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As the Raymonds left the church they found Squire Moyle waiting by the porch. Honoria stood just behind him. The rest of the congregation had drawn off a little distance to watch. The Squire lifted his hat to Humility, and turned to Mr. Raymond with a sour frown. "That means war?" "It means that I stay," said the Vicar. "The war, if it comes, comes from your side."
They asked us both, you may remember, but for reasons best known to yourself, you would not go." "You know my reasons very well, Honoria." "I beg your pardon. I have not the slightest idea what they were," said Lady Honoria with conviction. "May I hear them?"
She could only watch their gestures, and draw her own inferences therefrom. "My carriage, Mr. Carrington!" repeated Honoria; "why don't you call the servants?" "One moment, Lady Eversleigh," said the surgeon, calmly. "You must remember, that on such an occasion as this, there is nothing so important as presence of mind self-command.
The conversation above recorded took place on the day after Mr. Larkspur's interview with Honoria. Three days afterwards, Reginald Eversleigh and his cousin met at the club, for the purpose of going together to inspect the hunters on sale at Mr. Spavin's repository, in the Brompton Road. Dale's mail-phaeton was waiting before the door of the club, and he drove his cousin down to the repository.
I'm feeling just as big as the light-house to-night, with my head wound up and turning round like the lantern!" "And your wit occulting," suggested Honoria, in her old light manner. "What is it? three flashes to the minute?" He laughed and hurried them from the tea-table. Mrs. Venning bade them a merry good-bye as they took leave of her. "Come along, mother." But Humility had changed her mind.
But in his usual style, in the midst of reconciliation he left a loophole for a future wrath, for "he insisted still on this point above all, that Honoria, the sister of the Emperor, and the daughter of the Augusta Placidia, should be sent to him with the portion of the royal wealth which was her due; and he threatened that unless this was done he would lay upon Italy a far heavier punishment than any which it had yet borne."
The seal which secured the envelope was a blank seal; but it was not the same as the one with which Honoria Eversleigh had fastened her letter half an hour before. The abigail carried the letter to the boy, and the boy departed, very well pleased to get clear of the castle without having received any further reproof. He went at his best speed to the little inn, where he inquired for Mr. Brown.
So he rubbed his curly head against her much braided elbow, butting her lovingly in the exuberance of his affection as some nice, little ram-lamb might. But just as they reached the door, through which Lady Calmady and the rest of the party had already passed, the boy drew up short. "I say, hold on half a minute, Honoria, please," he said.
But the young girl cowered down, hiding her face in Honoria St. Quentin's bosom. "Oh! don't say it again don't say it," she implored. "It was wicked of me to listen to you even for a minute. I ought to have stopped you at once and sent you away. It was very wrong of me to listen, and talk to you, and tell you all that I did. But everything is so strange, and I have been so miserable.
Can I venture to leave you?" asked Lionel Dale, in a much kinder tone than he had employed before in speaking to his uncle's widow. "Yes, indeed, I have quite recovered. I thank you for your kindness," murmured Honoria, gently. Lionel Dale went back to the carriage allotted to himself and his brother. On his way, he encountered Reginald Eversleigh.
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