“Well, well, I understand. That shall be as you wish. And is there anything I can do now? Your luggage——”
“It is all ready,” said Doris. “I am quite prepared.”
“Then nothing remains for me to do but to hand over to you the money I hold for you,” he said, and he took out and counted some banknotes.
Doris colored.
“I have been thinking,” she said, “that I would ask you to be so good as to take charge of some of it for me. It seems so large a sum—I have never been used to having large sums of money,” her eyes filled as she spoke. “I am ashamed to cause you any further trouble, but if you will take charge of some of it for me, if you will give me twenty pounds, and keep the rest in case I should want it, I shall be very grateful: you will be adding to all your past kindness to me.”
“Yes, yes, I see. I shall be very happy,” he said, benevolently. “Twenty pounds; that will leave eighty. And when you want it you can write to me. Perhaps when you come to know Lady Despard you will like her to act as your banker. By the way, I don’t think we said anything about the remuneration?”
“No,” said Doris; “I did not think of it.”
“You left it all to me. Quite right. Well, I hope you will think I have done the best I could. Lady Despard and I have agreed upon a hundred pounds a year.”
“That is a great deal, I suppose,” said Doris, simply. “It is more than enough, and once more I thank you.”
“It is not more than enough, not half enough in return for so sweet and charming a companion, but, my dear young lady, we must be content,” he said. “And now, is there anything else?”