Chapter 2 - Page 2

foolishly impulsive. He was a punctilious gentleman, I felt sure; his
face and manner grew upon one rapidly.

Daphne rose as I entered, and waved the stranger forward with an
imperious little wave. I imagined, indeed, that I detected in the
gesture a faint touch of half-unconscious proprietorship. "Good-morning,
Hubert," she said, taking my hand, but turning towards the tall young
man. "I don't think you know Mr. Cecil Holsworthy."

"I have heard you speak of him," I answered, drinking him in with my
glance. I added internally, "Not half good enough for you."

Hilda's eyes met mine and read my thought. They flashed back word, in
the language of eyes, "I do not agree with you."

Daphne, meanwhile, was watching me closely. I could see she was anxious
to discover what impression her friend Mr. Holsworthy was making on me.
Till then, I had no idea she was fond of anyone in particular; but
the way her glance wandered from him to me and from me to Hilda showed
clearly that she thought much of this gawky visitor.

We sat and talked together, we four, for some time. I found the young
man with the lugubrious countenance improved immensely on closer
acquaintance. His talk was clever. He turned out to be the son of a
politician high in office in the Canadian Government, and he had been
educated at Oxford. The father, I gathered, was rich, but he himself was
making an income of nothing a year just then as a briefless barrister,
and he was hesitating whether to accept a post of secretary that had
been offered him in the colony, or to continue his negative career at
the Inner Temple, for the honour and glory of it.

"Now, which would YOU advise me, Miss Tepping?" he inquired, after we
had discussed the matter some minutes.

Daphne's face flushed up. "It is so hard to decide," she answered. "To
decide to YOUR best advantage, I mean, of course. For naturally all your
English friends would wish to keep you as long as possible in England."

"No, do you think so?" the gawky young man jerked out with evident
pleasure. "Now, that's awfully kind of you. Do you know, if YOU tell
me I ought to stay in England, I've half a mind... I'll cable over this
very day and refuse the appointment."

Daphne flushed once more. "Oh, please don't!" she exclaimed, looking
frightened. "I shall be quite distressed if a stray word of mine should
debar you from accepting a good offer of a secretaryship."

"Why, your least wish--" the young man began--then checked himself
hastily--"must be always important," he went on, in a different voice,
"to everyone of your acquaintance."