On Christmas Day a great family gathering took place. All the Crawleys

from the Rectory came to dine. Rebecca was as frank and fond of Mrs.

Bute as if the other had never been her enemy; she was affectionately

interested in the dear girls, and surprised at the progress which they

had made in music since her time, and insisted upon encoring one of the

duets out of the great song-books which Jim, grumbling, had been forced

to bring under his arm from the Rectory. Mrs. Bute, perforce, was

obliged to adopt a decent demeanour towards the little adventuress--of

course being free to discourse with her daughters afterwards about the

absurd respect with which Sir Pitt treated his sister-in-law. But Jim,

who had sat next to her at dinner, declared she was a trump, and one

and all of the Rector's family agreed that the little Rawdon was a fine

boy. They respected a possible baronet in the boy, between whom and the

title there was only the little sickly pale Pitt Binkie.

The children were very good friends. Pitt Binkie was too little a dog

for such a big dog as Rawdon to play with; and Matilda being only a

girl, of course not fit companion for a young gentleman who was near

eight years old, and going into jackets very soon. He took the command

of this small party at once--the little girl and the little boy

following him about with great reverence at such times as he

condescended to sport with them. His happiness and pleasure in the

country were extreme. The kitchen garden pleased him hugely, the

flowers moderately, but the pigeons and the poultry, and the stables

when he was allowed to visit them, were delightful objects to him. He

resisted being kissed by the Misses Crawley, but he allowed Lady Jane

sometimes to embrace him, and it was by her side that he liked to sit

when, the signal to retire to the drawing-room being given, the ladies

left the gentlemen to their claret--by her side rather than by his

mother. For Rebecca, seeing that tenderness was the fashion, called

Rawdon to her one evening and stooped down and kissed him in the

presence of all the ladies.

He looked her full in the face after the operation, trembling and

turning very red, as his wont was when moved. "You never kiss me at

home, Mamma," he said, at which there was a general silence and

consternation and a by no means pleasant look in Becky's eyes.

Rawdon was fond of his sister-in-law, for her regard for his son. Lady

Jane and Becky did not get on quite so well at this visit as on

occasion of the former one, when the Colonel's wife was bent upon

pleasing. Those two speeches of the child struck rather a chill.

Perhaps Sir Pitt was rather too attentive to her.




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