Page:Adams - A Child of the Age.djvu/60

48 We went in, through a small green-covered porch, to a small hall: then to the right, down a passage that met the little hall at right-angles; down a staircase; along a little hall again with an open door at the end and green garden and bluey sea-view; then to the right into a large light room, in the middle of which was a laid table and, for the far-side, a large half-bay window with the two central flaps opened outwards. Mr. Cholmeley sank down sighing in an armchair that Rayne turned a little to the window.

'Ah-h,' he said, 'I'm very soon tired out now!'

Then, in a little, recovering himself, and looking up at me standing by the window to his left:

'But perhaps Mr. Leicester is hungry' (turning his look up to Rayne above the right arm of the armchair). 'We forget that.—And dinner is not till half-past seven.'

'No,' I said, 'I am not hungry at all, thank you.'

'Are you sure?'

'Certain,' I said, 'I had some things on the way.'

A pause.

'Then I think,' he said, 'that the best thing to be done, will be for Rayne and you to go for a ramble along the shore together, and leave me here. I'm afraid I should be but poor company just at present. In fact, I confess that I should like a little nap before dinner. You remember, my dear, I had no siesta this afternoon, and I'm tired.' His voice fell.

We left him rather lingeringly, more particularly Rayne. We went down over the first plot of grass, the gravelled walk, and the lawn in silence. Then she led me round a clump of bushes, and on to a path whose front was a low sea-wall. There was a break of a yard therein a little farther on. Arrived there, I saw a ladder, like those from bathing-machines, that touched the sand.

We stayed a moment. Then I jumped down and held my hand up for her. She jumped past it alighting well, and stepped seawards, I following.

'I hope you didn't mind my father going to sleep,' she said as we moved off together through the dry loose sand tuneful to our heels. 'He usually takes his