“I suppose you are anxious to get back, to stem with all your strength this tendency to secession, or should you not succeed in that, at least to take care of your family interests, threatened by State politics. Well, perhaps you are right,” said the unsuspicious old minister.
Mr. Goldsborough’s face flushed scarlet, but that might have been from the efforts he was making to draw on a very tight glove, or even from the compression of the very thick woolen scarf that was wound around his throat as he stood there booted and greatcoated, and ready for his start. He answered not a word, but took his hat from the rack, bowed, and went away.
The snow that had been falling all night long, lay deep upon the ground, and was falling fast still.
The old doctor shut the door quickly after his departing guest, and came back into the library with a renewed appreciation of the comforts of his own fireside.
Erminie ran upstairs to get ready her best spare room for the reception of Alberta; for though Mr. Goldsborough had said that he must leave Washington with his daughter on that same evening, Erminie entertained hopes that he would change his mind, and pass the day and night with them.
While she was busy having the fire lighted, the bed linen changed, and the water brought up, thinking all the time how comfortable and happy she would try to make her friend Alberta, whether her stay should be short or long, she received a hasty summons from her own father.
She ran downstairs to the lower hall where, to her unbounded astonishment, she saw Farmer Fielding and his daughter Elfrida. They had just been admitted by the servant, and were shaking hands with Dr. Rosenthal, who had come out of the library to receive them.
“I am so glad, oh, so glad to see you, my darling Elfie!” exclaimed Erminie, running and catching her little friend in her arms, and kissing her a dozen times before she even thought of the elder visitor. When she did recall his existence, she turned toward him with a blush and a smile, saying:
“Excuse me, Mr. Fielding. I am very happy to see you. How do you do?”
“Thank you, Miss Minie, I do as well as any man can in my circumstances. I have been——” began the farmer, but he was cut short by the doctor, who finished the sentence for him in his, the doctor’s, own way.