The colonel renewed his arguments and persuasions until he was worn out.  I thanked him continually for his kindness.  Clara Goodwin besought me in a surprising manner to accompany her to England, called herself Peribanou, and with that name conjured up my father to my eyes in his breathing form.  She said, as her father had done, that I was called on now to decide upon my future:  she had a presentiment that evil would come to me of my unchecked, headstrong will, which she dignified by terming it a true but reckless affection:  she believed she had been thrown in my path to prove herself a serviceable friend, a Peribanou of twenty-six who would not expect me to marry her when she had earned my gratitude.

They set Temple on me, and that was very funny.  To hear him with his ’I say, Richie, come, perhaps it’s as well to know where a thing should stop; your father knows you’re at Riversley, and he’ll be after you when convenient; and just fancy the squire!’ was laughable.  He had some anxiety to be home again, or at least at Riversley.  I offered him to Miss Goodwin.

She reproached me and coaxed me; she was exceedingly sweet.  ‘Well,’ she said, in an odd, resigned fashion, ’rest a day with us; will you refuse me that?’

I consented; she knew not with what fretfulness.  We went out to gaze at the shops and edifices, and I bought two light bags for slinging over the shoulder, two nightshirts, toothbrushes, and pocket-combs, and a large map of Germany.  By dint of vehement entreaties I led her to point to the territory of the Prince of Eppenwelzen-Sarkeld.  ’His income is rather less than that of your grandfather, friend Harry,’ she remarked.  I doated on the spot until I could have dropped my finger on it blindfold.

Two or three pitched battles brought us to a friendly arrangement.  The colonel exacted my promise that if I saw my father at Sarkeld in Eppenwelzen I would not stay with him longer than seven days:  and that if he was not there I would journey home forthwith.  When I had yielded the promise frankly on my honour, he introduced me to a banker of the city, who agreed to furnish me money to carry me on to England in case I should require it.  A diligence engaged to deliver me within a few miles of Sarkeld.  I wrote a letter to my aunt Dorothy, telling her facts, and one to the squire, beginning, ’We were caught on our arrival in London by the thickest fog ever remembered,’ as if it had been settled on my departure from Riversley that Temple and I were bound for London.  Miss Goodwin was my post-bag.  She said when we had dined, about two hours before the starting of the diligence, ’Don’t you think you ought to go and wish that captain of the vessel you sailed in goodbye?’ I fell into her plot so far as to walk down to the quays on the river-side and reconnoitre the ship.  But there I saw my prison.  I kissed my hand to Captain Welsh’s mainmast rather ironically, though not without regard for him.  Miss Goodwin lifted her eyelids at our reappearance.  As she made no confession of her treason I did not accuse her, and perhaps it was owing to a movement of her conscience that at our parting she drew me to her near enough for a kiss to come of itself.