'And I do long to see him; don't you, darling?
'It is very hard that he should be kept away from me,' said Dolores,
trying to stir up some tender feelings.
'That it is, my poor sweet! I thought whether he could come to me for a
merely literary consultation without Mary's knowing anything further
about it, and then we could contrive for you to come down and meet him;
but there are so many horrid prejudices that I suppose it would not be
safe.'
'I don't see how I could come down here without the others. Aunt Lily
won't let me come alone, and though it is holiday time, that is no
good, for those horrid boys are always about, and I see that Jasper is
going to be worse even than Wilfred.
Various ways and means were discussed, but no excuse seemed available
for either Constance's going to Darminster, or for Mr. Flinders coming
to Silverton, without exciting suspicion.
CHAPTER XI.
SECRET EXPEDITION
'The Christmas-tree! Oh, mamma, do let it be the Christmas-tree. It
is quite well. We've been to look at it.'
'Christmas-trees have got so stale, Val,' said Gillian.
'Rot!' put in Jasper.
'Oh, please, please, mamma,' implored Valetta, 'please let it be the
dear old Christmas-tree! You said I should choose because it will be
my birthday.'
'There is no need to whine, Val; you shall have your tree.'
'I'm so glad!' cried Mysie. 'The dear old tree is best of all. I
could never get tired of it if I lived to be a hundred years old.
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