Mrs. Beltrán was spared an answer for others came up. Haddie and Tommy danced around excitedly, brave in white bows of ribbon tied on their collars. Hotspur, disdaining all this intrusion into his domain, hied himself to the kitchen where he remained till the wedding party was well out of the way. Lillian insisted that even Signor Verdi should become one of the party and tethered him to a plant in one of the windows, a proceeding which came near to proving disastrous to the poor Signor, for he was forgotten till Lillian came back from Southampton and might not have survived the experience if the room had not been warm.
To Southampton went both Lillian and Mr. Kirkby to see the travellers well on their way to Spain. Tommy Atkins, too, must go along, and the last view of the three, as the steamer pulled out, showed Mr. Kirkby waving farewell with one handkerchief and mopping his eyes with another, while Lillian, hiding her wet eyes behind Tommy's docile form, held his paw so that he appeared to wave his little Union Jack till it became but a tiny speck of color.
"England, dear England," murmured Mrs. Beltrán, trying to keep back the tears, "when shall we see it again?" Ah, when? Who could tell?
Anita, too, with tearful eyes, watched the receding shores. "Dear land, dear land," she said, "you have brought me more than any other place. You gave me my mother, my brother, my own true love."
Terrence smiled down at her. "I, too, owe it a debt, for it gave you back to me."
The little steamer plowed its way out into the wide sea, and England was but a faint line upon the horizon. Ahead of them lay Spain where, too, warm hearts awaited them, where sunshine was and many days of quiet joy.
Leaning upon the rail, Anita looked down at the rushing waters. "I shall like going back," she said, musingly, her thoughts wandering far afield.
"To England?" asked Terrence.
"No, back home, to our own home. I shall like to see Parthy and Ira, Mr. Weed, dear man, and all of them. I'd love to walk in the old garden. I wonder if I may. Do you remember the old garden, Terrence?"
His hand closed over hers. "Do I remember it, sweetheart? I can never forget it."