“Will you, James?” There was a faint smile about the delicately lined lips. “She is a child in many ways, a blank page for most impressions to be made upon, but in other things she is very much of a woman, and I rather fancy that what you have to tell her will not be so much of a surprise.”
“You old dear!” Jim sprang to his feet and folded his aunt in his embrace which threatened her coiffure. “Where is she?”
“In the library waiting for you, Jamie!”
146She used the old nursery name, and caught his arm. “She is very young, but the heart sometimes breaks easily then. Don’t speak unless you yourself are very sure.”
Jim smiled, and throwing back his head looked straight into the kindly old eyes. Then without a word he turned and disappeared through the door.
“And you’re going to be happy here?” It was some time later when Jim had explained about the wager, and they were sitting together in the window-seat.
“Happy? Why, Jim, I can’t believe I’m awake! I’m going to study an’ work an’ try my best to be like her. Seems to me it’ll take the rest of my life, but she says that in a year or two there won’t anybody hardly tell the difference.”
“And then, Lou, when the time is past? What then?”
“I don’t know.” Her tone was serenely unconcerned.