Janet's Love and Service Part 75

"Fast, a little, perhaps," said Arthur.

"Oh! no; not like one in the unpleasant sense that the word has. She is self-reliant. She has her own ideas of men and things, and they are not always the same as her mamma's. But she is a dutiful daughter, and she is charming with her little brothers and sisters. Such a number there are of them, too."

Charlie spoke eagerly, looking at Graeme. "You seem deeply interested in her," said Arthur, laughing.

Harry rose impatiently.

"We should have Mrs Gridley here. I never think a free discussion of our neighbours and their affairs can be conducted on proper principles without her valuable a.s.sistance. Your _cousin_ would be charmed to know that you made her the subject of conversation among your acquaintance, I have no doubt, Charlie."

"But she is not his cousin," said f.a.n.n.y. "And Harry, dear, you are unkind to speak of us as mere acquaintances of Mr Millar. Of course, he would not speak of her everywhere; and you must permit me to say you are a little unreasonable, not to say cross." And Rose smiled very sweetly on him as she spoke.

Harry did look cross, and Charlie looked astonished. Graeme did not understand it.

"Was that young Roxbury I saw you driving with the other day?" asked Arthur. "He is going into business, I hear."

"It was he," said Charlie. "As to his going into business, I cannot say. He is quite young yet. He is not of age. Are you going, Harry?

It is not very late yet."

They did not go immediately, but they did not have much pleasure after that. He was very lively and amusing, and tried to propitiate Harry, Graeme thought, but she was not quite sure; there were a good many allusions to events and places and persons that she did not understand, and nothing could be plainer than that she did not succeed. Then they had some music. Rose sat at the piano till they went away, playing pieces long, loud, and intricate; and, after they went away, she sat down again, and played on still.

"What put Harry out of sorts to-night?" asked Arthur.

"Was he out of sorts?" asked Graeme, a little anxiously.

Rose laughed.

"I shall have to give Harry some good advice," said she; and that was the last word she said, till she said "good-night."

"There is something wrong," said Graeme to herself, "though I am sure I cannot tell what it is. In old times, Rosie would have burst forth with it all, as soon as we came up-stairs. But it is nothing that can trouble her, I am sure. I hope it is nothing that will trouble her. I will not fret about it beforehand. We do not know our troubles from our blessings at first sight. It ought not to be less easy to trust for my darling than for myself. But, oh! Rosie, I am afraid I have been at my old folly, dreaming idle dreams again."

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.

Graeme had rejoiced over her sister's return, "heart-free and fancy-free," rather more than was reasonable, seeing that the danger to her freedom of heart and fancy was as great at home as elsewhere, and, indeed, inevitable anywhere, and, under certain circ.u.mstances, desirable, as well. A very little thing had disturbed her sense of security before many weeks were over, and then, amid the mingling of anxiety and hope which followed, she could not but feel how vain and foolish her feeling of security had been. It was the look that had come into Charlie Millar's face one day, as his eye fell suddenly on the face of Rose. Graeme's heart gave a sudden throb of pain and doubt, as she saw it, for it told her that a change was coming over their quiet life, and her own experience made it seem to her a change to be dreaded.

There had been a great snow-shoe race going on that day, in which they were all supposed to be much interested, because Master Albert Grove was one of the runners, and had good hope of winning a silver medal which was to be the prize of the foremost in the race. Graeme and Rose had come with his little sisters to look, on, and Rose had grown as eager and delighted as the children, and stood there quite unconscious of the admiration in Charlie's eyes, and of the shock of pain that thrilled at her sister's heart. It was more than admiration that Graeme saw in his eyes, but the look pa.s.sed, and he made no movement through the crowd toward them, and everything was just as it had been before, except that the thought had come into Graeme's mind, and could not quite be forgotten again.

After that the time still went quietly on, and Charlie came and went, and was welcomed as before; but Graeme looking on him now with enlightened eyes, saw, or thought she saw, more and more clearly every day, the secret that he did not seem in haste to utter. And every day she saw it with less pain, and waited, at last, glad and wondering, for the time when the lover's word should change her sister's shy and somewhat stately courtesy into a frank acceptance of what could not but be precious, Graeme thought, though still unknown or unacknowledged.

And then the mention of Amy Roxbury's name, and the talk that followed, startled her into the knowledge that she had been dreaming.

"Rose," said she, after they had been up-stairs for some time, and were about to separate for the night, "what was the matter with Harry this evening?"

"What, indeed?" said Rose, laughing. "He was quite out of sorts about something."

"I did not think he knew the Roxburys. He certainly has not known them long," said Graeme.

"No, not very long--at least, not Miss Amy, who has only just returned home, you know. But I think she was not at the root of his trouble; at least, not directly. I think he has found out a slight mistake of his, with regard to 'his friend and partner.' That is what vexed him," said Rose.

"I don't know what you mean?" said Graeme, gravely. "I should think Harry could hardly be seriously mistaken in his friend by this time, and certainly I should not feel inclined to laugh at him."

"Oh! no. Not _seriously_ mistaken; and I don't think he was so much vexed at the mistake, as that I should know it."

"I don't understand you," said Graeme.

"It does not matter, Graeme. It will all come out right, I daresay.

Harry was vexed because he saw that I was laughing at him, and it is just as well that he should be teased a little."

"Rose, don't go yet. What is there between you and Harry that I don't know about? You would not willingly make me unhappy, Rose, I am sure.

Tell me how you have vexed each other, dear. I noticed it to-night, and I have several times noticed it before. Tell me all about it, Rose."

"There is nothing to tell, Graeme, indeed. I was very much vexed with Harry once, but I daresay there was no need for it. Graeme, it is silly to repeat it," added Rose, reddening.

"There is no one to hear but me, dear."

"It was all nonsense. Harry took it into his head that I had not treated his friend well, when he was out West, at Norman's, I mean. Of course, we could not fall into home ways during his short visit there; everything was so different. But I was not 'high and mighty' with him, as Harry declared afterwards. He took me to task, sharply, and accused me of flirting, and I don't know what all, as though that would help his friend's cause, even if his friend had cared about it, which he did not.

It was very absurd. I cannot talk about it, Graeme. It was all Harry's fancy. And to-night, when Mr Millar spoke so admiringly of Amy Roxbury, Harry wasn't pleased, because he knew I remembered what he had said, and he knew I was laughing at him. And I fancy he admires the pretty little thing, himself. It would be great fun to see the dear friends turn out rivals, would it not?" said Rose, laughing.

"But that is all nonsense, Rose."

"Of course, it is all nonsense, from beginning to end. That is just what I think, and what I have been saying to you. So don't let us say or think anything more about it. Good-night."

"Good-night. It will all come right, I daresay;" and Graeme put it out of her thoughts, as Rose had bidden her do.

After this, Harry was away for a while, and they saw less of Mr Millar, because of his absence, Graeme thought. He must have more to do, as the busy time of the coming and going of the s.h.i.+ps was at hand. So their days pa.s.sed very quietly, with only common pleasures to mark them, but they were happy days for all that; and Graeme, seeing her sister's half-veiled pleasure when Charlie came, and only half conscious impatience when he stayed away, smiled to herself as she repeated, "It will all come right."

It was a fair April day; a little colder than April days are generally supposed to be, but bright and still--just the day for a long walk, all agreed; and Rose went up-stairs to prepare to go out, singing out of a light heart as she went. Graeme hastened to finish something that she had in her hand, that she might follow, and then a visitor came, and before Rose came down with her hat on, another came; and the one that came last, and stayed longest, was their old friend, and Harry's aversion, Mrs Gridley. Rose had reconciled herself to the loss of her walk, by this time, and listened amused to the various subjects discussed, laying up an item now and then, for Harry's special benefit.

There was variety, for this was her first visit for a long time.

After a good many interesting excursions among the affairs of their friends and neighbours, she brought them back in her pleasant way to their own.

"By the by, is it true that young Roxbury is going into business with Mr Millar and your brother?"

"We have not bees informed of any such design," said Rose.

"Your brother is away just now, is he not? Will he return? Young men who have done business elsewhere, are rather in the habit of calling our city slow. I hope your brother Harry does not. Is young Roxbury to take his place in the firm, or are all three to be together?"

"Harry does not make his business arrangements the subject of conversation very often," said Graeme, gravely.

"He is quite right," said Mrs Gridley. "And I daresay, young Roxbury would not be a great acquisition to the firm, though his father's money might. However, some of _that_ may be got in a more agreeable way. Mr Millar is doing his best, they say. But, Amy Roxbury is little more than a child. Still some very foolish marriages seem to turn out very well. Am I not to see Mrs Elliott, to-day? She is a very devoted mother, it seems."

"She would have been happy to see you, if she had been at home."

"And she is quite well again? What a relief it must be to you," said Mrs Gridley, amiably. "And you are all quite happy together! I thought you were going to stay at the West, Rose?"

"I could not be spared any longer; they could not do without me."

"And are you going to keep house for Harry, at Elphinstone house, or is Mr Millar to have that?"