"Is it not so?" he asked a little anxiously.
"Jack is much nicer than my brothers," said the young girl.
"And who is he, this Jack?"
"He's a dear boy," said Goneril, "and very clever; he is going home for
the Indian Civil Service Exam; he has been out to Calcutta to see my
father."
The signorino did not pay any attention to the latter part of this
description, but he appeared to find the beginning very satisfactory.
"So he is only a boy," he muttered to himself, and went away
comparatively satisfied.
Goneril spent most of the day watching the road from Florence. She might
not walk on the highway, but a steep short-cut that joined the main road
at the bottom of the hill was quite at her disposal She walked up and
down for more than an hour. At last she saw some one on the Florence
road. She walked on quickly. It was the telegraph-boy.
She tore open the envelope and read: "Venice.--Exam. on Wednesday.
Start at once. _A rivederci._"
It was with very red eyes that Goneril went in to dinner.
"So the cousin hasn't come," said Miss Prunty kindly.
"No; he had to go home at once for his examination."
"I dare say he'll come over again soon, my dear," said that
discriminating lady. She had quite taken Goneril back into her good
graces.
They all sat together in the little parlour after dinner.
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