Olive could see how
fond she might become of New York, where that kind of pleasure was so
much more in the air.
"Well, Mr. Burrage was certainly very kind to us--no one could have been
more thoughtful," Olive said; and she coloured a little at the look with
which Verena greeted this tribute of appreciation from Miss Chancellor
to a single gentleman.
"I am so glad you were struck with that, because I do think we have been
a little rough to him." Verena's _we_ was angelic. "He was particularly
attentive to you, my dear; he has got over me. He looked at you so
sweetly. Dearest Olive, if you marry him----!" And Miss Tarrant, who was
in high spirits, embraced her companion, to check her own silliness.
"He wants you to stay there, all the same. They haven't given _that_
up," Olive remarked, turning to a drawer, out of which she took a
letter.
"Did he tell you that, pray? He said nothing more about it to me."
"When we came in this afternoon I found this note from Mrs. Burrage. You
had better read it." And she presented the document, open, to Verena.
The purpose of it was to say that Mrs. Burrage could really not
reconcile herself to the loss of Verena's visit, on which both she and
her son had counted so much. She was sure they would be able to make it
as interesting to Miss Tarrant as it would be to themselves. She, Mrs.
Burrage, moreover, felt as if she hadn't heard half she wanted about
Miss Tarrant's views, and there were so many more who were present at
the address, who had come to her that afternoon (losing not a minute, as
Miss Chancellor could see) to ask how in the world they too could learn
more--how they could get at the fair speaker and question her about
certain details.
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