ittle Mary was naturally the Gresleys' favorite child. However
thoroughly they might divest themselves of parental partiality, they
could not but observe that she was as sensible as a grown-up person.
"I thought he might be somewhere near," explained Regie, "in a tree or
something," looking up into the little yew. "You can't tell with a
conjurer like Uncle Dick, can you, Auntie Hester, whatever Mary may
say?"
"Mary is generally wrong," said Hester, "but she is right for once."
Mary, who was early acquiring the comfortable habit of hearing only the
remarks that found an echo in her own breast, heard she was right, and
said, shrilly:
"I told Regie when we was still on the road that Uncle Dick wasn't
there. Mother doesn't always go with father, but he said he'd run and
see."
"We shall be ver'r late for luncheon," said Fraeulein, hastily, blushing
down to the onyx brooch at her turn-down collar, and drawing Mary away.
"Perhaps he left the half-penny with you," said Regie. "Fraeulein would
like to see it."
"No, no," said Fraeulein, the tears in her eyes. "I do not vish at all. I
cry half the night when I hear of it."
"I only cry when baby beats me," said Mary, balancing on one leg.
"I have not got the half-penny," said Rachel, the three elders
studiously ignoring Mary's personal reminiscences.
The children were borne away by Fraeulein, and the friends kissed and
parted.
"I am coming to Wilderleigh to-morrow," said Rachel. "I shall be much
nearer to you then."
"It is no good contending against Dick and fate," said Hester, shaking
her finger at her. "You see it is all decided for you. Even the children
have settled it."
CHAPTER XXI
If a fool be associated with a wise man all his life, he will
perceive the truth as little as a spoon perceives the taste of
soup.--_Buddhist Dhammapada_.
"I can't think what takes you to Wilderleigh," said Lady Newhaven to
Rachel. "I am always bored to death when I go there. Sybell is so
self-centred."
Perhaps one of the reasons why Lady Newhaven and Sybell Loftus did not
"get on" was owing to a certain superficial resemblance between them.
Both exacted attention, and if they were in the same room together it
seldom contained enough attention to supply the needs of both. Both were
conscious, like "Celia Chettam," that since the birth of their first
child their opinions respecting literature, politics, and art had
acquired additional wei
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