"How could Miss Sampson, a stranger, fill my place? Tom, you are
horrid!"
"Not at all," he said stoutly, bent on defending the position he had taken
up. "I don't want to hurt you, Rosie; but look at the thing reasonably.
Remember that you told me you were bored to death at home, that you would
give anything to live in London all the year round. I didn't believe you.
But suppose you had really wanted it? You couldn't have expected to keep
your place at home and yet have the freedom of a life like this. If a girl
gives up her home duties, she must take the consequences."
"I have only been away a fortnight," said Rose, with a trembling lip, "and
I shall feel nothing but a visitor when I go back on Saturday. You--you
only ask me because I went home yesterday and found you gone. I don't
believe you want me a bit." And, to Tom's distress and amazement, Rose,
poor little homesick Rose, burst into tears.
"I wish you would go back with me this minute and you'd find out whether
we wanted you," he exclaimed, drawing her hands down from her face. "You
silly child, what would Aunt Lucy say if she heard you talking such
nonsense? Rosie, just listen to me a moment. I am going to tell you
something I haven't even told Aunt Lucy yet, though I believe she guesses.
Don't cry any more. Just listen to me."
The quiver in Tom's voice made Rose look wonderingly at him.
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