"It would be my ruse for throwing you off, don't you see? I should not be positive absolutely that Maud was there, or anywhere--but you could look. You _might_ find her--or you might not. But anyhow you would not find me if you came back."
"I am to give you a wide berth then, always?"
"Is Paul going to stay here _all_ the time?" abruptly demanded Leonore one day.
"That's what I want to know." Her father's voice made answer from the depths of an easy-chair; and it was a disconcerting answer, for he had been unobserved, indeed unseen. Had his head appeared above the back of the chair, Leo would have left the library as suddenly as she had entered it. She had thought Sue was alone.
"Of course if he wishes to stay, he can," proceeded the general, laying down his paper; "but it's a monstrous long time--that's to say, hum--ha--there are still three weeks till the twenty-fifth, and he has been here three weeks already."
"I am sure he is the best of guests," said Sue, gently.
"Oh, the best of guests, no doubt. Bothers nobody. Still----"
"Has anything been said?"--interposed Leo. She was drawing quick, impatient breaths, and had an air of giving battle, if not replied to as desired.
No, nothing had been said, but Sue believed----
"If you only _believe_, that's no good. Can't you tell him to go? Can't you say it isn't the thing for him to stay on and on?"----
"Highty-tighty!--" simultaneously ejaculated the general, "here's fierceness!" But he looked amused. "If Paul were your sweetheart, young lady, you wouldn't be in such a hurry to have him sent to the right-about. However, there's something in it, Sue."
Sue looked distressed. "Remember what you said when he first came, father. How repeatedly you told him to make this his headquarters,--and there is another thing. The engagement took place so soon after he and Maud met, that they could not have known very much of each other. Hardly enough, perhaps. Don't you think it is as well----"
"What is there to know?" struck in Leo, vehemently. "If they are in love, as we presume they are----" she stopped short.
"Why, aye, that's all that's needed, no doubt," assented the general, with a bland expression. "Leo has hit the nail upon the head. Those two are in love with each other----"