Page:Middle Aged Love Stories (IA middleagedlove00bacorich).djvu/183

 poured the coffee and drank a little of her own.

"I'm not so sure I shall be gone in four or five days, monsieur," she returned easily.

He stared vaguely at her. "No? You wait for some one take ze place of M. Ellsworse?" She drew a long breath and clasped her hands beneath the table.

"Monsieur," she said, with an almost humorous smile, "I suppose you'll think I'm a very silly woman, but I can't help it—I've about decided I'm not going at all."

"Mais, mademoiselle, qu'avez-vous donc? What is zis zat you say? Mon Dieu!" She shook her head.

"You see, I've lived here now more than forty years, and when I came to think of leaving Hannah and the house and father's things—and the house isn't insured—and when I remembered how Miss Ellsworth is seasick—"