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'How sweet the moonlight sleeps on yonder haystack, observed Charteris poetically, as he and Tony, accompanied by Swift and Daintree, made their way across the fields to Parker's Spinney.
Sir John went on his way, leaving the worthy Wright a prey to speculation as to who the mysterious lady might be for whom the bay mare was to be exercised. His master, meanwhile, bent his steps almost instinctively to the vicarage. Vera was undergoing a periodical persecution concerning Mr. Gisburne at the hands of old Mrs. Daintree.
It seemed to be generally acknowledged by the Daintree family that if Vera would only consent to yield to the solicitations of the Reverend Albert Gisburne, and transfer herself to Tripton Rectory for life, it would be the simplest and easiest solution of a good many difficult problems concerning her. In point of fact, Vera Nevill was an incongruous element in the Daintree household.
But if Mrs. Eustace Daintree differed at all from her husband upon the subject of her sister's serene and perfect happiness, she, like a wise woman, kept her doubts to herself, and spoke no word of them to destroy the worthy vicar's peace of mind upon the subject.
Daintree is a very kind and sympathetic lady. When she talks to me I feel ready to tell her anything. A man like Simcox, shy, reserved, and wholly unaccustomed to charming ladies, would succumb to her easily and pour out a love story or anything else he happened to have on his chest at the time.
With a sudden gesture of utter misery Vera sinks down upon it, and bursts into a passion of tears. "My dear child; my poor Vera! What is it? What has happened? What can be the reason of this?" Mr. Daintree is infinitely distressed and puzzled; he bends over her, taking her hand between his own.
She was standing up by the table arranging some scarlet berries and some long trails of ivy which the children had brought to her in a vase. Tommy and Minnie stood by watching her intently; Mrs. Daintree sat at a little distance, her lap full of undarned socks, and rated her. "It is not as if you were a girl who could earn her living in case of need. There is not one single thing you can do."
When Eustace Daintree had been married five years, his father died, and his mother, accepting his warmly tendered invitation to come to Sutton-in-the-Wold upon a long visit, took up her abode in the pleasant vicarage-house. Her visit was long indeed.
"Yes, that will be nice," assents Vera, quietly, and a trifle absently, stroking her sister's cheek, with her eyes still fixed on the fire; "and of course," rousing herself with an effort, "of course I am a very lucky woman." And then Mr. Daintree came in, and his wife rushed to him rapturously to impart the joyful news.
"And a very good thing if there were no others," glared the old lady, defiantly, over her spectacles. "I do not like them," said Vera, simply. "Not like them! Considering that I am the daughter, the widow, and the mother of clergymen, I consider that remark a deliberate insult to me!" "Dear Mrs. Daintree, I am sure Vera never meant " cried Marion, trembling for fear of a fresh battle.
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