Owing to his forethought in having acquainted himself with the key to the maze, the Marquis spent the day far more agreeably than he had anticipated; for as soon as he had had enough of wandering about the maze he guided Frederica out of it, leaving the three younger members of the party still trying to reach the centre, all of them in high spirits, and thinking it an excellent joke every time they found themselves in a blind alley. The custodian, whose stand commanded a view of the whole labyrinth, and whose duty it was to direct exhausted persons out of it, several times offered his services, but these were unhesitatingly scorned, each of the three Merrivilles being convinced that he, or she, could discover the clue.
Frederica, strolling along the alleys beside the Marquis, was inclined to think it a lucky chance that brought them to the centre of the maze; but when he led her back to the entrance without a single mistake she looked laughingly up at him, and exclaimed: ‘You knew the secret! What a hoax! I was beginning to think you so clever, too!’
‘Merely provident!’ he replied. ‘The prospect of spending the better part of the afternoon between high hedges I find singularly unattractive – don’t you?’
She smiled. ‘Well, I own I had liefer walk about the gardens and the wilderness! But the children think it famous sport: thank you for bringing them! You are very kind, for I’m persuaded it must be a great bore to you.’
‘By no means!’ he answered, ‘It has the charm of novelty.’
‘Did you never take your nephews and nieces out with you?’ she asked curiously.
‘Never!’
‘Not even when they were children? How odd it seems!’
‘It would seem very much odder if I had, I assure you.’
‘Not to me.’
‘It should. I warned you, Frederica, that I am neither compliant nor goodnatured.’
‘Well, I must own that you are not at all goodnatured to your sisters,’ she said frankly. ‘Not that I blame you for that – at least, not altogether! They seem positively to take delight in setting up your back! I wonder they shouldn’t know that pinching at one’s brothers is fatal! But whatever you may say you are not a monster of selfishness. You wouldn’t be so kind to Jessamy and Felix if that were so.’
‘Or if they bored me,’ he interpolated.
‘It bored you excessively to inspect that foundry,’ she reminded him.
‘Yes, that’s why Charles is going to take Felix to the New Mint,’ he responded coolly.
‘But why didn’t you send him to escort us today?’ she asked, in an innocent tone at variance with the mischief in her eyes. ‘You cannot have supposed that such an expedition as this wouldn’t bore you quite as much as the Mint!’
He glanced down at her, half-smiling, but with an oddly arrested expression in his face. She was puzzled by it, but after a moment, she said quizzically: ‘Are you wondering whether you can bamboozle me into believing that you won’t entrust your team to Mr Trevor?’
‘No,’ he replied slowly, ‘though it would be true! I was thinking how well that bonnet becomes you.’
It was certainly a charming confection, with a soft pink plume curling over its poke of gathered silk; but she broke into a gurgle of laughter, exclaiming: ‘Oh, cousin, you are the most complete hand! Why are you so determined to make me write you down as selfish, and altogether detestable? Are you afraid I might trade upon your good-nature? I promise you I shan’t!’
‘No, I’m not afraid of that.’
‘To be sure, you could always floor me with one of your icy set-downs, couldn’t you?’ she agreed, twinkling gaily.
‘Unlikely! You’d come about again!’ he retorted, guiding her towards a conveniently situated bench. ‘We will now sit down to await the children – unless you consider it too chilly?’
She shook her head, but said, as she disposed herself on the bench: ‘Much you would care if I did!’
‘Unjust, Frederica! Almost as unjust as your previous observation! When, pray, have I attempted to give you a set-down?’
‘Oh, when we first met! You were odiously starched-up!’
‘Was I? Accept my most humble apologies, and acknowledge that I haven’t repeated the offence!’
‘No, indeed you haven’t!’ she said warmly. ‘That is, you haven’t snubbed us! But I’ve twice heard you – However, that’s no concern of mine! You don’t like to be thanked, but pray let me tell you – just once – how truly grateful I am to you! You have done much more for us than I expected – why, you even came to Luff’s rescue, and if that wasn’t kind, I should like to know what is!’
‘But you did expect that of me!’ he pointed out.
‘I didn’t precisely expect it. I was – I was hopeful that you would! Oh, and you have never told me what it cost you to ransom him! I had quite forgotten! Pray, will you –’
‘No,’ he interrupted. ‘I neither know nor care what it cost me, and if you talk any more flummery to me, Frederica, I shall give you one of my – er – icy set-downs!’