Frank, little knowing what was passing, was working the whole day at
his tutor's for the closely imminent examination; Julius and Raymond
were gravely polite; Eleonora very silent; and as soon as the meal
was over, Rosamond declared that she should not come out to stand
planning in the cold; and though Herbert would have liked nothing
better in that company, his Rector carried him off to arrange an
Advent service in a distant hamlet; Anne's horse came to the door;
and only Joanna remained to accompany the gardening party, except
that Raymond came out with them to mark the limits of permissible
alteration.
"How unchanged!" exclaimed Lady Tyrrell. "Time stands still here;
only where is the grand old magnolia? How sweet it used to be!"
"Killed by the frost," said Raymond, shortly, not choosing to
undergo a course of reminiscences, and chafing his wife by his
repressive manner towards her guest. When he had pointed out the
bed of Americans that were to be her boundary, he excused himself as
having letters to finish; and as he went away Cecil gave vent to her
distaste to the old shrubs and borders, now, of course, at their
worst--the azaleas mere dead branches, the roses with a few yellow
night-capped buds still lingering, and fuchsias with a scanty bell
or two.
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