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For herself, Ethel had drawn up a beautiful time-table, with all her pursuits and duties most carefully balanced, after the pattern of that which Margaret Rivers had made by her advice, on the departure of Mrs. Larpent, who had been called away by the ill-health of her son.
You are very fond of it, Sir Bernard?" "Yes. It's my job just now. I'm head keeper," laughed Bunny. "Miss Larpent thinks I'm very inefficient, but I do my best." "I never said so," said Toby. She flushed at his obvious intention of drawing her into the group; but Sheila Melrose at once held out a welcoming hand. "Miss Larpent, do you know I can't help feeling that I've seen you somewhere before.
"On the other hand it isn't always wise to be too easily satisfied." His look became suddenly speculative. "Have you ever been in love, Larpent?" The big man in the deck-chair made a sharp movement and spilt some cigar-ash on his coat. He sat up deliberately and brushed it off. Saltash watched him with mischievous eyes. "Well?" he said.
Larpent, five hundred pounds at once, for your use, which, I presume, is better than by quarterly payments; and I am very apt to think that next midsummer day, he will have the same sum, and for the same use, consigned to him.
Saltash stopped abruptly and laid his face for a moment against the shorn, golden head. Just for that moment a hint of emotion showed in his strange eyes, but it was gone instantly. He raised himself again with a grimace of self-ridicule. "Well, look here! Don't forget to play the game! Larpent your daddy is knocked out, remember.
There was an instant of dead silence, then Toby uttered a little quivering laugh. "Hullo Captain!" she said "Hullo!" said Larpent, paused a moment, then abruptly took her by the chin, and, stooping, touched the wide brow with his lips. "All right?" he asked gruffly. Toby gave a little gasp; she seemed to be trembling. But in a second she laughed again, with more assurance.
But I went to Rozelle because she was dying, and because once long ago she was my wife." A faint sound came from Toby, but still she did not speak or lift her face. Larpent went on steadily, unemotionally. "She went wrong ran away while I was at sea. She was too young to be left alone. Afterwards too late a child was born. She told me the night before she died that the child was mine."
There was never any fuss of departure when Larpent was in command. He stood for a few seconds in indecision, contemplating going up on to the bridge for a word with his captain and a glance round. But some fantastic scruple deterred him. He had made his farewell. He did not wish to see Valrosa again. He turned instead and went to his cabin.
Larpent stood up. "I'll fetch some stuff to dress it with. Better have it bandaged. Pretty painful, isn't it?" "No, sir," lied Toby valiantly. "Don't feel it at all." But he shrank with a quick gasp of pain when Larpent unexpectedly touched the injury. "Don't hurt the child!" said Saltash sharply. Larpent smiled his faint, sardonic smile, and turned away.
"Oh, she still goes by that name, does she?" he said. "What do you call her?" said Bunny. Larpent snapped his fingers curtly. "Does she come for that?" asked Bunny. "Usually," said Larpent. "Then she's more docile than I thought she was," commented Bunny. Larpent said nothing. He propped himself against the high mantelpiece and stared morosely out before him to the pine-clad slopes of the park.
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