was_ kind, after all, though rathergruff about it. And I am sure he is to be relied upon. But the_feeling_ of being there with him, knowing that he knew, and that heknew I knew he knew! Oh, it would be insufferable."
She made a gesture as if to shake off the very thought of such a thing.But her nerves and spirits were fast recovering themselves. Charley'splan had been a grand success. Mr Raynsworth and his daughter hadenjoyed themselves to their heart's content--nor had they been idle.Philippa had taken her part in all her father's researches andexplorings, for the new book he had in view dealt largely with thehistory of the old Italian towns which they had been staying at, oneafter the other, since leaving home.
Three months fled only too quickly. At the expiration of that time,just as they were deciding, not without reluctance, that they must turnhomewards--for with all the good management in the world money developsvery slippery qualities in travelling!--a letter from Cannes somewhataltered their plans. It was from Miss Lermont, with whom, since hervisit to Dorriford, Philippa had kept up a regular correspondence, sothat Maida
was quite _au courant_ of her young relative's whereabouts.
The Lermonts had been spending the winter, or a part of it, in thesouth, and now, by her father's and mother's request, she wrote to begMr Raynsworth and his daughter to join them in their villa for two orthree weeks.
"I do not see why we should not do so," said Mr Raynsworth, "I shouldlike to see something more of the Lermonts, and the quiet time wouldenable me to arrange my papers and notes a little better than it hasbeen possible to do so far. They seem all right at home--eh,Philippa?--and you would like a week or two with Maida?"
"Very much, very much indeed," his daughter replied.
So it came to pass that it was not at