"Oh!" interrupted Melina, her face aglow with happiness, "you can't want me half so much as I want you!"
The tears were running down her cheeks, but they were tears of glad relief; and her heart, which had been often so sad and lonely, was full of joy.
"Come, Melina, my dear, it is time for us to say 'good-bye.'"
It was the evening before the day on which the Berrymans were to leave Hawstock, a beautiful May evening which was drawing to a close, for the sun had nearly set, and a soft, grey mist was settling over the town; and the speaker was John Berryman, who, with his little daughter, was paying a farewell call on Mr. Blackmore.
The scene was the study at South View. Mr. Blackmore sat near his writing-table, close to the open window, through which a gentle breeze was wafting the scent of wallflowers, whilst his visitors were seated farther back in the room. Melina had improved in appearance during the last few weeks; she looked less painfully thin, and faint roses had appeared in her cheeks. But the roses faded now as her father reminded her that it was time for them to say "good-bye" to Mr. Blackmore. She had said several "good-byes" that day, which had made her very sad, to Mr. and Mrs. Jones and William, and to each member of the Brown family, but it seemed to her that to say "good-bye" to Mr. Blackmore was the greatest trial of all.
"Yes," she assented, "I suppose it is." There was a tremulous note of sorrow in her voice.
"One minute," said Mr. Blackmore; "I have something to give you, Melina, before we part."
He opened a drawer in his writing-table as he spoke, and took out a small, morocco-bound Bible, which he handed to her.
"Oh, sir, how kind of you!" was all she could say for a minute, but her face told more than her words that she was deeply touched and pleased. She opened the Bible and saw, written on the fly-leaf: "Melina Berryman, from her friend, Raymond Blackmore."
"Thank you; oh, thank you!" she cried; then she looked at Mr. Blackmore hesitatingly, and asked: "Please, sir, would you write something else?"