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The estuary opposite the town is some quarter of a mile broad at high tide, and in order to cross to the other side, where lie the woods and park of Ashbridge House, it is necessary to shout and make staccato prancings in order to attract the attention of the antique ferryman, who is invariably at the other side of the river and generally asleep at the bottom of his boat.
But that a Comber and that one positively the next Lord Ashbridge should intend to devote his energies to an artistic calling, and allude to that scheme as doing something with his life, was a thing as unthinkable as if the butler had developed a fixed idea that he was "one of us."
She on her side had little to say except to record the welfare of Petsy, to remark on the beauty of October, and tell him how many shooting parties they had had. His correspondence with his father had been less frequent, and absolutely one-sided, since Lord Ashbridge took no notice at all of his letters.
It relieved him from the nightmare of his wife's continual presence, and this he expressed to himself by thinking that it relieved her from his. It was not that he was deficient in sympathy for her, for in his self-centred way he was fond of her, but he could sympathise with her just as well at Ashbridge.
"At least, that's the best way to look at it. Let's leave him out." He paused a moment. "After all, it is a much better plan than our living all three of us at Ashbridge. It's better for my mother, and for me, and for him." "I know, but how he could consent to the better plan," she said. "Well, let us leave him out. Poor Robert! He and his golf.
Michael found a volume of Schubert, and once again, as on the first time he had seen her, she sang "Who is Sylvia?" while he played, and Lady Ashbridge had her eyes fixed now on one and now on the other of them, waiting for their nod to do her part; and then she wanted to sing herself, and with some far-off remembrance of the airs and graces of twenty-five years ago, she put her handkerchief and her rings on the top of the piano, and, playing for herself, emitted faint treble sounds which they knew to be "The Soldier's Farewell."
Poor Michael is very obedient when he is told to do anything he intends to do, but when he doesn't agree it is difficult to do anything with him. And, you see, he is quite independent of you with my mother having left him so much money. Poor mamma!" Lord Ashbridge felt strongly about this. "It was a most extraordinary disposition of her property for your mother to make," he observed.
"You didn't speak to him, I suppose?" she asked. "Yes; he sent for me, and talked a lot. In fact, he talked too much, because I didn't hear a note of the second act." Aunt Barbara became infinitely more interested. "Tell me all about it, Michael," she said. "What did he talk about?" "Everything, as far as I can remember, England, Ashbridge, armies, navies, music.
Lady Ashbridge had insisted on sitting close to him, and holding his hand whenever she could possess herself of it, of plying him with a hundred repeated questions, and never once had she made Michael either ridiculous or self-conscious. And this, she reflected, went on most of the day, and for how many days it would go on, none knew.
They lunched in the open motor, Miss Baker again obligingly removing herself to the box seat, and spreading rugs on the grass sat in the sunshine, while Lady Ashbridge talked or silently watched Michael as he smoked, but always with a smile.
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