Her sole delight was in Le’s letters, which came to her under cover to her mother; but were read and enjoyed by the whole family.
Le certainly was a faithful servant of the great republic, and never neglected his duty; but yet his “most chiefest occupation” must have been writing to Odalite, for his letters came by every possible opportunity, and they were not only letters, but huge parcels of manuscript, containing the journal of his thoughts, feelings, hopes and purposes from day to day. And all these might have been summed in one word—“Odalite.”
She also sent letters as bulky and as frequently; and all that she wrote might have been condensed into a monosyllable—“Le.”
These parcels were always directed in the hand of her mother.
Ah! mother and daughter ever felt that the eyes of an implacable enemy were secretly watching them, so that they must be on their guard against surprise and treachery.
They suffered this fear, although they never heard one word from, or of, Angus Anglesea. He might be dead, living, or imprisoned, for aught they knew of his state, condition, or whereabouts.
In the distractions of society, however, they forgot their secret fears, for indeed they had no time for reflection. This was one of the gayest seasons ever known in the gay capital; reception, ball and concert followed ball, concert and reception in a dizzy round; and the Forces were seen at all! If they had purposely intended to make up for all the long years of seclusion at Mondreer they certainly and completely succeeded.
At the end of the season they took a rest; but they did not leave Washington until June, when the schools closed, and then they placed little Rosemary Hedge in the hands of Miss Grandiere, who came to the city to receive her, and they went to Canada for the summer.
As this first year passed, so passed the second and nearly the whole of the third.
It was in September of the third year that the monotony of winter society and summer travel was broken by something of vital interest to all their lives.