She valued him, for he was the one
man she had ever succeeded in attracting seriously, and though she knew
he would not think of proposing if she had not some money which would be
helpful in his career, she was eager to accept him. Had she realized
sooner that there was a chance with Arthur Smythe, she would not have
let her mother make that promise concerning Italy, for she could not be
left alone in London all winter. Arthur Smythe would think that too
strange; yet now she would not go out of England for anything. He was in
Paris attending a medical congress, and planned afterward to visit the
chateaux country with a friend; but he would be back in two or three
weeks. Now that Elinor had seen Mary, she felt that changes must be made
quickly. In other circumstances, it would have been pleasant to loiter
about Italy, stopping at the best hotels at Mary's expense, on money
that ought to have been the Home-Davises; but as it was, Elinor could
think of nothing better to do than to send Mary off by herself, in a
hurry. Or, as Mrs. Home-Davis said, "some one suitable" might be
travelling at the right time, and they could perhaps find an excuse for
stopping at home themselves.
"You can be ill, if necessary," suggested Elinor.
"Yes, I can be ill, if necessary--or you can," replied her mother.
Mary had not known that there could be such noise in the world as the
noise of London. She did not sleep that night; and the fog was blacker
than ever in the morning.
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