"I know. She's a treasure—but I haven't time to think about her now. All I can think of is that—I'm looking at you again! I told you in my last letter that I wanted to tell you how I felt about your coming home. Do you care to know?"
"Are you really glad?" Sally tried to ask it as she would have done a year ago, in the old friendly time when it was a matter of course that she and Jarvis should be glad to see each other.
"Am I? What do you think?"
"I should be very disappointed if you were not, of course. I want everybody to welcome me home—I've missed it so."
"But you still don't want the welcoming done—'two and two'? Sally, it's a long lane that has no turning. Am I never to come to one?"
"I'm not a very 'long Lane,'" expostulated the girl, laughter on her lips but her eyes shy.
"That may be. But though you have so many turnings it seems to me as if I had been kept a good while on the straight stretch. What if you should let me see just a little way round the corner? You know what I want to find there! You know how dearly I—love you!"
There was a moment's silence.
"Will you be contented to see a very little way?"
"I can't promise to be contented, but I'll agree to be patient, if I can get even a glimpse of where my lane may lead in the end."