“Oh, yes; unless my father and mother object. I will always take them into my confidence in future. I need not tell you, Mr. Knight, that the thought of them and what I have done to pain them has made me constantly unhappy.”
“I can well believe that. I hope you will still be able to help the people for whom you have made Paradise a real thing.”
“Nay, that is what you are going to do, if you do not spoil your lovely valley with houses and factories.”
“I hope not; I think not. There are no tall, smoky chimneys, you know, and there will be no noisy machines; all will work cleanly and silently, thanks to the benign inventions of the age. And every house has a garden attached to it.”
“Oh, it will be delightful,” she said, rising to leave. “And I will lose no time in going to see my dear ones now.”
She could scarcely wait until evening, but as she had promised, she did so. The talk with Mr. Knight had disturbed her considerably, and her thoughts had flown back to her happy home life, and her pleasant college days. She would not give up her work, she resolved nothing should cause her to do that; but she was glad, indeed, to be going to live, though only for a few days, the old calm, restful life.
“It is all right,” she said, as soon as the people gathered in the evening. “Your cottages will be plainly furnished for you, and you will pay for the furniture, and add to it afterwards. And, oh! it is a most lovely place to which you are going. The sea is like silver and the woods are like Paradise—ah, not such a Paradise as you know here! Now, I am going to take holiday for a week; you will grant me that, will you not?”
“Oh, yes, but mind you don’t stop longer than your time!”
“No, I will not. And now I must say good-bye, for I shall be off before any one is up in the morning. I must make the most of my time, you know; a week is not long.”
“She looks mighty glad about it,” said one to another, as soon as she turned to go to her house.