And suddenly, far up, following their own music, two
cuckoos flew across, seeking the thorn-trees out on the moor. While
she was watching the arrowy birds, she caught sight of someone coming
towards her from a clump of beech-trees, and suddenly saw that it was
Mrs. Noel!
She rode forward, flushing. What dared she say? Could she speak of her
wedding, and betray Miltoun's presence? Could she open her mouth at
all without rousing painful feeling of some sort? Then, impatient of
indecision, she began:
"I'm so glad to see you again. I didn't know you were still down here."
"I only came back to England yesterday, and I'm just here to see to the
packing of my things."
"Oh!" murmured Barbara. "You know what's happening to me, I suppose?"
Mrs. Noel smiled, looked up, and said: "I heard last night. All joy to
you!"
A lump rose in Barbara's throat.
"I'm so glad to have seen you," she murmured once more; "I expect I
ought to be getting on," and with the word "Good-bye," gently echoed,
she rode away.
But her mood of delight was gone; even the horse Hal seemed to tread
unevenly, for all that he was going back to that stable which ever
appeared to him desirable ten minutes after he had left it.
Except that her eyes seemed darker, Mrs. Noel had not changed. If she
had shown the faintest sign of self-pity, the girl would never have
felt, as she did now, so sorry and upset.
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