Peter's Mother Part 8

Dr. Blundell touched the canon's arm.

"Shall I--must I--" whispered the canon, nervously.

"There is no help for it," said the doctor. He was looking at Lady Mary as he spoke. Her face was deathly; her little frail hand grasped the table.

"Sir Timothy," said the canon, "I--I have a communication to make to you."

"On this subject?" said Sir Timothy.

"A letter from Peter."

"Why did you not say so earlier?" said Sir Timothy, harshly.

"I will explain, if you will kindly give me five minutes in the study."

"A letter from Peter," said Lady Mary, "and not--to me."

She looked round at them all with a little vacant smile.

John Crewys, who knew nothing of Peter's letter, had already grasped the situation. He divined also that Lady Mary was fighting piteously against the conviction that Sarah's news was true.

"How could we guess you did not know?" said Mrs. Hewel, almost weeping.

"I am still in the dark," said Sir Timothy, coldly.

"Birch will explain at once," said the doctor, impatiently.

"Peter writes--asking me,--I am sure I don't know why he pitched upon me,--to--break the news to you, that he has joined Lord Ferries'

Horse; feeling it his--his duty to his country to do so," said the unhappy canon, folding and unfolding the letter he held, with agitated fingers.

"I knew there would be a satisfactory explanation," said Mrs. Hewel, tearfully. "Dear Lady Mary, having so inadvertently antic.i.p.ated Peter's letter, there is only one thing left for me to do. I must at least leave you and Sir Timothy in peace to read it. Come, Sarah."

"Allow me to put you into your carriage," said Sir Timothy, in a voice of iron.

Sarah followed them to the door, paused irresolutely, and stole back to Lady Mary's side.

"Say you're not angry with me, dear, beautiful Lady Mary," she whispered pa.s.sionately. "Do say you're not angry. I didn't know it would make you so unhappy. It was partly my fault for telling Peter in the holidays that only old men, invalids, and--and cowards--were s.h.i.+rking South Africa. I thought you'd be glad, like me, that Peter should go and fight like all the other boys."

"Sarah," said Dr. Blundell, gently, "don't you see that Lady Mary can't attend to you now? Come away, like a good girl."

He took her arm, and led her out of the hall; and Sarah forgot she had grown up the day before yesterday, and sobbed loudly as she went away.

Lady Mary lifted the miniature from the table, and looked at it without a word; but from the sofa, the two old sisters babbled audibly to each other.

"I always said, Isabella, that if poor Mary spoilt Peter so terribly, _something_ would happen to him."

"What sad nonsense you talk, Georgina. Nothing has happened to him--_yet_."

"He has defied his father, Isabella."

"He has obeyed his country's call, Georgina. Had the admiral been alive, he would certainly have volunteered."

John Crewys made an involuntary step forward and placed himself between the sofa and the table, as though to s.h.i.+eld Lady Mary from their observation, but he could not prevent their words from reaching her ears.

She whispered to him very softly. "Will you get the letter for me? I want to see--for myself--what--what Peter says."

"Go quietly into the library," said John, bending over her for a moment. "I will bring it you there immediately."

She obeyed him without a word.

John turned to the sofa. "I beg your pardon, canon," he said courteously, "but Lady Mary cannot bear this suspense. Allow me to take her son's letter to her at once."

"I--I am only waiting for Sir Timothy. It is to him I have to break the news; though, of course, there is nothing that Lady Mary may not know," said the canon, in a polite but flurried tone. "I really should not like--"

"My brother must see it first," said Miss Crewys, decidedly.

"Exactly. I am sure Sir Timothy would not be pleased if--Bless my soul!"

For John, with a slight bow of apology, and his grave air of authority, had quietly taken the letter from the canon's undecided fingers, and walked away with it into the library.

"How very oddly our cousin John behaves!" said Lady Belstone, indignantly. "Almost s.n.a.t.c.hing the letter from your hand."

"Depend upon it, Mary inspired his action," said Miss Crewys, angrily.

"I saw her whispering away to him. A man she never set eyes on before."

"Pray are _we_ not to hear the contents?" said Lady Belstone, quivering with indignation.

"I suppose he thinks Lady Mary should make the communication herself to Sir Timothy," gasped the canon. "I am sure I have no desire to fulfil so unpleasing a task. Still, the matter _was_ entrusted to me.

However, the main substance has been told; there can be no further secret about it. My only care was that Sir Timothy should not be unduly agitated."

"It is a comfort to find that _some one_ can consider the feelings of our poor brother," said Miss Crewys.

"Do give me your arm to the drawing-room, canon," said Lady Belstone, rightly judging that the canon would reveal the whole contents of Peter's letter to her more easily in private. "The shock has made me feel quite faint. You, too, Georgina, are looking pale."

"It is not the shock, but the draught, which is affecting me, Isabella,--Sir Timothy thoughtlessly keeping the door open so long. I will accompany you to the drawing-room."

"But Sir Timothy may want me," said the canon, uneasily.

"Bless the man! they've got the letter itself, what can they want with _you?_" said her ladys.h.i.+p, vigorously propelling her supporter out of reach of possible interruption. "Close the door behind us, Georgina, I beg, or that odious doctor will be racing after us."

"He takes far too much upon himself. I have no idea of permitting country apothecaries to be so familiar," said Miss Crewys.

CHAPTER V