"
"Thank you," she said, "I should have liked to have danced
with you very much; but, after all, it is in the intention
that is the greatest compliment, so I will not mind too much.
I think I will be very happy even if I do not dance at all."
She looked up at him for the first time, and even in the dusk
he seemed to see the light in her eyes, the smile on her lips,
the colour flushing in her cheeks. It was not of the ball she
was thinking--it was of him; she had felt the grasp of his kind
hand, his voice was sounding in her hears, he has come back at
last--at last.
"You have been away a long time, Monsieur Horace," she said
softly, "but we have heard of you often; we have read your
book, and the critiques upon it; it has been a great success,
has it not? And then we have seen your name in the papers--at
dinners, at scientific meetings----"
"Yes," said Graham, "I have been doing plenty of hard work
lately; but I have come down into the country to be idle, and
have some fun, as Madge would say. We will take our holidays
together, will we not, Madge?" he added, as the child,
followed by her mother, came into the room.
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