Bob was never what could properly be described as ready, but as it was easier on the whole to move than to dispute the matter, and as he was vaguely impressed with the idea that the word lunch had been mentioned, he rose ponderously to his feet and followed the others back to the hotel. Several groups of summer visitors, noticing the deep abstraction of his manner, were quite impressed. One young lady was heard to remark, that she “would like to know what he was thinking about;” a desire which, had he known of it, he would have been quite unable to gratify.
They found Lola waiting for them on the broad veranda, and as she saw them she came to the head of the steps and stood there smiling down at them. She was all in white, and looked as fresh and as sweet as a flower. No one, to see her, would have believed that only the night before she had left them in a furious burst of temper, vowing that she never wanted to see any of them again as long as she lived.
“I’ve been waiting for you for the longest time,” she cried out gayly. “I was afraid that you had all grown so disgusted with me that you had run away together, and were going to leave me here all by myself.”
“You didn’t answer when I knocked at your door this morning, and I was afraid to wake you. I thought the sleep would do you more good than anything else.”
Dick spoke tenderly, for he was really very fond of her, and anxious that the scene of the night before should be forgotten.
“Aren’t you going to kiss me, Madge?”
As Lola held out her hand pleadingly, and with an air of sweet repentance, Mrs. Harlan, who was kind-hearted enough in her way, completely surrendered, and kissed her warmly, although she had vowed to herself that she would make no more efforts to live at peace with her.
“And you, Bob?” As she stood with her arm about Mrs. Harlan, she held out her left hand to him. “Will you forgive me also? You see that everyone else has; you don’t want to be the hard-hearted one of the crowd, do you?”
“Lola, you’re all right,” said Bob, enormously flattered by all this unusual attention.
“We’re going to cut out rows after this, and have a great time. Let’s go to lunch!”