“Poor boy,” cried Mrs. Marsh. “I am glad I did not know of your illness; I should have been worried to death. But you have quite recovered, I trust?”
Mr. Douane assured her that he had never been better in his life.
“The voyage did wonders for me,” he said, “but I was pretty fit even before I left Hong-Kong. Indeed, I doubt if I should have come home at all if some property of my grandfather’s in Virginia had not required looking after. Then I had a fancy to see this little sister of mine; it is more than five years since I saw her last.”
“You must find her very much changed,” remarked Ada, to which Mr. Douane replied rather gravely—
“I do indeed.”
Mr. Douane did not stay long after dinner. He had an appointment with a friend, he said, but before leaving he once more drew Gretel to his side and kissed her.
“Good night, little woman,” he said kindly, “we shall meet again very soon.” And Gretel was so overwhelmed with astonishment and rapture, that she could not think of a single word to say in reply, and just stood staring after her brother, as he left the room, accompanied by Mrs. Marsh and Ada.
She was still standing in the same spot when the two ladies returned after seeing their guest to the elevator.
“Really, Gretel, I am ashamed of you,” began Mrs. Marsh, and the little girl noticed that she did not say “Gretel darling” this time. “I am sure I don’t know what your brother must have thought of your manners. You scarcely spoke to him the whole time he was here, and goodness knows you talk enough at other times.”
“I didn’t have much chance to speak,” faltered Gretel, anxious to vindicate herself. “You and Ada were talking all the time, and you told me never to interrupt.”