That youth was still dense, although the truth was staring him in the face. He looked at the two girls almost weeping with pleasure in one another's arms; at the laughing faces of Herrick and Stephen. Still he did not understand, not having yet experienced the love of woman.
"You are stupid Frank," cried Ida, "can't you see?"
"Can't you see," said Herrick gripping Frank's arm. "What a blind brother-in-law I shall have."
"Oh!" Frank's eyes opened wide. "Are you to marry Bess?" Herrick nodded. "And Stephen takes Ida?" the engaged couple laughed. "Well," said Frank, "that is two of them gone, and who is to look after Biffstead?"
"As if she could! Bess is the top, tail, and bottom of the house."
"That she is," cried Ida hugging her sister, "and I am jealous of Jim taking her away from us!" Then she gave Herrick a roguish glance. "Was I not right?" she asked.
"Perfectly right," he replied, and drew Bess down on the seat beside him. Ida went as by instinct to Stephen. Only the miserable Frank was left out in the cold, and said so. The quartette laughed heartlessly.
There was not a happier party in the whole three kingdoms than that seated before the fire in the house of wicked Colonel Carr. If the shade of the old man had been present in the room, he must--or rather _It_ must have sighed enviously at the sight of such happiness. Not during his reign had such truth and honour and clean delight prevailed in the old house. It was a merry evening. "Memory of the Golden Age," said Jim.
The next morning Dr. Herrick re-entered the work-a-day world. He walked over to Biffstead and found Bess just setting out for Beorminster on her bicycle. "You can leave that," he said after a kiss had been exchanged, "I will drive you over to Beorminster in the cart. I told the groom to put in the horse and bring it round here."
"Yes! On the track of those two scamps. You are going to see Bridge about that bullet?"
"Yes! I have the pistol in my pocket," she replied showing it.
"Very good. Can you drive the cart back?"
"Of course I can. Drive? Who ever heard of asking a country girl such a question. You do not know my accomplishments Jim."
"I know that you are the dearest and sweetest and most sensible girl in the whole wide world. But I say we won't take the groom. In the first place I want you all to myself. In the second, I must tell you all that took place when I interviewed Joyce yesterday."