Meanwhile Sir Philip Meryon had laid aside his rod and was apparently enjoying the encounter between his companion and the Rector.
"Perhaps you have forgotten--this is _my_ side of the river, Meynell!" he shouted across it.
"I am quite aware of it," said the Rector, as he shook hands with the embarrassed Mary. She was just moving away with a shy good-bye to the angry young goddess on the farther bank, when the goddess said:
"Don't go, Mary! Here, Sir Philip--take the fly-book!" She flung it toward him. "Goodnight."
And turning her back upon him without any further ceremony, she walked quickly along the stream toward the little bridge which Meynell had pointed out.
"Congratulations!" said Meryon, with a mocking wave of the hand to the Rector, who made no reply. He ran to catch up Mary, and the two joined the girl in white at the bridge. The owner of Sandford Abbey stood meanwhile with his hand on his hip watching the receding figures. There was a smile on his handsome mouth, but it was an angry one; and his muttered remark as he turned away belied the unconcern he had affected.
"That comes, you see, of not letting me be engaged to Stephen!" said Hester in a white heat, as the three walked on together.
"I see no connection," was the Rector's quiet reply. "You know very well that your mother does not approve of Sir Philip Meryon, and does not wish you to be in his company."
"Precisely. But as I am not to be allowed to marry Stephen, I must of course amuse myself with some one else. If I can't be engaged to Stephen, I won't be anything at all to him. But, then, I don't admit that I'm bound."
"At present all you're asked"--said Meynell dryly--"is not to disobey your mother. But don't you think it's rather rude to Miss Elsmere to be discussing private affairs she doesn't understand?"
"Why shouldn't she understand them? Mary, my guardian here and my mother say that I mustn't be engaged to Stephen Barron--that I'm too young--or some nonsense of that kind. And Stephen--oh, well, Stephen's too good for this world! If he really loved me, he'd do something desperate, wouldn't he?--instead of giving in. I don't much mind, myself--I don't really care so much about marrying Stephen--only if I'm not to marry him, and somebody else wants to please me, why shouldn't I let him?"