It was only when he saw the old-
fashioned travelling carriage approach and heard the sound of cheering
which went with it, that he realised that Edgar Caswall had arrived. Then, on looking more closely, he saw that Lady Arabella, dressed as he
had seen her last, was seated beside him. When the carriage drew up at
the great flight of steps, the host jumped down and gave her his hand. It was evident to all that she was the chief guest at the festivities. It
was not long before the seats on the dais were filled, while the tenants
and guests of lesser importance had occupied all the coigns of vantage
not reserved. The order of the day had been carefully arranged by a
committee. There were some speeches, happily neither many nor long; and
then festivities were suspended till the time for feasting arrived. In
the interval Caswall walked among his guests, speaking to all in a
friendly manner and expressing a general welcome. The other guests came
down from the dais and followed his example, so there was unceremonious
meeting and greeting between gentle and simple. Adam Salton naturally followed with his eyes all that went on within
their scope, taking note of all who seemed to afford any interest. He
was young and a man and a stranger from a far distance; so on all these
accounts he naturally took stock rather of the women than of the men, and
of these, those who were young and attractive. There were lots of pretty
girls among the crowd, and Adam, who was a handsome young man and well
set up, got his full share of admiring glances. These did not concern
him much, and he remained unmoved until there came along a group of
three, by their dress and bearing, of the farmer class. One was a sturdy
old man; the other two were good-looking girls, one of a little over
twenty, the other not quite so old. So soon as Adam's eyes met those of
the younger girl, who stood nearest to him, some sort of electricity
flashed--that divine spark which begins by recognition, and ends in
obedience. Men call it "Love." Both his companions noticed how much Adam was taken by the pretty girl,
and spoke of her to him in a way which made his heart warm to them. "Did you notice that party that passed? The old man is Michael Watford,
one of the tenants of Mr. Caswall. He occupies Mercy Farm, which Sir
Nathaniel pointed out to you to-day. The girls are his grand-daughters,
the elder, Lilla, being the only child of his elder son, who died when
she was less than a year old. His wife died on the same day. She is a
good girl--as good as she is pretty. The other is her first cousin, the
daughter of Watford's second son. He went for a soldier when he was just
over twenty, and was drafted abroad. He was not a good correspondent,
though he was a good enough son. A few letters came, and then his father
heard from the colonel of his regiment that he had been killed by dacoits
in Burmah. He heard from the same source that his boy had been married
to a Burmese, and that there was a daughter only a year old. Watford had
the child brought home, and she grew up beside Lilla. The only thing
that they heard of her birth was that her name was Mimi. The two
children adored each other, and do to this day. Strange how different
they are! Lilla all fair, like the old Saxon stock from which she is
sprung; Mimi showing a trace of her mother's race. Lilla is as gentle as
a dove, but Mimi's black eyes can glow whenever she is upset. The only
thing that upsets her is when anything happens to injure or threaten or
annoy Lilla. Then her eyes glow as do the eyes of a bird when her young
are menaced." CHAPTER V--THE WHITE WORM


Mr. Salton introduced Adam to Mr. Watford and his grand-daughters, and
they all moved on together. Of course neighbours in the position of the
Watfords knew all about Adam Salton, his relationship, circumstances, and
prospects. So it would have been strange indeed if both girls did not
dream of possibilities of the future. In agricultural England, eligible
men of any class are rare. This particular man was specially eligible,
for he did not belong to a class in which barriers of caste were strong. So when it began to be noticed that he walked beside Mimi Watford and
seemed to desire her society, all their friends endeavoured to give the
promising affair a helping hand. When the gongs sounded for the banquet,
he went with her into the tent where her grandfather had seats. Mr.
Salton and Sir Nathaniel noticed that the young man did not come to claim
his appointed place at the dais table; but they understood and made no
remark, or indeed did not seem to notice his absence. Lady Arabella sat as before at Edgar Caswall's right hand. She was
certainly a striking and unusual woman, and to all it seemed fitting from
her rank and personal qualities that she should be the chosen partner of
the heir on his first appearance. Of course nothing was said openly by
those of her own class who were present; but words were not necessary
when so much could be expressed by nods and smiles. It seemed to be an
accepted thing that at last there was to be a mistress of Castra Regis,
and that she was present amongst them. There were not lacking some who,
whilst admitting all her charm and beauty, placed her in the second rank,
Lilla Watford being marked as first. There was sufficient divergence of
type, as well as of individual beauty, to allow of fair comment; Lady
Arabella represented the aristocratic type, and Lilla that of the
commonalty. When the dusk began to thicken, Mr. Salton and Sir Nathaniel walked
home--the trap had been sent away early in the day--leaving Adam to
follow in his own time. He came in earlier than was expected, and seemed
upset about something. Neither of the elders made any comment. They all
lit cigarettes, and, as dinner-time was close at hand, went to their
rooms to get ready. Adam had evidently been thinking in the interval. He joined the others
in the drawing-room, looking ruffled and impatient--a condition of things
seen for the first time. The others, with the patience--or the
experience--of age, trusted to time to unfold and explain things. They
had not long to wait. After sitting down and standing up several times,
Adam suddenly burst out. "That fellow seems to think he owns the earth. Can't he let people
alone! He seems to think that he has only to throw his handkerchief to
any woman, and be her master." This outburst was in itself enlightening. Only thwarted affection in
some guise could produce this feeling in an amiable young man. Sir
Nathaniel, as an old diplomatist, had a way of understanding, as if by
foreknowledge, the true inwardness of things, and asked suddenly, but in
a matter-of-fact, indifferent voice:

"Was he after Lilla?" "Yes, and the fellow didn't lose any time either. Almost as soon as they
met, he began to butter her up, and tell her how beautiful she was. Why,
before he left her side, he had asked himself to tea to-morrow at Mercy
Farm. Stupid ass!