She had not cared for the round game; and she would have cared for Roger's conversation.She had had what she was indifferent to, and not had what she would have liked.'We've had our unexpected visitor, too,' said Mr Gibson.'Just after dinner who should come in but Mr Preston.I fancy he's having more of the management of the Hollingford property than formerly.Sheepshanks is getting an old man.And if so, I suspect we shall see a good deal of Preston.He's "no blate," as they used to say in Scotland, and made himself quite at home to-night.If I'd asked him to stay, or, indeed, if I'd done anything but yawn, he'd have been here now.But I defy any man to stay when I have a fit of yawning.' 'Do you like Mr Preston, papa?' asked Molly.'About as much as I do half the men I meet.He talks well, and has seen a good deal.I know very little of him, though, except that he's my lord's steward, which is a guarantee for a good deal.' 'Lady Harriet spoke pretty strongly against him that day I was with her at the Manor-house.' 'Lady Harriet's always full of fancies: she likes persons to-day, and dislikes them to-morrow,' said Mrs Gibson, who was touched on her sore point whenever Molly quoted Lady Harriet, or said anything to imply ever so transitory an intimacy with her.'You must know a good deal about Mr Preston, my dear? I suppose you saw a good deal of him at Ashcombe?' Mrs Gibson coloured, and looked at Cynthia before she replied.Cynthia's face was set into a determination not to speak, however much she might be referred to.'Yes; we saw a good deal of him - at one time, I mean.He's changeable, I think.But he always sent us game, and sometimes fruit.There were some stories against him, but I never believed them.' 'What kind of stories?' said Mr Gibson, quickly.'Oh, vague stories, you know: scandal, I daresay.No one ever believed them.He could be so agreeable if he chose; and my lord, who is so very particular, would never have kept him as agent if they were true; not that I ever knew what they were, for I consider all scandal as abominable gossip.' 'I'm very glad I yawned in his face,' said Mr Gibson.'I hope he'll take the hint.' 'If it was one of your giant-gapes, papa, I should call it more than a hint,' said Molly.'And if you want a yawning chorus the next time he comes, I'll join in; won't you, Cynthia?' 'I don't know,' replied the latter, shortly, as she lighted her bed-candle.
The two girls had usually some nightly conversation in one or other of their bed-rooms; but to-night Cynthia said something or other about being terribly tired, and hastily shut her door.The very next day, Roger came to pay his promised call.Molly was out in the garden with Williams, planning the arrangement of some new flower-beds, and deep in her employment of placing pegs upon the lawn to mark out the different situations, when, standing up to mark the effect, her eye was caught by the figure of a gentleman, sitting with his back to the light, leaning forwards, and talking, or listening, eagerly.Molly knew the shape of the head perfectly, and hastily began to put off her brown-holland gardening apron, emptying the pockets as she spoke to Williams.'You can finish it now, I think,' said she.'You know about the bright-coloured flowers being against the privet-hedge, and where the new rose-bed it to be?' 'I can't justly say as I do,' said he.'Mebbe, you'll just go o'er it all once again, Miss Molly.I'm not so young as I oncst was, and my head is not so clear now-a-days, and I'd be loth to make mistakes when you're so set upon your plans.' Molly gave up her impulse in a moment.She saw that the old gardener was really perplexed, yet that he was as anxious as he could be to do his best.
So she went over the ground again, pegging and explaining till the wrinkled brow was smooth again, and he kept saying, 'I see, miss.All right, Miss Molly, I'se gotten it in my head as clear as patch-work now.' So she could leave him, and go in.But just as she was close to the garden door, Roger came out.It really was for once a case of virtue its own reward, for it was far pleasanter to her to have him in a tête-à-tête, however short, than in the restraint of Mrs Gibson's and Cynthia's presence.'I only just found out where you were, Molly.Mrs Gibson said you had gone out, but she didn't know where; and it was the greatest chance that I turned round and saw you.' 'I saw you some time ago, but I couldn't leave Williams.I think he was unusually slow to-day; and he seemed as if he couldn't understand my plan for the new flower-beds.' 'Is that the paper you've got in your hand? Let me look at it, will you?
Ah, I see! you've borrowed some of your ideas from our garden at home, haven't you? This bed of scarlet geraniums, with the border of young oaks, pegged down! That was a fancy of my dear mother's.' They were both silent for a minute or two.Then Molly said, - 'How is the squire? I've never seen him since.' 'No, he told me how much he wanted to see you, but he couldn't make up his mind to come and call.I suppose it would never do now for you to come and stay at the Hall, would it? It would give my father so much pleasure:
he looks upon you as a daughter, and I'm sure both Osborne and I shall always consider you are like a sister to us, after all my mother's love for you, and your tender care of her at last.But I suppose it wouldn't do.' 'No! certainly not,' said Molly, hastily.'I fancy if you could come it would put us a little to rights.You know, as I think I once told you, Osborne has behaved differently to what I should have done, though not wrongly, - only what I call an error of judgment.
But my father, I'm sure, has taken up some notion of - never mind; only the end of it is that he holds Osborne still in tacit disgrace, and is miserable himself all the time.Osborne, too, is sore and unhappy, and estranged from my father.It is just what my mother would have put right very soon, and perhaps you could have done it - unconsciously, I mean -for this wretched mystery that Osborne preserves about his affairs is at the root of it all.But there's no use talking about it; I don't know why I began.' Then, with a wrench, changing the subject, while Molly still thought of what he had been telling her, he broke out, - 'I can't tell you how much I like Miss Kirkpatrick, Molly.It must be a great pleasure to you having such a companion!' 'Yes,' said Molly, half smiling.'I'm very fond of her; and I think I like her better every day I know her.But how quickly you have found out her virtues!' 'I didn't say "virtues," did I?' asked he, reddening, but putting the question in all good faith.'Yet I don't think one could be deceived in that face.
And Mrs Gibson appears to be a very friendly person, - she has asked Osborne and me to dine here on Friday.' 'Bitter beer' came into Molly's mind; but what she said was, 'And are you coming?' 'Certainly, I am, unless my father wants me; and I've given Mrs Gibson a conditional promise for Osborne too.So I shall see you all very soon again.But I must go now.I have to keep an appointment seven miles from here in half an hour's time.Good luck to your flower-garden, Molly.'