Part 8 (2/2)

”Done up! Was n't your sister's hair done up?” queried s.h.i.+rley. ”Oh no, I remember! Those lovely thick curls of hers were tied in a bunch at her neck--such a lovely way; none of the others do theirs like that.

She 's awfully pretty, is n't she? Prettier than Olive, I think.”

”I admire my sister very much,” agreed Peter, ”but it would be hard for anybody to be prettier than your sister.”

His eyes turned to Olive as he spoke. She stood near by, exchanging gay talk with a tall youth in the interval between dances. More beautifully dressed than any young girl he had ever seen, her dark face lighted into brilliancy by excitement, the rare colour in her cheeks set off by the big bunch of red roses she carried, she was a picturesque figure indeed.

”Yes, Olive does look pretty,” admitted Olive's little sister. ”Excuse me a minute, please,” she added, and slipped over to Olive's side. If Peter could have heard the brief whispered conversation exchanged, he would hardly have dared to stand watching it, as he did.

”Olive,” begged s.h.i.+rley, when with difficulty she had secured her sister's reluctant attention, ”if I take care of Peter Bell for a while, won't you be nice to him? He does n't dance, and he does n't know anybody----”

”It's enough that he 's here!” retorted Olive, with a frown. ”I didn't ask him or his sister, so I----”

”You did n't ask him?”

”No, no--run along!

”But who----”

”Forrest--without saying a word to me.”

”Oh!” s.h.i.+rley gasped, and was silent for a minute. Then she pulled at Olive's arm again.

”Olive, but they 're our guests just the same, and----”

”s.h.i.+rley, don't bother me now!”

”Listen, Olive, just a minute. Peter says n.o.body could be prettier than you.”

It was a shot which told. Olive's grudging attention was arrested. She glanced over her sister's head, in the direction of Peter. Her eyes met his, and she turned away again, but not before the momentary vision of the strong, intent face had impressed itself upon her as rather better worth consideration than many of the others.

The thought of such a compliment as s.h.i.+rley had reported coming from those firm-set lips of Peter Bell gave the recipient rather a novel sensation.

Olive had been out of patience with Peter from the moment that she caught sight of his unconventional attire, but she felt all at once more tolerant of his presence. ”He did n't tell you to tell me that, I suppose?” she whispered to s.h.i.+rley.

”Oh, no, I only----”

”Go back, and tell him to save some time for me after this dance. I 'll keep the next one for him.”

”But, Olive, you know he does n't dance----”

”I'll sit it out with him, since he doesn't know enough to come and ask me for himself.”

Half an hour later Jane, pa.s.sing through the hall with Murray, on the way to the library, where he was to show her certain books of which they had been talking, caught sight of her brother just mounting the staircase to the retreat on the landing. To her surprise and relief--for she had anxiously looked for him from time to time, and had seen him with n.o.body but little s.h.i.+rley--she noted that he was now in the company of his girlish hostess, and that that young person was turning upon him a gracious face.

To Jane the remainder of the evening pa.s.sed in full pleasure. She spent an interesting hour in the library with Murray, who made himself a delightful companion, expanding in the sympathetic atmosphere of her good comrades.h.i.+p into a more genial warmth and sincerity of manner than she had imagined him capable of showing. Then Forrest came in search of her, and bore her away to join a company of young people who were going to supper together.

Under Forrest's wing she found her position secure, for he was a much-admired youth, and whatsoever girl he chose to favour must--as he had known--be treated with friendliness by all his companions. Jane's own charms came to her aid also, and brought several unattached young gentlemen to her side, so that before the evening was over she had made what Forrest inwardly congratulated himself upon as ”a respectable success.”

Upon the landing Peter established Olive and himself on the divan among the palms. He studied his companion's face a moment, then said abruptly, ”I want to tell you, Miss Townsend, that I 'm more than sorry to be here by an accident.”

<script>