“Could we, now? Without letting him know where it comes from? Without hurting his feelings? For it’s very hard to be beholden, you know. Hard for a gentleman, let alone how poor he may be.”
“We can fix it, Aunt Sophie; a letter shall go out to him this very day. And now I want you to come into my room and take off your bonnet. You will, I am sure, excuse us,” said Lilith, turning with a smile to the señor.
“I will go back to the hotel, where I have some business to attend to. I will call later to pay my respects to Madame Von Bruyin,” said Zuniga, as he arose and prepared to leave.
“But—hadn’t I better be going, too? The baroness might think I was intruding,” said Aunt Sophie, uneasily.
“Indeed she will not! She will be rejoiced to see you. She commissioned me to write to you, and urge you to come over to us.”
“She did?” cried Aunt Sophie, in amazement.
“Indeed she did! I was to have written to you this very day, as I told you. Come, now, into my room and take off your bonnet and consider yourself quite at home; for I know the baroness will not allow you to return to the hotel,” said Lilith.
“I will bid you good-morning,” said the señor, bowing.
“Stay—one moment! Will you now release me from my promise? May I now tell the secret?” demanded Lilith, in an eager whisper.
“Yes! You might have given it to the winds, had you chosen, on the day that you read Estel’s confession. You might have known then that it would be quite safe to do so.”