When she got back to the Homestead everyone was ready for supper. They
had to get away early, for most of them had to walk the five miles to
Klondyke. The Professor seemed to be at home with the miners. His air of
intense interest that had so won Dr. Angus' heart had immediately
flattered and enslaved them all. Before they said good night he had
committed himself to visiting them all. Marcella won a good deal of
reflected glory by possessing him as friend.
"Are you tired of us?" she asked him after a while.
"I am very glad I won that toss!" he said.
"Which?"
"I tossed up whether to stay in Sydney or come here"--he stopped sharp,
for it seemed to him that she looked hurt. He decided that, with
Marcella, it would be better to be honest than pleasant.
"As a matter of fact, your letter completely puzzled me. I'm a modest
sort of person, you know. To be asked to help anyone seemed such a
wonderful thing to me that I scarcely believed it. If a man had written
the letter I should have believed it more. But as I told you, I can't
take women seriously--"
"Before you've finished with me you will," she said, and laughed.
She was just going to suggest to him that he was tired and should go to
bed: she was so anxious to get him out of the way before Louis came out
of his corner that she could scarcely talk coherently.
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