By and by he said, in a very troubled voice, “I wish I had known it before.”
“Why, dear?”
“Because then—oh, mother!” said Arthur, bursting into tears, “I would have stayed with you all the day, and I would not have done anything you don’t like.”
And then the tears came into his mother’s eyes, and she said tenderly—
“But I knew it, Arthur dear, and I kept you with me as much as I could. And, my darling, you do not often do things I don’t like.”
“Oh, yes I do, mother, very often!” said Arthur, sobbing still.
“Well, dear, if you do, I know that with it all you really do love me.”
Arthur gave her hand a passionate squeeze, and said, “Indeed, indeed I do, mother.”
And then Arthur said no more, but fell into a grave fit of musing. Presently he roused himself, and said, “But, mamma, how can I go in two days? Are there not things to be done? Mustn’t I have a lot of new clothes, and ever so many things?”
“But, don’t you see,” said Mrs. Vivyan with a smile, half amused and half sad, “I have known it for a long time, and I have been making arrangements that my little boy knew nothing about.”