"My dear Doris, how you do run on!" says Miss Denison, smiling down at the bright face by her side. "A few moments ago you said all were well at home, and now you say your mother has a bad headache. Now do let Honor speak too, dear," she adds laughing, as Doris shows signs of starting off on a fresh subject.
All chatting pleasantly together the drive home seems to be accomplished in about half the usual time, and as soon as Miss Denison has been extricated from the carriage, which, in addition to the three occupants, is filled almost to overflowing with packages, she has to undergo a warm reception from Molly and Dick, who are dancing a sort of Highland fling of expectation on the door-step as the carriage drives up.
Then they all follow Miss Denison up to Mrs. Merivale's boudoir, where, now almost recovered, she is languidly looking over her letters of the morning.
"My dear Miss Denison," she says, holding out both hands as the governess approaches her, "you can have no conception what an unspeakable relief your return is to me. I thought I should have died sometimes with the terrible racket these children have made. Their father doesn't seem to mind it—indeed I really believe he likes it rather than otherwise; but oh, what my poor nerves have gone through!" and Mrs. Merivale shudders and looks round for her smelling-salts.
"What we shall do without you when you leave us for good I really don't know," she continues. "Honor and Molly will have to go to school, I think. Doris must stay at home, of course, if she is to come out next season. O, how I wish Honor was the eldest!—she is so quiet and sensible compared to that child there. It is all very well when I am quite well myself, but these headaches completely prostrate me, and when they are all at home together it is almost more than I can stand. Molly, do stop shuffling your feet!"
"I am sure, dear Mrs. Merivale, I would willingly have made my engagement a longer one still," says Miss Denison sitting down close to her, while Doris squeezes up to her side, Honor sits on a stool at their feet, and Molly and Dick take up their position behind the sofa; "but Frank declares he will wait no longer, saying—which is quite true, of course—that I have put him off twice already. I should like to have finished Honor as well as Doris, especially as I fear that young lady has not done me as much credit as she might have done. Now, Honor is more studiously inclined, and so I think is Molly."
"Now, I call it mean talking like that!" cries Doris pouting. "If I haven't a natural taste for study it isn't my fault, and it's twice and three times as easy for people to learn when they really like it, and not half so praiseworthy in my opinion. Never mind," she adds, tossing her head, "I shall marry a duke; and it won't matter then whether or not I can speak French, German, or Italian!"
"O my stars, hark to that, Miss Denison!" exclaims Dick. "Why, my good Doris, if you marry a duke you will have to go to court, you know; and supposing the queen invited you to dinner, and she took it into her head suddenly to have nothing but Chinese, or—or Fi-ji-an spoken all the time, where would you be then, my girl?"
"Don't be absurd!" retorts Doris loftily; "and do let Miss Denny go on with what she was saying."
But at this moment the gong sounds and there is a general move. A merry and noisy meal is the luncheon to-day; Mr. Merivale, who has come home unexpectedly, being himself one of the merriest of the party.