“Oh, it was gorgeous, to see the Rollins standing there in all her Cleopatra-like splendor, utterly upset and put down by my little brown berry!  And the impossibility of correcting such a mistake without putting herself in an absurd position actually stopped the Rollins speech, and—­Lord help me!—­I thought that mouth could only be closed by bon-bons and a man’s kisses—­any man’s, par exemple.  And her poor old catspaw of a pater stood helpless before my little hurricane—­a very reed shaken by the wind.  Then my sea-breeze spoke again:  ’But the doctor will shed vials of wrath upon me for letting you see strangers.’ (It must have cut the Rollins sore to be called a stranger to me!) ’But these kind friends could not realize your being ill, so I was fain to let them see my Apollo in his box; but we will go now if you please;’ and she positively ushered them out in wordless dismay, bidding them good-bye at once, and seeing them no more.  I thought she would have rushed back to laugh the scene over with me, but that shows how little I know her.  When, in the course of an hour, she did come, it was with such an utter ignoring of having done a smart thing, waving aside my admiration of her finesse, that I was taken aback.  She said sadly, ’I am unused to falsehood, and finesse of any sort is distasteful to me.  I quenched this woman this time, but, in spite of her bad, hard face, I pity her very much.  You, and such men as you, have, I suppose, made her what she is, God help her!’ So by this good little girl’s management I am rid of my troubles.  I declare I’ll do just what she wishes, and be thankful my follies have worked me no more harm.”

Then he began to wish she’d come in, and to feel aggrieved and neglected because she did not come—­to feel an eager desire to see her and talk the matter of the letter over with her.  But he had read it through again twice ere she appeared, and then, to his dismay, equipped for a journey, and saying, in the most matter-of-fact, nonchalant manner possible, “Ross, Mrs. Keller has come to say good-bye.  I am going with her to Newport, where she makes the only perilous part of the trip—­the, to her, dreadful change from cars to boat.  So I shall be away all night, of course.”

Then Mrs. Keller came forward with—­“I hope you don’t mind my taking her off, Mr. Norval?”

“But I do mind it deucedly, madam,” he said.  “Why, Percy, I don’t like your traveling alone this way at all.  Why can’t James go with Mrs. Keller?”

“Not for the world, Ross, thank you.  I’m used to taking care of myself, and of Mrs. Keller too, for that matter.  I’m not much of a traveler, because I have not had much of a chance—­none, indeed, except what she’s given me—­but somehow I always manage to come out right.  You are very kind to offer to spare James, but he’s your necessity.  I have told him about the medicines, and how to loosen the bandages at night.  So I expect to find you better than usual when I get back.  He knows your ways so much better than I, and I sha’n’t be here to interfere;” and she went about arranging little matters as she spoke, and not looking at him.