"Hi, Dinah! Come down! We're going to tea at the Court. Scott will
walk with you, and I'm going to ride his gee."
He rolled off Rupert with the words. Scott looked up at her, faintly
smiling as he lifted his hat. "I hope that plan will suit you," he said.
"The fact is the padre has been detained and can't get here before
tea-time. So we thought--Eustace thought--you wouldn't mind coming up to
the Court to tea instead of waiting to see him here."
It crossed her mind to wonder why Eustace had not come himself to fetch
her, but she was conscious of a deep, unreasoning thankfulness that he
had not. Then, before she could reply, she heard her father's voice in
the porch, inviting Scott to enter.
Scott accepted the invitation, and Dinah turned back into the room to
prepare for the walk.
Her hands were trembling so much that they could scarcely serve her. She
was in a state of violent and uncontrollable agitation, longing one
moment to be gone, and the next desiring desperately to remain where she
was. The thought of facing the crowd at the Court filled her with a
positive tumult of apprehension, but breathlessly she kept telling
herself that Scott would be there--Scott would be there. His sheltering
presence would be her protection.
And then, still trembling, still unnerved, she descended to meet him.
He was with her father in the drawing-room. The place was littered with
wedding-presents.
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