“Nell, I’m not telling; the subject is closed. But any time there’s anything I can do for you, anything in this world, Nell, you know you’ve only got to sing out.”
“You’ll marry, Tom dear, by and by.”
“Very well. If you say so, I’ll marry. But what I said will hold good if I do. It will hold good, too, if you marry, Nell. Oh, let’s talk about something else.”
The change of subject could hardly be effected in less time than it takes to reverse engines; a minute or two passed before Aurora inquired concerning the number of hours’ travel between Florence and Liverpool, then about his steamer, his stateroom and the exact time of his starting.
“Nine o’clock in the evening. I see, so as to have daylight for the Alps. You’ll dine here of course and we’ll take you to the station.”
He judged it more prudent to dine at his hotel and meet them afterwards at the station near train-time.
“Then–” sighed Aurora, sorrowfully, “this is our last evening! For I heard you and the consul planning for to-morrow evening together, and he to read you some chapters of his book. A compliment, Tom. He’s never offered to read us any of it. I’m only sorry the idea didn’t ripen sooner, so that we needn’t be robbed of your very last evening. We must make the most of our time, then. Suppose we go into the garden, Tom, and walk across the street to the river–I don’t have to put anything on for just that step. It’s so pretty, looking upstream at the bridges, and across at the hills your pa was so fond of. Wasn’t the Judge just crazy about Florence! For the longest time after I came I couldn’t see why, but I’m beginning.”
364CHAPTER XX
A tired look overspread Estelle’s face, when, returning home after seeing Dr. Bewick off on his way to Paris, they found Gerald waiting.