"I suppose," he said slowly, "you'll just have to follow your
star."
"I don't see any star now worth following. Oh, Captain Hannaford, I was
so happy! It was such a beautiful, lovely world till to-night! Now I
feel as if joy and luck were both gone."
"Does it comfort you a little to know that here's one man who'd do
anything for you?" he asked. "There never was such a friend as I'll try
to be, if you'll have me."
"Thank you," Mary answered. "I shall be very glad of your friendship. I
shall feel and remember it wherever I go."
"Wherever you go? You mean----"
"Yes. I think I must go away--go on to Italy."
"If somebody has hurt you, don't go yet," Hannaford urged. "It would
look as if--well, as if you felt too much. Don't you see?"
"I shouldn't like to give that impression," she said, almost primly.
Then, with a change of tone, "But I can't--I won't stay at the hotel
where I am. To-night at her house Lady Dauntrey invited me to come and
stay there. I was asked before, to Christmas dinner. I could accept, I
suppose?"
"Hm!" Hannaford grumbled, frowning. But he thought quickly, and it
seemed to him that perhaps even Lady Dauntrey's chaperonage might be
better than none. There was nothing against the woman, as far as he
knew, except that she whitewashed her face and had strange eyes. The
rich Mrs. Ernstein, who was staying at the Villa Bella Vista, was
undoubtedly--even dully--respectable, if common. Neither was there any
real harm in Miss Wardropp; and poor Dauntrey did not seem to be a bad
fellow at heart.
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