Page:Alice Lauder.pdf/84

a piece of lawn, densely green and shaded by a thick cypress hedge, where a crimson rose flared out at intervals. A wandering breath of air wafted in armfuls of mignonette and clove-pink perfume every now and then. From the tennis lawn behind the hedge came also sounds, one might almost say shouts, of merriment; but there was no appearance of ‘our beautiful niece,’ and I did not feel much disappointed. Anyone can imagine what a colonial country belle, nearly related to the Granby family, would be like. A great deal of hair and complexion, beady black eyes, the figure of a fashion-plate, and the mind of a musical box—there you have the provincial idea of beauty all over the world. While thus musing (and carrying on the conversation suitably), I heard sounds as of two schoolboys quarrelling loudly, approaching us from the garden. There was a scuffle, a confusion of tongues, a barking of dogs, and suddenly a young lady in a white dress was precipitated into the room over the low window-sill, accompanied by a young man in tennis flannels, and by two excited black and white colley pups barking at the top of their voices.

“‘Great Scott!’ exclaimed the young lady, ‘I didn’t know that anyone was here.’

“‘Great Scott, indeed!’ I observed to myself.