Page:Alice Stuyvesant - The Vanity Box.djvu/33

 "Thank you," he answered. But he did not return the compliment. A look of hopeless weariness and illness sharpened his face. His shoulders were not squared now. His head drooped. If a man as sunburnt as Sir Ian could turn pale, he was pale. Perhaps his abruptness pained her. At all events she moved as if to go. "I'd just left Maud's card and mine for—Milly" (she brought the name out with a slight effort), "when I saw you. I wouldn't have come, as Maud had a headache, but she was sure Mrs. Forestier would have told Milly that she meant to bring me over to-day; and we both thought "Mrs. Forestier did tell us, but only when we were lunching there just now," Sir Ian said quickly, as she paused.

"I was sure you knew, the moment I saw you, for you didn't look a bit surprised."

"I'd got over my surprise."

"Maud thought it would be rather horrid for neither of us to come, if Milly had heard. She might" "She did say at once, that we would come home early, not to miss you and Mrs. Ricardo. She—we started soon after three, but—we parted in the woods, and I—came on ahead. I should think—she won't be long."

"Then—shall I wait? Would you like me to wait?"

"Yes. Yes, I would like it," he said. There was