"I don't know; I have forgotten. Oh yes! the stone was in his hand, you know."
"And it was sympathy?" said Lawrence quite gravely, though Dolly could not keep her lips in order.
"No, it was the blood. Go in and you'll see it, and all the rest. And there—— Where are you going? to Venice? We are going on to Cologne and then back to Rome. We shall meet in Rome? You will stay in Venice for a few weeks, and then be in Rome about Christmas; and then we will make arrangements for a visit from you all. Oh yes, we must have you all."
Lawrence accompanied the lady to the door, and Christina following with Dolly earnestly begged for the meeting in Rome, and that Dolly would spend Christmas with her. "I have so much to tell you," she said; "and my—the gentleman I spoke of—will meet us in Rome; and he will spend Christmas with us; and I want you to see him. I admire Mr. St. Leger, very much!" she added in a confidential whisper.
"Mr. St. Leger is nothing to me," said Dolly steadily, looking in her friend's face. "He is father's secretary, and is taking care of us till my father can come."
"Oh, well, if he is not anything to you now, perhaps—you never know what will be," said Christina. "He is very handsome! Don't you like him? I long to know how you will like—Mr. Rayner."
"Who is he?" said Dolly, by way of saying something.
"Didn't I tell yon? He is first officer on board the 'Red Chief,' one of our finest vessels of war; it is in the Mediterranean now; and we expect him to come to us at Christmas. Manage to be at Rome then, do, dear; and afterwards you must all come and make us a visit at our villa, near Naples, and we'll show you everything."
"Christina," said Mrs. Thayer, when she and her daughter and her husband were safe in the privacy of their carriage, "that is a son of the rich English banker, St. Leger; they are very rich. We must be polite to him."
"You are polite to everybody, mamma."