'Yes, dear, I have changed. I couldn't help it,' with a plaintive little smile, and clinging to him like a child. 'If I could have been certain, quite certain, of this beautiful moment, I would have kept myself as I was. Do you remember how you used to call me your pretty, rosy, little mother?'
'You will be my pretty, rosy, little mother again,' said Tom. 'Ah, there is the colour coming! A good beginning!'
'And you, Tom, you! You have changed, too, my son. But I expected that. Your face is sterner; there are some sad lines. Your eyes. Ah! how they carry me back to the past! How foolish, how foolish I have been!'
'In what way, mother?'
'In dreaming that I could keep you. You are his.'
'I am yours, too, little mother. It was his wish, his thought. But we shall have plenty of time to talk seriously. This evening I want to enjoy.' He looked round him. 'How good it is to find you here in this dear old garden!' he said. 'Give me your hand, and let us make one round as we used to, you know, and then you must come back with me to your fine house on the hill, where I have left our travellers. I suppose, by the bye, that that stylish-looking housekeeper of yours can be trusted to look after them for a few minutes?'
'Oh, yes. She is perfect. Lady Winter trained her. And everything has been ready for you for days. But I ought to be there myself to welcome them. Did the dear child bear the journey well?'
'I think it did her good. She has had a more natural life than at Gumilcund. Such a number of children, many of them orphans, came home with us, and Aglaia was like a little mother amongst them. Mrs. Lyster, I am afraid, will only stop with us to-night. She is impatient naturally to see her own little ones, who are at school in Ireland. If you don't mind, I want you to ask her to bring them all to us for the summer holidays.'
'Certainly, dear; it will be a pleasure to me. And the General, and my dear, dear Lady Elton, and the girls—what have they done?'
'I left them in London. A house has been taken for them there for a few months. I suppose you know that we left Trixy behind us?'