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He arrived at length, when the steward explained his object, and asked if he had not received a letter he had sent about it. Mr Shallard found it on his table with several others. "Here is also a requisition," he said, glancing at another letter, "from the Misses Pemberton to obtain protection for Downside.
An unprejudiced observer might have thought that Mrs Gray had some reason for her high opinion of Zoe, for she was certainly a very much prettier baby than the majority in Downside, who were generally of the dumpling type, with two currants for eyes.
Downside street was all dark and quiet, but from the organist's house a light shone out from the open door and down the garden path, making a patch of light on the wet road. Some one stood peering out into the darkness, and, at the sound of his dragging, stumbling footsteps, Jane Sands ran down to the gate.
But such is the perversity of human nature, that though many a Downside mother with a family of little steps envied Mrs Gray her compact family and the small amount of washing attached to it, that ungrateful woman yearned after an occupant for the old wooden cradle, and treasured up the bits of baby things that had belonged to Tom and Bill, and nursed up any young thing that came to hand and wanted care, bringing up a motherless blind kitten with assiduous care and patience, as if the supply of that commodity was not always largely in excess of the demand, and lavishing more care on a sick lamb or a superfluous young pig than most of the neighbours' babies received.
The boy came pattering up at a quarter to six. "He come. He downside. I go, he come top-side?" "No. That will be all." The boy kotowed, and Elsa gave him a sovereign. The following ten minutes tested her patience to the utmost. Presently she heard the banging of a trunk-lid. He was there.
He then, instead of entering the cottage as he had previously intended, made his way in the direction she had gone. May continued her walk towards Downside. It was not the first time she had discovered him following her, but she knew him too well not to believe that he had some good motive for so doing.
He caught sight, as he approached the cottage, of May, as she and Harry Castleton were setting off on their way to Downside. "Who can that be?" he thought, a strange feeling oppressing his heart. "It is not that scoundrel young Gaffin.
"It is a pity Sir Ralph could not be induced to see her," he thought; and he resolved to advise Julia to try and get her father to call at Downside, if possible, before he was aware of Harry's attachment, so that he might be perfectly unprejudiced. Headland naturally wished to be back at Texford, though unwilling to go without being able to take any news of Harry.
May, with the numerous duties which now employed her time, was unable to get down as frequently as formerly to see Dame Halliburt and Adam, though the dame never passed Downside on her rounds without leaving a dish of fish for the ladies' acceptance. When May, at Miss Jane's desire, expostulated with her, the good woman replied
He scarcely dared to allow himself to contemplate the wide gap which would be placed between them. Day after day May went up to Downside Cottage. "We ought not to give you the trouble to come for your little girl, Mistress Halliburt," observed Miss Jane; "Susan can escort her if you do not think her old enough to go by herself."
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