Outside came the greetings,
the flourish of the hat, the "I may venture to introduce myself, and to
beg of you, sir, and of my fair cousins to excuse my sudden intrusion."
"No apology can be needed for your appearance in your own pew, Sir
Amyas," said the Major with outstretched hand; "it did my heart good
to see you there!"
"I would not have taken you thus by surprise," continued the youth,
"but one of my horses lost a shoe yesterday, and we were constrained
to halt at Portkiln for the night, and ride on this morning. Herries
went on to the Deanery, and I hoped to have seen you before church,
but found you had already entered."
Portkiln was so near, that this Sabbath day's journey did not scandalise
Betty, and her father eagerly welcomed his kinsman, and insisted that
he should go no farther. Sir Amyas accepted the invitation, nothing
loth, only asking, with a little courtly diffidence, if it might not
be convenient for him to sleep at the Great House, and begging the
ladies to excuse his riding dress.
His eyes wandered anxiously as though in search of something in the
midst of all his civility, and while the Major was sending Eugene
to bring Mr. Arden--who was hanging back at the churchyard gate,
unwilling to thrust himself forward--the faltering question was put,
while the cheeks coloured like a girl's, "I hope my fair partner,
my youngest cousin, Miss Aurelia Delavie, is in good health?"
"We hope so, sir, thank you," returned Betty; "but she left us six
days ago.
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