Chapter 6

ACCIDENTAL.

When dinner was over, Lady Theobald rose, and proceeded to the
drawing-room, Lucia following in her wake. From her very babyhood Lucia
had disliked the drawing-room, which was an imposing apartment of great
length and height, containing much massive furniture, upholstered in
faded blue satin. All the girl's evenings, since her fifth year, had been
spent sitting opposite her grandmother, in one of the straightest of the
blue chairs: all the most scathing reproofs she had received had been
administered to her at such times. She had a secret theory, indeed, that
all unpleasant things occurred in the drawing-room after dinner.

Just as they had seated themselves, and Lady Theobald was on the point of
drawing toward her the little basket containing the gray woollen mittens
she made a duty of employing herself by knitting each evening, Dobson,
the coachman, in his character of footman, threw open the door, and
announced a visitor.

"Capt. Barold."

Lady Theobald dropped her gray mitten, the steel needles falling upon the
table with a clink. She rose to her feet at once, and met half-way the
young man who had entered.

"My dear Francis," she remarked, "I am exceedingly glad to see you at
last," with a slight emphasis upon the "at last."

"Tha-anks," said Capt. Barold, rather languidly. "You're very good, I'm
sure."

Then he glanced at Lucia, and Lady Theobald addressed her:--

"Lucia," she said, "this is Francis Barold, who is your cousin."

Capt. Barold shook hands feebly.

"I have been trying to find out whether it is third or fourth," he said.

"It is third," said my lady.

Lucia had never seen her display such cordiality to anybody. But Capt.
Francis Barold did not seem much impressed by it. It struck Lucia that he
would not be likely to be impressed by any thing. He seated himself near
her grandmother's chair, and proceeded to explain his presence on the
spot, without exhibiting much interest even in his own relation of facts.

"I promised the Rathburns that I would spend a week at their place; and
Slowbridge was on the way, so it occurred to me I would drop off in
passing. The Rathburns' place, Broadoaks, is about ten miles farther on;
not far, you see."

"Then," said Lady Theobald, "I am to understand that your visit is
accidental."

Capt. Barold was not embarrassed. He did not attempt to avoid her
ladyship's rather stern eye, as he made his cool reply.

"Well, yes," he said. "I beg pardon, but it is accidental, rather."

Lucia gave him a pretty, frightened look, as if