CHAPTER VI LORD ST. QUENTIN LORD ST. QUENTIN By the time she had been a week at Castle St. Quentin, Sydney felt as though the old happy life in London were years away. She did not even look like the same Sydney, in the dainty frocks with which Lady Frederica replaced the clothes mother had packed so carefully. “Miss Lisle has not a thing fit to wear, my lady,” had been Ward’s verdict, when Lady Frederica made inquiries into the state of Sydney’s wardrobe, and Lady Frederica’s own dressmaker in London received a lengthy order marked “Immediate” that very night. The frocks were all ankle-length. “We will not put your hair up till you are presented in March,” said Lady Frederica; but she only laughed when Sydney threw out a timid suggestion that perhaps in that case the old frocks might do till she came out. All these new[68] clothes for four months’ use only: it hardly seemed possible to believe. [68] Sydney’s wardrobe replenished, Lady Frederica took her education in hand with undiminished energy. And the girl, although of no very studious disposition, quite hailed the idea of lessons. Something to do would be indeed a comfort, was the conclusion she arrived at by the end of the first week. Writing had lost its zest now she had unlimited time in which to do it, and even story-books palled when read all day. Solitary walks were most decidedly forbidden by Lady Frederica, when she heard of the girl’s adventure on the morning after her arrival; and when Mr. Fenton left the Castle, as he did in a day or two, her life was lonely indeed. St. Quentin was worse, and confined to his room for the whole week, seeing no one but his man and Dr. Lorry; and Lady Frederica was never down until the two o’clock luncheon. If it had not been for a long letter of loving understanding counsel from mother, Sydney would have been more than half inclined to give up the early rising and other old home ways which made the mornings seem so long. But mother must not be disappointed in her, and she thought of Mr. Seaton’s words, and[69] determined to try hard to make the interests which did not seem inclined to make themselves. [69] It was on a dull afternoon a week after her arrival that she met the doctor as he came from the library, where St. Quentin
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