"I don't care. Tell me about the theatre.
Were they kind to you there? Will you be able to keep your
place?"
"The girls were all much nicer than I expected," she told him,
"and the musical director said that my voice was much too good
for the chorus. Oh, I do hope that they will keep me!"
"They would be idiots if they didn't," he declared, vigorously.
"You sing better and you dance more gracefully and to me you
seemed much prettier than any one else there."
She laughed into his eyes.
"My dear brother," she exclaimed, "your education is progressing
indeed! It is positively the first evening I have ever heard you
attempt to make pretty speeches, and you are quite an adept
already."
"I don't know about that," he protested. "I suppose it never
occurred to me before that you were good-looking," he added,
examining her critically, "or I dare say I should have told you
so. You see, one doesn't notice these things in an ordinary way.
Lots of other people must have told you so, though."
"I was never spoilt with compliments," she said. "You see, I had
a beautiful sister."
The words seemed to have escaped her unconsciously. Almost as
they passed her lips, her expression changed. She shivered, as
though reminded of something unpleasant. Tavernake, however,
noticed nothing. For the greater part of the day he had been
sedulously fighting against a new and unaccustomed state of mind.
He had found his thoughts slipping away, time after time, until
he had had to set his teeth and use all his will power to keep
his attention concentrated upon his work.
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