"Father," said Rollo, "I wish you would let Jennie and me go to Paris by ourselves alone, some other way."
The reader who has perused the narrative of Rollo's voyage across the Atlantic will remember that, through a very peculiar combination of circumstances, he was left to make that voyage under his own charge, without having any one to take care of him. He was so much pleased with the result of that experiment, and was so proud of his success in acting as Jennie's protector, that he was quite desirous of trying such an experiment again.
"O, no!" said his father.
"Why, father, I got along well enough in coming over," replied Rollo.
"True," said his father; "and if any accident, or any imperious necessity, should lead to your setting out for Paris without any escort, I have no doubt that you would get through safely. But it is one thing for a boy to be put into such a situation by some unforeseen and unexpected contingency, and quite another thing for his father deliberately to form such a plan for him."
Rollo looked a little disappointed, but he did not reply. In fact, he felt that his father was right.
"But I'll tell you," added Mr. Holiday. "If your uncle George is willing to go by some different route from ours, you may go with him."
"And Jennie?" inquired Rollo.
"Why! Jennie?" repeated Mr. Holiday, hesitating. "Let me think. Yes, Jennie may go with you, if she pleases, if her mother is willing."
Jennie always called Mrs. Holiday her mother, although she was really her aunt.