by L. T. Meade
CHAPTER XX.
ROSE VIEW.
It was a most glorious Sunday, and Florence felt cheered as she dressedfor her visit to Hampstead. She resolved to put all disagreeable thingsout of sight.
"I fell before," she said to herself, "and I am falling again. I amafraid there is nothing good in me: there is certainly _nothing_ stablein me. I yielded to temptation when I was a girl at school, and I amyielding now. I have put myself again into the power of an unscrupulouswoman. But for to-day at least I will be happy; I will banish dullcare."
So she made herself look as bright and pretty as she could in a whitewashing dress. She wore a smart sailor hat, and, putting on some whitewashing gloves, ran downstairs. On one of the landings she met EdithFranks.
"Whither away?" asked that young lady.
"I am going to Hampstead to spend the day with friends."
"That is very nice. I know Hampstead well. What part are you going to?"
"Close to the heath: to people of the name of Trevor."
"Not surely to Mrs. Trevor, of Rose View?" exclaimed Edith Franks,starting back a step and raising her brows as she spoke.
"Yes."
"And do you know her son, that most charming fellow, Maurice Trevor?"
"I know him slightly."
"Oh, but this is really delightful. We have been friends with theTrevors, Tom and I, ever since we were children. This seems to be quitea new turn to our friendship, does it not?"
Florence felt herself both cold and stiff. She longed to be friendlywith Edith, who was, she was well aware, all that was kind;nevertheless, a strange sensation of depression and of coming troublewas over her.
"She is kind; but she may tempt me to do what is wrong," thought poorFlorence.
"I don't know the Trevors well," she answered. "I have met Mr. Trevoronce or twice, but I have never even seen his mother. His mother hasbeen kind enough to ask me to spend to-day with her. I will say good-byenow."
"Be sure you give my love to dear Mrs. Trevor, and remember me toMaurice. Tell him, with my kind regards, that I commiserate him verymuch."
"Why so?" asked Florence.
"Because he has had the bad luck to be adopted by a rich, eccentric oldlady, and he will lose all his personality. Tell him I wouldn't be inhis shoes for anything, and now ta! ta! I see you are dying to be off."
Edith went back to her room, and Florence ran downstairs, entered anomnibus which would convey her the greater part of the way to Hampstead,and arrived there a little before ten o'clock. As she was walking upthe little path to the Trevors' cottage, Maurice Trevor came down tomeet her.
"How do you do?" he said, shaking hands with her and taking herimmediately into the house.
Mrs. Trevor was standing in the porch.
"This is Miss Aylmer, mother," said the young man.
Mrs. Trevor held out her hand, looked earnestly into Florence's face,then drew her towards her and kissed her.
"I am glad to see you, my dear," she said; "my son has told me aboutyou. Welcome to Rose View; I hope you like the place."
Florence looked around her and gave an exclamation of surprise anddelight. The house was a very small one, but it stood in a perfect bowerof roses: they were climbing all over the house, and blooming in thegarden: there were standard roses, yellow, white, and pink, moss-roses,the old-fashioned cabbage-rose, and Scotch roses, little white and redones.
"I never saw anything like it," said Florence, forgetting herself in herastonishment and delight.
Mrs. Trevor watched her face.
"She is a nice girl, but she has some trouble behind," thought the widowto herself.
"We will go round the garden," she said; "it is not time for church yet.I am not able to go this morning, but Maurice will take you presently.You have just to cross the heath and you can go to a dear little church,quite in the depths of the country. I never need change of air here inmy rose-bower. But come: what roses shall I pick for you?"
"I must give Miss Aylmer her flowers, as she is practically my guest,"said Trevor, coming forward at that moment. He picked a moss-rose budand a few Scotch roses, made them into a posy, and gave them toFlorence. She placed the flowers in her belt; her cheeks were alreadybright with colour, and her eyes were dewy with happiness. She bent downseveral times to sniff the fragrance of the flowers. Mrs. Trevor drewher out to talk, and soon she was chatting and laughing, and looked likea girl who had not a care in the world.
"I never saw anything so sweet," she said. "How have you managed to makeall these roses bloom at once?"
"I study roses; they are my specialty. I think roses are the great joyof my life," said Mrs. Trevor. But as she spoke she glanced at herstalwart, handsome son, and Florence guessed that he was his mother'sidol, and wondered how she could part with him to Mrs. Aylmer.
"The church bells are beginning to ring," he said suddenly; "would youlike to go to church or would you rather just wander about the heath?"
"I think I would rather stay on the heath this morning," said Florence.She coloured as she spoke. "I do not feel very churchy," she added.
"All right: we'll have our service out of doors then; we'll be back,mother, in time for lunch."
