“I shall have to ride into town to-day to look after that business; but I will try to be back before night. I hope you won’t be very lonesome, dear?”
An involuntary expression of surprise and disappointment clouded her face for an instant; but she chased the clouds away, and smilingly replied:
“Oh, no, I shall be very busy. But if you will tell me at what hour you will be back, I will have dinner ready for you.”
“Have dinner at the usual hour, my dear. I will be back in time for it if I possibly can. But do not wait for me beyond five o’clock, do you hear?”
“Yes, Alick,” she answered, and again she had to chase away a rising cloud of disappointment by a sunny smile.
He went out to prepare for his ride, and as soon as he was ready he kissed his young wife and begged her not to mope; and then he mounted his horse, that stood saddled at the door, and rode briskly away.
She looked after him until he was out of sight, and then with a sigh turned into the house.
Meanwhile Alexander rode rapidly into the city, and, after leaving his horse at the livery stable, hurried anxiously off to the hotel where his uncle and cousin were stopping, and sent up his card.
They were both in, and he was soon ushered up into their private sitting-room.
General Lyon, reclining in his resting chair, was reading the morning papers; and Miss Lyon, lolling on the sofa, was turning over the leaves of the libretto of the opera of the evening.