"
"I know more than you suppose. But it is over now," he said; and
stretching out his arm, he drew her nearer to him, and resting her
head upon his knee, he soothed her as if she were indeed the child
he tried to believe she was, and he her gray-haired sire, instead
of a young man of twenty-seven!
And Dora grew very calm sitting there with Mr. Hastings's hand
upon her head, and when he told her it was all arranged, and she
should surely go, she sprang to her feet, and while her cheeks
glowed with excitement, exclaimed, "It is too good to come true.
Something will happen, Aunt Sarah will not let me go."
"Yes, she will," said Mr. Hastings decidedly. "I am going there
to-night to talk with her."
Then, as it was already growing dark, he rose to accompany Dora
home, both of them forgetting the book, which Eugenia seemed
destined never to receive. But she did not think to ask for it in
her joy at meeting Mr. Hastings, who succeeded in appearing
natural far better than he had expected, telling her not that he
was sorry for having failed to keep his appointment, but that it
was not consistent for him to do so, and adding that he hoped she
was not very much disappointed.
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