CHAPTER V.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 349, 9 March 1889, Page 6

CHAPTER Y.

HAPPY DAYS. • Then care was light, and hope was nigh. t And the \\ orld was wrapped in golden sheen. A single word or look from her wou'd have | brought him back to her side directly. The little monkey knew this well enough, and consequently "determined to stand on her dignity. It would do him good to pay him back in his own coin ; and oh ! what fun to pat on a worm without aid, and catch another trout all by herself ! She could picture Bob's face of astonishment. So she took off the lid of the box, peered | into it, and even went so far as to select in her minds eye a worm that looked a trifle less fat, foimidable, and repellant than its companions : a lively, slim • bodied, rosyhued ci'eaturc, of an inquiring disposition. She haidened her heait, although with an inward shudder, and positively succeeded in raising it gently from the rich mould ; but then the horrid thing proceeded to give such a series of nasty, cold, &limy, slippery wriggles, bringing its pointed tail first against one finger, anon against {another, that she felt she never — never — :never — could introduce the barb of that cruel hook into its juicy flesh, and endure the sight ol the agonised cieature's frantic struggles. There was something appallingly loathsome in the idea ! She did not want Bob's presence, no — not in the least — but there could be no haim in taking a suireptitious peep, just to see what he was about. Therefore she turned her head round, very, very cautiously, for she did not wish him to think she was in difficulties, or desirous of his society ; but Bob was apparently completely engrossed, and was bending down before some visible object, with his straw hat in his hand. Meantime, the worm still struggled desperately b.etween Dulcie's fingers, until at length, giving an extra contortion, it succeeded in freeing itself entirely ; but oh ! horror .'.only to slip right down her sleeve, sending a cold shiver through ail her frame. Pride or no pride, she could endure the situation no longer. It was simply intolerable. 'Bob !' she called out imploringly. ' Oh, Bob, come here .at once, I want you !' But the object of her appeal simulated deafness, and gave no immediate reply. Hot teais of vexation rushed into Dulcie's eyes. She stamped her little foot on the ground. 'At least you might come when — when — I ask you. It's ve-'very unkind of yon, Bob, and shows a bad disposition, being so revengeful.' The broad back shook ever so slightly, but its owner continued to maintain a dignified silence, whereupon Dulcie, Aastly indignant at such treatment, commenced shaking her arm vehemently, swinging it to and fro, until at length she succeeded in dislodging the unwelcome visitor from her sleeve, and it fell harmless to the ground. Bob, meantime, uttered no sound, and appealed still engaged in some mysteriou3 occupation. She felt very angry with him, but her curiosity began to be aroused. What was he about ? After all, it seemed foolish -wasting the afternoon in quarrelling when it might be spent to so much better advantage. They did not get the chance of going fishing every day of their lives. Thus thinking, she stole softly up behind him, placed her small hand on his arm, and said, somewhat tremulously, ' Bob, why did >ou not com? when I called ?' At the sound of her voice he turned immediately, a broad smile illuminating all his countenance. ' I thought you coulJ do quite well without me, Dulcie,' he said. ' You know that I can't,' and the sweet young face, with its round contour, delicate colouring, and variable expression, set in a frame of soft dark curls that clustered low on the white brow, looked so penitently up into his own, that Bob's wrath, which w^s more than two-thirds of it assumed, vanished on the spot. ' Have some rasps, Dulcie ?' he asked, carelessly, holding- out his hat, which was neaily filled with ripe-red berries. ' They'ne not half bad.' , ' ' Oh, Bob, you dear old thing !' she cried, giving a little hysteiical gasp of de-Jig-ht>. 'How good of you ! I verily believe you have been picking these all this time for me ?' 'Of course,' with a pleased smile, ' Who else ? Let us come and sit down for a bit, Dulcie, somewhere in the shade. It's roasting hot, and we've fished long enough in all conscience ;.that is to say,' laughing heartily, ' unless you are as keen as ever about catching another salmon.' 'No, Bob,' she answered, somewhat sheepishly, ' I'm inclined to think a little rest would be uncommonly peasant. ' And the fish won't rise in a dead calm, that's certain,' said he. 'So we're losing nothing in the way of sport. By Jove ! here's a ripping place under this big tree, as cool as a refrigerator, and we can lean our backs against the trunk and make ourselves comfortable.' Bob and Dulcie sab down s>ide by side on the dry moss. Around 'them the green bracken was just beginning to turn into gold, and the thorny bramble, with its pretty star-like flowers and clusters of halfripe fruit, almost kissed their faces, while the monotonous ripple of the water murmured a soothing lullaby in their ears. Overhead the sun glinted through a forest of dark branches and green leaves, casting dancing shadow son the ground, Meanwhile, Bob never took hi 3 eyes oft Dulcie, who, in her simple white frock and shady hat, appeared all the more bewitching from her evident unconsciousness of the fact. She had never been taught to believe in her own good lookp, and therefore did not pause to consider them. Ethel was the beauty of the" family, before whom the other three Mis 3 Sheppertons went to the wall. Yet although she did not possess her sister's statuesque features and purely Grecian profile, Efulcie, with her tender mouth that seemed to laugh and cry at the' same moment, -with her large dark eyes that melted into softness or blazed into passion, and her ever-varying charm of expression, was to most men infinitely the more lovely and lovable of the two girls. Ethel wa cold, Dulcie warm. Ethel resembled a beautiful marble statue ; Dulcie, one of Titian's pictures, full of life, warmth and colouring. They were not in the samestreet together— at lea3t, according to Bob Mornington's opinion and way of expressing it. He lay there almost motionless, watching the delicate, girlish figure at his side, until one by one the raspberries disappeared, and only some half-dozen little crushed miseries— ,squashed into perfect pulp — remained behind.

T?heu he raised himself on one elbow and said in tones of mock reproval, ' Fie for shame, you greedy ! Don't you mean to leave me a single one? Thai is hai'd, especially when I have had all the trouble of picking them too.' The ready blood rushed to her cheeks — nay, to her very temples. ' Oh, Bob ! I'm so awfully sorry ! Why on earth did you not tell me sooner ? 1c was horribly selfish of me ; but somehow I thought you did not care about raspbeiries.' ' No, neither do J, Dulcie. 1 infinitely prefer that " nasty dirty pipe " of which we wot. So don't distress yourself. I was only chaffing.' f I don't like such chaff, Bob. It made me feel so dreadfully guilty all of a sudden.' f Pooh ! You're too sensitive, and should not take notice of what folks say.' ' I know I oughtn't to ; but 1 can't help it. Bob, 3 she went on, sidling up an inch or two nearer to her companion, ' isn't it nice here? Aren't you enjoying yourself ?' ' Yes, awfully. I wish it could last for ever, and we need never go hoinej' And Bob subsided on to the small of his back, with his face lifted heaven wai dp, and stared abstractedly at tho delicate mass of foliage overhead, through which peeped little patches of blue sky, wondering vaguely if it .were possible for the woild to contain any other girl who was such a dear little darling as Dulcie. Presently he said inquiringly, 1 By- the- way, what are you going to do with yourself to-morrow ?' 1 Oh, 1 don'b know. Mamma and Ethel are talking of paying a regular series of duty calls — making an afternoon of it, in fact.' • Capital ! Why shouldn't we make an afternoon of it too, Dulcie ? We might have another outing together. This line weather won't last for ever, remember.' 'Yes, we might,' she said, dubiously, thinking the probabilities weie that cold water would be thrown on any such suggestion if propounded in the bosom of the family. * It's a half-holiday, certainly, and Mademoiselle Virginia has already announced her intention of profiting by it to indulge in an extra long pmctice. I pity the poor piano !' 'A half holiday, is it? And Mamzelle and the mater both disposed of !' rejoined Bob irreverently. ' Why, Dulcie, that's ripping. Nothing could possibly be better.' • Whab do you propose doing, Bob ?' ' We'll have a real good &pree, just for once in a way, you and I, by our two selves. Are you willing, Dulcie ?' ' Oh, Bob ! it would be perfectly delightful !' and her soft face rippled over with smiles of prospective pleasure. ' We'll go for a jolly long ride together, and hud our way over to the kennels. I don't believe, Dulcie, that you've ever seen the hounds fed in your life; and you can't think what sport it is.' 4 Oh, Bob ! I'm so glad you thought of it. What fun we shall have !' ' Fun ! I should rather think we would. But when can you get awaj -, Dulcie ? for we ought to make a tolerably early start. The kennels are a good ten miles ott. ' I don't quite know, Bob. I shall have to ask leave, I suppose, and if mamma does nob happen to be in an extra good humour it is quite possible she may object to the plan altogether. I can't think what's come over her lately to make her grow so horribly particular, and you've no idea how tiresome it is.' 'How do you mean "particular,"' Dulcie ?' 'Oh, in all soits of exasperating little ways. For instance, she keeps on saying, now I'm grown up, I should nob ride by myself, or walk by myself, or amuse myself in any respect after my own fashion. It's dowmighb horrid !' ' But in this case you won't be by your self, since I intend accompanying your ladyship. ' An expression of unusual gravity stole over Dulcie's bright face. ' Do you know, Bob,' she said, lowering her voice into a confidential whisper, 'I firmly believe that the fact of your company is — ridiculous as it may seem — exactly what mamma takes exception to. At least, s.o I am beginning to suspect.' Bob gave vent to a low and protracted whittle of annoyance. ' Phew ! You don't mean to say your mother objects to our being together, eh, Dulcie ?' 'I—l'mI — I'm dreadfully afraid so, Bob,' turning her head aside as she spoke. ' The devil !' There was a momentary pause, then he looked her straight in the face, and said, coaxingly, 'You'll come tomorrow all the same, won't you, Dulcie dear? You'll risk a scolding for my sake, just this once ?' Ho could not possibly have made any more forcible appeal, of which fact he was perhaps nob altogether unconscious. 'I don't care twopence about the scolding,' she said, biting her lip resolutely. ' I can survive that part of the business.' ' You know, Dulcie, it's too absurd, your mother making any fuss. Does she imagine I am going to eat you up, or whab ?' 'I'm sure I can't .say,' laughing ab his indignabion. ' And when we have been accustomed all our lives to see so much of each other/ he continued, irately, ' and have been such good friends, it would be horrid for any coolness to spring up between us that might end by making us complete strangers. Don't you think so, Dulcie ?' looking inquiringly into her dark, dreamy eyes. 'Yes, Bob,' she answered, simply; 'I don't believe I could bear it.' ' Then you'll come to-morrow, won't you ? I may be sent oft away from home some of these days soon, and then our outings will be very few and far between — lare enough, indeed,' with a sorrowful intonation, ' to satisfy even your mother.' ' I'll come if I can, 1 she said, softly. ' You promise, Dulcie ?' ' Yes ; Bob, I promise ; only you must not be disappointed if anything should happen to prevenb my turning up. lam not always mistress of my own actions,' she said, with a keen foreshadowing of her mother's worldly argument which she knew by rote — 'Bob is poor: Bob has not a sixpence to bless himself with ; Bob cannot afford to fall in love ; Bob has no brains ; Bob is a weak, stupid young man, and any girl would be a downright idiot who thought twice about him,' &c. She had heard ib all so often, and each time that Mrs Shepperton discoursed on the subject she only succeeded in rubbing Dulcie up the wrong way, and filling her with an undefined sense of injury and irritation. The more her mother ran down Bob, tho better she liked him, and the larger share did he occupy in her thoughts.