It took some days to make our preparations, for my mother would have me in suitable mourning before setting out. She said it was no more than due respect to our aunt's memory, seeing what she had done for me. 'Twas like putting on my old convent weeds again; and strange to say, seemed as new to me as if I had not worn black all my life long. Dick (who has been away on some business of my Lord's,) coming in upon me in the twilight, started as if he had seen a ghost.
"I thought we had seen the last of that!" said he. "Rosamond, I thought you had done with the convent forever!"
"And so I have!" I answered; and told him how it was. Methought he did not seem so well pleased as I should have been, had such a piece of good luck befallen him.
"They will be more loth than ever to give you up!" said he. "The estate of Tremador would be a fine windfall for them! Rosamond, you have need to be on your guard! They will not let you go without a struggle. Pray be careful and do not wander away by yourself, especially while you are on the journey, or in Cornwall."
"Why, what do you fear for me?" I asked. "You are not used to be so timid." I wished the words unsaid in a moment, for I saw that they hurt him.
"'Tis not for myself, if I am timid!" he answered me, with a look of reproach; "but I suppose plain Dick Stanton, the son of a younger son, must not be too free with the heiress of Tremador!"
A year ago, I suppose, we should have had our quarrel out and made it up again in our old childish fashion; but I did not feel like that now.
"Richard," says I, "did you learn that fashion of speech out of the book you would not lend me that day in the maze? For I too have been studying it, and I have found no such thing, but on the contrary a good deal about thinking no evil," says I.
He had turned to go, but was back at my side in a moment. "Forgive me, Rosamond!" he whispered; "I am very wrong!"
"That indeed you are!" said I. "Why should my aunt's will make any difference between us, who have been playmates from the time we were little children?"