“He looks much better than when I saw him last.”
“Yes, I think he is better; but he has felt the hot weather, and he always turns the brightest side up, you know.”
Hugh’s affectionate tone turned up quite a new side of himself to Flossy; but Violante recognised the familiar accents which she had missed so sorely at first. He did not speak a word to her; but her heart was beating, she felt intensely happy.
Arthur presently reappeared, followed by Mrs Stedman, with preparations for tea and such a plentiful supply of cakes of all descriptions as Flossy suspected had cost the office-boy a wetting to obtain from the neighbouring pastry-cook’s. The girls were in a state of blissful delight. Was there ever such a fortunate thunder-shower? and, perhaps, their young teachers were not far from the same opinion.
“I’m afraid it’s going to clear up,” whispered one of the younger ones.
“There’s not a chance of it,” said Arthur, gravely. “It’s going to pour for an hour yet.” But struggling sunbeams began to force their way through the clouds and to dance on the rain-drops. Arthur flung up the window and a great rainbow was arching over the sky, while trees, grass, and flowers were brilliant with reflected light.
It had cleared up, and Miss Venning made her appearance in her friend’s waterproof cloak, with—
“Well, young ladies, I need not have been anxious about your getting wet!”
“You’re just in time to have some tea, Miss Venning,” said Arthur. “They were just getting wet through when I met them.”
Miss Venning drank her tea, and carried off her flock; but, though no one had exchanged a word in private, somehow that tea-drinking had left three people much happier than it found them.