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Updated: June 28, 2025
But after this little gush of friendliness, she reflected that there could not be much sympathy between the man of society and her Anglican parson; and that it was she, and not Ignatius Scobel, who would be glad to see Captain Winstanley at the Vicarage. "I shall be charmed," he replied. "I never was so delighted with any place as your Forest. It is a new world to me.
"Why not let them stay at Briarwood till Lady Mabel is mistress there?" Mr. Scobel did not enter into this discussion. He sat serenely gazing at the fire, and sipping his tea, enjoying this hour of rest and warmth after a long day's fatigue and hard weather.
Scobel had given up his mind to church decoration, and the entertainment of his school-children with tea and buns in that delightful valley, where an iron monument, a little less artistic than a pillar post-office marks the spot where the Red King fell. Vixen, though not particularly fond of school-feasts, had promised to assist at this one. It was not to be a stiff or ceremonious affair.
"And Roderick?" inquired Vixen, "He went with them of course." "Naturally," replied Mr. Scobel. "Mr. Vawdrey was with his mother till the last." "Very nice of him," murmured Mrs. Tempest approvingly; "for, in a general way, I don't think they got on too well together. Lady Jane was rather dictatorial. And now, I suppose, Roderick will marry his cousin as soon as he is out of mourning."
"I think I had better walk, in any case," said Mr. Scobel thoughtfully. "I shall be wanted to keep the children together." "Let us all walk home," suggested Roderick. "We can go through the plantations. It will be very jolly in the moonlight. Bates can drive your pony back, Violet." Vixen hesitated. "It's not more than four miles through the plantations," said Roderick.
"To show you the house?" said Mrs. Tempest. "Do you think we shall have light enough?" "Abundance. An old house like this is seen at its best in the twilight. Don't you think so, Mrs. Scobel?" "Oh, yes," exclaimed Mrs. Scobel, with a lively recollection of her album. "'They who would see Melrose aright, should see it' I think, by-the-bye, Sir Walter Scott says, 'by moonlight."
Let us be as merry as grigs. Perhaps it will make papa more comfortable in Paradise to know how happy we are without him. He won't be troubled by any uneasy thoughts about our grief, at all events," added Vixen, with a stifled sob. "How irreverently you talk. Mr. Scobel would be dreadfully shocked to hear you." said Mrs. Tempest. The invitations were all accepted, and Mrs.
Scobel were in high spirits, and prattled agreeably all the way, only giving Captain Winstanley time to get a word in edgeways now and then. Violet looked out of the window and held her peace. There was always a charm for her in that dark silent forest, those waving branches and flitting clouds, stars gleaming like lights on a stormy sea.
Vixen did not feel herself called upon to reply to a question so purely speculative. "I think I had better go and look for mamma and Mrs. Scobel," she said; "they must have come back from the supper-room by this time." Roderick rose and offered her his arm. She was surprised to see how pale he looked when they came out of the dusk into the brilliant light of the gallery.
"That will be never!" exclaimed Rorie, looking ineffably happy, but not very much like a bride-groom, in his comfortable gray suit. "You might just as well say that we are going to live among the mountains as long as Rip Van Winkle. No, Mrs. Scobel, we are not going to remain away from you fifty years. We are coming back in time for the hunting."
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