'a' swallowed it. Milk don't digest, I reckon,in a stummick come to my age. But 'twas pretty drinking, howsomever."
So much, the vicar mused, for Robert's repentance. It were asprofitable to rebuke the weather for inclemency as Robert for his sins.
The vicar dismissed Robert from his mind on emerging into the open, andallowed his thoughts to dwell instead on something he had witnessed theprevious night, and had reviewed so often since, that, brief as had beenhis glimpse of the scene, it was photographed on his memory with thedistinctness of a picture actually present to his gaze. This scenewhich was so startlingly fresh in his mind was a glimpse he had obtainedin passing the open door of the billiard-room, of John Musgrave holdingPeggy Annersley's hand while he hung over the back of the settee onwhich she was seated and looked into the upturned face. So quiet hadbeen the grouping of this picture, so utterly unexpected and unreal hadit appeared to Walter Errol's surprised gaze, that it might have beenthe enactment of another tableau, such as those he had been witnessingin the room he had just left. One long astonished look he had given it,and then, utterly bewildered, like a man who feels his solid worldreduced to unsubstantiality, he had passed on and mingled with the otherguests in the hall. He had been a witness of the tardy appearance ofJohn Musgrave and Miss Annersley; and for the rest of the night wasconscious of a watchful curiosity in regard to them which, against hisvolition, he found himself exercising until the party broke up.
"Coelebs!... Old Coelebs!" he mused, and laughed softly as he pursuedhis way to the vicarage, where, in the cosy morning-room, his wife andtiny daughter waited for him with their Christmas gifts.
A happy man was the vicar that Christmas morning, and comparing hiscomfortable, pleasant home with the lonely elegance of John Musgrave'shouse it gave him genuine satisfaction to recall the amazing picture ofJohn Musgrave bending over pretty Peggy Annersley in an attitude whichconveyed more to the impartial observer than a merely friendly interestin his charming companion. Possibly last night was the first occasionon which John Musgrave had ever held a girl's hand in this way and hungover her, looking into her eyes. Such conduct in the case of theaverage man would have counted for nothing, or for very little... ButCoelebs... The man who never looked at a woman with the naturalinterest of the ordinary male...
The vicar broke into a smile at his own thoughts, and, since nothing hadbeen said to raise a smile, was called upon by his wife to explain thecause of his good humour. His answer was ambiguous.
"I think," he said, "that Mrs Chadwick is succeeding in some of herschemes with most unlooked-for results."
"I fail to see that there was anything in last night's party to suggestextraordinary developments," Mrs Errol replied. She had not witnessedthe scene which her husband had witnessed and he had not spoken of it toher. "And I don't find anything in that to smile about. You must enjoyan abnormal sense of humour."
"Perhaps I do," he allowed. "Tell me what you think of Miss PeggyAnnersley."
Mrs Errol smiled in her turn, and glanced at her husband with thetolerant contempt women show towards their men when they suspect them offalling a victim to the fascinations of a popular member of their sex.
"You, too?" she said.
"There was nothing in my question to justify that remark," said thevicar, who did not, however, appear to resent it. "Like Miss Dartle, Iasked for information."
"I think she is quite a nice girl," replied Mrs Errol ungrudgingly;"and, judging by the way in which the men flock after her, they share myopinion. Doctor Fairbridge is crazy about her."
"Oh!" said the vicar. Plainly this intelligence was not pleasing tohim. Doctor Fairbridge was the Rushleigh practitioner, and he was youngand good-looking, and unquestionably eligible. "You think that, do you?Should you say that he stands any chance of winning her?"
"She seems to like him," Mrs Errol answered. "It would be a verysuitable match. He is the right age, and his practice is good. Theysay he is clever. At the same time, I don't fancy Miss Annersley is thekind of girl who is eager to get married. She will probably bedifficult to please."
"H'm?" remarked the vicar, and looked a trifle serious. He began toentertain doubts of Miss Annersley. "You wouldn't, I suppose," hehazarded, "suspect her of being a flirt?"
"That depends on what you mean exactly. Given the opportunity, everywoman is a flirt. I wouldn't accuse her of being unscrupulous. But allgirls like attention; it is against human nature to discourage what onederives amusement from."
"I wish human nature were different in that respect," the vicarreturned.
He was quite convinced that John Musgrave had no thought of flirting,and he did not like to believe that Miss Annersley was merely derivingamusement. She had looked, he recalled, on the previous night quitesweetly serious. But a woman might look serious and yet be inwardlyamused. If Peggy Annersley was amusing herself at John Musgrave'sexpense it would be the finish, the vicar realised, of his friend'sliking and respect for her sex. John Musgrave was not the type of manto make a heartbreak of it, but assuredly he would not essay a secondtime.
"I should like to know," Mrs Errol said, "why you are so particularlyconcerned with Miss Annersley's matrimonial affairs? Your interest ismost extraordinary."
Then it was that the vicar told her of the scene he had accidentallywitnessed the previous night. She was not so greatly impressed as hehad expected her to be, but a scene described is less effective than thesame scene actually beheld. He found that he could not adequatelydepict the expression on the two faces; he could only explain baldlythat John seemed very much in earnest.
"John always is," she retorted. "That's what makes him so dull. Youdon't for one moment imagine, do you, that a pretty girl like MissAnnersley would fall in love with John?"
"I do not think that I took her feelings into consideration," heanswered. "I have a very strong suspicion that John is falling in lovewith her."
"I'm not sure," returned Mrs Errol, smiling, "that that wouldn't bemore amazing than the other thing. I can't credit it--but I hope heis."
"Time will show," the vicar said. "If she is nothing better than alittle baggage I hope he isn't. He deserves a higher reward than theknowledge that he is affording Miss Annersley amusement."
The Errols were dining with Mr Musgrave that day; an early dinner,according to the invariable custom in Mr Musgrave's household onChristmas Day. The Musgrave party attended the morning service, atwhich the party from the Hall was also present. And to Mrs Errol'ssurprise--she had never seen him there before--Doctor Fairbridge, whohad motored out from Rushleigh, was seated beside Peggy Annersley in oneof the Hall pews. Subsequently he accepted Mrs Chadwick's invitationand returned with her party to the Hall.
Notwithstanding that Mrs Errol had professed scepticism of the romanceher husband suspected in connection with John Musgrave and pretty Peggy,she found herself taking a greater interest in the principals in thelittle comedy, so that her attention wandered a good deal during theservice and her watchful eyes travelled more than once from the demurelyunconscious face of the girl to the strong, grave, immovable face of MrMusgrave, which, for all its impassive expression, had once during thesinging of the first hymn turned deliberately in Peggy's direction witha quickness and keenness of look which Mrs Errol described assearching. If there was anything in her husband's assumption--and shebegan to think there might be--John Musgrave would be well advised notto dally over his love-making, or the more energetic younger man wouldanticipate him in the bid for Miss Annersley's favour. Looking at theyoung doctor and comparing his youth with Mr Musgrave's somewhataustere middle-age, Mrs Errol formed the opinion that John's chanceswere not great.
After the service the opposing forces met in the churchyard andexchanged greetings. It occurred to Mrs Errol that Peggy, hedged aboutwith a bodyguard of young men, was fairly inaccessible; neverthelessJohn Musgrave penetrated the group and shook hands with her. The girl,Mrs Errol observed, aided him in his purpose. She drew a little apartand remained ch
atting with him for some minutes--minutes during whichMr Musgrave's gaze never left the winsome face with its laughing eyes,which were raised in frank good-fellowship to his own. Whether therewas any sentiment in his preference or not, the preference wasundoubtedly there.
Mrs Sommers' eldest boy, John the second, aged five, broke away fromhis mother and flung himself upon Peggy, interrupting John the elder'stete-a-tete.
"I wish you were coming with us," he said.
"That's very sweet of you," replied Peggy, with her arm about the child.
"Persuade her to, John," said Mr