There was no more said that night. Jem would gladly have entered into a discussion of the subject, but David did not stay to listen, and Violet would not respond, and what he had to say would not have been the best thing to say to his mother, so he kept his opinion for the hearing of Philip against the time he should see him again.
When Philip came, which was not for a day or two, the first words he said to Mrs Inglis were—
“I think you ought to be a very happy woman, Aunt Mary.”
“I think so too. But what has given you new light on the subject?” asked Mrs Inglis, smiling.
“And you ought all to be very happy children,” said Philip, lifting little Mary, who was not so very little now, to his knee.
“And so we are,” said Violet.
“And you ought to be very good, too.”
“And so we are,” said Jem.
“Well, then, no more need be said on the subject at present, except that I wish that I were one of you.”
“Tell us about the new partnership,” said Jem.