Chapter V

Bush Advocate, Volume VII, Issue 650, 16 July 1892, Page 4

Chapter V

(Continued).

Little Mrs Woodfall had spoken -vith no hidden motive, had had no hought of John in her mind whilst ,he spoke. But to John himself, when he now recalled her words, it deemed that she must have spoken with a definite purpose to warn him of Violet's feelings, or to show him that she understood. He remembered, too, the first evening of his arrival at Farhempstead. Hd had dined at the Woodfalls, and the doctor, after dinner, had amused h s msolt by teasing Violet, accusing her of fickleness of purpose. < 1 She was going away,' he had • explained, turning to John, ' going away for a three months' jaunt ; and suddenly, without warning, she changes her mind and declares she will not go - will not go even for a week; will not stir.' . A sister of Violet's, a thin, straight, port little schoolgirl of sixteen, had looked up sharpU from her lesson-books just then, bad stuck her elbows on the table, and looked acrois at John. 'I know why,' sha said. •You know why, you monkey? It's more than I do,' said her father ' « I could tell, if I like,' said the child, and went back to her books with the complacent air of one who has awakened curiosity snd has not satisfied it. ' LJzzie, you ara troublesome !' said Violet, ' and to-morrow you will go to school and will not know your lessons.' 'I shall know some things,' • retorted Lizzie. 'Violet wouldn't go away because Doctor Lyle was coming — there, now I've told. And I skall know my lessons — I shall if I like. Doctor Lyle, Violet : can't do rule of three — she can't, indeed ; she helped me one day and everyone of my sums came wrong. Rule of three isn't anything— l'm on to compound interest now.' Lizzie had been dismissed from the drawing-room to do her compound intbrest in soclusion ; everyone had laughed at her pertness as soon as she was gone, and from that, time to this John had never once' remembered the littlo incident. Wow it came back, to him and helped to swell ■ the weight of , evidence against him. Ho had been a fool > Anyone e T « » would have understood. Had he any right to escape from the responsibility of his own folly ?In justice to Violet ought he to rectify now a mistake which he had allowed to last so long 1 After all, if Violet loved him, if he could make her happy, why ' should he hesitate 1 If Winnie would not be his wife what else mattered ? Since Winnie had refused to listen to him, life had become a blank, a weariness, a mistake ; if nothing could make it better, ; nothing could easily make it worse. Ho rose up at last, took his hat and left the house. He went slowly up street to the larger house where zLJu* fe^?*ner lived. Hejtad no very definite in Tile mind, but .- possibly he m .jg«fc see Violet, and he was gloomli," conscious that he ' ought to seek to scJ her. It was Violet liersoiY who came forward to meet- him as he was * ushered into the drawing-room. ~. The afternoon light was nearly done and half the room was full of ~~""iihadows. The fire sent oufc Jittle flickering gleams that died qtticldy and left the room greyer for the moment's brightness. 'I did not think you would come ' in to-day,' said Violet, welcoming him with a gentle smile. 'Mamma 18 lying down, papa is not come : home yet, and the children have all gone to their Bible class. They ; will be back soon. - Everyone will be gladsee you, and, in the meantime, for a little while, you will put ■: sp with me, T know.' 'It was you I came to see,' said John. Violet looked at him quickly With & startled glance, half, of triumph, half of wonder. But John was gazing fixedly at the rug before j him at his feet, and did n»t catch ' the glance. •To see me? That was sweet of you,' replied Violet, softly. •Did you want to see me for some '. reason — for something particular V •Yes,' said John, slowly and musingly, not raising bis eyes from tho pattern of the rug before him. ' It was something— somthing very definite which I had in my mind to • say.' ■ • ; ■ ■; A pausa. Whatever ifc -was that he wished to tell her, he seeniod to find a difficulty in telling. It was this difficulty that made : his purpose clear to, ; her. She sat • with bar hands folded in her lap and looked down at them with a little air of maidenly shyness and gentleness. •You— you have sot told rae.j she ventured, softly, after a minute had worn by. He mado a great effort then, raised his eyes slowly, and looked round at her as he spoke. •Do you need me to tell you, Violet ? I think you gues«. I came to ask you to be my wife.' • Another pause. Violet still sat looking down 'at -- her folded hands. Prusently, with a yielding smile, sho glanced swiftly - ; np at him, and as swiftly looking down again. 'You have not given me my answer, Violet,' he urged, gravely. 'May it bo as I ask?' -<: _ Violet, as though with a sudden, v impetuous impulse, put both her * hands out to him, and put them y confidingly into one of his. He £r ■ held them so. i >£. 'May I interpret this as cony »ent f.he asked, after a moment, rily. 'Say 'Yes/ Violet; do not me misunderstand. You consent to our engagement— to be formally engaged to me ?' ■•'- 'I— yes" said Violet, in a low shy yoice, 'Oh! John, I am SO frightened— so dreadfully . fright ened. Iam not strong-minded like— like Miss Clare. You will be > good to me, John 7 You will take -..- great care of me ? I have had such ■- a happy home !' I- ' {To bt continued)