You promise me?'
'I promise you.'
They had now reached the tennis-lawn. The gong sounded, and Emily said,
'That is lunch, and we shall find Julia waiting for us in the dining-room.'
It was as she said. Mrs. Bentley was standing by the sideboard, her basket
of keys in her hand; she had not quite finished her housekeeping, and was
giving some last instructions to the butler. Hubert noticed that the place
at the head of the table was for him, and he sat down a little embarrassed,
to carve a chicken. So much home after so many years of homelessness seemed
strange.
XI
On the third day, as soon as breakfast was over, Hubert introduced the
subject of his departure. Julia waited, but as Emily did not speak, she
said, 'We thought you liked the country better than town.'
'So I do, but----'
'He's tired of us, and we had better leave,' Emily said, abruptly.
Hubert started a little; he looked appealingly at Julia, and seeing the
look of genuine pain upon his face, she took pity on him. 'You should not
speak like that, Emily dear; I can see that you pain Mr. Price very much.'
'I hope, Emily, that you will stay here as long as you like,' he said, in a
low, gentle voice; 'as long as it is convenient and agreeable to you.
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