Mr. Haveloc offered to walk home, and give what orders Mrs. Fitzpatrick pleased.
"And be sure to come back and dine with us," said Aveline, eagerly.
"Have a little mercy on him, Aveline," said Mrs. Fitzpatrick, smiling; "he may not be quite so fond of pic-nics as you are."
But Aveline insisted; and Mr. Haveloc readily promised that he would come back to dine.
"Is not it nice, Mr. Haveloc?" said Aveline, when they were all seated round the little table in Mrs. Grant's kitchen. Aveline being in the old lady's easy chair, supported with pillows.
If anybody had told Mr. Haveloc at any period of his life, that he would be dining in a cottage with an old nurse, he would have thought he might safely deny the charge; but as he was there, he quite won Mrs. Grant's heart by his politeness to her; and so overcame her by his care for Aveline, that although not much given to hyperbole, she frankly owned that she thought him an angel, the first moment she was alone with Mrs. Fitzpatrick.
The sea-fog passed off, and the afternoon was brilliant.
Mark led home the pony, and bespoke a carriage from the inn, to take Aveline home after tea.
She laid down on the nurse's bed till tea-time; and then rose refreshed and better.
The nurse remained with her, and, at her particular desire, Mr. Haveloc and her mamma went to church a second time.