"His name is Gwynn," said her uncle at last, while she listened
breathlessly to the opening of the front door, and the entrance of the
stranger.
"This is Captain Powell's house?" said a voice which set Valmai's
pulses throbbing, and all the blood in her body rushed to her face and
head. For a moment she felt dizzy, and she all but dropped the tray
which she was holding for her uncle.
"Don't you be afraid, may dear," said the captain consolingly.
"Captain Owen tells me he's a ra-al gentleman, and they are always
easily pleased. He won't look at you, may dear; but, by Jingo, if he
does, Ay'm not ashamed of you. Now, you go down, and make a nice
curtsey, may dear, not like Mrs. Finch makes it, you know, but as, Ay
bet, you have larnt it at the dancing school; a scrape behind with one
foot, you know, and hold your frock with two hands, and then say, 'My
uncle hopes you will make yourself quite at home, sir.'"
"Oh, uncle!" said Valmai, in despair, "he's not come out yet from his
bedroom. Won't I wait till he is seated down at his tea, and till Mrs.
Finch has gone?"
"Well, confound the ole 'ooman," said the captain, knocking violently
on the floor, "where is she now? Why don't she come and tell me how
he's getting on? Roast fowl nicely browned, may dear? Egg sauce?"
"Yes, and sausages, uncle. There, he is come out now, and Mrs. Finch
is taking the fowl in; he is saying something to her and laughing. Now
he is quite quiet," said the girl.
"Of course; he's attending to business." And for the next quarter of
an hour, Valmai had the greatest difficulty in restraining her uncle's
impatience.
"Let him have time to finish, uncle!"
"Yes, yes; of course, may dear, we'll give him time."
"I can now hear Mrs. Finch say, Is there anything else, sir? So she is
going. Yes, there, she has shut the front door. Oh, dear, dear! Now
if he rings, I must go in."
"Oh, dear, dear," said the captain, in an irritable voice, "what is
there to oh, dear, dear, about? You go down and do as Ay tell you, and
you can just say, as the ladies do, you know, 'I hope your tea is to
your laiking, sir.' Go now, at once." And as she went, with
hesitating footsteps, he threw an encouraging "Good gel" after her.