He was dressed in black,
with a white tie, and his clothes were well cut, and seemed
superlatively so, owing to the importance and symmetry of the figure
they covered. It was the new vicar, Mr. Angelo.
He smiled on Mary graciously, and asked her how Sir Charles was.
She said he was better.
Then Mr. Angelo asked, more timidly, was Lady Bassett at home.
"She is just gone out, sir."
A look of deep disappointment crossed Mr. Angelo's face. It did not
escape Mary Wells. She looked at him full, and, lowering her voice a
little, said, "She is only in the grounds with Sir Charles. She will be
at home about five o'clock."
Mr. Angelo hesitated, and then said he would call again at five. He
evidently preferred a duet to a trio. He then thanked Mary Wells with
more warmth than the occasion seemed to call for, and retired very
slowly: he had come very quickly.
Mary Wells looked after him, and asked herself wildly if she could not
make some use of him and his manifest infatuation.
But before her mind could fix on any idea, and, indeed, before the
young clergyman had taken twenty steps homeward, loud voices were heard
down the shrubbery.
These were followed by an agonized scream.
Mary Wells started up, and the young parson turned: they looked at each
other in amazement.
Pages:
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213