I began to look as sorry as I could, while I thought what to answer, when the young man who was close to her tried to steal some of the cake; she turned round quickly, and rapped his fingers with the back of her knife, and he pretended to be hurt. She only laughed, and went on cutting up the cake, but she called him Jack, and seemed so intimate with him that it put me out, and I sat down on the other side of the circle, some way off.
“It’s all right,” said the Parson, looking up from the fire; “boils splendidly--give me the tea.”
Miss Lucy handed him a little parcel of tea from her bag, and he put it into the kettle.
“I declare we have forgotten the milk,” said she; “do run and fetch it, Jack--it’s in a bottle under the back seat of the four-wheel.”
I jumped up before Jack, who hardly moved, and ran off to fetch the milk; for which she gave me a pleasant smile when I came back, and I felt better pleased, and enjoyed the tea and cake and bread and butter, and all the talk over it, very much; except that I couldn’t stand this Jack, who was forcing her to notice him every minute, by stealing her teaspoon or her cake, or making some of his foolish remarks.
The sun set splendidly before we had finished, and it began to get a little chilly.
“Well,” said Joe, jumping up, “I’m off to get the horse put to. You’d better be starting, Lu; you won’t be down hill much before dark, now, and there’s no moon--worse luck.”
“Very well,” said she, taking up her bonnet, and putting it on; “we shall be ready in five minutes.”
“You’ll go behind with them, I suppose,” said Joe to me.
“I’m to have a seat, mind,” struck in that odious Jack; “Lucy promised me that an hour ago.” I could have given him a good kick; however, I don’t think I showed that I was put out.
“How can you tell such fibs, Jack?” said she; but I didn’t take any notice of that.
“Thank you, I wish to stay on the hill,” said I. “Besides, the four-wheel will be full without me.”
She didn’t seem to hear; and began talking to one of the other girls.
“Oh, I can walk,” said I, “or ride behind you.”
“Very good, if you like,” said he; “the chestnut would carry six, if her back was long enough;” and away he went to get the four-wheel ready.
We followed; Miss Lucy sticking close to her friend, and never saying a word to any of us. I walked with Mr. Warton, who was in the highest spirits, looking over his shoulder, and raving about the green tints in the sunset.