“Lucky mortals.  I wish I were going with you.”  Charlotte said it gayly, but her eyes were suddenly wistful.  “How long shall you stay?  I shall miss you horribly.”

“I wish you were going, dear.  Nothing could make me happier.  We should be a great party then, for Dr. Leaver goes with us.  It’s a sudden decision on his part.  Red wrote him of certain work he wanted to do in the clinics and urged him to go along, thinking it would be just the thing for him now, after plunging into work again with such a will.  You know they spent a year there together, ten years ago, and Dr. Leaver wrote that the thought of going over the old scenes with Red tempted him beyond resistance.  He’s been across twice since, but only for a special purpose of study.  Of course both will do more or less observing in clinics now, but I imagine they will get in a bit of merrymaking together.  If I only had you to go about with me while they were busy I should ask nothing better.”

“Shall you be gone all winter?”

“Oh, no; only two months in all.  Neither Red nor ’Jack’—­as he always calls him—­feel that they can spare longer than that, this time.  So by the first of March you will see us returning to our own fireside, and probably glad enough to get back to it.  German fires, as I remember them, are by no means as hot as American ones.  And that brings me to my plan for you and Granny.  I want you to come over and live in the house in our absence.  There’ll be only Cynthia there, for Bob is to stay with Martha.  He will be happier over there with her boys than with Cynthia.  So you will have the whole house to yourselves and can be as snug as possible all through the heaviest part of the winter.”

She smiled confidently at Charlotte, seeing no possible reason why her friend should object to a plan so obviously for the comfort of all concerned.  But to her surprise Charlotte slowly shook her head.

“It’s a beautiful, kind plan, and exactly like you, but I couldn’t think of accepting it.”

“My dearest girl, will you tell me why?  You would be doing me all kinds of a favour.”

“No favour at all.  Cynthia doesn’t need us to help her take care of the house.  We shall be perfectly comfortable here, and—­my business is here.”

“Charlotte, I’m afraid you won’t be perfectly comfortable.  This room isn’t really warm this morning, and it’s not an extremely cold morning.  Through midwinter we’re likely to have very heavy weather, as you don’t know, not having spent a winter here.”

“Have you?  Isn’t this your first winter North?  You’re just as much of a Southerner as I am.  You don’t a bit know about Northern winters.  You just imagine they must be dreadful.”

“I’ve heard about the snowdrifts over the fences, the terrific winds, and the intense cold.  The storms will beat upon this little old house, and I shall think about it away off in Germany—­and be anxious.  Please, Charlotte, don’t be unreasonable.  Why in the world shouldn’t you do me a favour like this?  Red wants it just as much as I do, particularly on the grandmother’s account.  Think how comfortable she would be in my living-room, and in my guest-room.  And I should so love to have her there.”