“If you are on my side, I shall be able to bring about that on which I have set my heart, and I must remind you of your promise.”
Jean laughed.
“It seems that you are like to get that on which you have set your heart without the help of any one.”
“Ah! but how would it have been if you had set yourself against me? Or if you were to do so even now?”
“It is too late for that now, and I don’t think you are much afraid.”
“Jean,” said he gravely, “I want my May for my very own on the first day of August.” Jean was not so startled as she might have been. “I did not think you would be willing to wait very long. But the first of August! That is not much more than three months. It will look like haste.”
There were, it seemed, many good reasons for that which looked like haste. The chief one was this: Mr Manners looked forward to two full months of leisure after that time, which could not happen again for another year. He had set his heart on carrying his bonny May to Switzerland for the whole two months.
“Think what that would be in comparison to a winter marriage, and then straight to a dull house in a London street!”
“Will she find it dull, do you think?” asked Jean smiling. “Ah! that may be very possible, even though I know she will go willingly. Miss Dawson, I feel as if I were guilty of wrong-doing in thinking to take my darling from a home like this, to such a one as I can give her, even though I believe she loves me.”
But Jean smiled still. “You need not fear.”