"He is coming," Katharine said eagerly, turning to Tante; "he is coming here?"
"Yes," said Tante, nodding at her.
And the quick old Dane glanced at her and saw how the light of a great happiness had come into her eyes.
"Yes," Tante said; "he has given up the journey to Japan, and I suppose he and his boy will be here in a week or so."
"In a week or so?" Katharine repeated, as though she could scarcely believe it.
Then, with a gaiety which delighted them all, she turned impulsively to the botanists and continued telling them all the details she could remember of that wonderful garden and the interesting collection of cactuses, and the different kinds of pepper-trees. And Gerda and Ejnar, entranced, kept on saying:
"Ja, and what more?" And Tante kept on thinking:
"Surely I see daylight! But, good heavens, what can we do to get rid of these botanists? Wretched creatures! Why don't they go back to their study provided so thoughtfully by me? And what a darling she is, and how delightful to look upon, and with a fine temperament. Simple and easy as a child. Built on a big scale, mind and body. Like the Gaard itself. Ja, ja. And then to think of that Marianne! Ak, what a brute I am! Never mind. Let me remain a brute! Oh, those botanists! If only they would go to their study and quarrel about the Mariposa lily, or cactuses, or salix, or something. And just look at Ejnar! He is becoming human. He is leaving the vegetable and entering the animal kingdom. By St Olaf, he has picked up her handkerchief! Ah, and here is Ragnhild coming to the Stabur to ring the bell for dinner. Nå, after dinner, we can have a talk about my Clifford."
So after dinner Tante took entire possession of Katharine, but much against the botanists' wishes. And Gerda said privately:
"Well, at least, don't bore her by talking about your Englishman all the time. You yourself saw how glad she was to get away from a subject which could not possibly interest her, and to continue to talk to us about Arizona and Colorado."