Youmust sleep there, and to-morrow you can decide whether to go to Paris orto come with us to Quimper."
"Do you mean that?" he asked, eagerly, speaking to her, but looking atKitty.
"Yes," said Mrs Lascelles, quietly. Nobody heard the little sigh whichfell from her lips, and if she looked pale, they thought it was theresult of the storm.
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There is a charming, picturesque cheerfulness about Quimper. The stormof the preceding day had left the air clear and delicious; the sunsetcolouring fell very softly on the delicate cathedral spires, on theshallow brawling river, on the trees which bordered the broad promenadeby its side. Numbers of people were standing or sitting about, butthere were two for whom, all their lives long, the beauty of that sunsetwill never be equalled.
"We," one of them was saying--"we will certainly live at Quimper,"--andthen he wisely tempered his rashness--"for part of every year."
"And you shall paint," said she.
"And you shall be my model this time. It's my turn," he added, lookingat her with a laugh. For Mrs Lascelles had heard his explanation,learnt how what began in thoughtless good-nature ended in sober earnest,and how Everitt had known nothing of their coming abroad, but, growingweary of Auvergne, had hurried down to the coast of Brittany, hoping tofind an incitement to work. Instead of which he found--something else!
"How shall I explain to Bell and Mary?" cried Kitty.
"You need not. I wrote to Jack to-day, and that will do it all."
"Already!" she said, with a blush.
He held her from him, and for a moment stood looking down into her sweeteyes.
"My darling," he said, "I should like the whole world to know to-day howmuch I love you?"
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The End.
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