"I think I shall sketch that group of birches at the edge of Bradham
Wood," she said.
"Then, in that case," said I, "I can carry your traps for you, for I
have to see a patient in Bradham."
"He is making the most of his time," remarked Mrs. Haldean maliciously
to my hostess. "He knows that when Mr. Winter arrives he will retire
into the extreme background."
Douglas Winter, whose arrival was expected in the course of the week,
was Miss Haldean's fiance. Their engagement had been somewhat
protracted, and was likely to be more so, unless one of them received
some unexpected accession of means; for Douglas was a subaltern in the
Royal Engineers, living, with great difficulty, on his pay, while Lucy
Haldean subsisted on an almost invisible allowance left her by an uncle.
I was about to reply to Mrs. Haldean when a patient was announced, and,
as I had finished my breakfast, I made my excuses and left the table.
Half an hour later, when I started along the road to the village of
Bradham, I had two companions. Master Freddy had joined the party, and
he disputed with me the privilege of carrying the "traps," with the
result that a compromise was effected, by which he carried the
camp-stool, leaving me in possession of the easel, the bag, and a large
bound sketching-block.
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