“Florence,” she said tenderly, “that was like your dear self.”
“Then stay with us. You shall do as you like in all ways.”
“Thank you, my love; and bless you for your goodness. But I cannot stay. I do love you, and I will believe that your heart feels for me in this great crisis of my life. You must not think that because I love him I shall love you less; that would be impossible. But you must allow me to terminate my visit now. I want to be alone, to be in retirement for a little while; besides I have, as I said just now, imperative business to transact in town. You must not ask me to prolong my time here, love.”
“Let me, at any rate, be a little useful to you, Aunt Anne. I know you are not rich.”
For a moment Aunt Anne was silent. Then she winked her left eye very slowly, and looked up.
“Florence,” she said, “I know that you always mean your words, and I should not like to hurt your generous heart. I will prove my affection for you by letting you lend me two sovereigns. Don’t ask me to take more, my love, for it would be impossible. There——” and she gave a long sigh as she put the coins into her glove. “Now I hope you are satisfied. Remember I only take them to prove my affection for you. Let me kiss those dear children;” and quickly opening the door she called them by their names, and laughed in an absent, excited manner, as they came running down the stairs. “Come, my darlings,” she said; “Aunt Anne is going away, and wants to say good-bye.”
“But we don’t want you to go,” said Monty.
“We don’t want you to go at all,” echoed Catty.
“You dear children,” the old lady said, “I must go; but I shall not forget you, and to-night when you look under your pillows you will find some chocolates as usual. I have put them there ready for you, so that some day you might remember that, even in the midst of her own happiness, Aunt Anne thought of you.” She said the last words almost mechanically, while with one eye she watched her trunks being carried out, and with the other looked at the children. Suddenly she turned to Florence. “I should like to wish you good-bye alone; there is something I want to say to you.” She turned quickly and entered the drawing-room. The fire had burnt low, the room had grown chilly, and Florence shivered a little as she stood waiting for Aunt Anne to speak. “My dear,” the old lady said, “will you try not to think me ungrateful for all your care of me, for all your solicitude for my happiness? I know you think that I am in my dotage——”
“Oh no——”