Page:A Pair of Silk Stockings.pdf/7

592 that divided the gardens, ascended it, and looked over.



He saw that the little child was running about, was not being tickled, but was trying to tickle her nurse, who dodged from her, ran a little way, pretended to hide behind a laburnam-tree or syringa-bush, and allowed herself to be caught and tickled by the fairy-like child, a dear little thing with fair curls in a white dress with red stockings and a red sash, and cheeks almost as deep in colour as her sash.

Philip leaned both his elbows on the wall top and watched the game awhile, then he descended, went to his conservatory and picked one or two Maréchal Niel roses, came back panting, ran up the ladder and dexterously threw them so that they fell before the child. Then he bobbed his head below the wall, crept down the ladder, removed it, and returned to his place in the arbour.

That same day Mr. Hezekiah observed the roses—his little daughter had brought them to her mother. He observed them because, previous to the rupture between the brothers, in the time of roses, his drawing-room and dinner-table had been kept plentifully supplied with Maréchal Niel blooms, since the rupture he had seen none.

“Whence comes the rose?” he asked sharply.

“Penelope says it fell down before her, whilst she was playing,” answered Mrs. Heckmondwyke.

“Playing, playing, where?”

“In the garden.”

“How came it to fall before her?”

“How can I tell, Hez?”

“My dear, roses don’t drop out of heaven.”

“But Penelope is such a dear, that even angels—”

“Fudge! There are no Maréchal Niels in heaven.”

“How else could they have fallen.”

“Umph! the roses grow in the conservatory of No. 2No. 1 [sic].”

“But they could not have come of themselves over the wall.”

“If I thought that—but no, it is impossible—and yet, I have a mind to ask an explanation of Philip.”

A day or two later some more roses came over the wall. On this occasion the child had seen the face of her uncle rising above the wall, and had seen him throw the flowers.

When Hezekiah heard this he sent the blossoms back in a cardboard box with a letter to this effect:—

“Mr. Hezekiah Heckmondwyke objects emphatically to Mr. Philip Heckmondwyke giving roses or