"Perhaps that would be advisable," Leon said; "the anxiety and excitement might be worse for her than the sudden joy would be."
Accordingly they drove back to Leon's, and the count went into his sister's room, while Arthur went into the drawing-room, where the two younger girls were sitting. These leapt up with a scream as he entered, and looked at him as if doubting the evidence of their senses. He held up his hand. "It is I myself," he said, "but do not make a noise. Your brother has gone in to break the news to Mercedes." Convinced that their eyes had not deceived them, the girls ran forward and embraced him affectionately, pouring out questions as to where he had been, and how it was that he had returned.
"It is a long story," he said, "and I cannot tell it all now. I have been shut up to prevent me from marrying Mercedes, and I have managed to make my way out again; and as you can see by looking at my hands," and he held them out, "I have done a lot of hard work in breaking out."
Both girls uttered exclamations at the blistered state of his hands.
"They are nothing to what they were after the first four or five days' work," he said; "they really were bad then. They have got pretty horny now."
"But who could have wanted to interfere between you and Mercedes? No one has any right to interfere with her except Leon."
"There are people who think they have a right to interfere," he said, "and do interfere in most matters in this country."
"You look very white, Arthur," the elder girl said.
"Yes, I dare say; I have been two months in a cell with very little light."
"In a cell?" they repeated.