By that time my splendid John will be himself again and we can settle about our wedding--" then she bent and kissed him once more before he could speak.

"Arabella is going to get her mother to come down," she went on, "and you will be safe here with these devoted old ladies and your Brome who is plainly in love with you, poor thing!" and she laughed gayly.

"Say you think it is best, too, John, dearest ?" "Whatever you wish," he answered with some sudden quick sense of relief.
"I know I am an awful bore lying here, and I shall not be able to crawl to a sofa even for another week, these doctors say." "You are not a bore--you are a darling," she murmured, patting his hand.
"And if only I were allowed to stay with you--night and day--and nurse you like Brome, I should be perfectly happy.

But these snatched scraps--John, darling, I can't bear it!" He wondered if she were lying.

He half thought so, but she looked so beautiful, it enabled him to return her caresses with some tepid warmth.
"It is too sweet of you, Cecilia," he said, as he kissed her.