‘I have a good many books at home, entirely at your service.’
‘Thank you, thank you! I thought last winter if I could but have read, I should not have minded half so much.’
‘And why could you not?’
‘I had finished all my own books, and they cost too much to hire, so there was only a great Roman History that Arthur had had at school. I could not read more than thirty pages of that a day, it was so stupid.’
‘And you read those as a task! Very wise!’
‘Matilda said my education was incomplete, and she feared I should be found deficient; and mamma told me to make a point of reading something improving every day, but I have not begun again.’
‘I have some work on my hands,’ said John. ‘I was with Percy Fotheringham eight years ago in Syria and Asia Minor. He has gone over the same places a second time, and has made the journals up into a book on the Crusaders, which he has sent from Constantinople for me to get ready for publication. I shall come to you for help.’
‘Me! How can I?’ exclaimed Violet, colouring with astonishment.
‘Let us enjoy our holiday first,’ he replied, smiling. ‘See there.’
A low open carriage and a pair of ponies came to the gate; Violet was enchanted, and stood admiring and patting them, while John looked on amused, telling her he was glad she approved, for he had desired Brown to find something in which Captain Martindale would not be ashamed to see her.