I
shall tell her that we do not feel like leaving her behind, and yet
we ourselves cannot be detained in Dublin indefinitely; that we will
try the arrangement for a month, and that she can consider herself
free to leave us at any time on a week's notice."
"I approve of that," agreed Francesca, "because it makes it easier
to dismiss her in case she turns out to be a Massachusetts Borgia.
You remember, however, that we bore with the vapours and vagaries,
the sighs and moans of Jane Grieve in Pettybaw, all those weeks, and
not one of us had the courage to throw off her yoke. Never shall I
forget her at your wedding, Penelope; the teardrop glistened in her
eye as usual; I think it is glued there! Ronald was sympathetic,
because he fancied she was weeping for the loss of you, but on
inquiry it transpired that she was thinking of a marriage in that
'won'erfu' fine family in Glasgy,' with whose charms she had made us
all too familiar. She asked to be remembered when I began my own
housekeeping, and I told her truthfully that she was not a person
who could be forgotten; I repressed my feeling that she is too
tearful for a Highland village where it rains most of the year, also
my conviction that Ronald's parish would chasten me sufficiently
without her aid."
I did as Salemina wished, and had a conference with Miss Dusenberry.
I hope I was quite clear in my stipulations as to the perfect
freedom of the four contracting parties.
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