Cora's last words brought them to the "Ladies' Entrance" of their hotel.
"Go up stairs, Cora, and I will step into the office and see if there are any letters," said Sylvan.
Mrs. Rothsay went up into their private sitting room, dropped into a chair, took off her bonnet and began to fan herself, for her midday walk had been a very warm one.
Presently Sylvan came up with a letter in his hand.
"For you, Cora, from Uncle Fabian! There is a foreign mail just in."
Sylvan handed her the letter, Cora opened it, glanced over it, and exclaimed:
"Uncle Fabian says that he will be home the last of this month."
Brother and sister went to Newport and spent a month. The Dean of Olivet was in the town, but they never met him because they never went into society. Toward the last of June, Corona proposed that they should go at once to Rockhold.
The next morning brother and sister took the early train for New York. On the morning of the second day they took the express train for Baltimore, where they stopped for another night. And on the morning of the third day they took the early train for North End, where they arrived at sunset. They went to the hotel to get dinner and to engage the one hack of the establishment to take them to Rockhold.
Almost the first man they met on the hotel porch was Mr. Clarence, who rushed to meet them.
"Hurrah, Sylvan! Hurrah, old boy! Back again! Why didn't you write or telegraph? How do you do, Cora! Ah! when will you get your roses back, my dear? And how is his Majesty? Why is he not with you? Where did you leave him?" demanded Mr. Clarence in a gale of high spirits at greeting his nephew and niece again.
"He is among the Thousand Islands somewhere with his bride," answered Cora.
"His--what?" inquired Mr. Clarence, with a puzzled air.
"His wife? What on earth are you talking about, Cora? You could not have understood my question. I asked you where my father was!" said the bewildered Mr. Clarence.
"And I told you that he is on his wedding trip with his bride, among the Thousand Islands," replied Cora.
Mr. Clarence turned in a helpless manner.
"Sylvan," he said, "tell me what she means, will you?"
"Why, just what she says. Our grandfather and grandmother are on the St. Lawrence, but will be home on the first of July," Sylvan explained.