"I shan't keep you a moment," said Kent. "Er--your mistress and I are going to Paris; we shall be there some time. I suppose it's all the same to you where you live? We want you to be ready by Thursday, Nurse." "To Paris?" said Nurse, with cold amazement, and a pause that said even more. Cynthia became engrossed by a bowl of flowers, and Kent felt that, after all, Paris was a long way off. "I suppose it's all the same to you where you live?" he said again, though he no longer supposed anything of the sort. "And there are three days for you to pack in, you know--three nice full days." "Three days, sir?" she echoed reproachfully. "To go abroad! May I ask you if you would be staying in a place like that all the winter, sir?" "Yes, certainly through the winter--or probably so. It mightn't be so long; it depends." "I could not undertake to leave 'ome for good, Sir," said the nurse. "I am engaged. My friend lives in 'Olloway, and----" "Oh, it wouldn't be for good," declared Cynthia ingratiatingly; "we couldn't stay there for good ourselves--oh no! And, of course, if you found we stopped too long to suit you, Nurse, why, you could leave us when you liked, couldn't you? Though Mr. Kent and I would both be very sorry to lose you, I'm sure!" They looked at her pleadingly while she meditated. "What Baby will do, _Hi_ don't know, madam," she said; "changing his cow, poor little dear!" "Will it hurt him?" demanded the mother and father, in a breath. "If you have the doctor's consent, madam, you may _chance_ it. It isn't a thing that _Hi_ would ever advise." "Well, well, look here," said Kent; "we'll see Dr. Roberts about it to-day, and if he says there's no risk, that'll settle it. You will get ready to start Thursday morning, Nurse." "I will _endeavour_ to do so, sir," she said with dignity. They felt that on the whole she had been gracious. And Kent, having obtained Dr. Roberts' sanction to change the cow, commissioned a house-agent to try to let No. 64 furnished at four guineas a week. CHAPTER XIV Lest he should feel unduly elated, _The Eye of the Beholder_ came back on Wednesday afternoon, but this time he did not post it to another firm instanter. He could not very well ask for it to be returned to Paris, and he left it with Turquand when he bade him good-bye. "Send it where you like," he begged; "perhaps you might try Farqueharsen next. Yes, I've rather a fancy for Farqueharsen! But let it make the round, old chap, and drop me a line when there aren't any more publishers for it to go to." The nurse's "endeavour" was crowned by success. The Walfords had congratulated him so warmly that he almost began to think they were nice people again. And the departure was made on Thursday morning as arranged.