"
My fit of ill-temper was gone in a moment, and I flung my arms round
my father's neck--Rubens taking flying leaps to join in the embrace,
after a fashion common with dogs, and decidedly dangerous to eyes,
nose, and ears. And as I kissed my father, and was kissed by Rubens,
I gave a candid account of my expedition. "No, dear papa. It wasn't
that. Only Nurse said country places were quiet, and in towns people
dropped in, and passed time, and changed the weather, and if she was
in Oakford she would drop in and see her sister. And so I said it
would be very nice. And so I thought this morning that Rubens and I
would drop in and see Mr. Andrewes. And so we did; and we didn't tell
because we wanted to come alone, for fun."
With this explanation the fullest harmony was restored; and my father
sat down whilst Mr. Andrewes and I finished our luncheon and Rubens
had his. I gave an account of the garden in terms glowing enough to
satisfy the pride of the warmest horticulturist, and my father
promised a new rake, and drank a glass of sherry to the success of my
"gardening without a gardener."
But as we were going away I overheard him saying to Mr. Andrewes,
"All the same, a boy can't be with a nurse for ever.
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