Exulting peals rang out from the Bayford tower, and as Mr. and Mrs.
Cavendish Dusautoy alighted from their carriage at Willow Lawn, the
cry of the vicar and of the assembled household was, 'Have you heard
that Sebastopol is taken?'
'Any news of Gilbert?' was Lucy's demand.
'No, the cavalry were not landed, so he had nothing to do with it.'
'I say, uncle,' said Algernon, 'shall I send up a sovereign to those
ringers?'
'Eh! poor fellows, they will he very glad of it, thank you; only I
must take care they don't drink it up. I'm sure they must be tired
enough; they've been at it ever since the telegraph came in!'
'There!' exclaimed Algernon; 'Barton must have telegraphed from the
station when we set out!'
'You? Did you think the bells were ringing for _you_,' exclaimed his
uncle, 'when there's a great battle won, and Sebastopol taken?'
'Telegraphs are always lies!' quoth Mr. Cavendish Dusautoy, tersely,
'I don't believe anything has happened at all!' and he re-pocketed
the sovereign.
Meantime Lucy was in a rapture of embracing. She was spread out with
stiff silk flounces and velvet mantle, so as to emulate her husband's
importance, and her chains and bracelets clattered so much, that Mr.
Kendal could not help saying, 'You should have taken lessons of your
Ayah, to learn how to manage your bangles.'
'Oh! papa,' said she, with a newly-learnt little laugh, 'I could not
help it; Louise could not find room for them in my dressing-case.
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