"
I could have told that without reading the letter, for it was
written quite clearly in Derrick's face. He looked ten years
younger, and if any of his adoring readers could have seen the
pranks he was up to that morning in our staid and respectable
chambers, I am afraid they would no longer have spoken of him "with
'bated breath and whispering humbleness."
As it happened, I, too, was able to leave home for a fortnight at
the end of August; and so our party in the Aurora really was the
same, except that we were all several years older, and let us hope
wiser, than on the previous occasion. Considering all that had
intervened, I was surprised that Derrick was not more altered; as
for Freda, she was decidedly paler than when we first met her, but
before long sea-air and happiness wrought a wonderful transformation
in her.
In spite of the pessimists who are for ever writing books, even
writing novels (more shame to them), to prove that there is no such
thing as happiness in the world, we managed every one of us heartily
to enjoy our cruise. It seemed indeed true that:
"Green leaves and blossoms, and sunny warm weather,
And singing and loving all come back together.
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