and tell him what were his views with reference to
Lily? And how far would he be justified in taking
the earl at his word? Some incredible amount of
wealth would be required before he could marry Lily
Dale. Two or three hundred pounds a year at the
very least! The earl could not mean him to understand
that any such sum as that would be made up with such
an object! Nevertheless he resolved as he walked
home to Burton Crescent that he would go down to Guestwick,
and that he would obey the earl’s behest.
As regarded Lily herself he felt that nothing could
be said to her for many a long day as yet.
“Oh, John, how late you are!” said Amelia,
slipping out from the back parlour as he let himself
in with his latch-key.
“Yes, I am;—very late,” said
John, taking his candle, and passing her by on the
stairs without another word.
“The Time Will Come”
“Did you hear that young Eames is staying at
Guestwick Manor?”
As these were the first words which the squire spoke
to Mrs Dale as they walked together up to the Great
House, after church, on Christmas Day, it was clear
enough that the tidings of Johnny’s visit, when
told to him, had made some impression.
“At Guestwick Manor!” said Mrs Dale.
“Dear me! Do you hear that, Bell?
There’s promotion for Master Johnny!”
“Don’t you remember, mamma,” said
Bell, “that he helped his lordship in his trouble
with the bull?”
Lily, who remembered accurately all the passages of
her last interview with John Eames, said nothing,
but felt, in some sort, sore at the idea that he should
be so near her at such a time. In some unconscious
way she had liked him for coming to her and saying
all that he did say. She valued him more highly
after that scene than she did before. But now,
she would feel herself injured and hurt if he ever
made his way into her presence under circumstances
as they existed.
“I should not have thought that Lord De Guest
was the man to show so much gratitude for so slight
a favour,” said the squire. “However,
I’m going to dine there to-morrow.”
“To meet young Eames?” said Mrs Dale.
“Yes,—especially to meet young Eames.
At least, I’ve been very specially asked to
come, and I’ve been told that he is to be there.”
“And is Bernard going?”
“Indeed I’m not,” said Bernard,
“I shall come over and dine with you.”
A half-formed idea flitted across Lily’s mind,
teaching her to imagine for a moment that she might
possibly be concerned in this arrangement. But
the thought vanished as quickly as it came, merely
leaving some soreness behind it. There are certain
maladies which make the whole body sore. The
patient, let him be touched on any point,—let
him even be nearly touched,—will roar with
agony as though his whole body had been bruised.
So it is also with maladies of the mind. Sorrows
