She rose to welcome the visitor and to make room for him beside her on the bench.
“Good-morning, ma’am,” he said, lifting his hat and taking the offered seat. “We have lovely weather just now. It must be lovely even in London. In fact, there is always delightful weather in London during May, when the season is at its height. Do you leave for town soon?”
“Oh, I hope not. I never, never, never wish to leave for town,” said Judy, with a genuine pout.
“I am sure I wish you never would,” laughed Mr. Campbell. “But I thought you were daily expecting to start,” he added, turning to Ran.
“So we have been; but we have postponed our departure from day to day, from reluctance to leave the country,” replied the young man.
“But the height of the season will soon be over. The weather will grow warm and London intolerable. Much as I should desire for my own sake to detain you here, I should advise you not to delay your departure.”
“But we don’t want to go at all! And we were not going for the sake of the season, anyhow. And it depends on you, Mr. Campbell, whether we go or not!” exclaimed Judy, taking the initiative and breaking right into the midst of the matter.
“On me, Mrs. Hay!” inquired Mr. Campbell, with a puzzled air.
“Ran, tell him!” commanded Judy.
And then Randolph Hay confided to James Campbell the story of his own and Judy’s neglected education, and their plans for remedying their defects, and ended by diffidently proposing that the minister should, if he pleased, become the director of their studies.