The Major [42]
months."
"Yes, but I was away two months before you went. You forget that," he added reproachfully. "But I do not forget. Nine months--nine long months. And are you glad to be back, Kathleen, glad to see all your friends again, glad to see me?"
"I am glad to be at home, Ernest, glad to see all of my friends, of course, glad to get to the West again, to the woods here and the mountains and all."
"And you did not come in to see us as you passed," gazing at her with reproachful eyes and edging her still further away from the others.
"Oh, we intended to come in on our way back."
"Let's move on," said Romayne to his sister.
"We must be going, Kathleen dear," said Mrs. Waring-Gaunt. "You will soon be coming to see us?"
"Yes, indeed, you may be sure. It is so good to see you," replied the girl warmly, as Mrs. Waring-Gaunt kissed her good-bye. "Good- bye, Mr. Romayne; we must finish our discussion another time."
"Always at your service," replied Mr. Romayne, "although I am rather afraid of you. Thank you again for your hospitality. Good- bye." He held her hand, looking down into the blue depths of her eyes until as before the crimson in her face recalled him. "Good- bye. This has been a wonderful day to me." He mounted his horse, lifted his hat, and rode off after his sister.
"What sort of a chap is the Johnnie?" said Jack to his sister as they rode away.
"Not a bad sort at all; very bright fellow, quite popular in this community with the young fellows. He has lots of money, you know, and spends it. Of course, he is fearfully German, military style and all that."
"Seems to own that girl, eh?" said Jack, glancing back over his shoulder at the pair.
"Oh, the two families are quite intimate. Ernest and his sister were in Larry's musical organisations and they are quite good friends."
"By Jove, Sybil, she is wonderful! Why didn't you give me a hint?"
"I did. But really, she has come on amazingly. That college in Winnipeg--"
"Oh, college! It is not a question of college!" said her brother impatiently. "It's herself. Why, Sybil, think of that girl in London in a Worth frock. But no! That would spoil her. She is better just as she is. Jove, she completely knocked me out! I made a fool of myself."
"She has changed indeed," said his sister. "She is a lovely girl and so simple and unaffected. I have come really to love her. We must see a lot of her."
"But where did she get that perfectly charming manner? Do you realise what a perfectly stunning girl she is? Where did she get that style of hers?"
"You must see her mother, Jack. She is a charming woman, simple, quiet, a Quaker, I believe, but quite beautiful manners. Her father, too, is a gentleman, a Trinity man, I understand."
"Well," said her brother with a laugh, "I foresee myself falling in love with that girl in the most approved style."
"You might do worse," replied his sister, "though I doubt if you are not too late."
"Why? That German Johnnie?"
"Well, it is never wise to despise the enemy. He really is a fine chap, his prospects are very good; he has known her for a long while, and he is quite mad about her."
"But, good Lord, Sybil, he's a German!"
"A German," said his sister, "yes. But what difference does that make? He is a German, but he is also a Canadian. We are all Canadians here whatever else we may be or have ever been. We are all sorts and classes, high and low, rich and poor, and of all nationalities--Germans, French, Swedes, Galicians, Russians--but we all shake down into good Canadian citizens. We are just Canadians, and that is good enough for me. We are loyal to Canada first."
"You may be right as far as other nationalities are concerned, but, Sybil, believe me, you do not know the German. I know him and there is no such thing as a German loyal to Canada first."
"But, Jack, you are so terribly insular. You must really get rid of all that. I used to think like you, but here we have got to the place where we can laugh at all that sort of thing."
"Yes, but I was away two months before you went. You forget that," he added reproachfully. "But I do not forget. Nine months--nine long months. And are you glad to be back, Kathleen, glad to see all your friends again, glad to see me?"
"I am glad to be at home, Ernest, glad to see all of my friends, of course, glad to get to the West again, to the woods here and the mountains and all."
"And you did not come in to see us as you passed," gazing at her with reproachful eyes and edging her still further away from the others.
"Oh, we intended to come in on our way back."
"Let's move on," said Romayne to his sister.
"We must be going, Kathleen dear," said Mrs. Waring-Gaunt. "You will soon be coming to see us?"
"Yes, indeed, you may be sure. It is so good to see you," replied the girl warmly, as Mrs. Waring-Gaunt kissed her good-bye. "Good- bye, Mr. Romayne; we must finish our discussion another time."
"Always at your service," replied Mr. Romayne, "although I am rather afraid of you. Thank you again for your hospitality. Good- bye." He held her hand, looking down into the blue depths of her eyes until as before the crimson in her face recalled him. "Good- bye. This has been a wonderful day to me." He mounted his horse, lifted his hat, and rode off after his sister.
"What sort of a chap is the Johnnie?" said Jack to his sister as they rode away.
"Not a bad sort at all; very bright fellow, quite popular in this community with the young fellows. He has lots of money, you know, and spends it. Of course, he is fearfully German, military style and all that."
"Seems to own that girl, eh?" said Jack, glancing back over his shoulder at the pair.
"Oh, the two families are quite intimate. Ernest and his sister were in Larry's musical organisations and they are quite good friends."
"By Jove, Sybil, she is wonderful! Why didn't you give me a hint?"
"I did. But really, she has come on amazingly. That college in Winnipeg--"
"Oh, college! It is not a question of college!" said her brother impatiently. "It's herself. Why, Sybil, think of that girl in London in a Worth frock. But no! That would spoil her. She is better just as she is. Jove, she completely knocked me out! I made a fool of myself."
"She has changed indeed," said his sister. "She is a lovely girl and so simple and unaffected. I have come really to love her. We must see a lot of her."
"But where did she get that perfectly charming manner? Do you realise what a perfectly stunning girl she is? Where did she get that style of hers?"
"You must see her mother, Jack. She is a charming woman, simple, quiet, a Quaker, I believe, but quite beautiful manners. Her father, too, is a gentleman, a Trinity man, I understand."
"Well," said her brother with a laugh, "I foresee myself falling in love with that girl in the most approved style."
"You might do worse," replied his sister, "though I doubt if you are not too late."
"Why? That German Johnnie?"
"Well, it is never wise to despise the enemy. He really is a fine chap, his prospects are very good; he has known her for a long while, and he is quite mad about her."
"But, good Lord, Sybil, he's a German!"
"A German," said his sister, "yes. But what difference does that make? He is a German, but he is also a Canadian. We are all Canadians here whatever else we may be or have ever been. We are all sorts and classes, high and low, rich and poor, and of all nationalities--Germans, French, Swedes, Galicians, Russians--but we all shake down into good Canadian citizens. We are just Canadians, and that is good enough for me. We are loyal to Canada first."
"You may be right as far as other nationalities are concerned, but, Sybil, believe me, you do not know the German. I know him and there is no such thing as a German loyal to Canada first."
"But, Jack, you are so terribly insular. You must really get rid of all that. I used to think like you, but here we have got to the place where we can laugh at all that sort of thing."