"Well," she said at length. "But how will you arrange it?"
"I shall simply go away--to-morrow. Abroad. You'll be here?"
"I'm not sure--that is, I had thought of going to Bar Harbor, with the Gilsons--as governess. They have a dear little girl."
Harry made a gesture of impatience. "I suppose that's as good as anything. If you'll be happy?"
"Oh, perfectly. I should enjoy that, actually, more than anything else. Mama'll be with Aunt Tizzy. I think I'll do it, now. I'd rather be doing something."
"Well, we'll meet here, then, at the end of the summer, in September. I suppose we'd better not write. Unless, that is, you see light before the time is up. Then you're to let me know--that's part of the bargain. Just wire to my bankers the single word, 'Elliston.' I'll know."
"On one condition--that you do the same if you change your mind the other way!"
"No, no; you must agree. Why shouldn't you be given a chance of changing your mind, as well as I?"
"Very well; it's probably the easiest bargain any one ever made.... Well, that's all, I think." They both paused, wondering what was to come next. The matter did seem to be fairly well covered. He made as if to go.
"Oh, one thing--your work!" Madge apparently was suffering a slight relapse of self-denunciation. "How absolutely like me, I never thought of that!"
"I can work abroad as well as here. I can work anywhere better than here--you must see that."
"I suppose so." She fixed her eyes on the carpet. A hundred thousand things were teeming in her brain, clamoring to be said, but she turned them all down as "absurd" and contented herself at last with: "You sail immediately, then?"
"Saturday, I expect. To the Mediterranean. I shall leave town to-morrow, though; you won't be bothered by me again!"
"You must give yourself plenty of time to pack. Be sure--" she checked herself, apparently embarrassed.
"Well, I was going to tell you to be sure to take plenty of warm things for the voyage. Men are so silly about such things!"
As with Madge a minute ago, all sorts of things shouted to be done and said in his brain, but he shut the door firmly on all of them and replied quietly, "All right, I will," and started toward the door.
She could not let it go at that, after all. Before the door had swung to behind him she had rushed up and caught it.