"
"No," said Mrs. Bazalgette, "I never ordered any musician to come
here."
A tall but active figure came walking light as a feather, with a large
carpet-bag on his back, a boy behind carrying a violin-case.
Lucy colored and lowered her eyes, but never said a word.
The young man came up to the gate, and then Mr. Talboys recognized
him.
He hesitated a single moment, then turned and came to the group and
took off his hat to the ladies. It was David Dodd!
CHAPTER XIV.
THE new guest's manner of presenting himself with his stick over his
shoulder, and his carpet-bag on his back, subjected him to a battery
of stares from Kenealy, Talboys, Fountain, and abashed him sore.
This lasted but a moment. He had one friend in the group who was too
true to her flirtations while they endured, and too strong-willed, to
let her flirtee be discouraged by mortal.
"Why, it is Mr. Dodd," cried she, with enthusiasm, and she put forth
both hands to him, the palms downward, with a smiling grace. "Surely
you know Mr. Dodd," said she, turning round quickly to the gentlemen,
with a smile on her lip, but a dangerous devil in her eye.
The mistress of the house is all-powerful on these occasions. Messrs.
Talboys and Fountain were forced to do the amiable, raging within;
Lucy anticipated them; but her welcome was a cold one. Says Mrs.
Bazalgette, tenderly, "And why do you carry that heavy bag, when you
have that great stout lad with you? I think it is his business to
carry it, not yours"; and her eyes scathed the boy, fiddle and all.
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