A GENTLEMAN COMES TO NUNCOMBE PUTNEY
It soon became known to them all as they remained
clustered in the hall that Mr Glascock was in the
house. Mrs Stanbury came out to them and informed
them that he had been at Nuncombe Putney for the last
hours, and that he had asked for Mrs Trevelyan when
he called. It became evident as the affairs of
the evening went on, that Mrs Stanbury had for a few
minutes been thrown into a terrible state of amazement,
thinking that ‘the Colonel’ had appeared.
The strange gentleman, however, having obtained admittance,
explained who he was, saying that he was very desirous
of seeing Mrs Trevelyan and Miss Rowley. It may
be presumed that a glimmer of light did make its way
into Mrs Stanbury’s mind on the subject; but
up to the moment at which the three travellers arrived,
she had been in doubt on the subject. Mr Glascock
had declared that he would take a walk, and in the
course of the afternoon had expressed high approval
of Mrs Crocket’s culinary skill. When Mrs
Crocket heard that she had entertained the son of a
lord, she was very loud in her praise of the manner
in which he had eaten two mutton chops and called
for a third. He had thought it no disgrace to
apply himself to the second half of an apple pie,
and had professed himself to be an ardent admirer
of Devonshire cream. ’It’s them counter-skippers
as turns up their little noses at the victuals as
is set before them,’ said Mrs Crocket.
After his dinner Mr Glascock had returned to the Clock
House, and had been sitting there for an hour with
Mrs Stanbury, not much to her delight or to his, when
the carriage was driven up to the door.
‘He is to go back to Lessboro’ to-night,’
said Mrs Stanbury in a whisper.
‘Of course you must see him before he goes,’
said Mrs Trevelyan to her sister. There had,
as was natural, been very much said between the two
sisters about Mr Glascock. Nora had abstained
from asserting in any decided way that she disliked
the man, and had always absolutely refused to allow
Hugh Stanbury’s name to be mixed up with the
question. ’Whatever might be her own thoughts
about Hugh Stanbury she had kept them even from her
sister. ’When her sister had told her that
she had refused Mr Glascock because of Hugh, she had
shown herself to be indignant, and had since that
said one or two fine things as to her capacity to
refuse a brilliant offer simply because the man who
made it was indifferent to her. Mrs Trevelyan
had learned from her that her Suitor had declared
his intention to persevere; and here was perseverance
with a vengeance! ‘Of course you must see
him at once,’ said Mrs Trevelyan. Nora
for a few seconds had remained silent, and then had
run up to her room. Her sister followed her instantly.
‘What is the meaning of it all?’ said
Priscilla to her mother.
‘I suppose he is in love with Miss Rowley,’
said Mrs Stanbury.
