Winter, if you don't mind,
instead of troubling to take the jewel-case over to the Villa Mirasole."
"Of course I don't mind," Rose said, "except that it's a responsibility.
However, thieves aren't looking for 'big hauls' in parsons' houses. I'll
store the jewel-case with pleasure; but you must keep the key of the
cabinet, lest you should want to open it some day when I am out."
Then they went back to the subject of the Chateau Lontana, planning how
to carry out Hannaford's wishes, even though Mary felt it would be
impossible to live in the house. George Winter volunteered to arrange
all details concerning the funeral urn and the placing of the tablet,
because he had learned to feel an affection for Mary Grant which was
almost that of a brother for a very young and beautiful sister. He
wanted her, in spite of all, to be happy in her visit to Princess Della
Robbia, happy as she could not be if constantly reminded of Hannaford
and his tragedy. He offered also to see the lawyer at Ventimiglia, so
that Vanno, who proposed soon to go to Rome, might spend his time
meanwhile at the Villa Mirasole.
"Don't thank me," the chaplain said at last. "It is but little I'm
engaging myself to do. And it's as much for Hannaford's sake as yours.
Poor Hannaford! I didn't do half enough for him when he was alive. I
feel as if I owed him something now."
Mary did not speak, but she shivered and very gently drew her hand away
from Vanno's. She too felt that she owed Hannaford reparation, not for
what she had left undone during his life, but rather for what she had
done.
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