“Why the ‘even’?” he asked, with a laugh.
“Oh, well, because you are not expected to feel the fatigues of a London season. And then you must remember that you had a yachting cruise which must have done you a world of good,” she added, with a smile born of the mood which was on her—a mood of joy and laughter and daring. She felt that she could say anything she pleased to say to him now; she could have referred with a laugh to his running away on that strange cruise of his.
“Yes,” he said, “it did me a great deal of good.”
He spoke slowly, and her quick ear detected a tone of gravity in his voice. What could he mean? Oh, yes.
“I hope that that last phase of the mine will soon be settled,” said she. “It was that which curtailed your cruise, you will remember.”
“I certainly do remember.”
“I hope the business will soon be settled one way or another. I don’t think this running to Paris so frequently is good for Stephen. Haven’t you noticed how poorly he has been looking of late?”
“He didn’t seem to me to be particularly robust. But I think that he pulled himself together while he was here. Oh, yes! another week will see us free from this business.”
“And with an extra million or so in your pockets.”
“Well, something in that way.”