On reaching Roselands they did not alight, but said to Calhoun, who came out to welcome them, that they were in haste, only wanted a few words with him, and then must return home.
“Yes,” he said; “you leave day after to-morrow, I believe? Is there something you would like me to attend to for you in your absence, captain?”
“No, thank you,” was the smiling reply; “what we want is to take you with us. You have not taken a holiday for years; we have plenty of room for you on the yacht, and can assure you of pleasant company—the very pleasantest you could have, for Cousin Mary Keith has consented to go with us.”
“And you think that furnishes an additional inducement?” Calhoun returned, coloring and laughing. “Well, I won’t deny that it does. But this is very sudden.”
“You needn’t decide at once; talk it over with Art, and we shall hope you will decide to go. We shall be glad to take you as a passenger, though it should be at the last minute. Good-morning;” and with the last word the carriage started down the avenue.
Arthur called that evening to thank the captain for the invitation to Calhoun and say that it would be accepted.
“He really needs a rest,” he said, “and though I had some difficulty in persuading him that he could be done without for a few weeks, I succeeded at last, though a bit of information about a certain passenger,” he added with a smile, “had probably more to do with his acceptance than anything else.”
“O Cousin Arthur, I wish you could go too!” exclaimed Violet. “Don’t you think you could?”
“Yes, can’t you?” asked the captain. “We should be delighted to have you, for the sake of your pleasant company, to say nothing of the convenience of having our medical adviser close at hand in case of sickness or accident.”
“Thank you kindly,” returned the doctor. “I should greatly enjoy going, especially in such pleasant company, but it would not do for Cal and me to absent ourselves at one and the same time. Besides, I have some patients that I could not leave just at present.”