Jane laughed a little at that and went out to get supper.
"She's a nice girl," Lorenzo said, looking after her; "when she leaves here, what shall we do?"
"Oh, heavens, I don't know," said Susan. "I try never to think of it."
"And what is she going to do?"
"Oh, she's going back to her nursing, and I want to cry when I think that other people will have her around and I shan't. I'll be here alone with Matilda. Not but what I'm a good deal more reconciled than I was, when I thought I'd be alone with Matilda and old Mrs. Croft, too."
"Yes, that would have been bad," said Lorenzo soberly. "Well, I must be running along. I've got a lot of work to do and a lot of thinking, too."
Susan contemplated him earnestly. "Well," she said, with fervor, "when Jane goes, I'll still have you, anyway."
Lorenzo, who had just risen, stopped short at that. "Do you know an idea that I'm just beginning to hold?" he asked suddenly.
"No; how should I?"
"It's this. Why shouldn't you and I try working Jane's Rule of Life a little? I'm dreadfully impressed with a lot she says. Suppose you and I pulled together and made up our minds that she was going to stay here in some perfectly right and pleasant and proper way. How, then? Don't you believe maybe we could manage it?"