erton shook his head, with a smile.
‘I couldn’t bring myself to that,’ he said, ‘though I wanted money badly enough. There has [Ссылки могут видеть только зарегистрированные пользователи. ] never been a strange master at Cumber since it belonged to the Egertons. I daresay it’s a foolish piece of sentimentality on my part; but I had rather fancy the old place rotting slowly to decay than in the occupation of strangers.’
He was standing [Ссылки могут видеть только зарегистрированные пользователи. ] by the table where the open portfolio lay, with Milly by his side, and one of the sketches in his hands, when Mrs. Darrell came in at the window nearest to this little group, and stood on the threshold looking at him. I think I was the only person who saw her face at that moment. It was so sudden a look that came upon it, a look half terror, half pain, and it passed away so quickly, that I had scarcely time to distinguish the expression before it was gone; but it was a look that brought back to my memory the almost forgotten scene in the little study at Cumber Priory, and set me wondering what it could be that made the sight of Angus Egerton, either on canvas or in the flesh, a cause of agitation to Milly’s stepmother.
In the next moment Mr. Darrell was presenting his visitor to his wife; and as the two acknowledged the introduction, I stole a glance at Mr. Egerton’s face. It was paler than usual; and the expression of Mrs. Darrell’s countenance seemed in a manner reflected in it. It was not possible that such looks could be without some significance. I felt convinced that these [Ссылки могут видеть только зарегистрированные пользователи. ] two people had met before.
There was a change in Mr. Egerton’s manner from the moment of that introduction. He laid down Milly’s sketch without another word, and stood with his eyes fixed on Augusta Darrell’s face with a strange half-bewildered look, like a man who doubts the evidence of his own senses. Mrs. Darrell, on the contrary, seemed, after that one look which I had seen, quite at her ease, and rattled on gaily about the delight of travelling in the Tyrol, as compared to the dulness of life at Thornleigh.
‘I hope you will enliven us a little, Mr. Egerton,’ she said. ‘It is quite an agreeable surprise to find a new neighbour.’
‘I ought [Ссылки могут видеть только зарегистрированные пользователи. ] to be very much flattered by that remark; but I doubt my power to add to the liveliness of this part of the world. And I do not think I shall stay much longer at [Ссылки могут видеть только зарегистрированные пользователи. ] Cumber.’
Milly glanced up at him with a surprised look.
‘Mrs. Collingwood told us you were quite settled at the Priory,’ she said, ‘and that you intended to spend the [Ссылки могут видеть только зарегистрированные пользователи. ] rest of your days as a country squire.’
‘I may have dreamed such a dream sometimes, Miss Darrell; but there are dreams that never fulfil themselves.’
He had recovered himself by this time, and spoke in his accustomed tone. Mr. Darrell asked him to dinner on an early day, when I knew the Rectory people were coming to us, and the invitation was accepted.
Julian Stormont had followed Mrs. Darrell in from the terrace, [Ссылки могут видеть только зарегистрированные пользователи. ] and had remained in the background, a very attentive listener and observer during the conversation that followed.
‘So
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