Therefore I try
to smile as I sign myself,
Your loving and your faithful
ROSA.
O God! Come quickly, if you love me.
VI
THE QUEST BEGINS
When O'Reilly had finished his second reading of the letter there
were fresh blots upon the pitifully untidy pages. "I write nicely,
only the ink is poor--" "There is little of anything here at
Asensio's house--" "It is cold before the dawn--" ... Poor little
Rosa! He had always thought of her as so proud, so high-spirited,
so playful, but another Rosa had written this letter. Her appeal
stirred every chord of tenderness, every impulse of chivalry in
his impressionable Irish nature. She doubted him; she feared he
would not come' to her. Well, he would set her doubts at rest. "O
God! Come quickly, if you love me." He leaped to his feet; he
dashed the tears from his eyes.
Mr. Slack looked up astonished at the apparition which burst in
upon him. He was accustomed to O'Reilly's high head of steam and
disapproved of it, but he had never seen the fellow so surcharged
as now. He was positively jumpy; his voice was sharp; his hands
were unsteady; his eyes were bright and blue and hard.
"I want my salary, quick," Johnnie began.
Mr. Slack resented emotion, he abominated haste; he had cultivated
what he considered to be a thorough commercial deliberation.
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