‘Could you think it of me? No, I see you couldn’t. You try my spell, and write and tell me how it works. All right, Davenant—coming. Where’s my hat?—oh, outside, yes—and my umbrella, right. Good-bye, all of you. Thank you very much for a most delightful day.’
‘Thank you,’ said Caroline, and they all said, ‘Good-bye, and come again soon!’
‘Don’t forget green!’ were this amiable gentleman’s parting words as he climbed into the dogcart beside William and waved a cheery farewell with his umbrella to the party at the front door (at the side).
Uncle Charles, when the matter was laid before him, raised no objection to the curtaining of the picture. He even drove with them to Maidstone and bought a special curtain for the purpose, soft, wide, green woollen stuff it was, very soft, very wide, very green. Mrs. Wilmington hemmed the curtain, and the Uncle himself, tottering on the housemaid’s steps, hung the curtain in place.
‘Take your last look,’ he said.
‘Take your last look,’ he said, coming down the steps and holding the green curtain aside so that Dame Eleanour looked out of the dusk of the curtain almost as if she were alive. ‘Take a good look at her, so that you will know her again if you do see her.’
‘“If”?’ said Charlotte.
‘I mean when,’ said the Uncle, letting the long straight folds of the curtain fall into place.
The question of garlands now occupied all thoughts, even those of the Uncle’s.