Page:The Other House (London, William Heinemann, 1896), Volume 2.djvu/92

78 effect of making her look, in gracious recognition, at Dennis. He had evidently, for the moment, nothing but an odd want of words to meet her with; but this, precisely, gave her such a sense of having disturbed a scene of intimacy that, to be doubly courteous, she said: "Perhaps you remember me. We were here together"

"Four years ago—perfectly," Rose broke in, speaking for him with an amenity that might have been intended as a quick corrective of any impression conveyed by her grab of the child. "Mr. Vidal and I were just talking of you. He has come back, for the first time since then, to pay us a little visit."

"Then he has things to say to you that I've rudely interrupted. Please excuse me—I'm off again," Jean went on to Dennis. "I only came for the little girl." She turned back to Rose. " I'm afraid it's time I should take her home."

Rose sat there like a queen-regent with a baby sovereign on her knee. "Must I give her up to you?"

"I'm responsible for her, you know, to Gorham," Jean returned.