, and was
standing at her side.
    »Are you« - she turned her eyes, and Pet faltered - »expecting any one to
meet you here, Miss Wade?«
    »I? No.«
    »Father is sending to the Poste Restante. Shall he have the pleasure of
directing the messenger to ask if there are any letters for you?«
    »I thank him, but I know there can be none.«
    »We are afraid,« said Pet, sitting down beside her, shyly and half tenderly,
»that you will feel quite deserted when we are all gone.«
    »Indeed!«
    »Not,« said Pet, apologetically and embarrassed by her eyes, »not, of
course, that we are any company to you, or that we have been able to be so, or
that we thought you wished it.«
    »I have not intended to make it understood that I did wish it.«
    »No. Of course. But - in short,« said Pet, timidly touching her hand as it
lay impassive on the sofa between them, »will you not allow Father to render you
any slight assistance or service? He will be very glad.«
    »Very glad,« said Mr. Meagles, coming forward with his wife and Clennam.
»Anything short of speaking the language, I shall be delighted to undertake, I
am sure.«
    »I am obliged to you,« she returned, »but my arrangements are made, and I
prefer to go my own way in my own manner.«
    »Do you?« said Mr. Meagles, to himself, as he surveyed her with a puzzled
look. »Well! There's character in that, too.«
    »I am not much used to the society of young ladies, and I am afraid I may
not show my appreciation of it as others might. A pleasant journey to you.
Good-bye!«
    She would not have put out her hand, it seemed, but that Mr. Meagles put out
his so straight before her, that she could not pass it. She put hers in it, and
it lay there just as it had lain upon the couch.
    »Good-bye!« said Mr. Meagles. »This is the last good-bye upon the list, for
Mother and I have just said it to Mr. Clennam here, and he only waits to say it
to Pet. Good-bye! We may never meet again.«
    »In our course through life we shall meet the people
