It was long since any of them had spent so happy an evening; and at night Arthur insisted on helping her up-stairs, and said, ‘I declare it is a shame not to leave you Violet. Suppose you keep her till you are all right again?’
‘O, thank you, Arthur; but—’ for Violet looked doubtful.
‘Why, I thought you wanted to stay, Violet?’ said Arthur.
‘If you could.’
‘Too late for that; but you must settle it between you before to-morrow morning. Good night.’
Lady Martindale warmly pressed Violet to stay, and she found it much worse to have personally to make the choice than to be only a piece of property at Arthur’s disposal. She was, however, firm, saying that he would be uncomfortable without her; and she was grateful to Theodora for perceiving her motives, and preventing further entreaties.
‘You are right,’ said Theodora, when her mother was gone. ‘It would not be fit to leave him with an empty house, so I must yield you up; but I cannot bear to think of you in London.’
‘I am used to it,’ said Violet, with her patient smile.
‘And it will not be four years before we meet again. I shall try hard to come to you in the autumn.’
‘How comfortable that would be! But you must not be uneasy about me, nor put any one out of the way. I can get on very well, as long as I have Johnnie.’