“It is hard to tell,” answered Enola, “but these people might object seriously to our doing so. It is certain that the King has fully decided on marrying me, and that his people have not only sanctioned the marriage, but it was they who fixed the Day of Resis as the one on which we should be married. They are a strange people. They have gone through life following certain laws and rules and have never been crossed in anything, and it might be a very serious matter to try and balk them in this, probably the most important event which has ever taken place in their history.”
“Yes, but if you do not wish to marry Onrai,” said Mr. Graham, “and you have just said that you would not, we must get away from here before this Day of Resis, in some way or other, whether they object or not.”
“Yes,” said Mr. Bruce, “and as the time is so short it would be well for us to feel around and see just how the land lays.”
Onrai, who had been overseeing some work in another part of the villa, came strolling carelessly on to the terrace, his very carriage lending a gracefulness to his majestic figure, which was charming, to say the least, and Enola thought how easy it could be to love this giant under any other circumstances.
“Onrai,” said Mr. Bruce, “we have been your guests for many weeks now and we feel that to remain with you much longer would be a breach of etiquette, to say the least, and as the affairs in our own country need our almost immediate attention, we feel that we should leave your hospitable country, and return to our own.”
Onrai looked surprised at the very mention of such a thing and made no answer for some time; at last, however, he said:
“Your words grieve me; I had never thought of such a thing as your ever returning to your own country. I have always supposed that you would remain with us for the remainder of your lives. Why should you want to leave us? Have we not been kind to you, and is ours not a good land to live in? You have told me that you have much care, worry, trouble and unhappiness in your world; you have found none of those disturbing influences here; that is, until the awful fight and eruption came, but even that is over now, and your lives will soon drop into the old groove which you have said was the most delightful existence which one could desire. My people love you for yourselves alone, and if they forgot themselves for once, they must not be blamed, for you can readily see how superstition could spring to life in such uneventful lives as theirs. But they have forgotten those fears, and are now as much your friends as is their King. Then why should you wish to leave us? We love you; and as Enola is to marry me, and is to remain with us, it will be pleasant for both her and you to be together. Don’t ever again mention leaving us, let alone ever putting such a suggestion into action. Why, we look upon you no longer as strangers, but as part of us.”
“We thank you for those kind words,” said Mr. Bruce, “but you must understand us, Onrai, we have many personal interests in our world which would take us there, and we have brothers and sisters and friends who would grieve greatly if we should never return. If such were not the case, it would be an easy matter for us to take up our life residence with you.”
“I have, as I had said before,” said Onrai, “never thought of your leaving us, and I cannot now say how such a thing would affect my people or myself. I can only say that we have always thought that you would remain with us, and we cannot think of anything else just now.” And saying this, the King took hold of Enola’s arm gently, and drawing it through his, as she had taught him to, they started to promenade the terrace. After they had gotten out of hearing, Mr. Bruce turned to Mr. Graham, and said:
“Rather non-committal, is he not?”