Page:Neith Boyce--The bond.djvu/411

Rh red Wong now waiting outside the gate, Ronald warmed up, asked for a ride, and departed cheerfully in company with the stranger.

Basil, when informed of the dinner-engagement, looked blankly at Teresa.

"You said we'd go? You might have asked me first. I don't want to go, and I don't think I shall. What have we to do with that crowd?"

Teresa's reply was less cold because of the "we."

"I think perhaps we ought to go once. It would be rather awkward not to go at all, after her visit."

Basil was plainly disconcerted. He looked at Teresa with astonishment not quite sufficiently veiled by indifference.

"You can call on her if you like. I can't see why I should go."

"It would be mere politeness to do so, I should think."

"Should you? I'm not going in for mere politeness."

"Well, there's no need for going in for bear-like savagery. I should think you'd hibernated long enough." "I supose [sic] you're bored and want to see some men. But if we go there we shall lose a lot more money than we can afford, at bridge."

"We needn't go again. But I think she'd feel