“Is not this enough for to-day?” said Mary: “I am afraid we should enjoy nothing after it.”
“Oh! let us get away from shops and people,” said Anna, looking as if she were going to cry: “I cannot bear them to-day.”
“No work of art will do after what we have seen,” said their father; “but you shall see what will refresh instead of disgusting you.”
He gave orders for a drive over Hampstead Heath; and the freshness and natural beauty which they found there, softened without impairing the impressions which they had previously received.
They were alone in the evening; and after tea they sat down quietly to talk. Mary would have wished to practise, and Anna to read; but their father looked round him with a sigh, as if regretting his own study. Mary therefore gave him a description of her music-lesson and of Mr. B——, entreating him to be at home the next time her master should come.
“That is as it may happen, Mary: I will take you to-morrow where you will learn what I was about this morning, and then you will not be sorry that I left you to take care of each other.”
“I cannot let you suppose that we did that,” said Anna, blushing: “I left Mary to manage every thing; but I will be more ready to-morrow.”
“Will you?” said her father: “how often have you promised this, Anna? and have you ever kept your promise? You are not aware how you deceive yourself.”
“You have not told us,” said Mary, after a painful pause, “where you are going to take us to-morrow.”
“You have never heard good public speaking——”