"No; I won’t have any coercion. I will place the matter before her in all its details, and she shall decide. If we don’t go, I hope you’ll have a pleasant journey all the same." "And as for you, Anerley, what do you say?" "As our arrangement will be a business matter, we’ll settle it another time," said Will, in a decided tone, which prevented the Count making further reference to buying and selling. "I won’t take any denial from any one of you," said the Count, with a prodigious laugh. "As for Mrs. Christmas, if that little woman dares to thwart me, I’ll have her portrait published in the illustrated papers as the wife of Rip Van Winkle." With which astounding witticism, the Count proceeded to get on horseback again—a rather difficult matter. Will held the stirrup for him, however; and eventually he shook himself into the saddle. Annie Brunel had lifted her veil to speak to the Count; and as her companion now saw that there was a good deal of whispering and nodding going on among several knots of riders, he thought it prudent to withdraw himself and her into the Park. From thence they took their way back through Kensington Gardens, and so home. "Would it look strange in English eyes," asked Miss Brunel, frankly, "if Mrs. Christmas and I, in travelling about, were to visit the Count’s place?" "I don’t think so," said Will. "And if it did, it wouldn’t matter. I think the party would be a very merry and pleasant one; and you would not allow Mrs. Christmas to feel that for her sake you were moping alone in some dull seaside lodgings. The Count is really very good-natured and kind; and I think you would enjoy the quaint old people and their manners down in the Black Forest." "Have you been there?" "Oh, yes. I have had a passing glance at every place, pretty nearly. There you may have a little deer-shooting, if you like: I have seen two ladies go out with guns, though they never did anything beyond letting one of the guns fall and nearly killing a keeper." "Will it be very expensive going over?" she asked quite naïvely, as though she had been calculating the propriety of accepting a country engagement. "Not at all. Are you going to say ’Yes’?" "If Mrs. Christmas does, I will." CHAPTER XII. GOOD-BYE. "Cras ingens iterabimus æquor; do you know what that means, Dove?" asked Will. "Something dreadful, I suppose," she said. "_Cras_, on Monday night, _iterabimus_, I must leave, _ingens æquor_, for Germany. Didn’t I say I should never leave England again without you, Dove? But this is only for a week or two, my darling; and it is on business; and I am come to crave your forgiveness and permission."