Part 36 (2/2)
So Joanna now waited in the living-room--rather reluctantly, it must be admitted, for it seemed to her that this was carrying chaperonage unnecessarily far. But Jarvis was in the hall, and the door had been closed between. Sally did not realize this latter fact until she had almost reached the bottom of the stairs, where Jarvis, the moment that he had caught sight of her, had advanced to meet her. She looked at the door with a startled expression. It was ordinarily kept open, except in very cold weather.
”Yes, I know it's shut,” said the young man at the foot of the stairs, with a smile. ”Awful situation, isn't it? But you can escape back up the stairs--if you are quick. I warn you that you'll have to be very quick!”
”Will you give me sixty seconds' start?”
”Not I. You've had five months' start--that's enough. Now you are back--how well you are looking!”
She stood still, two steps above him. Even so, she had not much the advantage of him in height.
”So are you,” she retorted. ”But we don't need to stay out here to tell each other that. Let's--”
”Are you so eager to see Joanna again? She's looking very well also--for Joanna--but she can wait a minute or two to hear it.”
”Joanna has been so good--she's cleaned the whole house for me. She--”
”I know. She's a treasure--but I haven't time to think about her now. All I can think of is that--I'm looking at you again! I told you in my last letter that I wanted to tell you how I felt about your coming home. Do you care to know?”
”Are you really glad?” Sally tried to ask it as she would have done a year ago, in the old friendly time when it was a matter of course that she and Jarvis should be glad to see each other.
”Am I? What do you think?”
”I should be very disappointed if you were not, of course. I want everybody to welcome me home--I've missed it so.”
”But you still don't want the welcoming done--'_two and two_'? Sally, it's a long lane that has no turning. Am I never to come to one?”
”I'm not a very 'long Lane,'” expostulated the girl, laughter on her lips but her eyes shy.
”That may be. But though you have so many turnings it seems to me as if I had been kept a good while on the straight stretch. What if you should let me see just a little way round the corner? You know what I want to find there! You know how dearly I--love you!”
There was a moment's silence.
”Will you be contented to see a very little way?”
”I can't promise to be contented, but I'll agree to be patient, if I can get even a glimpse of where my lane may lead in the end.”
Sally tried to look frankly at him, in the old way. It proved less easy than she would have supposed. His whole personality seemed to have grown so dominant, so compelling. She put out one hand. He grasped it eagerly, and would have drawn her down to where he stood, but she prevented this with a warning gesture.
”No, no--” she said quickly--”it's only round the corner you're to look!
That only means--I'm willing to be very good friends--better than we have been, perhaps. I don't want to be--tied--by any promises. I want to be a girl yet--only not--perhaps--quite so little a girl as before.
Meanwhile--you're not tied, either.”
A short laugh interrupted her. ”There's nothing on earth I should like so much!”
”There's such a lovely girl next door--I've heard--”
”What have you heard?”
Sally did not seem to be willing to tell.
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