Part 121 (1/2)
But that set Lois to laughing, a little nervously no doubt, yet so merrily that Philip could not but join in.
”Do I not owe everything to you?” he went on presently, with tender seriousness. ”You first set me upon thinking. Do you recollect your earliest talk to me here in this room once, a good while ago, about being _satisfied?_”
”Yes,” said Lois, suddenly opening her eyes.
”That was the beginning. You said it to me more with your looks than with your words; for I saw that, somehow, you were in the secret, and had yourself what you offered to me. _That_ I could not forget. I had never seen anybody 'satisfied' before.”
”You know what it means now?” she said softly.
”To-day?-- I do!”
”No, no; I do not mean to-day. You know what I mean!” she said, with beautiful blushes.
”I know. Yes, and I have it, Lois. But you have a great deal to teach me yet.”
”O no!” she said most unaffectedly. ”It is you who will have to teach me.”
”What?”
”Everything.”
”How soon may I begin?”
”How soon?”
”Yes. You do not think Mrs. Wishart's house is the best place, or her company the best a.s.sistance for that, do you?”
”Ah, please get up!” said Lois.
But he laughed at her.
”You make me so ashamed!”
”You do not look it in the least. Shall I tell you my plans?”
”Plans!” said Lois.
”Or will you tell me your plans?”
”Ah, you are laughing at me! What do you mean?”
”You were confiding to me your plans of a little while ago; Esterbrooke, and school, and all the rest of it. My darling!--that's all nowhere.”
”But,”--said Lois timidly.
”Well?”
”_That_ is all gone, of course. But--”
”You will let me say what you shall do?”
”I suppose you will.”