Page:Stewart Edward White--The Rose Dawn.djvu/195

Rh night afterward. Dinner was the least important: and was hurried over at a scandalously early hour. Then Daphne retired with Mrs. Peyton and Rosita, Manuelo's daughter. The Colonel dressed himself in his old "clawhammer" with the long tails, that somehow on him gave the impression of brass buttons, though brass buttons there were none; and tried in vain to read or smoke. He was as excited as Daphne herself, and kept jumping up to see if Manuelo understood about the team, and if they had got out the thick lap robes, and if they had remembered to put on the side curtains. The time was very long. The women, indeed, were having trouble. The difficulty was not with the gown, which fitted to a marvel, but with Daphne's hair. It simply would not lie down and be tame as the Spanish style demanded. Finally Allie abandoned the Spanish style entirely.

"This is not a masquerade: we don't have to be consistent," she mumbled through the hairpins in her mouth. "There," she pronounced, after a few moments. "You'll do. Now run down and keep the Colonel company while I slip on my dress."

"Oh, Aunt Allie!" cried Daphne, with compunction. "You've spent all the time on me! I'm so selfish!" and she would have flown at the little woman for a hug and a kiss. But Mrs. Peyton checked her.

"Hold on!" she cried sharply. "Don't you dare muss yourself, after all my pains! I have plenty of time to dress. I've done it before a thousand times or so, and I don't have to experiment. Run along!"

Daphne crept along the dim hall to the study, trying hard to avoid the numerous cracking boards. The Colonel was seated under the lamp with a book. He looked up at the bright young vision framed in the doorway.

"God bless my soul!" he exclaimed, and arose. "My dear," he said gravely, after a pause of inspection, "you will be the belle of the ball. You are exquisite." He stepped forward and raised her hand to his lips. Her colour heightened, her eyes bright, she dropped him a curtsey.

"I am glad you like it, godpapa. If you are pleased, I am very happy."

"Frightened, puss?" asked the old man.