"I do suppose your father died a rich man. Or, did it all take wings and vanish?"
Laverne answered that the business had not been settled, and that Mrs. Westbury had proved very kind to her.
"I never could quite make up my mind about her. Queer, wasn't it, that she should take such a fancy to you and insist upon having you, for second wives' fancies don't often run that way. I had an idea she would marry you to some lord, with all the money, they expected to have. And here you've married that Mr. Savedra and come back. Does any one hear what has become of that old uncle of yours?"
"Oh yes, he keeps in touch with Victor's father."
"It was too bad he should have lost all by that dreadful fire. Fires have been the bane of the town, but we do not have as many now. Oh, didn't the place look queer when we first came. There were rows of tents still, and such shanties, and now great four-story bricks and stone, and banks and business places. One would hardly believe it if he had not seen it."
Mr. Personette was in a large real estate business, and even yet was hardly reconciled that Howard had not gone into the law. But he was very well satisfied with what he called "real business."
Mrs. Personette was stout and rosy, and had been made a grandmother twice. Miss Gaines had taken a husband, though she still kept up a very stylish establishment. Sometimes the three old friends met and talked over their adventures.
Laverne was very happy and added a great charm to the household. Elena would have had her talk continually about her life abroad.
"Why do you not make Victor describe some of the places where he has been? Every summer he took a journey away," she said, rather amused.
"He talks about places. You always put in the people, and they are more interesting."