“Not that I know of. Look here, Keith, I told you I was sure the platinum—”
“Your brain is becoming platinum. I must go,” and the chemist remained with merely a general impression of having been interrupted.
Next the Colonel met Rose, watching at his own gate, and this time his answer was more explicit.
“Yes, Aunt Ermine said you were coming, and that I might meet you, but that I must let you come in alone, for she had not seen you so long, that she wanted you all to herself.”
“And how is she; how has she been?”
“She is well now,” said Rose, in the grave, grown-up way she always assumed when speaking of her aunt’s health; “but she has been having a good deal of her nervous headache this summer, and Lady Temple wanted her to see Mr. Frampton, but Aunt Ailie said it was only excitement and wear of spirits. Oh, I am glad you have come back! We have so wearied after you.”
Nevertheless Rose duteously loosed the hand to which she had been clinging till they came to the door; and as Colin Keith opened it, again he was met by the welcoming glances of the bright eyes. This time he did not pause till he was close to her, and kneeling on one knee beside her, he put his arm round her, and held her hands in his.
The first words that passed were, “You had the letters?”
“Colin, Colin, my one prayer has been, ‘Make Thy way plain before my face.’”
“And now it is?”