all. We are not rich, but we have enough to go to Europe on. I have never been
in Europe in my life, and never expected or wanted to go. But my niece there,
Maria Spofford, has taken a fancy to go. Now, you know a young person like
Maria can’t go globetrotting alone.”
“No—I—I suppose not,” murmured Anne, seeing that Miss Patty was quite
solemnly in earnest.
“Of course not. So I have to go along to look after her. I expect to enjoy it,
too; I’m seventy years old, but I’m not tired of living yet. I daresay I’d have
gone to Europe before if the idea had occurred to me. We shall be away for two
years, perhaps three. We sail in June and we shall send you the key, and leave all
in order for you to take possession when you choose. We shall pack away a few
things we prize especially, but all the rest will be left.”
“Will you leave the china dogs?” asked Anne timidly.
“Would you like me to?”
“Oh, indeed, yes. They are delightful.”
A pleased expression came into Miss Patty’s face.
“I think a great deal of those dogs,” she said proudly. “They are over a
hundred years old, and they have sat on either side of this fireplace ever since
my brother Aaron brought them from London fifty years ago. Spofford Avenue
was called after my brother Aaron.”
“A fine man he was,” said Miss Maria, speaking for the first time. “Ah, you
don’t see the like of him nowadays.”
“He was a good uncle to you, Maria,” said Miss Patty, with evident emotion.
“You do well to remember him.”
“I shall always remember him,” said Miss Maria solemnly. “I can see him,
this minute, standing there before that fire, with his hands under his coat-tails,
beaming on us.”
Miss Maria took out her handkerchief and wiped her eyes; but Miss Patty
came resolutely back from the regions of sentiment to those of business.
“I shall leave the dogs where they are, if you will promise to be very careful
of them,” she said. “Their names are Gog and Magog. Gog looks to the right and
Magog to the left. And there’s just one thing more. You don’t object, I hope, to
this house being called Patty’s Place?”
“No, indeed. We think that is one of the nicest things about it.”
“You have sense, I see,” said Miss Patty in a tone of great satisfaction.
“Would you believe it? All the people who came here to rent the house wanted