Mr. Knight shot a keen, anxious look at them.
“I’ve been a little fearful of it myself, Stella,” he replied, gravely; “but I do not know as we can prevent it.”
“We must prevent it,” returned his sister, firmly. “We must do our duty, Robert; it would not be right to allow that dear child to become entangled in a love affair while she is away from her mother. I should never forgive myself, and she would never forgive us, if any harm should befall her while she is in our care.”
“I cannot think there is anything wrong about the young chap,” returned Mr. Knight, his eyes resting thoughtfully on the handsome face looking so smilingly into Virgie’s; “he seems like a fine, manly fellow and has no bad habits; he does not even smoke, which is a rare virtue among young men nowadays.”
“But we know nothing about him or his family,” persisted the lady; “we do not even know from what portion of England he came; at least I do not.”
“Neither do I,” said her brother; “I have never questioned him and he seems very modest about talking of himself; but if Virgie were my daughter—and you know that I love her almost as well as if she were—I do not think I should feel very much alarmed to have her fall in love with as noble a specimen of manhood as young Hamilton appears to be.”
“I like him, too, Robert,” said Miss Knight; “he is every inch a gentleman, and doubtless belongs to a good family or he would not have been so carefully reared. Still I am troubled; I want Virgie to go home as free as she came, and—I feel as if young Hamilton ought to be put upon his honor—at least until we can give her back to her mother, when, of course, our responsibility will cease. I can read the signs of the times pretty well, if I have grown to be an old woman, and, if we do not look out, they will be acknowledged lovers before another fortnight goes by.”
Mr. Knight looked thoughtful.
“Well,” he responded after a moment of silence, “we shall not be together much longer. Hamilton leaves this party as soon as we have done California to go to Mexico with another company, so——”
“Yes, I know that,” interrupted his sister, “and that is just what is going to precipitate matters if we are not on our guard. When the time comes for them to separate you do not suppose he will leave her without begging for some word of hope?”