CHAPTER XXIV.
A FRESH BEGINNING.
AFTER this Vivian made rapid progress. Happiness is a great restorer, and the little boy was very happy in those days.
Dr Armitage had soon to go back to his work; but Vivian’s mother stayed with him for a whole month, until he was almost quite well and able to run about the beautiful grounds of the château, and even to go to Dinard; and when at last she had to go home, and would have taken her boys with her, the hospitable Vicomte, who was really rather a lonely man, begged so earnestly that they might both be allowed to remain a little longer that their father and she agreed to his request, all the more readily perhaps as the detective’s words had proved true; and the newspapers in England were full of the romantic story of Vivian’s reappearance, the capture of the gang of burglars in Paris, and the recovery of most of the silver which had been stolen from Mr Osbourne’s house in January.
The thieves had not taken the precaution to melt it down, thinking, no doubt, that it was safe enough for the present in the thatch of Madame Genviève’s cowhouse, so Aunt Dora had got most of her forks and spoons back again without their being any the worse, and Claude, to his great joy, had his christening-mug to drink out of once more.
Needless to say, every one who read the newspapers, and especially those who knew the principal actors in the story, were deeply interested in every detail of it; and, although Dr and Mrs Armitage would have liked their two boys at home with them once more, they felt that it was much better that Vivian should remain quietly where he was not known until the excitement had passed over.
So all through the long summer days he and Ronald remained at the Château de Choisigny, learning to speak fluent French with the Vicomte, and boating on the river with Mr Maxwell, who proved himself to be the most delightful companion, entering into all their plans and interests as if he had been a boy himself.
At school and college he had been a clever sketcher, and in this time of enforced idleness he took up the pastime again, and gave lessons to the boys, Ronald proving an apt pupil; while Vivian could, as he said, ‘at least draw things well enough to let the people at home know what they were meant for.’