"Will he be able to go with you?" asked Alick.
"Oh, no; it would be an intolerable bore, and his Scottish thrift would
never stand the sight of people making such very bad bargains! No, I am
going to take the Carleton girls in, they are very accommodating, and I
can get away whenever I please. I am much too forbearing to ask any of
you to go with me, though I believe Uncle George is pining to go and see
after his carving."
"No, thank you; after what I heard of the last bazaar I made up my mind
that they are no places for an old parson, nor for his carvings either,
so you are quite welcome to fall on me for my inconsistency."
"Not now, when you have a holiday from Mr. Lifford," returned Bessie.
"Now come and smell the roses."
All the rest of the day Alick relapsed into the lazy frivolous young
officer with whom Rachel had first been acquainted.
As he was driving home in the cool fresh summer night, he began-"I think I must go to this idiotical bazaar!"
"You!" exclaimed Rachel.
"Yes; I don't think Bessie ought to go by herself with all this Carleton
crew."
"You don't wish me to go," said Rachel, gulping down the effort.
"You! My dear Rachel, I would not take you for fifty pounds, nor could I
go myself without leaving you as vice deputy curate."
"No need for that," said Mr. Clare, from the seat behind; "young people
must not talk secrets with a blind man's ears behind them."
"I make no secret," said Alick. "I could not go without leaving my wife
to take care of my uncle, or my uncle to take care of my wife."
"And you think you ought to go?" said Mr. Clare. "It is certainly better
that Bessie should have a gentleman with her in the crowd; but you
know this is a gossiping neighbourhood, and you must be prepared for
amazement at your coming into public alone not three weeks after your
wedding."
"I can't help it, she can't go, and I must."
"And you will bring down all the morning visitors that you talk of
dreading."
"We will leave you to amuse them, sir. Much better that," he added
between his teeth, "than to leave the very semblance of a secret trusted
by her to that intolerable puppy--"
Rachel said no more, but when she was gone upstairs Mr. Clare detained
his nephew to say, "I beg your pardon, Alick, but you should be quite
sure that your wife likes this proposal."
"That's the value of a strong-minded wife, sir," returned Alick; "she is
not given to making a fuss about small matters."
"Most ladies might not think this a small matter."