They were now to be friends, firm friends.
Only with the greatest difficulty did Lady Szentirmay succeed in preventing Fanny from flinging herself at her feet; the poor girl had to be content with hiding her head in Flora's breast and sobbing; and when she had wept there to her heart's content, then only did she feel happy, oh so happy! "Come, come, my dear Fanny!" said Flora at last, with a friendly smile; "don't you think we have had as much of this as will do us good?
Listen to me! If you promise never to talk about this again, I will remain here with you a whole--a whole week." On hearing this it was as much as Fanny could do to prevent herself from shedding fresh tears, tears of joy.
"And after that I will help you to make the necessary preparations for the coming housewarming which your husband has resolved to give.

Oh, you would never imagine how much there is to be done, and how weary you would get over it; but if there are two of us, we shall be able to make quite a jest of it all, and how we shall both laugh at the many funny little mishaps which are sure to occur!" And then the pair of them fell a laughing.

Why, of course it would be one of the funniest, merriest affairs in the world--of course it would.
Meanwhile it afforded Fanny infinite delight to relieve Flora of her hat, mantle, and every other sort of impoundable article which it is the custom to deprive arriving guests of, as a greater security against their running away.

Then they sat down together, and the conversation turned naturally upon women's dress, women's needlework, and other similar trifles which generally interest gentlewomen, so that by the time Dame Marion returned with old Karpathy from the family archives, there was no longer any trace of the passionate and touching scene that had taken place between the two ladies, but they were conversing with each other like old, like good old, acquaintances.
"Ah, ha!" said Dame Marion, wagging her head when she observed Flora without hat or mantle.

"You are making yourself quite at home, I must say." "Yes, aunt; I am going to stay here for a short time with Fanny." Dame Marion, with an air of astonishment, looked around her into every corner of the room, and then up at the ceiling, as if she could not make out who Fanny was.
"Ah! mille pardons, madame.