armadale-第52章

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on　the　scene。

〃I　humbly　bid　you　welcome　to　Thorpe　Ambrose；　sir；〃　said　Abraham
Sage；　beginning　obstinately　with　his　little　introductory　speech
for　the　second　time。　〃My　name〃

Before　he　could　deliver　himself　of　his　name；　Miss　Milroy　looked
accidentally　in　the　horticulturist's　pertinacious　face；　and
instantly　lost　her　hold　on　her　gravity　beyond　recall。　Allan；
never　backward　in　following　a　boisterous　example　of　any　sort；
joined　in　her　laughter　with　right　goodwill。　The　wise　man　of　the
gardens　showed　no　surprise；　and　took　no　offense。　He　waited　for
another　gap　of　silence；　and　walked　in　again　gently　with　his
personal　interests　the　moment　the　two　young　people　stopped　to
take　breath。

〃I　have　been　employed　in　the　grounds；〃　proceeded　Abraham　Sage；
irrepressibly；　〃for　more　than　forty　years〃

〃You　shall　be　employed　in　the　grounds　for　forty　more；　if　you'll
only　hold　your　tongue　and　take　yourself　off！〃　cried　Allan；　as
soon　as　he　could　speak。

〃Thank　you　kindly；　sir；〃　said　the　gardener；　with　the　utmost
politeness；　but　with　no　present　signs　either　of　holding　his
tongue　or　of　taking　himself　off。

〃Well？〃　said　Allan。

Abraham　Sage　carefully　cleared　his　throat；　and　shifted　his　rake
from　one　hand　to　the　other。　He　looked　down　the　length　of　his　own
invaluable　implement；　with　a　grave　interest　and　attention；
seeing；　apparently；　not　the　long　handle　of　a　rake；　but　the　long
perspective　of　a　vista；　with　a　supplementary　personal　interest
established　at　the　end　of　it。　〃When　more　convenient；　sir；〃
resumed　this　immovable　man；　〃I　should　wish　respectfully　to　speak
to　you　about　my　son。　Perhaps　it　may　be　more　convenient　in　the
course　of　the　day？　My　humble　duty；　sir；　and　my　best　thanks。　My
son　is　strictly　sober。　He　is　accustomed　to　the　stables；　and　he
belongs　to　the　Church　of　Englandwithout　incumbrances。〃　Having
thus　planted　his　offspring　provisionally　in　his　master's
estimation；　Abraham　Sage　shouldered　his　invaluable　rake；　and
hobbled　slowly　out　of　view。

〃If　that's　a　specimen　of　a　trustworthy　old　servant；〃　said　Allan；
〃I　think　I'd　rather　take　my　chance　of　being　cheated　by　a　new　one。
_You_　shall　not　be　troubled　with　him　again；　Miss　Milroy；　at　any
rate。　All　the　flower…beds　in　the　garden　are　at　your　disposal；　and
all　the　fruit　in　the　fruit　season；　if　you'll　only　come　here　and
eat　it。〃

〃Oh；　Mr。　Armadale；　how　very；　very　kind　you　are。　How　can　I　thank
you？〃

Allan　saw　his　way　to　another　complimentan　elaborate　compliment；
in　the　shape　of　a　trap；　this　time。

〃You　can　do　me　the　greatest　possible　favor；〃　he　said。　〃You　can
assist　me　in　forming　an　agreeable　impression　of　my　own　grounds。〃

〃Dear　me！　how？〃　asked　Miss　Milroy；　innocently。

Allan　judiciously　closed　the　trap　on　the　spot　in　these　words：　〃By
taking　me　with　you；　Miss　Milroy；　on　your　morning　walk。〃　He　spoke；
smiled；　and　offered　his　arm。

She　saw　the　way；　on　her　side；　to　a　little　flirtation。　She　rested
her　hand　on　his　arm；　blushed；　hesitated；　and　suddenly　took　it
away　again。

〃I　don't　think　it's　quite　right；　Mr。　Armadale；〃　she　said；
devoting　herself　with　the　deepest　attention　to　her　collection　of
flowers。　〃Oughtn't　we　to　have　some　old　lady　here？　Isn't　it
improper　to　take　your　arm　until　I　know　you　a　little　better　than　I
do　now？　I　am　obliged　to　ask；　I　have　had　so　little　instruction；　I
have　seen　so　little　of　society；　and　one　of　papa's　friends　once
said　my　manners　were　too　bold　for　my　age。　What　do　_you_　think？〃

〃I　think　it's　a　very　good　thing　your　papa's　friend　is　not　here
now；〃　answered　the　outspoken　Allan；　〃I　should　quarrel　with　him　to
a　dead　certainty。　As　for　society；　Miss　Milroy；　nobody　knows　less
about　it　than　I　do；　but　if　we　_had_　an　old　lady　here；　I　must　say
myself　I　think　she　would　be　uncommonly　in　the　way。　Won't　you？〃
concluded　Allan；　imploringly　offering　his　arm　for　the　second
time。　〃Do！〃

Miss　Milroy　looked　up　at　him　sidelong　from　her　flowers　〃You　are
as　bad　as　the　gardener；　Mr。　Armadale！〃　She　looked　down　again　in　a
flutter　of　indecision。　〃I'm　sure　it's　wrong；〃　she　said；　and　took
his　arm　the　instant　afterward　without　the　slightest　hesitation。

They　moved　away　together　over　the　daisied　turf　of　the　paddock；
young　and　bright　and　happy；　with　the　sunlight　of　the　summer
morning　shining　cloudless　over　their　flowery　path。

〃And　where　are　we　going　to；　now？〃　asked　Allan。　〃Into　another
garden？〃

She　laughed　gayly。　〃How　very　odd　of　you；　Mr。　Armadale；　not　to
know；　when　it　all　belongs　to　you！　Are　you　really　seeing　Thorpe
Ambrose　this　morning　for　the　first　time？　How　indescribably
strange　it　must　feel！　No；　no；　don't　say　any　more　complimentary
things　to　me　just　yet。　You　may　turn　my　head　if　you　do。　We　haven't
got　the　old　lady　with　us；　and　I　really　must　take　care　of　myself。
Let　me　be　useful；　let　me　tell　you　all　about　your　own　grounds。　We
are　going　out　at　that　little　gate；　across　one　of　the　drives　in
the　park；　and　then　over　the　rustic　bridge；　and　then　round　the
corner　of　the　plantationwhere　do　you　think？　To　where　I　live；
Mr。　Armadale；　to　the　lovely　little　cottage　that　you　have　let　to
papa。　Oh；　if　you　only　knew　how　lucky　we　thought　ourselves　to　get
it！'

She　paused；　looked　up　at　her　companion；　and　stopped　another
compliment　on　the　incorrigible　Allan's　lips。

〃I'll　drop　your　arm；〃　she　said　coquettishly；　〃if　you　do！　We
_were_　lucky　to　get　the　cottage；　Mr。　Armadale。　Papa　said　he　felt
under　an　obligation　to　you　for　letting　it；　the　day　we　got　in。　And
_I_　said　I　felt　under　an　obligation；　no　longer　ago　than　last
week。〃

〃You；　Miss　Milroy！〃　exclaimed　Allan。

〃Yes。　It　may　surprise　you　to　hear　it；　but　if　you　hadn't　let　the
cottage　to　papa；　I　believe　I　should　have　suffered　the　indignity
and　misery　of　being　sent　to　school。〃

Allan's　memory　reverted　to　the　half…crown　that　he　had　spun　on　the
cabin…table　of　the　yacht；　at　Castletown。　〃If　she　only　knew　that　I
had　tossed　up　for　it！〃　he　thought；　guiltily。

〃I　dare　say　you　don't　understand　why　I　should　feel　such　a　horror
of　going　to　school；〃　pursued　Miss　Milroy；　misinterpreting　the
momentary　silence　on　her　companion's　side。　〃If　I　had　gone　to
school　in　early　lifeI　mean　at　the　age　when　other　girls　goI
shouldn't　have　minded　it　now。　But　I　had　no　such　chance　at　the
time。　It　was　the　time　of　mamma's　illness　and　of　papa's
unfortunate　speculation；　and　as　papa　had　nobody　to　comfort　him
but　me；　of　course　I　stayed　at　home。　You　needn't　laugh；　I　was　of
some　use；　I　can　tell　you。　I　helped　papa　over　his　trouble；　by
sitting　on　his　knee　after　dinner；　and　asking　him　to　tell　me
stories　of　all　the　remarkable　people　he　had　known　when　he　was
about　in　the　great　world；　at　home　and　abroad。　Without　me　to　amuse
him　in　the　evening；　and　his　clock　to　occupy　him　in　the　daytime〃

〃His　clock？〃　repeated　Allan。

〃Oh；　yes！　I　ought　to　have　told　you。　Papa　is　an　extraordinary
mechanical　genius。　You　will　say　so；　too；　when　you　see　his　clock。
It's　nothing　like　so　large；　of　course；　but　it's　on　the　model　of
the　famous　clock　at　Strasbourg。　Only　think；　he　began　it　when　I
was　eight　years　old；　and　（though　I　was　sixteen　last　birthday）　it
isn't　finished　yet！　Some　of　our　friends　were　quite　surprised　he
should　take　to　such　a　thing　when　his　troubles　began。　But　papa
himself　set　that　right　in　no　time；　he　reminded　them　that　Louis
the　Sixteenth　took　to　lock…making　when　_his_　troubl　es　began；　and
then　everybody　was　perfectly　satisfied。〃　She　stopped；　and　changed
color　confusedly。　〃Oh；　Mr。　Armadale；〃　she　said；　in　genuine
embarrassment　this　time；　〃here　is　my　unlucky　tongue　running　away
with　me　again！　I　am　talking　to　you　already　as　if　I　had　known　you
for　years！　This　is　what　papa's　friend　meant　when　he　said　my
manners　were　too　bold。　It's　quite　true；　I　have　a　dreadful　way　of
getting　familiar　with　people；　if〃　She　checked　herself　suddenly；
on　the　brink　of　ending　the　sentence　by　saying；　〃if　I　like　them。〃

〃No；　no；　do　go　on！〃　pleaded　Allan。　〃It's　a　fault　of　mine　to　be
familiar；　too。　Besides；　we　_must_　be　familiar；　we　are　such　near
neighbors。　I'm　rather　an　uncultivated　sort　of　fellow；　and　I　don't
know　quite　how　to　say　it；　but　I　want　your　cottage　to　be　jolly　and
friendly　with　my　house；　and　my　house　to　be　jolly　and　friendly
with　your　cottage。　There's　my　meaning；　all　in　the　wrong　words。　Do
go　on；　Miss　Milroy；　pr