Page:Maud Howe - A Newport Aquarelle.djvu/113

 "Now tell me things," said the girl, imperatively.

"What shall it be about to-night?"

"Oh! anything you like. You might finish telling me about the Bedouin chief who fell in love with the English lady."

"No, that is rather too long a story. May I not tell you something about Newport and what has happened to me since I first met you here in this very Casino?"

"Decidedly not. That would be quite too commonplace and every-day an experience."

Larkington was silent and meditatively stroked his moustache, from which action he seemed to derive a certain comfort.

As they sat quite silent, a light flashed close to the face of Gladys,—a tiny golden spark,—and was quickly lost again in the darkness.

"What a pretty firefly, and how bright!"

"You should take the firefly as your device, Miss Carleton, for it resembles you more than anything else that I have seen."