Page:All the Year Round - Series 2 - Volume 1.djvu/418

 "We shall be delighted," Mr. Mackworth answered for her; and the brougham drove off.

Of course the home party were in some excitement as to the visit at Nettlehurst; and after service, as all gathered round the fire, Mary was eagerly questioned and cross-questioned. The discovery that her unknown friend was the banker himself caused great amusement to the younger branches, and Mr. Mackworth gave a little sigh of resigned surprise at the folly of youth and womankind, when he found that even his wife seemed more interested in hearing all about Mr. Langley and his sister, than in what he had to say about that beautiful Millais, those exquisite Landseers, and that Madonna after Sassofer Zata, which he really almost thought must be an original.

The questions followed one another thick and fast; but perhaps Mary's answers were not quite so ready as usual: she described the house and grounds with animation, and drew a clever picture of Mrs. Lester, "a small, sharp, pretty little woman, with a face like a good-natured hawk;" but she had so little to say about Mr. Langley that Harry reproached her for ingratitude, and the fire of family wit kindled again, reducing the curate to fall back on one of his often repeated and most utterly disregarded injunctions: "My dears, do try to talk about things; not people."

"I suppose," Cilla suggested, as the evening drew to a close, "there is no chance of our being asked to the Nettlehurst ball."

Mary shook her head. "Though," she said, colouring a little and glancing at her father, "Mr. Langley did say he hoped we would come again."

"He was obliged to say that," Mr. Mackworth observed; " but I certainly shall not take him at his word: by this time tomorrow he will have forgotten our very existence."

"Oh, papa!" Mary looked so much aggrieved by this speech, that her mother glanced at her in surprise, and then said gently: "Darling, I wish you could go to this ball: it would be a great treat for you."

"Oh! I don't mind about that a bit, mamma," said Mary, rallying her spirits. "Come, Harry; you help me to go and get the supper. It is growing quite late."

At that same moment, Mr. Langley, sitting over his dessert with Mrs. Lester, had just said abruptly:

"Kate, I want you to call on the Mackworths and ask them to the ball."

"Call on them, of course I will; but as to the ball, Vincent, I wouldn't if I were you. Depend upon it they have no clothes for such an occasion."

"What does that matter? Surely they could do up a muslin gown or a something or other of some kind," said her brother with masculine vagueness. "Do call, Katie, and take them a card; won't you?"

"My dear! considering that the ball is yours, and I'm only a guest myself, you need not speak so imploringly," said Mrs. Lester, laughing. "Is it necessary to call on them to-morrow?"

"I suppose not."

There was a silence; then Mr. Langley got up and walked to the fire-place.

"I say, Kate, I wish you would though, if you don't mind."

"Wish I would do what? Oh! are you thinking about the Mackworths still? Of course, dear, I'll do exactly what you wish about it, and about asking them too."

"And, Kate. Don't ask them so that they feel bound to say no."

"You are wonderfully interested about these people, Vincent," she said, looking up at him.

"Well—isn't he an interesting man? And I have heard so much of the good he does at Farley. It would fare ill enough without him, for old Lowther scarcely ever goes near the place."

"Mr. Lowther is dying, is he not?"

"He is by way of being ill, but he has cried wolf so often, that he is sure to live for ever. People of that sort always do."

"I will call to-morrow," said Mrs. Lester, rising; "and, as to the ball, though I dare say they won't come, people like to be asked. However, to tell you the truth, we have quite girls enough already."

The Mackworths were spoken of no more that evening, but Mrs. Lester thought that she had never known her brother so silent and pre-occupied.