Then she
paid him generously for everything, and won the man's heart by saying
goodbye to his miniature dog, Pomponette.
Mary had no doubt that the Winters would take her in for the night; and
it was a blow to be told by Nathalie that Monsieur and Madame had gone
to Nice to bring back the aunt of Monsieur who had fallen ill at a
hotel. They would return by the train arriving at seven. Would
Mademoiselle wait or look in again?
Mary hesitated, not knowing how to rearrange her plans. It was evident,
as the dreaded aunt had come down upon them after all, that the Winters
could not keep another guest even for a night, unless they made a bed in
the drawing-room, or the chaplain went out and gave up his share of
Rose's room. But Mary did not think for an instant of putting her
friends to this inconvenience.
"No, thank you," she said, recovering from the first shock of
disappointment. "Tell Madame I regret very much not seeing her, but I
called to get my jewel-case which she kindly kept for me. And--say that
I will write."
Already Mary had made up her mind that she must go at once to the
Chateau Lontana. She knew that Hannaford had put in a caretaker when he
bought the place--a woman he had described as an interesting creature
"discovered" in some odd way. What the way was, or precisely what
Hannaford had said of the woman, Mary had forgotten; for she had often
listened absent-mindedly to Hannaford's talk of his beloved villa and
all concerning it; but the great thing was the certainty that a woman
lived in the house.
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