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In two minutes Mowbray turned round to speak to his companion: he was no where to be seen. The friend with whom he had been conversing had observed nothing, and suggested that Mr. Hoffland must have gone on. No; he had, however, gone to his room probably. And ascending the stairs, Mowbray knocked at the door. No voice replied.
And he looked kindly at the boy, who smiled. "Friends?" said Hoffland; "we are cousins!" "Cousins? Indeed!" "Certainly, my dear fellow," said Hoffland, with a delightful ease and bonhomie. "I have discovered that my great-grandmother married the cousin of an uncle of cousin Lucy's great-grandfather's wife's aunt; and moreover, that this aunt was the niece of my great-uncle's first wife's husband.
And Lucy gave Jack Denis a little smile which elevated that gentleman into upper air. "Well," said Hoffland, "I suppose then I am to go and find somebody else a forlorn young man going to find a lady to take care of him. Come, Miss Lucy, cannot you recommend some one?" "Let me see," said Lucy, laughing gleefully; "what acquaintances have you?"
That makes it perfectly plain don't it, Mr. Denis? Take care how you differ with me: cousin Lucy understands it perfectly, and she has a very clear head." "Thank you, sir," said Lucy, laughing; "a great compliment." "Not at all," said Hoffland; "some women have a great deal of sense or at least a good deal." "Indeed, sir!" "Yes; but it is not their failing generally.
Then Hoffland would laugh quietly to himself, and touching the young girl's arm, call her attention, to some beauty in the waning sunset, some quiet grace of the landscape; and Denis would sink again into gloom, and look at Hoffland's handsome face and sigh. Mowbray was reading in the little sitting-room, and from time to time interchanged words with the party through the window.
Hoffland approaching the house with Miss Lucy from the garden, there. No doubt he will tell you." In fact, Miss Lucy and Hoffland were sauntering in from the garden in high glee.
My mind is made up I choose short-swords, for I was always afraid of pistols." Mowbray looked with curiosity at his companion. "Afraid?" he said. "Yes, indeed," replied Hoffland; "you will not believe me, but I never could fire a pistol or a gun without shutting my eyes, and dropping it when it went off!" With which words Hoffland burst into laughter.
And, followed by Hoffland, Mowbray took his way sadly toward the "Raleigh." Hoffland had just met and made friends with Jack Denis "embraced him figuratively," to use his expression; and he and Mowbray were walking down Gloucester street, inhaling the pleasant air of the fine morning joyously. Hoffland was smiling as usual.
Mowbray smiled; the pleasant banter of the boy pleased him, and diverted his thoughts. "But Ernest is not such a perfect ogre, Mr. Hoffland," said Lucy; "are you, Ernest? He is very kind, and is going to spend all day to-morrow with me." Mowbray shook his head. "Now, brother!" said Lucy; "you know you can." Mowbray hesitated. "Won't you?"
"Such an acquaintance might be possible for you it is not for me," Hoffland said, laughing; "but I find you very generous. You have not added the strongest evidence of my wayward familiarity that I advised you to put your sister on her guard against my fascinations. Let her take care! Else shall she be a love-sick girl the most amusing spectacle, I think, in all the world!"
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