“And you are gay over it!” She would have given anything to speak more plainly.
“I am particularly gay this afternoon,” acknowledged Hamish, who could not be put out of temper by any amount of reproach whatever. “I have had great news by the post, Constance.”
“From Germany?” she quickly cried.
“Yes, from Germany,” he answered, taking a letter from his pocket, and spreading it open before Constance.
It contained the bravest news: great news, as Hamish expressed it. It was from Mr. Channing himself, and it told them of his being so far restored that there was no doubt now of his ability to resume his own place at his office. They intended to be home the first week in November. The weather at Borcette continued warm and charming, and they would prolong their stay there to the full time contemplated. It had been a fine autumn everywhere. There was a postscript added to the letter, as if an afterthought had occurred to Mr. Channing. “When you see Mr. Huntley, tell him how well I am progressing. I remember, by the way, that he hinted at being able to introduce you to something, should I no longer require you in Guild Street.”
In the delight that the news brought, Constance partially lost sight of her sadness. “It is not all gloom,” she whispered to herself. “If we could only dwell on God’s mercies as we do on His chastisement; if we could only feel more trust, we should see the bright side of the cloud oftener than we do.”
But it was dark; dark in many ways, and Constance was soon to be reminded again of it forcibly. She had taken her seat at the tea-table, when Tom came in. He looked flushed—stern; and he flung his Gradus, and one or two other books in a heap, on the side table, with more force than was necessary; and himself into a chair, ditto.
“Constance, I shall leave the school!”
Constance, in her dismay, dropped the sugar-tongs into the sugar. “What, Tom?”
“I shall leave the school!” he repeated, his tone as fiery as his face. “I wouldn’t stop in it another month, if I were bribed with gold. Things are getting too bad there.”