'If I were Berta I should go to London oftener,' said Picotee, to turn the conversation. 'But she lives mostly in the library. And, O, what do you think? She is writing an epic poem, and employs Emmeline as her reader.'
'Dear me. And how are Sol and Dan? You mentioned them once in your letters,' said Christopher.
'Berta has set them up as builders in London.'
'She bought a business for them,' said Chickerel. 'But Sol wouldn't accept her help for a long time, and now he has only agreed to it on condition of paying her back the money with interest, which he is doing. They have just signed a contract to build a hospital for twenty thousand pounds.'
Picotee broke in--'You knew that both Gwendoline and Cornelia married two years ago, and went to Queensland? They married two brothers, who were farmers, and left England the following week.
Georgie and Myrtle are at school.'
'And Joey?'
'We are thinking of making Joseph a parson,' said Mrs. Chickerel.
'Indeed! a parson.'
'Yes; 'tis a genteel living for the boy. And he's talents that way.
Since he has been under masters he knows all the strange sounds the old Romans and Greeks used to make by way of talking, and the love stories of the ancient women as if they were his own. I assure you, Mr. Julian, if you could hear how beautiful the boy tells about little Cupid with his bow and arrows, and the rows between that pagan apostle Jupiter and his wife because of another woman, and the handsome young gods who kissed Venus, you'd say he deserved to be made a bishop at once!'
The evening advanced, and they walked in the garden. Here, by some means, Picotee and Christopher found themselves alone.
'Your letters to my sister have been charming,' said Christopher.
'And so regular, too. It was as good as a birthday every time one arrived.'
Picotee blushed and said nothing.
Christopher had full assurance that her heart was where it always had been. A suspicion of the fact had been the reason of his visit here to-day.
'Other letters were once written from England to Italy, and they acquired great celebrity. Do you know whose?'
'Walpole's?' said Picotee timidly.
'Yes; but they never charmed me half as much as yours. You may rest assured that one person in the world thinks Walpole your second.'
'You should not have read them; they were not written to you. But Isuppose you wished to hear of Ethelberta?'
'At first I did,' said Christopher. 'But, oddly enough, I got more interested in the writer than in her news. I don't know if ever before there has been an instance of loving by means of letters. If not, it is because there have never been such sweet ones written.
At last I looked for them more anxiously than Faith.'
'You see, you knew me before.' Picotee would have withdrawn this remark if she could, fearing that it seemed like a suggestion of her love long ago.
'Then, on my return, I thought I would just call and see you, and go away and think what would be best for me to do with a view to the future. But since I have been here I have felt that I could not go away to think without first asking you what you think on one point--whether you could ever marry me?'
'I thought you would ask that when I first saw you.'
'Did you. Why?'
'You looked at me as if you would.'
'Well,' continued Christopher, 'the worst of it is I am as poor as Job. Faith and I have three hundred a year between us, but only half is mine. So that before I get your promise I must let your father know how poor I am. Besides what I mention, I have only my earnings by music. But I am to be installed as chief organist at Melchester soon, instead of deputy, as I used to be; which is something.'
'I am to have five hundred pounds when I marry. That was Lord Mountclere's arrangement with Ethelberta. He is extremely anxious that I should marry well.'
'That's unfortunate. A marriage with me will hardly be considered well.'
'O yes, it will,' said Picotee quickly, and then looked frightened.
Christopher drew her towards him, and imprinted a kiss upon her cheek, at which Picotee was not so wretched as she had been some years before when he mistook her for another in that performance.
'Berta will never let us come to want,' she said, with vivacity, when she had recovered. 'She always gives me what is necessary.'
'We will endeavour not to trouble her,' said Christopher, amused by Picotee's utter dependence now as ever upon her sister, as upon an eternal Providence. 'However, it is well to be kin to a coach though you never ride in it. Now, shall we go indoors to your father? You think he will not object?'
'I think he will be very glad,' replied Picotee. 'Berta will, I know.'
