"Exactly. By George! it seems to be a paying line."
"There is always room at the top, you know," said Turquand. "When you rise in what you can't do, the emolument is dazzling."
Beaufort was returning to Paris the same day, and he was anxious for Kent to join him there with all possible speed. Kent's first intention was to go alone and let Cynthia follow him at her leisure; but when he reached home and cried, "'Mary, you shall drive in your carriage, and Charles shall go to Eton!'" she refused to be left behind.
"I can be ready by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest," she exclaimed delightedly, when explanations were forthcoming. "What did you mean by 'Charles' and 'Mary'? Oh, Humphrey, didn't I tell you it would all come all right? How lovely! and how astonished mamma and papa will be!"
"Yes, I fancy it will surprise 'em a trifle," he said. "We'll go round there this evening, shall we? And we'll put the salary in francs—it sounds more." He hesitated. "I say, do you think Nurse will mind living in Paris?"
Cynthia paled.
"I must ask her; I hadn't thought of that. Oh ... oh, I dare say I shall be able to persuade her! It's rather a hurry for her, though, isn't it? She does so dislike being hurried."
"Tell her at once," he suggested; "she'll have all the more time to prepare in. Run up to her now."
"Let—let us think," murmured Cynthia; "we'll consider.... Ann must be sent away, and we shall have to give her a month's wages instead of notice."
"She's no loss," he observed. "I don't know I what your mother ever saw in her. She can't even cook a steak, the wench!"