“Yet,” said Mrs. Lorrimer, thoughtfully, “she is still very young and quite pretty. A few years in the West may make a great change in her. Who knows, we may make quite a little civilized modern out of her yet. She is Richard Lorrimer’s daughter.”
As though she knew they were talking about her, Hyacinth left Aoi and came towards them, though she was careful to keep at a distance.
“Will my honorable father excuse our presence for to-day?” she said, in English.
“But you are going with us at once,” said Mrs. Lorrimer.
With a movement that in a Western girl would have seemed rudeness, Hyacinth turned her back slowly towards her step-mother and addressed her words solely to her father.
“If it please you, august father,” she said, “will you not deign to permit me to remain here with my—my friends till the time comes to leave Sendai?”
Her form of speech hurt her father strangely. He watched her face—unloving, emotionless, it seemed, when turned to his—and his own grew wistful. He was more than anxious to indulge her.
“Yes, yes, certainly,” he said. “I appreciate your feelings. By all means stay here if you wish. How long before—”
“Will you not permit me to remain one month?” she said, somewhat timidly, and her eyes suddenly fell. She could not tell why, but a flood of emotions seemed to fill her heart, so that she could no longer contain herself if she must look into the face of her father.
“We expected to leave at once,” he said, gently; “but if it is your wish to remain longer, understand, I want you to have your desires gratified.”