Part 12 (2/2)
”Why do you ask him so often then?”
”_I_ don't ask him. Mamma is fond of him, and so--”
”You are the victim!”
”I can bear it; I have consolations!”
She laughed merrily.
”How do you like my binding?” he asked, when they had ridden awhile in silence.
She looked up with a question.
”The binding of my book, I mean,” he explained.
”It is a good color.”
He felt his hope rather damped.
”Will you let me read a little from it?”
”With pleasure. You shall have an audience in the drawing-room, after luncheon.”
”Oh, Lufa! how could you think I would read my own poems to a lot of people!”
”I beg your pardon! Will the summer-house do?”
”Yes, indeed; nowhere better.”
”Very well! The summer-house, after lunch!”
This was not encouraging! Did she suspect what was coming? and was she careful not to lead the way to it? She had never been like this before!
Perhaps she did not like having the book dedicated to her! But there was no mention of her name, or anything to let ”the heartless world” know to whom it was offered!
As they approached the house, Walter said,
”Would you mind coming at once to the summer-house?”
”Lunch will be ready.”
”Then sit down in your habit, and come immediately after. Let me have my way for once, Lufa.”
”Very well.”
CHAPTER XXII.
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